SHANGHAI, March 25, 2014 /PRNewswire/ — From April 16 to April 18, the "2014 (Spring) Shanghai Textile & Apparel Exhibition (STAOEM)" will kick off at the Shanghai World Trade Mall exhibition hall. As an international trade show designed to guide and boost textile and apparel commerce, as well as foster innovation in the East China region, this event marks a strategic shift for the long-standing "Shanghai Textile & Apparel Exhibition (STA)," which has been held twice annually over the past decade. In response to evolving industry demands, STA will now adopt a more specialized approach, repositioning its exhibition segments and refining its service offerings. The three key events will take place in April, May, and October at the Shanghai World Trade Mall.

Over the past two years, the apparel industry has been mired in continuous turmoil, stuck in a deep rut—so much so that nearly all clothing companies are struggling to escape their inventory woes. From Li-Ning to Metersbonwe (hereafter referred to as Meibang), whether it’s a first-tier or third-tier brand, companies are grappling with inventories worth hundreds of millions of yuan, leaving almost every player in the industry feeling overshadowed. Whether they’ve tried outlet sales, online marketing, or even venturing into OUTLETS, none of these strategies have managed to turn the tide. Meanwhile, the rent-to-sales ratio in the apparel sector continues to soar. In many retail outlets, this ratio has surged past 30%, with some stores nearing 40%. Over the past few years, rental costs haven’t just doubled—they’ve essentially added an extra zero to the figure altogether. As a result, the apparel industry is effectively becoming a "collective blood donor" for commercial real estate.

Recently, prices of various types of pure cotton fabrics in the traditional market of China Light Textile City have shown a stable yet slightly weakening trend, with trading volumes remaining somewhat sluggish in certain areas. Some specific fabric varieties continue to see relatively light transactions, though localized sales have nonetheless picked up amid the overall seasonal lull. In the recent market, prices for pure cotton grey fabrics have stabilized in some regions while declining gradually in others. Meanwhile, the availability of spot supplies of pure cotton grey fabrics across the market remains limited, with significant drops in local spot offerings over recent days, leading to consistently subdued trading activity. Meanwhile, conventional finished dyed pure cotton fabrics for apparel have continued to experience insufficient daily sales, with prices holding steady while slipping slightly in isolated areas. Nevertheless, despite the generally slow pace, there have been occasional instances of brisk demand in certain segments—particularly among manufacturers purchasing bulk orders of pure cotton calico and calendered yarn silk for apparel production.

Recently, WGSN released its Spring/Summer 2015 fashion forecast. As an internationally recognized authority in the fashion industry, WGSN is a global leader in predicting fashion and trend trends. For this edition, we’ve specially invited Vilislava Petrova, Director of WGSN’s Asia-Pacific Editorial Team, to share her insights into the key trends for Spring/Summer 2015. Vilislava Petrova noted that with the rise of fast fashion, design and forward-looking trend analysis have become increasingly crucial. She explained that gathering trend and color insights directly from Paris has emerged as the primary method for trend analysis. Moreover, the evolution of trends now follows a dynamic "bottom-up, then top-down" process—starting from runway shows and fashion exhibitions, filtering through urban highlights, and ultimately informed by expert perspectives.

On October 30, the premium designer children's wear brand M.TT made its debut at China's first-ever children's fashion show, held in Beijing and organized by Swarovski, the global leader in crystal-like materials and fashionable jewelry. Alongside M.TT, under the M.Latin label, several other international fashion brands also showcased their collections on the runway. The event featured more than 40 exquisite children’s outfits that incorporated Swarovski elements, exuding a magical, fairytale-inspired charm while perfectly suited for special occasions. Following the successful launches of PittiBimbo and PetitePARADE—two prominent children’s wear exhibitions—at Milan’s Florence Fashion Week and New York Fashion Week, Swarovski has now set its sights on the capital city with this captivating showcase.

In today's booming e-commerce landscape, industries across the board—from the pioneering home appliance and digital markets to the rapidly expanding apparel sector—are undergoing varying degrees of transformation toward online retail. In the clothing market, children's wear has consistently attracted attention from e-commerce players due to its unique characteristics. According to data, China's children's apparel market boasts a potential value of 60 billion yuan, yet no single company has emerged as a clear industry leader. Currently, the primary customer base in the children's clothing market is made up of young adults born in the 1980s and 1990s, who are well-versed in e-commerce shopping habits. Moreover, children's clothing tends to be replaced frequently as kids grow, resulting in a short product lifecycle—and this, in turn, fuels substantial consumer demand.

Customs data shows that from January to August, China's national apparel exports reached US$112.82 billion, representing a year-on-year increase of 13.4%. First, exports to Europe, the U.S., and Japan grew steadily; meanwhile, exports to ASEAN countries and emerging markets surged rapidly. From January to August, apparel exports to the EU totaled US$26.39 billion, up 6.5%; exports to the U.S. amounted to US$20.19 billion, increasing by 7.3%; and exports to Japan saw a slight rise of 0.6%, reaching US$13.85 billion. Notably, exports to ASEAN experienced rapid growth, climbing by 74.3% to reach US$8.92 billion—among which exports to Vietnam soared by 132%, totaling US$3.08 billion. Additionally, exports to Singapore…

"The challenges facing men's fashion brands are greater than those for women's wear," was a view jointly expressed by several industry insiders at the recently held 2013 China Apparel Industry Conference. Meanwhile, reporters noted that the third-quarter reports released by several prominent men's clothing brands recently showed generally weak performance, with declining net profits remaining the dominant trend. Analysts attribute the struggles of men's fashion brands primarily to their adherence to outdated practices and sluggish brand development. Leading men's fashion labels report shrinking earnings—according to financial statements, Step One’s net profit for the third quarter this year came in at 2.1992 million yuan, a significant year-on-year drop of 84.59%. Similarly, Cannodilu’s net profit also declined sharply compared to the same period last year.

As the most mature sector within China's apparel industry—boasting the highest number of listed companies and consistently strong performance—China's domestic menswear industry, represented by its 13 listed firms, is undergoing a major transformation amid a shifting competitive landscape. In the first half of the year, the "deteriorating" trend began to spread even to leading brands: among the 13 companies, only 6 reported revenue growth. Notably, Yagor achieved revenues of 7.989 billion yuan, up 47.20% year-on-year; Kanuodilu posted revenues of 374 million yuan, an impressive 30.95% increase compared to the same period last year; Bossini recorded revenues of 1.038 billion yuan, growing 13.29% year-on-year; and Sugin Shares generated 1.767 billion yuan in revenue, matching the previous year's level.