Chic is ready for its first autumn edition

By

Matthieu Guinebault

Published
Oct 9, 2015

For its first autumn-scheduled edition, its second alongside the Intertextile show, Chinese trade show Chic announced the presence of more than 6,000 brands and exhibitors. The autumn edition, from 13th to 15th October, will feature a smaller attendance compared to the inaugural March edition, but will be marked by new arrivals from France, Italy, Germany, Brazil, South Korea and Japan.

Last March, the show's first edition in Shanghai gathered together a huge number of professionals, with 125,000 visitors coming to meet with 12,000 exhibitors. This time numbers have been trimmed down, but the organisers still wish to defend Chic's position as a must-see show for Chinese apparel manufacturing.

Also, the professional gathering should this time be able to rely on a fully operational National Exhibition and Convention Centre, where the show will occupy no less than 7,000 m² in halls 1, 2 and 3.

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The show will have to do without a German pavilion this time - its return appears to be assured for the 2016 sessions - but Chic announced the presence of a 'show-in-show' produced by Pure London and labelled 'Pure Shanghai'. The area will showcase some fifty British brands, as well as others from the rest of Europe, the USA, Australia and Thailand.

Brazil too will participate through a 'village' organised by the local Abicalcados association, while France, a regular at the show, also responded to the call. So did Italy, which will be represented through an area called 'La Moda Italiana', after the closing down of TheMicam Shanghai. Another regular at Chic, South Korea will benefit from a strengthened representation, notably with dedicated fashion shows.

Chic will once again be livened up by several rounds of talks, covering both the latest trends and the subtleties of export operations. Of course, they will also highlight the role of online sales, the Chinese market featuring some of the world's largest portals, as well as an unrivalled pool of potential web-purchasers.

Harsh economic realities, which made the headlines throughout the summer, will not be neglected either. Not surprisingly, this edition is expected to focus on the 'reassurance' of the Chinese textile and apparel industry's foreign partners. If the industry's figures clearly demonstrate its imperviousness to the 'China crisis', professionals will nevertheless have to take into account that this is a phase of economic 'normalisation' for the 'world's manufacturing plant', after years of unlimited growth.