DuPont, Hyosung, Invista and Lenzing will be hosting Group Pavilions at this month’s Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics, adding to the A/W sourcing season’s most comprehensive range of quality, innovative and fashionable apparel fabrics. Over 4,500 exhibitors from 32 countries and regions are taking part this edition, which takes place from 11-13 October in Shanghai, China.

Joining them will be further Group Pavilions by the Better Cotton Initiative (BCI), Korea Textile Center (KTC) and Korea Textile Trade Association (KTTA), ECOCERT and OEKO-TEX in the All About Sustainability area, and the Button & Garment Accessories Industry Chamber in Accessories Vision.

Lenzing partner mills

The biggest Group Pavilion at the fair, Lenzing’s partner mills will showcase a wide range of their innovative products, but a particular highlight this edition will be the Lenzing EcoVero branded viscose fibres – a “new standard in eco-responsible viscose…offering the lowest environmental impact in the industry,” according to the company.

This new product is based on three pillars: use of certified and controlled sustainable wood sources, an ecological production process, and supply chain transparency that ensures EcoVero fibres in the final product.

EcoVero fibres are made from natural and renewable wood, which comes from natural forests or from sustainable forestry plantations. Due to strict standards being enforced during the production stage, emissions and water impact are up to 50% lower than generic viscose, while EcoVero is also certified with the EU Ecolabel. Lastly, a special manufacturing system is said to guarantee that even after long textile processing and conversion steps, EcoVero fibres can be identified in the final product.

Invista hosts two pavilions and seminar

Invista’s involvement at this year Intertextile Shanghai will focus on what it dubs its Innovative Attitude to consumers, partners, as well as the whole industry. This will be showcased in two pavilions: the main pavilion in the International Hall and the Lycra Moves Denim pavilion. The former will feature the latest possibilities offered by Lycra Moves Bra, Leggings and Hosiery, while in the latter, visitors will learn about three themes highlighted through consumer insights – fit, shape and embracing heat and cold.

In addition to its product development, Invista also cooperated with a number of media organisations to conduct a survey on IP protection in the textiles industry. The results will be revealed during a seminar entitled Innovation and IP: An Avenue for Sustainable Textile Industry Development, which will be held on 11 October.

DuPont offers a range of functional options

For DuPont, a focus this edition is on stretch – particularly as it applies to performance sportswear, work wear and athleisure clothing. While a number of polyurethane fibres exist to meet the stretch requirements of garments such as these, DuPont’s Sorona stretch fibre aims to offer a superior solution in terms of production time and cost, stretch recovery and colour fastness. Unlike polyurethane fibres, Sorona stretch fibres do not need to be covered during the spinning process, reducing time, complexity and cost for fabric manufacturers, according to the company.

Hyosung’s specialty in its pavilion will be the creora Fresh odour neutralising elastane. According to the company, it has a “higher deodorising effect with a comfortable fit,” making it suitable for intimate apparel, sportswear, socks, hosiery and more. creora Fresh has been demonstrated with nylon and polyester fibres to perform better than traditional antimicrobial finishes.

Also from Korea, the Korea Textile Center Pavilion will showcase a range of functional fabrics, synthetic & blended fabrics, man-made leather and faux suede. Exhibitors in the Korea Textile Trade Association Pavilion will feature products such as chiffon, jacquard, cotton and polyester, nylon and spandex, knitted and linen blended fabrics, lace and embroidery, and functional fabrics.

Eco-friendly sourcing options

Featuring for the first time at the fair will be the Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) Pavilion. BCI is a global not-for-profit organisation with more than 1,000 members from the entire cotton sector, making it the largest cotton sustainability programme in the world.

The goal of BCI is to generate transformative, long-term change in the cotton sector, from field to store, by developing Better Cotton as a sustainable mainstream commodity. Last year, BCI and its partners provided training on more sustainable agricultural practices to 1.6 million farmers from 23 countries on five continents. At Intertextile Shanghai, its pavilion will feature spinners, weavers and more.

Providing buyers with more eco-friendly sourcing options will be the Oeko-Tex by Testex Pavilion, and the debut Ecocert Pavilion. Both of these feature in the fair’s All About Sustainability zone.

www.intertextileapparel.com