Hong Kong is making its presence in international fashion known, more than ever. This week is Hong Kong’s 43rd annual Fashion Week for Fall/Winter. This year’s show was combined with the World Boutique Hong Kong, and attracted 1900 exhibitors from 25 countries and regions. The show ran January 16th through January 19th at the Hong Kong Convention center.
“China’s been the clothing factory of the world for some time,” said Chinese designer Qi Gang. To move away from that association, this year the focus for many designers has changed from quality manufacturing to design. This concept is also part of the government’s policy to promote “creative industries”.
Four internationally lauded designers will launch their latest collections during the week — Hong Kong’s Hidy Ng, London’s Craig Lawrence, Paris’ Risto Bimbiloski, and Shanghai’s Qi Gang. This week’s show also spotlights Grace Yu, walking for Hidy Ng’s collection, who is the first Asian face for Dior.
Previous Fashion Weeks’ have not been ideal for local talent since Hong Kong’s fashion industry insists it’s as complex as ours; therefore lots of designers travel to fashion cities to make their big break. This year, during the week, there will be a “Hong Kong Fashion Designer Contest”, which will showcase the local talent of the city’s designers.
“Chinese designers are definitely marking their territory, “said Craig Lawrence, a U.K.-based knitwear designer. “They’re putting their stamp down on the international platform because (this) Fashion Extravaganza is such a mix of international people and there’s so much press from around the world it helps create a buzz.”
