Outdoor wear with functionality has always been a hotspot in the development of textile fabrics in recent years. Whether it is sun protection clothing in summer or jackets in autumn and winter, functional and comfortable clothing suitable for outdoor sports is occupying more and more consumers’ wardrobes. This trend was particularly evident at the 26th China Shaoxing Keqiao International Textile Fair (Autumn Session) and 2024 Keqiao Fashion Week (Autumn Session) held recently.

The exhibition has always been the “barometer” of the industry. At this textile fair, Feihe Textile Group, an exhibitor from Jiangsu showed a variety of jackets with high elasticity at its booth which were eye-catching. "Now our product no longer relies on conventional spandex for elasticity, we use functional yarn instead, which is easier to dye with lower cost and more comfortable." Sun Zhiming, General Manager of Feihe Textile Group, told reporters that with the trend of the outdoor sports, his company’s sales this year have increased by around 30% compared to last year.

In fact, this outdoor fashion trend in the industry has transmitted to Keqiao earlier. At the warm-up show of the Fashion Week, the landmark show of Wuji and Xtep Rock Climbing Center, was jointly created by Sui Zhenchong, Chief Designer of Xtep brand, and local enterprises in Keqiao. Through the display of the “three-in-one” innovative concept of all-weather protection, multi-sports scene needs, and sports fashion aesthetics, it brought a new trend of sports fashion.

"In the post pandemic era, everyone is very eager for outdoor sports which has put forward high requirements for fabrics which needs to provide the waterproofness, UV resistance, moisture absorption and perspiration, and warmth. Consumer demand has increased, and the demand for fabric functionality has also increased." Wen Bo, Senior Manager of the Industrial Cooperation Department of China Textile Information Centre, introduced that nowadays, not only outdoor clothing brands in China are paying attention to functionality, but some fashion brands, including some formal wear and casual wear brands, are moving towards functionality. At this 2024 Keqiao Fashion Design Exhibition (Autumn Session), a variety of domestic outdoor sports innovative products were displayed.

At present, many textile upstream and downstream enterprises in Keqiao such as ‘Dongjin New Materials’ and ‘Wanfeng Chemical’ have set their sights on this track. The reporter learned from the China Textile City Construction and Management Committee that Keqiao is considering building a sports fashion R&D centre, opening up a second track in addition to women’s clothing fabrics, forming a sports fashion ecosystem from fabrics to ready-made clothes, continuously improving Keqiao’s sports fabric innovation capabilities, and exploring new economic growth potential for Keqiao’s textile industry.

Source: Keqiao Daily