Hong Kong’s fashion industry is facing “immense challenges amidst economic and political uncertainties and lacklustre retail sales” says the deputy executive director of HKTDC, Benjamin Chau.
But the organiser of this week’s Hong Kong Fashion Week, which drew 15,000 buyers from 77 countries, says the sector is demonstrating resilience.

“In spite of that, Hong Kong companies are versatile and with e-commerce developing steadily, companies can capture the opportunities to turn the situation around. At this year’s Fashion Week for Fall/Winter, buyer numbers from Italy, Iran, Germany and Israel saw good growth. This shows that buyers from certain regions are not as cautious as expected and their sourcing sentiment is gradually improving.”

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The four-day Hong Kong Fashion Week which ended yesterday was the 48th edition. This time, buyers from emerging markets proved the most upbeat, said Chau.
Muhammad Yasin, owner of UAE’S Imperial Clothing FZE, said he had visited more than 100 exhibitors on just the first day of the show, and had identified about 15 potential suppliers from Hong Kong, the Chinese mainland, Vietnam and Pakistan. He expected to work with two of the companies and initial orders would be worth about US$10,000.

Israeli buyer Moshe Silverstain said that, after the fair, he would visit some of the supplier’s factories in Nanjing. He expected to place orders for 12,000 raincoats and 20,000 denim trousers.
Russian company Forward Ltd, which supplies sports uniforms for Russian national teams, visited the fair. The company’s head of logistics, Ruben Nariyants, said his company had found three potential suppliers from the mainland. To facilitate smooth delivery to Russia, Mr Nariyants said his company is willing to offer logistics assistance; and he expected to finalise cooperation arrangements soon.

Hong Kong’s designer collections in demand
Hong Kong Fashion Week has long been a launch pad for up-and-coming young designers to showcase their designs to international buyers. This year, the HKTDC organised two Fashionally Collection shows to spotlight emerging local designers from 14 fashion labels. Buyer Takayuki Kubota from renowned Japanese fashion group HP France said he had found suitable Hong Kong designer collections through the shows and expected to place initial orders of five to 10 styles per brand. He was glad that Hong Kong designers were willing to accept small-quantity orders.

Yi Gao, owner of Shenzhen designer brand store Mr Top, found Hong Kong designer brand Lapeewee’s designs fashionable and wearable. He said his company is likely to conclude business deals with the brand very soon.
And Singaporean buyer and designer Samuel Wong said customers in Singapore are receptive to designer brands. He attended the fair to source designer collections and was in talks with Hong Kong label Modement for its women’s and men’s apparel.

Online store buyers becoming a new force
Online shopping has been growing in popularity in recent years and there has been an explosion of fashion e-shops, which are becoming a new force driving consumption. Korean department store Shinsegae has opened an e-shop to capture the opportunities in online shopping. Mae Hong, the company’s buying manager, said she came to Hong Kong Fashion Week for the first time to look for blouses and knitwear for kids and adults. She had found three potential suppliers on the first day and was in advanced talks with them. If her requirements were met, she would buy at least 1000 pieces per item.

Nitin V Tewari, senior manager of Flipkart, a leading Indian eCommerce company, also visited the fair for the first time. He claimed that fashion is one of their biggest business segments. Through the fair, he hoped to find new brands and OEM manufacturers and he had already identified a number of suitable bags and sportswear brands. He anticipated the purchasing amount would be between US$50,000 to US$100,000 per order, after further discussions.


HKTDC’s Centrestage to return in September
Hong Kong Fashion Week for Fall/Winter gathered more than 1500 exhibitors from 21 countries and regions to showcase the latest fashion collections of international brands, garment, accessories, fabrics and sewing supplies. More than 20 fashion events were organised during Hong Kong Fashion Week, including 10 fashion shows as well as industry seminars and networking activities. The Hong Kong Fashion Week for Spring/Summer will be held from July 10 to 13, while the second edition of Centrestage will run from September 6-9. Centrestage aims to provide a promotion platform for Asian and international fashion brands and designers, further solidifying Hong Kong’s position as a fashion capital in Asia.