INTERTEXMILANO, International Textile Exhibition for textile (fabrics and yarns) and READY TO SHOW, International Clothing Sourcing Exhibition for clothing and knitwear just completed its 15th edition. They have become more and more, edition after edition, a reference point of the Italian Fabrics Week ! First of all, the offers were very diversified and certainly not a trade show of only Chinese production ! Chinese exhibitors remained always the most numerous, however, in total, there were exhibitors from over 20 production countries ! They came from not only China, but also Turkey, Bangladesh, India, Tunisia, and Sri Lanka, Egypt, Japan or Mauritius …. to name only a few. 102 collections for 85 booths ( different agents / Italian importers with more collections in addition to collective booths ). Secondly, for the clothing and knitwear part i.e. READY TO SHOW, it has become more important than the textile part, INTERTEXMILANO, due to the participation of numerous vertically integrated groups which offer full services from fabrics to finished products. The highlights of this edition : there were the important participation of Turkish producers from the region of Izmir under the leadership of AEGEAN CLOTHING MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION; an always increasing level of quality products from Chinese producers ( cashmere knitwear, down jackets, shirts...with top international and Italian clientele ). As regards the visitors who came this time : 2,888. We have to note that there is a slight drop of Italians (1,780 , -7%) but highly compensated by the increase of foreign buyers (+11%, 608 ) coming mainly from Eastern Europe ( Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Poland, Serbia, Croatia …) Top sellers : - cashmere knitwear (specially for women and babies/newly born) - men's shirting (fabrics and finished products) - embroideries - knit fabrics for women's ready to wear - jackets (specially down jackets) The next appointment is fixed from February 4- 6, 2009 , always at the Palazzo delle Stelline Exhibition and Convention Center in Milan city center.