The world's largest international trade fair for apparel fabrics and accessories, Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics Spring Edition 2015, held from March 18th to 20th, saw even more prominent trends in recent years—eco-friendly, high fashion, and design. The "Verve for Design" zone, home to design studios, saw 13 exhibitors from Australia, China, France, Italy, the UK, and other countries, a 40% increase from the previous year, doubling the exhibit space. The book section was bustling every day with people looking for design materials, signaling the growing interest in design in the Chinese market. Circle Line, a UK exhibitor, stated, "More buyers are seeking novel designs, willing to pay more for unique items. Hand-drawn designs and designs with a gimmicky element are popular." The company also plans to expand its business in Japan this spring.

The European pavilions, Salon Europa and Milano Unica, will feature a selection of premium materials for men's high fashion. According to Hield, a British company that has participated every season since 1993, "We're seeing changes in the Chinese market, such as a focus on casual style. While following European trends, China's unique identity and young, creative sensibilities are being mixed. For us, Japan is currently our largest market in Asia, but we expect China to reach the same level of maturity as Japan in the near future."

The "All About Sustainable" zone, focusing on eco-friendly materials, also expanded. Exhibitors included environmental consulting companies, research companies, and sports brands actively working on eco-friendly materials. "Eco-friendliness is a hot topic in the Chinese market, and legislation is being developed," said Bernd Muller, a representative at Messe Frankfurt. "China is a huge producer and consumer, with apparel-related waste reaching 20 million tons annually. Consumer interest in environmental issues is growing through social media, and NGO activity is also on the rise, so this field is likely to continue to attract attention." This year's exhibits featured enhanced display boards to appeal not only to buyers but also to other exhibitors. A seminar space was also set up within the venue. Blue Sign Technologies from Switzerland also introduced their vision and services at their booth and seminar. While sharing the environmental initiatives of companies from around the world, they emphasized the importance of considering environmental considerations as part of business. "Compared to other industries like outdoor and sports, the textile industry is still lagging behind in its focus on environmental issues, but I can sense a movement. The textile industry, which requires a lot of water and chemicals, is the one that needs to change its mindset," he said at the seminar.

Mr. Muller believes that demand for the sustainability field will continue to increase, and plans to hold a conference at the next event.