by+Zihan

Hong Kong Fashion Week for Fall/ Winter， the largest fashion trade event in Asia， ended on a high note. The 46th edition of Hong Kong Fashion Week for Fall/Winter and the concurrent World Boutique， Hong Kong， now in its 13th year， attracted over 38，000 buyers from 87 countries and regions. The twin events were organized by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council （HKTDC） at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center.

HKTDC Deputy Executive Director Benjamin Chau said the event saw increased participation from a number of Asian countries and regions， with the Chinese mainland， Indonesia， Korea， Malaysia， Chinese Taiwan and Vietnam registering double-digit percentage growth year-on-year. This reflected the positive sentiment among Asian buyers， Mr. Chau said. Despite market challenges， satisfactory buyer growth from selected European markets such as Germany and France was recorded.

The two fairs attracted about 1，800 exhibitors from 27 countries and regions， featuring their latest design collections， apparel， accessories， fabrics and related professional services. World Boutique， Hong Kong also welcomed over 660 international fashion brands. Close to 60 exciting activities were held during the fair period including 30-plus fashion pa- rades and house shows， designer sharing sessions， trend seminars and networking events.

Fashion focus

Queenix （Asia） Ltd. from Hong Kong is the distributor for German fashion brand MARCCAIN in Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland. Willa Chuang， Brand Manager of Queenix， said MARCCAIN participated in World Boutique， Hong Kong for the third year to introduce their latest designs. She said： “Weve established contacts with many potential customers from Asia. Were particularly keen to expand MARCCAINs presence in the markets of Indonesia， Malaysia， Thailand and the Philippines. World Boutique， Hong Kong offers an excellent platform to promote the brand and explore business opportunities with more Asian customers.”

Peachespinkish from Indonesia exhibited at Hong Kong Fashion Week for Fall/Winter for the first time. The company designs and produces bridal gowns and evening gowns， which are mainly sold to department stores in Indonesia. Shanty Mulyadi， Designer at Peachespinkish， said their main goal is to develop their business through the fair platform.“Our contemporary and unique designs have attracted a lot of interest from international buyers including those from Eu- rope and the US，” he said. “Some buyers from Canada， Italy and France have made serious enquiries and we expect orders from them soon. The fair also gives us a good opportunity to learn from international fashion designers and see the latest trends.”

Ideal platform for e-tailors

Based in the Czech Republic， ZOOT is the biggest multi-brand online fashion shop in Central Europe. It currently covers the markets of the Czech Republic and Slovakia， and plans to expand its presence into Hungary and Poland. Michaela Sekyrková， Export Manager of ZOOT， said this is their first time at the fair and they found the business matching meetings very useful： “Weve already identified two Hong Kong brands that design and offer fashionable handbags， shoes and accessories. We will place initial sample orders. This is a good fair. The timing is just right for us to source and make pre-ordering for the coming fall/winter collections.”

Buyer Joe Phua is Director of mds， a fast fashion retailer in Singapore with 12 stores in Singapore and f ive in Indonesia， Cambodia and Vietnam. Mr. Phua said the company was attending Hong Kong Fashion Week for the f irst time to source womens clothing and accessories from more suppliers to expand their franchise business in Malaysia， the Philippines and the UAE this year. He said： “The fair is an interesting show and we are happy with the quality of the suppliers here. Well follow up and expect to place orders after the fair.”

Fashion city

The HKTDC held a citywide promotion “Hong Kong in Fashion” to share the ambience of the Hong Kong Fashion Week for Fall/Winter and the World Boutique， Hong Kong with the general public. Under the theme “Light Me Up”， the HKTDC teamed up with over 50 partners including renowned fashion labels， shopping malls， cafes and restaurants to present 68 activities and promote fashion initiatives from 8-22 January， attracting close to 7，500 public participants.

For the first time， World Boutique， Hong Kong welcomed public visitors on the fi nal day （22 Jan）. Popular activities included fashion parades， fashion upcycling demo， lucky draws， celebrity events and exclusive shopping opportunities.

Hong Kong Fashion Week and World Boutique， Hong Kong attracted over 38，000 buyers from 87 countries and regions. Fashion Week registered a buyer attendance of over 22，000； World Boutique， Hong Kong over 16，000.