The 23rd Hong Kong Fashion Week for Spring/Summer, organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), closed after welcoming more than 13,000 buyers from 68 countries and regions.

The event focused on sustainable fashion and industry development. A new Fashion Tech zone was launched this year to showcase the industry's latest digital printing technology and award-winning eco-friendly textile technology.

In addition, a seminar on Fashion Sustainability - From Product Development to Manufacturing, co-organised by the HKTDC and The Hong Kong Research Institute of Textiles and Apparel (HKRITA), offered insights into the latest sustainability measurement tools for the fashion industry and technological innovations.

Sustainable development

“Besides raising production efficiency, technology also enables the sustainable development of the industry," said HKTDC Deputy Executive Director Benjamin Chau. “In recent years, there has been high awareness of sustainable development within the industry. From design and sourcing to prototyping and production, the industry has been dedicated to reducing energy consumption and carbon emission.”

“Responding to this development, this year's fair focused on exploring relevant technologies and assessment tools to help raise the industry's efficiency. We believe that the industry is increasingly aware of the importance of sustainable fashion, because it can help the industry achieve healthy growth.”

New sustainability assessment tools

At the seminar Fashion Sustainability - From Product Development to Manufacturing, Kit Li, Project Manager of the Clothing Industry Training Authority (CITA), noted that pollution is worsening in many parts of the world and air pollution in the Chinese mainland is especially worrying. In particular, large amounts of water and energy are consumed and water sources are contaminated during the garment production process.

"To tackle water shortage in the Chinese mainland, the government has launched policies that require reduction in water consumption by the garment industry," she said. "The problem is that the industry has no relevant expertise."

To help address the problem, CITA has joined forces with the industry by applying for government funding to develop Activity-based Carbon Footprint Modelling (ACFM) and Activity-based Water Footprint Modelling (AWFM). These systems will help to assess accurately the carbon and water footprints of each step of the production process.

Interest from Japanese and Korean buyers

Besides exploring eco-friendly technologies, the four-day fair also created business opportunities for the fashion industry. Japanese buyer Satoshi Miyata, a first-time visitor, who was looking for new menswear suppliers, said she met a potential supplier from Hong Kong on the first day, and plans to visit new production facilities in the Chinese mainland and Cambodia later.

Meanwhile, Korean online fashion retailer TRICYCLE also identified two to three potential Hong Kong suppliers at the fair. TRICYCLE's Team Manager Ju-Mi Hong said that the new suppliers are flexible with order quantities. She was looking to source a large selection of products in small quantities in order to test market demand. She believed the deal would be completed in three to six months, with an initial order of around 1,000 items.

Hong Kong companies with diverse silk products

Despite uncertainties in the global economy, Hong Kong companies continue to stand out by offering a wide selection of products rather than compete on prices. Established in 2002, MsEnvy specialises in silk products and has regularly exhibited at Hong Kong Fashion Week to promote a range of designs, according to its Managing Director Jun Wong.

At this edition of Fashion Week, MsEnvy presented silk fabrics that allow customers to build their own product lines. "We met many buyers and more than ten of them came from Spain, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines and Japan. We have provided samples for their reference. We believe that orders will be confirmed in one to three months,” the company explained.

Hong Kong companies Acumen Company Ltd and Sun Kee Woollen Knitting Factory Ltd also drew great interest from buyers at the fair. Ken Mak, Sales Executive of Acumen, which owns the outdoor clothing brand Re:echo, said the company met buyers from various countries, including from the Chinese mainland enquiring about OEM partnerships.

www.hktdc.com