Seminars cover all aspects of industry
Interstoff Asia Essential visitors can expect a comprehensive lineup of seminars delivered by industry leaders from around the globe, including Italy, Japan, Hong Kong, the Netherlands, Taiwan, Switzerland and Britain who will address most aspects of the garment and textile industries.
Topics will include trends and design, technological developments and business strategy.
Ornella Bignami, chief designer of the Interstoff trend forecast committee and creative director of Elementi Moda, will talk about the fabric and colour trends for the spring season.
Elementi Moda offers consulting, styling and product design services to the international textile industry. It also conducts extensive research and development on commercial textile products such as fibres, yarns, fabrics and knitwear.
Ms Bignami is a specialist in fibres, colours, yarns and fabric development for fashion.
Jan Craamer, president of Craamer Textile Consulting, in the Netherlands, will discuss the more technical aspects.
The exhibition will also feature special pavilions for fabrics from Japan, South Korea and Taiwan.
The Eco Muse pavilion will host about 20 Japanese companies that will showcase fabrics for spring/summer 2009 and some eco-textiles. Their participation at Interstoff Asia is a preview of what will be on show next month at the JFW - Japan Creation, a leading high-end fashion textiles event held twice a year in Japan.
JFW - Japan Creation steering committee senior director Akira Kawashima said: 'We believe that an overseas launch of our own indication of trends from JFW - Japan Creation is necessary to develop our event into an international textile show.
'By introducing Japanese fabrics at an international event such as Interstoff Asia Essential in Hong Kong, we can introduce Japanese-inspired trends and excellence in manufacturing to buyers from Asia, Europe and the United States, and can also promote our home fair JFW - Japan Creation in Tokyo. 'We are happy to collaborate with Interstoff Asia Essential in this way and are sure of further codevelopment,' he said.
Premium Korea, the Korean Pavilion organised by the Korea Textile Trade Association, will showcase 45 South Korean companies including nine silk manufacturers.
The Taiwan pavilion, drawn together by the Taiwan Textile Federation, will consist of 35 enterprises displaying mostly fashion and functional fabrics.
Representatives include companies from the Taiwan Export Processing Zone Garment Industry Association, the Taiwan Knitting Industry Association, the Taiwan Textile Printing, Dyeing and Finishing Industry Association and the Taiwan Weaving Industry Association.
Special focus will be on eco-textiles with highlights including a specialist speaker panel that will demystify the accreditation process of eco-textiles and their manufacturing processes. Speakers will include representatives from the Japan Organic Cotton Association and international body the Institute for Marketecology.
Messe Frankfurt (HK) director of trade fairs Wendy Wen said, 'The certification of textiles and their manufacturing processes as 'ecologically sound' is a growing and complicated sector of the international eco-labelling business.' Messe Frankfurt is the Interstoff organiser.
