From October 23 to 26, 2024, the Seventh World Textile Merchandising Conference is held in Keqiao, China, whose main focus will be on the future of the fashion industry in terms of sustainability and new quality production forces. Indeed, today there is a real need to rethink the mechanisms underlying the global textile industry and to foster a more people-friendly, sustainable and responsible approach, but without sacrificing innovation and sharing. The goal is to build a new model for the global textile industry that is beneficial to all and fosters global exchange and cooperation.

The conference is taking place days of great excitment in the city of Keqiao, which also presents runway shows during Keqiao Fashion Week this week.

The three days of meetings address various topics related to the new frontiers of the textile industry and aim to connect different players to foster exchanges of ideas and visions for the future.

The main topic of the conference on October 25 was “Made in Keqiao – Sustainable Future”: the local textile industry is highly developed to the extent that it is the main engine of the economy of Keqiao and the entire province. During the study day, which was organized by Tsinghua University China-Italy Design Innovation Hub (CIDIH), there were visits, talks and panel discussions, the focus of which was to explore new ways to boost the textile market by adopting new ecological practices aimed at optimizing its sustainability. During the seminar, the central moment of the day, moderated by CIDIH Office Director Wang Xudong, speakers included:

• The President of the Istituto Italo Cinese, Maria Rosa Azzolina
  
• The Vice Mayor of Keqiao District, Shen Qinmei
  
• The President of the Academy Council of the Academy of Arts & Design, Tsinghua University, Qin Chuan
  
• The Secretary General of the CIDIH Management Committee, Tsinghua University, Li Yuhong