A two-month autumn-winter apparel exhibition is redefining the upgrade path for county-level garment industries in Xiaoli Town, on the edge of Xiong'an New Area. The 2026 Autumn-Winter Xiaoli Apparel Trade Fair, which opened on August 1, brings together over 100 local ready-to-wear manufacturers and pulls cross-border e-commerce platforms, AI design tools, recycled fabric suppliers, and intelligent sewing equipment makers into one supply-chain network. The signal is clear: as domestic demand weakens, the way out for county industrial clusters lies not in low-price competition but in channel restructuring and technology empowerment.
Background
Xiaoli's garment industry started in the 1980s from family workshops and, after more than four decades, has formed a distinctive product portfolio centered on middle-aged and elderly jackets, fleece, autumn-winter cotton-padded coats, and outdoor functional apparel. These products have sold well at home and abroad due to solid craftsmanship and high cost-effectiveness, but in recent years, homogeneous competition and single-channel domestic sales have slowed growth. The fair, themed "Quality, Innovation, Cooperation," is a direct response to these bottlenecks.
Notably, the fair is held at the Xiong'an Design Center, with a production exhibition area in Dongxiaoli Village, physically bridging design and manufacturing. Officials from the Xiong'an Cross-border E-commerce Comprehensive Service Center detailed supportive policies covering platform onboarding, logistics, and overseas warehousing. This means that going overseas is no longer just a theoretical "blue ocean" but a viable option with clear policy backing.
Industry Impact
During the fair, cross-border e-commerce training sessions covered Amazon, TikTok, Ozon, and Etsy, with content ranging from store setup to brand building, AI digital design, and automated production lines. This combination of platforms, tools, and manufacturing directly affects buyers and factories: overseas orders that once required multiple intermediaries can now connect directly with end consumers through digital tools, significantly improving profit margins and order response times.
Another key variable is the introduction of AI+3D digital design technology. Lingdi Technology showcased a digital R&D chain that can compress sample development from weeks to days, greatly reducing trial-and-error costs for small and medium factories. Combined with the promotion of recycled polyester (rPET) fabrics, the industrial belt is transitioning from "processing provided materials" to "design plus green manufacturing." For buyers, this means Xiaoli is no longer just a low-cost supplier but a partner capable of providing eco-certified products and rapid sampling.
In the roundtable dialogue, cross-border platforms, industrial parks, service providers, and manufacturers discussed paths to revitalization, focusing on how to convert manufacturing advantages into brand premiums. One industry representative noted that the biggest pain point for county-level apparel is "capacity without brand," and cross-border e-commerce offers the lowest-cost way to test overseas markets. This aligns with the fair's keynote forums and fashion shows, indicating that the industrial belt is shifting from a production-oriented to a market-oriented mindset.