The world's largest international trade fair for apparel fabrics and accessories, "Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics Spring Edition 2014," took place in Shanghai, China, from March 3rd to 5th.

According to organizer Messe Frankfurt Hong Kong, over 40,000 visitors attended, a 60% increase over last year's Beijing event and a new record for the trade fair in the past 20 years. Visitors from outside China increased by 105%, while those from within China increased by 52%. By country, excluding mainland China, the top countries represented were South Korea, Hong Kong, Japan, India, and the United States.

This year's exhibition featured 1,400 apparel manufacturers from 23 Asian countries, primarily China, as well as European countries such as Italy. This was a significant increase from last year's 16 countries. At a press conference held on the first day, the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) revealed that it had received more than double the number of applications, highlighting the potential and globalization of the Chinese market. It was announced that next year's event will move to the China Expo Complex currently under construction in Hongqiao, with a 100,000-square-meter venue, approximately double the current exhibition size, and will be held simultaneously with Intertextile Home Textiles and Yarn Expo. Thirteen Japanese companies exhibited. Many exhibitors expressed positive feedback, with Moririn saying, "The move to Shanghai has increased the number of visitors from southern China, and we've gained new customers," and Ichimura Sangyo saying, "We feel that China's economy is improving, and we're actually seeing an increase in orders." Withall, a textile trading company based in Osaka, commented, "We decided to participate because it was held in Shanghai. Intertextile has an overwhelming ability to draw customers. This time, we feel the influence of European trends in particular. Chinese manufacturers and brands are trying to adopt the trends of global luxury brands." In addition to attention being drawn to popular products from Premiere Vision, which are designed to keep up with European trends, many customers were also searching for uniquely Japanese materials. "In addition to items that were popular in Paris, uniquely Japanese materials like indigo dyeing are also popular," said Chikuma. "Not only standard materials but also items with surface effects are selling well," said Kumazawa Shoji. Furthermore, since this year's event was held in time for production of 2014-15 Autumn/Winter collections, many customers placed orders for both the Spring/Summer and Fall/Winter seasons. ■European Companies Turn to Asia
Silvio Albini, president of Milano Unica, which exhibited in the Salon Europe zone alongside 124 other companies, including Loro Piana and Thomas Mason, also emphasized at a press conference that the importance of Asian markets, including China, is growing year by year.
The zone, home to design studios showcasing trendy European designs, was bustling every day. Jeremy Somers, director of the British design studio Circleline, which has enjoyed popularity despite its relatively high prices, said, "We entered China about 10 years ago, but I feel that the Chinese fashion scene has developed rapidly over the past two or three years. Rather than imitating other countries, they are trying to create something special, and I think an original style that combines the glamorous Asian sensibility with the historic European sensibility is beginning to take root. Young creators in particular are seeking to gain more information and hone their sensibilities."

Liberty, which has had an office in Shanghai for the past two years, also exhibited with the aim of increasing its recognition in China. LilyZip, which has had offices in Shanghai and Hong Kong for the past 19 years, also seemed to be looking forward to market expansion.

During the event, various organizations, including the Intertextile Trend Committee, held trend forums for Spring/Summer 2015. Many attendees listened intently and carefully examined the fabric samples gathered at the booths. *Editor's note: The number of visitors from outside China has been revised based on the organizer's final announcement (March 27, 2014).