By+Flora+Zhao

Organized by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council （HKTDC）， the 49th edition of Hong Kong Fashion Week for Fall/Winter wrapped up at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre （HKCEC） on January 18th， 2018. The four-day fair （January 15th -18th） attracted some 14，000 buyers from 13 countries and regions.

Featuring some 1，400 exhibitors from 13 countries and regions， the fair showcased the latest collections of international brands， garments， fashion accessories， fabrics and clothing accessories. More than 20 fashion activities were staged during the four-day fair， including trend-forecasting seminars， buyer forums and a networking reception， as well as 13 fashion parades and presentations， providing the industry with abundant networking opportunities.

HKTDC Deputy Executive Director Benjamin Chau said the fashion industry is expected to pick up soon as the global economy steadies and the retail market strengthens. “Hong Kong companies are highly adaptable，” he said. “We saw Hong Kong companies launching a top international stars namesake accessory collection at the Fashion Week， which received many enquiries. At this years Fashion Week， buyer numbers from Indonesia， Thailand and Malaysia saw encouraging growth， and a Thai buyer placed orders on the spot. Hong Kong companies should tap these opportunities amid optimism in emerging markets.”

The theme of this years Hong Kong Fashion Week is “New-World Explorers”. Responding to the growing demand for workplace uniforms， especially on the Chinese mainland， the fair introduces the new Corporate Fashion and Uniforms zone. A fashion parade and seminar will be organized on 17 January， where representatives from the garment， construction and fashion design industries will share development opportunities for workplace uniforms.

Another new feature， the World of Fashion Acces-sories， spotlights the latest designs in bags， footwear， legging， socks， gloves， scarves and shawls. The Fashionable Sportswear and Urban Clothing zones return after their successful debut last year， while the International Fashion Designers Showcase presents fashion design talents such as Mim Mak and Mountain Yam. The fair welcomes new exhibitors from Malaysia. Five group pavilions represent the Chinese mainland， India， Indonesia， Japan and Pakistan.

Céline Dion 2018 F/W accessory collection makes world debut

Hong Kong exhibitor Innee-Sedona International Ltd showcases a range of fashion accessory collections from the Céline Dion brand. Last year， the company was appointed the sole Asia-Pacific distributor of products from the brand curated by the celebrated diva. In 2017， Céline Dion launched her eponymous label， which includes handbags， luggage and other fashion accessories. Each piece reflects the singers penchant for aesthetics， lifestyle and attention to detail combined with quality and craftsmanship. The brands 2018 fall/winter （F/W） collection is now making its world debut at Hong Kong Fashion Week， showcasing a range of products including handbags， luggage and small leather accessories.endprint

Among companies participating this year was Hong Kong exhibitor Innee-Sedona International Ltd， which was appointed the sole AsiaPacific distributor of the Céline Dion accessory brand. “Everyone knows that Céline Dion is a famous singer， but not many people in this region know about the existence of the Céline Dion brand，” said Jennifer Chan， Innee-Sedona Managing Director. “We are making a global launch for the Céline Dion 2018 Fall/Winter collection through the Hong Kong Fashion Week. E-commerce companies from the Chinese mainland， Indonesia， Malaysia and Singapore are interested in buying our products， while buyers from Korea and the Philippines want to be exclusive distributors for their countries.” She also said that an Australian buyer placed a trial order worth US$3，000 at the fair， while some buyers sought their help to contact Céline Dion， hoping to develop new clothing lines and other accessories for the brand. She noted that the fair provided an important platform for promoting the brand to international buyers and opening new business opportunities， and they plan to return to the fair next year.

With growing awareness towards physical health and quality of life， demand for functional clothing has been on the rise. At the fair， the Hong Kong Research Institute of Textiles and Apparel （HKRITA） showcases a range of creative fashion technologies.

These include：

A new wearable textile with temperature control functions jointly developed by HKRITA and the Hong Kong Polytechnic Universitys Institute of Textile and Clothing； High-performance uniforms – next-tothe-skin thermal wear， designed for the Hong Kong Marine Police， with fabrics offering excellent performance in flame resistance， thermal insulation， moisture management， air permeability， drying time， durability， and easy care； High-performance rowing suits devel- oped for the Hong Kong Rowing Team， designed with specific needs of the sport in mind， such as the level of comfort and the functionality of the fabric that suits the rowing posture and body movement.

As a major fashion sourcing hub in Asia， Hong Kong is a hotspot for many international trading houses and premier retailers. The annual Hong Kong Fashion Week for Fall/Winter is an important platform for buyers to discover the latest products and accessories. To create more business opportunities for exhibitors， the HKTDC has arranged 90 buying missions from 43 countries and regions， bringing more than 3，800 companies to the show. Among the participants are representatives of fashion brands， major chain stores and distributors from both traditional and emerging markets， including the Czech Republics ZOOT， Japans Marks， Koreas Fashion Group Hyungji， Russias Melon Fashion Group and Spains Intropia.endprint

Unique fashion show “FASHIONALLY Presentation”

More than 20 fashion activities were staged during the four-day fair， including trend-forecasting seminars， buyer forums and a networking reception， as well as 13 fashion parades and presentations. Hong Kong Fashion Week has long been a launch pad for up-andcoming local young designers. Local fashion website FASHIONALLY stages four performances at this years fair， including todays FASHIONALLY COLLECTION #11， presenting the 2018 F/W womenswear collections of YEUNG CHIN， phenotypsetter （designer： Jane Ng）， 112 mountainyam （designer： Mountain Yam）， FromClothingOf （designer： Shirley Wong） and KEVIN HO. The unique “FASHIONALLY Presentation”， unlike conventional runway shows， showcased the design concepts and 2018 F/W works of local fashion designers Derek Chan， Aries Sin and Mim Mak， in the form of storytelling set in a theatre-like stage. The stage design， props and story sequence of the FASHIONALLY Presentations are orchestrated by the designers themselves， bringing a unique experience to both buyers and visitors.

Two local creative units， The Spring is Here and Start from Zero， held workshops on making Japanese “moss balls” （also known as “kokedama”， referring to moss-covered balls of soil on which ornamental plants grow）， brooches and wooden tool boxes.

Forums and seminars on market trends

Buyer forums， trend-forecasting seminars and networking receptions are effective platforms for the industry to gather market information and exchange ideas. Leading international fashion forecaster Fashion Snoops shared “The Key Trend Stories for Mens and Womens Wear S/S 2019”. Other seminars explore issues including cleaner production， footwear design and innovation， and growth opportunities in workplace uniforms. Experts from the Hong Kong Woollen & Synthetic Knitting ManufacturersAssociation， Clothing Industry Training Authority and Belle International will share their insights. This evenings networking reception provided the industry with additional networking opportunities.endprint