On July 24, the second evaluation of "Keqiao Preferred 2026" was held in Shaoxing Keqiao, with 1,072 fabrics competing—a clear sign of the regional textile industry's accelerating brand-building efforts.
Evaluation Criteria: From Aesthetics to Hard Metrics
The evaluation system this year goes beyond design appeal. While fashion creativity, technological innovation, and eco-friendliness remain foundational, quantifiable metrics such as product safety, production capacity, functional verification, and environmental certification now carry greater weight. This shift means participating fabrics must not only look good but also be easy to manufacture, use, and sell.
Fashion fabrics dominate at 75%, featuring jacquard, satin, lace, and cutwork techniques with extensive multi-material blending. Technology and eco-friendly fabrics together account for 25%. Although smaller in volume, their growth is notable. Chen Baojian, Deputy Director of the Textile Product Development Center, noted, "This year, sportswear functional and tech fabrics have significantly improved, narrowing the gap with fashion fabrics."
Three Tracks: Functionalization, Greening, and Fashion
Tech fabrics stood out with widespread use of micro-denier fibers, graphene-modified fibers, hollow fibers, and cooling fibers, covering moisture-wicking, thermal, UV-protection, and anti-transparency functions. Duan Furong from Baoxiniao Holdings suggested making sustainability a mandatory baseline requirement to integrate the three dimensions.
For eco-friendly fabrics, recycled polyester-nylon, Lyocell, cupro, hemp, Naia™, and Yasal® fibers are widely applied with salt-free, water-reducing dyeing. Zhang Qifeng from ERAL noted that kapok fiber products showed excellent hand feel compared to traditional natural fibers, with high market potential.
Fashion fabrics demonstrated keen trend sensitivity. Wu Qingqing from Indicia commented that cotton and hemp products with new Chinese-style designs have elevated fashion levels. Zhu Lei from Hangzhou Shaw Trading believed Keqiao fabrics are now leading in color trend application, moving toward global fashion markets.
Regional Brand: From "Good Fabric" to "Good Brand"
"Keqiao Preferred" as a regional public brand has been running for years. Li Bo, Chief Evaluator and Director of the Productivity Promotion Department of CNTAC, emphasized that the brand guides enterprises to align with international trade rules and consumer demands, driving high-end, intelligent, and green transformation.
Selected companies will receive three brand matching events and exhibit at major domestic and international exhibitions like Intertextile Shanghai, Performance Days Munich, and APTEXPO 2026. This makes "Keqiao Preferred" not just a label but a tangible export channel.
Expert Advice: Testing Reports and Niche Segments as Next Steps
Multiple experts pointed out a common weakness: incomplete testing documentation. Chen Ling from the China Textile City Creative Industry Service Center urged companies to provide complete test data for clearer material and performance assessment. Ye Fei from Zhejiang Jiyou Technology suggested focusing on niche segments like light sportswear, outdoor, and yoga functional fabrics to facilitate brand matching.
For buyers, this means prioritizing suppliers with complete third-party test reports, especially on functional and environmental metrics. For exporters, preparing full documentation before sampling will build international buyer trust.