Magazines Archives - 2011 October

Fashion Week for Spring/Summer 2012 put the spotlight on HK as Asia’s fashion hub
Story 2 - Special Review

RETURNING for the 18th annual season in July this year, the Hong Kong Fashion Week for Spring/Summer 2012 (HKFWSS) reaffirmed Hong Kong’s position as the international platform in Asia’s fashion scene.

Organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), HKFWSS and the concurrent HKTDC Summer Sourcing Show for Gifts, Houseware & Toys, held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre from July 4-7 this year, featured more than 1,700 exhibitors.

Fashion Week alone had 1,302 exhibitors, of which 428 were local players with another 874 from 24 other countries and regions. The fashion event attracted 23,614 visitors from 85 countries and regions.

“Hong Kong’s garment and textile industry attracts buyers from around the world because of its outstanding manufacturing craftsmanship and flexible trade and sales services,” said Benjamin Chau, deputy executive director of the HKTDC. “Hong Kong fashion designers are trendsetters who understand the market. With such talent on hand, Hong Kong Fashion Week is an ideal international platform

The territory has established itself as the fashion capital of Asia. “Many of the world’s leading brands are not only represented in Hong Kong but they are also taking bigger space, going for twostorey and even three-storey stores in spite of the high rental rates,” Vincent Fang, chairman of HKTDC Garment Advisory Committee and legislative councillor of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) of the People’s Republic of China, pointed out.

Speaking at a media briefing during the fair, Fang added that the aggressive expansion by these international brands has put a lot of pressure on Hong Kong small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). “In order to survive, these local players have to take smaller space or move to less premium locations. Furthermore, local companies need to have more creative design. Design is the brain in the fashion industry,” he said.

“The fair featured seven group pavilions from the Chinese mainland, India, Indonesia, Japan, Macau, South Korea, Taiwan as well as a new participating country, the UAE.

India set up its largest pavilion to date and to commemorate its strong presence, Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC) held “a grand opening of the pavilion to show that India is a happening place for apparel”, said Ashok G Rajani, AEPC’s chairman – export and promotion.

Rajani added: “Currently, our apparel exports is valued at US$12 billion and we are not happy with the growth. Our target is to have at least US$15 billion by the end of this financial year and to achieve this, the growth should be a minimum of 20%.” Its current growth per month, he indicated, is 18%.

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