1 June 2016
APLF has been serving the Global Leather & Fashion Industries for 33 years and has now widened its scope to cover the whole manufacturing supply chain to include athletic, leisure and sports fashion – from raw to performance materials and fabrics, components for the manufacture of athletic and casual footwear, sports fashion clothing & accessories.
As APLF – MM&T diversifies its product categories to better serve the global leather and fashion industry, the annual trade show will become APLF – Leather and Materials+. The objective of this change is to ensure that buyers’ needs are met when sourcing for different materials.
APLF – Leather
APLF has established itself as the world’s leading trade fair for the leather industry, an annual meeting place for the global leather industry where prices of leather, trends and innovation are discussed. With exhibitors from more than 50 countries and buyers from more than 80, APLF – Leather, with its 33 year track record and being located in Asia’s business hub of Hong Kong is ideally placed as a sourcing destination for leather and components for leathergoods, footwear, garment and upholstery manufacturers, all under one roof.
The Rise of Athleisure Fashion
Asian youth are becoming more sports and fashion conscious and represent a huge target group for sporty casual, or athleisure sportwears. According to a Morgan Stanley’s report on “Global Athletic Wear: Very Bullish Five-Year Outlook” published in October 2015, Sports apparel and footwear sales have jumped 42% to $270 billion over the past seven years and the report estimates that until 2020 there will be a 30% growth in this market, with Asia becoming the biggest contributor to sales growth of sportwears and, by extension, the performance fabrics and innovative technology required to manufacture these products.
Purchases of sports fashion and athletic-type footwear is now outstripping luxury purchases in China and represent an ongoing opportunity due to the fitness boom and high-low fashion trends in the country.
APLF – Materials+
APLF – Materials+ encompass this growing sector so important for athleisure product manufacturers, designers and product developers at APLF in Hong Kong.
The Plus sign is chosen for its dynamic and innovative significance as it represents the positive energy which is related to the athleisure trend. The sector will cover synthetic and functional materials and components for sportswear as well as components for the fashion industry.
With China next door and thriving ASEAN manufacturing countries just a short flight away, APLF – Leather & Materials+ is a trade event where trends are set and discussed, innovation launched and where product developers can meet all their suppliers.
We bring leather, material and fashion businesses together: an opportunity to meet and greet face to face. We bring them from all parts of the world so that they can find fresh partners, discover new customers or suppliers and keep ahead of industry developments.
We organise a number of trade exhibitions which focus on fashion and lifestyle: sectors that are constantly in flux, so visitors and exhibitors alike need to be constantly aware both of the changes around them and those forecast for coming seasons.
