Cashmere World, the only trade event dedicated exclusively to cashmere and fine fibres, concluded last week as one of the most fruitful show which attracted a large number of qualified, experience buyers and exhibitors, organisers report.

According to organisers, exhibitors were impressed by the value of the visitors who attended their booth. The overall quality of buyers was quite high and well-focused, said Leo Li, Sales Manager of Yaqi Cashmere, Inner Mongolia.

One of the trade show’s highlights was the presence for the first time in Cashmere World’s history of the International Alpaca Association (IAA), a private non-profit organisation that represents the commercial alpaca textile sector and promotes the use of alpaca at both national and international level.

Alpaca fibre is comparable with cashmere and mohair in terms of fineness, softness and versatility. The IAA booth, which exhibited two major Peruvian brands, SOL Alpaca of the Mitchel Group and Kuna of Incalpaca, attracted a lot of attention from buyers and visitors, according to Cesar Lutgens, President and Executive Director of IAA.

Another rising star of the show is yak fibre, according to organisers. The fibre was featured by several brands, including Myak and Erdenet. Yak fibre is known for its warmth, lightness and softness and is increasingly used for garments, homeware as well as for technical apparels.

While Cashmere World represented most of the countries producing fine fibres, Nepal was particularly featured thanks to the support of the International Trade Centre, a multilateral agency that facilitates the internationalization of SMEs and of the Nepal Pashmina Industries Association (NPIA).

Altogether, eight exhibitors from Nepal, including three starring the newly launched Chyangra Pashmina quality brand mark, demonstrated that despite the violent earthquake that stroke the country last spring, Nepal’s cashmere industry is bearing well.

On the first day of the exhibition, a well attended and highly informative Forum took place under the theme In Praise of Lightness, topics ranged from demand and supply to retail strategies and new technologies applied to fine fibres and were debated by experts from across the world.

During the Forum, Olivier Guillemin, Designer and Creative Director of Intercolour, unveiled the 2016-2017 Cashmere Colour Trends, an enchanting and colourful reference of tales and legends exclusively developed for Cashmere World.

The Forum kicked off with a buoyant keynote introduction by industry veteran and Fenix Group’s President and CEO, Anthony Keung, whose experience in manufacturing, trading and retailing of knitwear spans more than 40 years.

The fourth edition of Cashmere World was held from 7 - 9 October 2015 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre.