texfash: Intertextile Shanghai is often described as a barometer of the global textile trade. Now that the Spring Edition has concluded, what concrete signals did you pick up from buyer behaviour, sourcing conversations, or exhibitor feedback that tell us where the apparel fabrics market is actually heading in 2026?
Wilmet Shea: Some of the numbers and feedback from the recent Spring Edition of Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics indicate the industry’s faith in the show, and industry players’ faith that in-person business will help them navigate an ever-changing economic landscape.
While the show hosted many returning international exhibitors, it also welcomed several making their debuts, with a slight increase in the overseas exhibitor total—this all demonstrates that global suppliers and service providers are still betting on the Asian and Chinese markets. On the visitor side, over 96,000 visitors from 119 countries and regions attended the show, marginally higher than the previous Spring Edition, and one indication that exhibitors’ continued faith has been well placed.
Exhibitors’ insights tell us that domestic buyers are increasingly seeking natural or sustainable fibres, and placing value on comfort, understated style, and functionality for the apparel they are designing and manufacturing. Buyers admit challenges securing orders in the current climate, but reiterate the importance of attending Intertextile Apparel to stay up to date with the latest trends and innovations.
Intertextile has long served as a meeting point between Chinese manufacturers and international buyers. Given the ongoing realignment of global supply chains, did this edition reveal anything new about China’s evolving role in textile sourcing, particularly in relation to Southeast Asia and other emerging production hubs?
Wilmet Shea: While China of course remains the world’s leading textile exporter, it is true that some other countries and regions are emerging as productions hubs, such as Southeast and Central Asia. As the world’s leading textile trade fair organiser, Messe Frankfurt has recognised the potential: the successful third edition of the Vietnam International Trade Fair for Apparel, Textiles, and Textile Technologies (VIATT 2026), and the upcoming home and apparel textile fairs in Uzbekistan, represent our confidence in these regions.
What we are finding is that some mass production is being diverted to other countries, while China is demonstrating it can lead the way in cutting-edge materials, new technology adoption and scaling. In that regard, we had very positive buyer feedback on the scale and scope of innovation on show at Intertextile Apparel this spring. For numerous international brands, apparel manufacturers, and designers, China—and this fair—remains their most important sourcing hub.
Overall, the textile industry is a truly global supply chain, with a large degree of synergy needed, and China has also demonstrated it can work with these other textile hubs. Many Southeast Asian manufacturers still depend on imported fabrics and materials from China, linking their export strength to this ongoing upstream dependency – at the fair, this was evidenced by 40% of overseas buyer delegations hailing from Southeast Asia. Meanwhile, Chinese firms have also been investing in production facilities in these high potential countries and regions.
