Organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), the 50th edition of HKTDC Hong Kong Fashion Week for Fall/Winter wrapped up at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC) yesterday. The four-day fair attracted nearly 13,000 buyers from 78 countries and regions.

“The fashion industry is facing many challenges against the backdrop of the ongoing trade dispute between the United States and Mainland China and changes in product sourcing and retailing patterns. The HKTDC continues to help exhibitors expand their network and connect with buyers from emerging markets,” said Benjamin Chau, HKTDC Deputy Executive Director.

“Among markets outside Hong Kong, this edition of Fashion Week saw the highest buyer attendance from Mainland China, Indonesia and the US, showing that the sourcing sentiment in both mature and emerging markets has remained unaffected. Among emerging markets, buyer attendance from Russia recorded a satisfactory increase. The results also highlight the fact that, despite economic uncertainties, global buyers still value Hong Kong's position as an unrivalled sourcing hub for global fashion traders and retailers.”

Potential in emerging markets

To help them stay competitive, industry players were eager to join information-sharing events during Fashion Week. These included The Visionary Fashion Trends for Spring/Summer 2020 presentation by leading international fashion forecaster Fashion Snoops, as well as seminars exploring issues, such as sustainable development in the fashion industry, the cotton market outlook and the latest cotton textile technologies.

Industry players from emerging markets showed real enthusiasm for Fashion Week, including Urszula Tomaszewska-Kislo from Poland who was visiting the event for the first time. She operates 30 shops in Poland together with an online store selling clothing under her own brand. The Polish buyer said the show deepened her understanding of current fashion trends and believed it was a good platform for sourcing high-quality goods. “I have found four potential suppliers of clothing and garments here. I placed an onsite order for US$ 10,000 worth of women's sweaters offered by a supplier from Mainland China,” she said.

Cloud-based job order system

Facing changes in product purchasing and retailing patterns, the fashion industry also needs to contend with challenges arising from rising costs and smaller orders, it was heard. iGarment (Hong Kong) is addressing these issues through the development of an innovative cloud-based garment production coordination system.

The company joined Fashion Week for Fall/Winter for the first time this year, showcasing its iGarment cloud-based Job Order System that covers everything from sample development to production progress and shipping.

“During the first two days of the fair, we met with more than 100 buyers, exhibitors and designers from Hong Kong, Mainland China and Southeast Asia who are very interested in our services. To understand their needs, we'll arrange them to visit factories who adopted our system,” said Connie Wong, iGarment Marketing Manager. Due to the overwhelming response from buyers, iGarment has already decided to return to the fair next year.

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