"Fabric companies should combine the appearance, quality and function of fabrics through raw material and process innovation." "The essence of clothing is to serve the wearer, and the most important thing about fabrics is to meet the comfort needs." "From the perspective of a designer, I would like to see innovative fabrics that are skin-friendly, soft and environmentally friendly."

The 2024 China International Fabric Design Competition and the 52nd (2025/2026 Autumn and Winter) China Popular Fabrics Shortlist Review Meeting were recently held in Jiaxing, Zhejiang. Many judges started a "brainstorming" from the perspective of downstream clothing brand needs to point out the direction for fabric companies to innovate products.

Pull the "relaxation" to the fullest

In 2024, the term "relaxation" became a popular hot word. In the fast-paced urban life, people pay more attention to the comfort and comfort of clothing.

In the eyes of Zhao Liya, design director of Zhejiang Barut Clothing Co., Ltd., the best choice to interpret "comfort" is natural fabrics. "Cotton and linen fabrics have good air permeability and are suitable for summer wear, which can keep the skin dry and comfortable. Mulberry silk can further increase the softness and comfort of the fabric, making it more comfortable to wear."

"This year, clothing made of natural materials is very popular, and linen fabric has become the representative of the 'old money style', so both fabric companies and clothing brands should pay attention to product research and development in this area." However, Zhao Liya also pointed out that although cotton and linen fabrics have a certain degree of stiffness, the fiber elasticity is poor and it is easy to deform. Therefore, during the wearing process, the surface of the fabric will be wrinkled due to factors such as body movement or external friction. "Therefore, I hope that fabric companies can improve the performance of natural materials through scientific and technological research and development."

As a comprehensive clothing company integrating the development, design, production and sales of underwear, Shengshi Rujin (Beijing) Clothing Co., Ltd. pays special attention to consumer needs and changes in popular trends. Hou Yanhui, general manager of design and development of the company, said that in recent years, with the prevalence of trends such as "new comfortism" and "self-pleasing style", the female underwear market has entered a new era, and comfort has replaced sexiness as an important label for underwear products.

"I saw a piece of fabric that meets the needs of our brand. This fabric uses hyaluronic acid microcapsule technology, which uses a special process to attach and wrap hyaluronic acid micelles on the fiber. After the treated fabric comes into contact with human skin, the hyaluronic acid molecules will begin to absorb the water vapor released from the body surface, restore to the original state of water saturation, and increase the humidity between the fiber and the skin, achieving a long-term moisturizing effect." Hou Yanhui suggested that fabric companies can increase the use of new technologies such as microcapsules, phase change constant temperature, and negative oxygen ions to fully mobilize the emotional value of consumers.

For a long time, people have an inherent impression of professional clothing that is rigid and restrained. Zhang Zhongyan, deputy general manager of Ningbo Boyang Professional Clothing Co., Ltd., believes that today's business people are increasingly keen on dressing in a way that is both decent and comfortable, so professional clothing should develop in the direction of meeting diversified and personalized needs. "In order to incorporate a proper sense of relaxation into professional attire, we have diversified our fabric selection and prefer fabric products that can coordinate comfort, drape and clothing styles."

Fashion and sports integration

The Paris Olympic Games are in full swing recently, creating a "traffic" climax. At present, people's enthusiasm for participating in leisure sports is increasing, and sports consumption is also growing strongly.

"As sports and leisure become the mainstream consumer scene, the overall market's attention to the development and design of functional fabric products continues to rise." Yan Yan, manager of the materials department of Li Ning (China) Sports Goods Co., Ltd., believes that in the future, sports brands will focus more on the functionality and appearance of fabrics, explore the sports characteristics of the products themselves, and meet the consumer market's demand for outdoor leisure products.

For example, the new "Dragon Suit" carefully created by Li Ning for the Chinese Table Tennis Team reflects the high integration of fashion and sports. The dragon suit is based on the dragon element and is processed with artistic techniques to make the image of the dragon fuller and more three-dimensional; the fabric uses Kanglun yarn, combined with some recycled fibers, with good moisture absorption and quick-drying functions, breathable, and improves the comfort of exercise.

Liu Yong, design director of Yonghui Clothing Culture (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd., said that the integration of fashion and sports is the biggest highlight of the products participating in this year's competition. "Outdoor sports are not only a healthy choice, but also a mainstream way of fashion and natural life. Different styles and sports are integrated with each other, showing a diverse charm." He said that today's fabrics must be "both inside and outside". In terms of appearance, they must be designed in a fashionable way, integrating recycled, natural and artificial fibers to meet the current environmental protection trend; the inside must have novel technological functions, such as windproof and breathable properties, to meet consumer needs.

"The products participating in this year's competition have a wide range of applications, covering outdoor, leisure and fashion sports scenes." Xu Wei, functional category director of Bosideng Group, pointed out that when brands choose fabrics, they focus on warmth, while pursuing skin-friendly, breathable and environmentally friendly. "We are constantly expanding the wearing scenarios of down jackets. Previously, Bosideng used technological protective fabrics to launch a 'breathing' down jacket based on changes in market demand. We hope that the fabric can integrate functions such as wind and rain protection, sun protection and warmth preservation, and bring consumers a good sports experience."

For cross-scenario innovation

Today, more and more clothing brands position themselves as "cross-scenario fashion", hoping that their products can accompany users to switch freely between multiple scenarios such as office, leisure, and sports.

Slim suits, mature long skirts, three-dimensional shirts... As a fashionable women's clothing brand, Ya Ying gives consumers the impression of refinement and elegance. "Today, elite women have more diverse roles in the workplace, and their demands for clothing are more diverse. Both clothing and fabric companies need to make corresponding adjustments in product design, marketing strategy, and service features in response to market changes." Luo Hao, materials director of Ya Ying Group Co., Ltd., said, "The fabrics participating in this year's competition have performed relatively well in terms of printing and dyeing patterns, structural settings, and color matching, but I hope these products can add more functionality to meet consumers' outdoor sports needs." Qi Aiju, supply chain director of Winner Fashion Group, has a similar view: "We hope that women's clothing fabric companies can make more breakthroughs in technological innovation to help us meet the cross-scene clothing needs of sports and leisure, business commuting. Among the participating products this year, some fabrics are not only stylish in design, but also use functional coating additives and composite materials to strengthen the expansion of functionality, which coincides with the brand's development plan." In terms of men's clothing, this trend is even more obvious. "Men's clothing is mainly 'pragmatic', and the same piece of clothing is often used in specific scenarios such as business, socializing, and leisure." Li Hongli, deputy general manager and creative director of the ZIOZIA business unit of Jiumuwang Group, pointed out the inevitability of changes in fabric products from the perspective of men's clothing development. "In the past, men's clothing fabrics mostly used natural materials, but now we should fully consider the commuting needs and aesthetic tastes of young people and turn to sports and outdoor scenes. Fabric design should be more combined with functional needs, and efforts should be made on raw materials to make it more wearable."