Textile brands are shifting from point-based competition to full-chain collaboration, a trend vividly illustrated at a recent industry training conference in Keqiao. On May 7, the 2026 China Textile Brand Innovation and Development Training Conference and Brand Matchmaking Event was held in Shaoxing Keqiao, bringing together representatives from industry associations, local governments, and various chain segments to discuss brand value leap paths. Sun Ruizhe, President of the China National Textile and Apparel Council (CNTAC), stated that enterprise competition has shifted from point games to system building, with collaboration becoming the core logic. This judgment directly addresses the deep challenges facing the textile industry: relying solely on scale or price advantages can no longer sustain long-term brand competitiveness.
Background: Policy and Market Dual Drivers
The training conference was not an isolated event. The Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China has explicitly listed the textile industry as a key sector for 'optimization and upgrading,' entrusting it with the major mission of consolidating and enhancing its global division of labor and competitiveness. Within this policy framework, brand building is positioned as a critical breakthrough. Song Qi, Deputy Mayor of Keqiao District, proposed that Keqiao will adhere to enhancing the innovation chain through the industry chain and shaping the brand chain through the value chain, driving textile brands from scale advantages to brand and value advantages. This reflects the local government's clear understanding of industrial upgrading and signifies Keqiao's accelerated transformation from a production hub to a brand innovation center.
Industry Impact: Supply Chain and Material Innovation as New Engines
Several enterprise representatives shared practical experiences in brand upgrading. Mao Yongjun, founder of Lushu Zhengcheng and former vice president of Anta Group, pointed out that brand building is a systematic project requiring breaking departmental silos and improving collaboration between product and supply chain ends. Jin Zhixue, an engineer at Fujian Yongrong Jinjiang, demonstrated functional fiber innovation, emphasizing the creation of differentiated nylon product systems and joint solutions with garment and fabric suppliers. Duan Furong, head of the Material Research Institute at Baoxiniao Holdings, proposed two core strategies: injecting machine-washable, cooling, and UV protection functions into traditional cotton, linen, silk, and wool fabrics, and using advanced technology to give synthetic fibers the texture of natural fibers while retaining wrinkle resistance and easy care. These cases show that material innovation is no longer an isolated technical breakthrough but a systematic project deeply bound with brand positioning and supply chain collaboration.
Beyond supply chain and materials, digitalization and new media have also become important tools for brand upgrading. Wu Peng, an expert at Dongfang International, noted that 3D digital clothing software has become a 'standard' for optimizing supply chains, with clear advantages in development efficiency and cost control. Yao Weiming, a textile science popularizer, proposed from a new media perspective that outputting high-quality content is the core path to forming long-tail effects, helping transform good products into good commodities. These views collectively point to a core logic: the leap in brand value cannot be achieved without the support of full-chain collaboration.