Interviews at Shanghai Mode lingerie and Interfiliere Shanghai

- A Tale of Two Trade Shows in One Exhibition

By Xu Yuanyuan

Shanghai is even prosperously busy in Oct when there are many eye-catchers in trade events for textile and fashion. As a reporter for textile and apparel industry, I am so fascinated with the dynamics as to be there at the invitation of organizer of Shanghai Mode Lingerie and Interfiliere Shanghai, a very successful and influential trade show exclusively for underwear, or lingerie if you prefer to a French word for it. Only recently, I was lucky to have an interview with Mr. Gao Yong, vice president of China National Textile and Apparel Council, who expounded on the status quo of economic performance in this industry affected by the slowdowns in important economic indicators. Against this background, I have interest in getting to know the first hand information from the exhibitors whose views are real and helpful in understanding what’s going on and what’s to be done to respond to the new change.

Eurovet is the organizer of the 2015 Interfiliere Shanghai Exhibition and the undisputed world leader for lingerie and swimwear, with international events in Paris, New York, Shanghai, and Hong Kong. They bring together international top buyers and designers from across the world to inspire enthusiasm, bring added-value, and rebuild confidence so that the business can go hand in hand with an international scope, image, pleasure, and emotion. Here are some interviews with the exhibitors.

1. Interview with Mr. Enrico Serafini, Export Director of PIAVE MAITEX

Q1: Mr. Serafini, if I am not mistaken, it’s not for the first time that your company has participated in this trade show. Is the product for Chinese market?

A: Yes, exactly. PIAVE MAITEX was the first European fabric manufacturer to step into the Chinese market. We have strong business relationship with all the leading Chinese lingerie and swimwear brands. Our strategy tends to assure an active presence on the market by the local commercial network and a constant B to B endeavor by developing customized projects for selected partners.

Q2: What is the main product line for this market?

A: We produce elastic fabric, extremely focused on quality which is ISO 9001 and also Oekotex certified. One of our main advantages is the skill and know-how to serve our customers by developing customized projects. We are the accredited supplier for several top global Lingerie brands with whom we cooperate on production process.

Q3: Yes, I agree with you in that the quality is important for a good supplier. Quality is not only physically good, but also chemically acceptable by environmental standard. You agree with that?

A: You are right! By quality standard, we mean both. That’s why we offer “Green Line” products. “Green Line” has been the first attempt to assemble a group of fabrics made of natural or chemical fibers in environment-friendly process. R&D is strengthened with the efforts to implement the line by introducing additional developments year after year.

Q4: I touch your fabric that gives a nice handfeel. Is the handfeel very important for a fabric?

A: Yes, handfeel is still a must. We also paid much attention to the handfeel by using selected fibers like MicroModal, high gauge technique or unconventional natural versions of mesh or other structures. Besides, we have registered increasing interest in fabrics with technological performances to respond to market trend. We believe that most of the next R&D work will be absorbed by this trend. Another trend is quite strong and connected with ergonomic or engineered fabrics, in other words, the science of garments’ body fitting.

Q5: This is a Two-for-One trade show, one platform for two exhibitions vertically-integrated. Interfilliere is upstream product for Lingerie, a downstream fashion. What do you think of Lingerie industry?

A: Lingerie is still our core business today and this is proven by a worldwide convergence and recognition in the industry. However, we also have a strong presence in swimwear and build an increasingly leading role in high-tech fabrics for sports. Outerwear and other market sectors like industrial segments are also important for us.

Q6: We have often heard that Vietnam is growing quickly in economy and China might lose to Vietnam when we talk about cost competitiveness. What’s your opinion?

A: China remains a preferential market with a potential not yet unfolded in our strategy. Vietnam is of course growing, but more for global production rather than local consumption. India like China has a local market consumption demand with an exponential growth and for this reason we are trying to establish a commercial network there. We are convinced that our products can attract manufacturers aiming at the high-end of the market.

2. Interview with Chen Dongyi, General Manager of LIBERTY TEX

Q1: How to cater to customers from different countries?

A: We design our products in accordance with different countries and consumers’ needs. For example, the westerners like the simple design, the Japanese like the delicate embroideries; however, the Chinese love the bright red and navy blue. We also have close daily contact with top designers world-wide; we keep abreast of the latest trends in the fashion business. We also satisfied the customers’ needs by continually developing new designs and products using the newest materials and embroidery techniques available.

Q2: What do you offer for future market?

A: We are committed to offering our esteemed customers the most innovative embroidered products at competitive prices, making great efforts to produce the derivative goods, following different design philosophies as much as possible and trying the complexities that the simplicity could not possibly reach.

Q3: What is your company’s “Going Global” development?

A: We have invested factories in Taiwan, Shanghai, Vietnam. The duty-free policy in Vietnam will stimulate imports and bring opportunities for Vietnam’s enterprises. The embroideries produced in Vietnam is imported into China and brought earnings for our company in Chinese market because of this cost competitiveness. “I am still confident with the Chinese market. Although the salary is growing, the consumer market is still big.” said Chen Dongyi, General Manager of LIBERTY TEX.

3. Interview with Vidhu Shrivastava, General Manager ofKewalram Indonesia

Q1: Can you introduce something about your company and its development process?

A: Our Company is one of the largest embroidery fabric manufacturers in the world with a leading conglomerate headquarter in Singapore. We are committed to pushing boundaries and pioneering the creation of new products, technologies, systems and processes for the benefit of our customers, partners and employees.

Q2: Please introduce the new textiles & embroideries you bring to INTERFILIERE SHANGHAI 2015, any new spotlight or innovation?

A: We introduced stretch cotton having soft handfeel for lingerie which can be used for expectant mothers, as well as for shape wears.

Q3: Today, many Asian countries such as India and Vietnam are enjoying rapid development of textile industry, and their export to the Euro-market has grown. Can you introduce the Indonesia market to us?

A: Indonesia is one of the world’s most growing and emerging economies, and the 4th populous country in the world with average age group 40 and below, it has got 3 million skilled labors working in large numbers of garment manufacturing units. Today Indonesia is handling ODM / OEM for many brands across the globe.

Q4: At present, Chinese textile enterprises have run into difficulty in the market demand for textile products compared to several years ago owing to the economic slowdown in China. In this case, does it have any impacts on your country?

A: China itself is a big manufacturer of textile products, the slowdown of production and the increasing over heads in China have made the Indonesia goods more competitive and preferred by other importing countries. In general, China’s slump will be beneficial to Indonesian economy if we refer to the competition in global market share.

Q5: Could you please forecast the future textile/embroideries trend?

A: Future for embroidery trend would be light weight materials like Linens, Silk, Guipures with metallic’s and prints.

At last, I interviewed with HIDEKI YAMAGUCHI, Vice President of HOKURIKU S.T.R COOPERATIVE, who have shared their company’s development process and competitive advantage with R&D, sales persons and production department. As far as we have known that HOKURIKU S.T.R COOPERATIVE is famous for shapewear made of a new functional yarn and presented the new power net meshes with the extraordinary soft handfeel, light fabric and sheer and glossy looks. He also said that Japan is greatly interested in Chinese shapewear market which is the biggest and richest market in the world.