In 2018, Cotton Incorporated participated once again with the China International Fabric Design Competition.

In addition to the traditional award categories, the company established the "Best Cotton Fabric Technique Quality Award" and "Best Cotton Fabric Technology Innovation Award”, and collected high-quality cotton innovation products from China textile and garment enterprises.

Cotton Incorporated believes the new categories further inspire and promote the development of cotton technologies, and enhance market competitiveness of innovative cotton products.

On July 27, the Competition’s Judging Meeting was held in Da Lang, Longhua District, Shenzhen. The addition of a cotton-specific category in the competition is intended to encourage new developments and innovative cotton constructions within the Chinese textile industry, and to keep the versatility of cotton top of mind among the region’s leading textile businesses.

Fashion trend data and cotton textile technology information figure prominently in the competition. The winning submissions were those that best combine fashion and function, without sacrificing the soft feel and comfort that cotton is known for.

Innovation is a key facet of the competition, but the quality, affordability to produce, and marketability of the fabrics are also considerations. Because of this, additional judging criteria includes: meeting specific cotton percentages in the finished fabrics; the processing and finishing technologies used; the color and pattern choices; and of course, overall style and comfort. 

To encourage participation across the region and elevate awareness of cotton’s versatility in textiles, there are no restrictions on the geographic origin of the raw cotton used to create the fabrics.

China International Fabric Design Competition has attracted more than 1,000 innovative textile enterprises both in China and abroad since it started in 1999, and nearly 10,000 varieties participate in the appraisal every year. The interest and participation over the past 20 years has helped the competition become the most authoritative and influential professional product development event in China's textile industry.

The competition closely follows industry trends, constantly optimizing the rules and awards of the competition system, and endeavoring to provide an authoritative and efficient evaluation platform for the textile and apparel enterprises.

According to the organizer, there are nearly 500 textile manufacturing enterprises and traders from China and abroad, representing such fiber and fiber-related categories as: cotton; wool; linen; silk; polyester; knitting and filament weaving, that collectively represent more than 4,000 pieces of fabric showcasing: yarn-dyeing; jacquard; dyeing; printing; lace; embroidery; composite; functional fabric; and so on.  Product categories include: men's wear; women's wear; children's wear; casual wear; sportswear; jeans; shirts; and underwear.

Among them, more than 150 enterprises applied for cotton awards, and nearly 700 pieces of fabric were submitted. With the upgrading of the textile industry and the progress of science and technology, the textile industry has improved significantly in the use of innovative materials, fabric performance, feel appearance, finishing process and more.

Cotton fabric submissions in 2018 have three main features compared with those from last year, the first is blending. Blending cotton fiber with other natural fibers such as linen, wool and silk, giving full play to the advantages of each fiber, and realizing the complementary advantages to the overall fabric design.

The second is innovation. Fabric submissions include one or more energy-saving, ecological, or environmental treatment technology at pretreatment, weaving, or finishing phases of the production. The inclusion of sustainable textile processing technologies coincides with the sustainability direction of Cotton Incorporated, and also demonstrates this trend in product development.

The third is function. More and more fabrics have waterproof, anti-bacterial and other performance benefits, which are in demand by consumers, according to consumer research conducted by Cotton Incorporated.

The judges involved in the Judging Meeting include: Li Binhong, director of National Textile Product Development Center, Vice Chairman of the CPPCC in Longhua District of Shenzhen; Chen Bao Jian, the Chief Engineer of National Textile Product Development Center; Liu Zhaoxiang, Director of Industry Cooperation Department, China Textile Information Center, Shen Zheng, Director of the Exhibition Division of the Textile Industry Branch of China Council for the Promotion of International Trade; and Xu Weiling of the Frankfurt Exhibition (Hong Kong) Limited. 

Additional judging included professionals from Xiamen Feng Fei Apparel, Cotton Incorporated, Fang Ying Design Studio, Koradior, YISHION, Jiangnan University, Beijing white-collar, Anta, Lining, Yonghui Fashion, 361 DU, WPY, BeautyBerry, Shanghai Top, Polar, EACHWAY, Qing Hui, and the former President of International Commission for Color in Fashion and Textiles also attended the Judging Meeting.

According to the organizer, the awards’ winners were announced in August in Fabrics China’s official WeChat and trade publications. The award-winning fabrics will display at China International Trade Fair for Apparel Fabrics and Accessories this September.