40th Fashion Week Opens

Asia's leading fashion fairs, HKTDC Hong Kong Fashion Week for Fall/Winter 2009 and HKTDC World Boutique, Hong Kong 2009, opened today and continue through 15 January, at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. The Hong Kong Young Fashion Designers' Contest 2009 (YDC), to be held this evening, will showcase a new generation of Hong Kong design talent.

"Fashion plays an important role in Hong Kong's economy. It contributed about eight per cent to Hong Kong exports in the first 11 months of 2008," said Raymond Yip, Assistant Executive Director of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC). "In times of financial uncertainty, traders and consumers tend to look for stylish products, which is why we need innovative ideas more than ever before."

The HKTDC has organised the YDC since 1977. This year, about 200 entries were received; 19 finalists' collections will be shown during the fair period. Four prizes will be awarded at this evening's YDC show, including the Casual and Jeans-wear Group Prize, Contemporary Day-wear Group Prize, Party and Evening-wear Group Prize, and the Overall Winner Prize.

Presiding over the high-profile judging panel is Vincent Fang, Chairman of the HKTDC's Garment Advisory Committee. Judges include fashion-world stars Ennio Capasa, Head of Design at CoSTUME NATIONAL, and Japanese designer Keita Maruyama. The YDC's other judges are: Deborah Cheng, Marketing and Communications Director, IT Ltd; Lulu Cheung, Director and Chief Designer, Rolls Group Ltd; Anthony Keung, President and CEO, Fenix Group Holdings Ltd; Kwong Lung-kit, Editor-in-chief, Men's Uno; Ning Lau, Head of Marketing and Communications, Joyce Boutique Holdings Ltd; and Sarah Ruston, Fashion Designer, Lane Crawford.

The 40th Hong Kong Fashion Week for Fall/Winter, the largest show of its kind in Asia and the second-largest in the world, features 1,400 exhibitors from 23 countries and regions. Argentina, Germany and Mexico are participating for the first time, and group pavilions are being hosted by the Chinese mainland, India, Macau and Taiwan. The mainland pavilion includes a larger Wenzhou pavilion, featuring 74 booths. New this year is the Fabrics and Yarn section, showcasing a wide range of offerings, including cotton, wool, yarn, linen, leather and embroidery.

The seventh World Boutique boasts a new exhibitor record. Dedicated to fashion brands and designer labels around the world, this year's World Boutique features the latest collections from 274 exhibitors, along with a wide variety of fashion accessories and lifestyle products. Countries and regions taking part include Canada, the Chinese mainland, France, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Korea, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, the United States and Vietnam. Several new group pavilions are also on display, representing the Shenzhen Garment Industry Association, the Taiwan Textile Federation and the Hong Kong Apparel Society.

Alongside the twin fairs' 14 fashion shows, the HKTDC has organised a variety of seminars to provide industry players with the latest market intelligence. Hot topics this year include fashion directions, women's wear trends, lingerie trends and colour forecasts, Italian leather design and strategies for coping with the global financial crisis.

A major global sourcing hub for clothing, Hong Kong exported US$25.7 billion (HK$200 billion) of clothing and accessories in the first 11 months of 2008, with the US, the United Kingdom, Germany, Japan and the Chinese mainland the top five markets. A number of new markets, including Russia, Finland and the United Arab Emirates, recorded double-digit growth in the first 11 months of 2008.

Source: ChinaDaily