China-chic fashion draws overseas buyers

(ECNS) -- China's garment exports have maintained strong momentum this year, with clothing inspired by traditional and contemporary Chinese styles gaining popularity in overseas markets.

At the 140th China Import and Export Fair, also known as the Canton Fair, overseas buyers have been placing orders for China-chic designs, while factories are speeding up production using flexible, smart manufacturing methods. Original designs and strong production capabilities are helping Chinese clothing companies expand overseas.

Clothing exports maintain strong growth

China's clothing exports reached $120.7 billion in the first three quarters of this year, up 4.8% year on year, according to the General Administration of Customs. Exports surged 23.9% in September, marking the fourth consecutive month of growth.

At the Canton Fair, many Chinese clothing companies showcased new collections featuring traditional Chinese elements. Garments made with traditional fabrics, including Guangdong satin and Sichuan brocade, attracted considerable interest from overseas buyers, many of whom made inquiries and placed orders on the spot.

Venezuelan buyers said they were pleasantly surprised by the traditional Chinese-style clothing and impressed by its quality, styling and prices, according to CCTV Finance.

Ye Jing, a clothing merchant exhibiting at the fair for the first time, said her company's new collections, featuring innovative designs based on traditional Chinese patterns, had attracted many overseas buyers interested in working with her company.

Beyond the fair, many foreign buyers have been visiting nearby wholesale markets to source China-chic clothing. Nanyou in Shenzhen, a major sourcing hub for modern Chinese-style and China-chic women's clothing, has seen an influx of overseas buyers in recent days.

Li Yan, a sales manager at a clothing company, said some overseas customers had purchased the store's entire range of products in a single transaction, with orders worth up to 580,000 yuan. Hand-embroidered garments featuring traditional Chinese aesthetics are particularly popular, with customers typically returning to restock every two weeks or so.

Increasingly, overseas buyers are flying to China to select styles and inspect products in person rather than sourcing them online.

Sun Guitian, head of a clothing company, said many overseas buyers first tested products through livestream sales and then paid for bulk orders in full once a design gained popularity. Some even sought exclusive distribution rights in specific regions.

"Unlike traditional exports, what we are exporting now is China's design capability," Sun said, adding that products that might once have been worth $10 could now fetch dozens of times that amount.

Flexible manufacturing enables rapid order fulfillment

Behind the popularity of Chinese designs are advances in the country's garment manufacturing industry.

Yudu county in Ganzhou, Jiangxi province, is home to more than 3,800 textile and garment companies. With flexible, digitally managed production lines and a system that supports small-batch orders and rapid replenishment, local manufacturers are securing more overseas orders.

Overseas buyers have been visiting local factories and showrooms to select products. Companies can adjust their original designs and customize production to meet buyers' needs.

A British buyer visiting a local factory said she was impressed by the scale of the factories and showrooms and was eager to finalize an order.

In local smart workshops, nearly every stage of production has been digitalized. A single production line can switch between multiple styles, enabling manufacturers to handle urgent, small-batch orders quickly and allowing buyers to test the market before placing larger orders.

Yi Haijian, an investment promotion manager at a garment manufacturer, said customers could order just a few pieces of fabric at a time.

In recent months, local exporters have been rushing to fulfill fall and winter orders from buyers in Europe and the U.S. while producing new spring and summer collections. More smart production lines are also being put into operation.

According to the China National Textile and Apparel Council, as of 2025, the digitalization rate of equipment in China's textile and garment industry had reached 57.4%, while the equipment connectivity rate stood at 51.8%.

(By Helen Mo)