Now in its 16th edition, Hong Kong Fashion Weekwas unveiled on 6 July 2009 at Hong Kong Conventional Centre amidst hopes ofbusiness generation by the exhibitors and expectations of business visitors tolocate new products and sources. It was to be so expected, inasmuch as thismajor industry event ranks high in the regional calendar as a top place tosource all kinds of apparel and fashion accessories as well as garment-relatedproducts and services.


Keeping in view the emerging needs of the exhibitors andbusiness visitors, the fair added new zones to the existing ones. The new zonesset up by the organisers were Brand Name Gallery, which was a prestigious zoneexhibiting brand-name garments. Then there was Intimate wear zone, where theexhibitors found the latest trends in lingerie and night-wear. Otherspecilaised sectors included World of Fashion Accessories, Infant &Childrens wear, Bridal and Evening wear, Fabrics & Yarn, Sewing Supplies,Fashion Gallery as well as International Fashion Designers Showcase, each ofwhich was brimming with the latest styles from talented designers from Hong Kong, China as well from Indonesia and Korea.


The 1,164 exhibitors (up slightly from 1,154 last year), whocame primarily from China and Hong Kong, were seeing fewer buyers. Those whodid shop at the show were placing smaller orders and requesting faster deliverytimes. Interaction with the visitors revealed that there was less business thisyear as compared to earlier editions of the Week. One of the visitors, who hasbeen regular frequenter of this event, did say that he is buying lesser thistime. "You have to work harder for the same money," he said with aweary shrug


"It is very, very quiet," said Michelle Keeling,Managing Director for RTHK Clothing Exporters Ltd. in Hong Kong, whichmanufactures mens, womens and childrens clothing. She said Hong Kong and China have been affected by what everyone is calling a "financial tsunami." Itsthe delayed wave of financial disaster washing over export-based economies nowaffected by the downturn in importing regions such as the United States and Europe.


That was evident in the trade statistics coming out of Hong Kong. According to the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, clothing andclothing-accessories exports from Hong Kong to the United States slid 14.4percent to $2.8 billion during the first five months of this year compared withthe same period last year. Exports to Europe were down around 13 percent. "Thispast year has not been easy," said Vincent Fang, Chairman of the GarmentAdvisory Committee to the Hong Kong Trade Development Council. He is also ChiefExecutive of Toppy International Ltd., a Hong Kong company that owns oneapparel factory in China with nearly 5,000 workers that supplies two retailchains, operating under the Episode and Jessica nameplates. Fang, who alsomakes shirts for Polo Ralph Lauren in the US market through contractors inCentral America, said the fragile economy in the West is forcing him to expandhis business in China. "The whole world is looking to China as a savior," he observed.


China may be putting the brakes on its rapid expansion, but it still has arelatively healthy economy. The World Bank projects that Chinas gross domestic product will grow a robust 7.2 percent this year. In comparison, the US gross domestic product is expected to contract between 5 percent and 6 percent.


If a stubbornly tough recession was keeping some buyersaway, the threat of the swine flu acted as another deterrent. While Hong Kong has had no deaths related to the virus, travelers and businesspeople seem to beparticularly cautious about trekking to the region. They remember the SARSepidemic that claimed 299 people in Hong Kong and 349 in China between November 2002 and July 2003. Last years show was much better, said MandyChan, a merchandiser for the Zhejiang Seven Fortune Group, which manufacturessweaters in China for apparel companies such as Chicos, Guess? Inc. and Zara.Maybe its the economy; maybe it is H1N1 [swine flu], she said.

 

Hong Kong officials were taking every precaution to make sure the flu didnt spread. Cleaning crews at the convention center were constantly disinfecting elevator buttons, hand rails and door handles. Touch-free hand-sanitizing dispensers were everywhere. On streets and sidewalks around the city of 7 million, scores of people wore face masks. At Hong Kong International Airport, white-clad health officials were checking all inbound passengers and making them fill out health forms. Hong Kong is a global hub with people coming in from all over the world, and it can spread easily, said William Cheung of RTHK Clothing in Hong Kong. "People are thinking, If I can miss any show, this would be the one."


A third factor affecting US buyer attendance was an unprecedented early July show. Normally, Hong Kong Fashion Week is held a few days later. With the show beginning on July 6, many US buyers didnt want to depart on the July Fourth holiday to make the two-day trek to Hong Kong. (Travelers flying from the United States to Asia lose a day when they cross the international date line.) The Hong Kong Trade Development Council moved up the date so it could hold Hong Kong Fashion Week in conjunction with the smaller Summer Sourcing Show for Gifts, Houseware & Toys, normally held a week before Hong Kong Fashion Week. The convergence of the shows was due to a major expansion project completed at the convention center, cost-cutting efforts and the idea that buyers might be in the market for apparel as well as gifts.


Exhibitors Take


Even though some of the exhibitors and buyers complained about these challenging times, there were buyers as well as exhibitors, who were quite happy. In the India Pavilion, Vinay Agarwal, Vice President of Aman Exports International in Jaipur, saw some positive results at the show, mostly from European buyers. A representative from 25-year-old French boutique chain Camaeu was asking for various samples. "The European market is very good, and the US market is getting better," Agarwal said. His two factories in India now have 1,500 workers, compared with 850 last year. "Compared to last July, business will be up 30 per cent," he said.


Hubert Erjawetz, CEO, Siebdruck Center Nord oHG, Germany said, "This is our first time at the fair. We find Hong Kong the right place to market our extraordinary metal tie under the MyTie collection. This is a place where you can make very good business. The fair's organisation is perfect. We have so many traders from all over the world and we are especially keen to develop a presence in Asian markets such as Japan. Added Fred Lee, Director, Yorkmass Ltd., Hong Kong, "This is a great meeting place for our existing customers from different parts of the world. It really helps in promoting business as we can take orders from existing buyers more efficiently. We can also increase the international profile of our knitwear products and find new buyers at the fair."


According to Liu Yan Lan, Director, China Council for Promotion of International Trade, Ningbo Sub-council, Chinese mainland, "We have a total of 70 companies exhibiting their latest collections in 118 booths this time. This is a great show generating good business for us, and that is way we bring more and more companies year after year. HKTDC does an excellent job in organising and promoting the exhibition. We are particularly impressed with the meticulous service and devoted efforts in attracting buyers from different places in the world. Said Fatih Dindar, Sales & Marketing, Ormo Yun Iplik San Ve Tic A.S., Turkey, As a Turkish company, it is interesting that we have many Turkish buyers here, we did not know them; so many came to Hong Kong and now we can do business with them here. Hong Kong is a bridge between the Chinese mainland and Europe. Overseas companies like to deal with Hong Kong companies in order to reach the mainland. The organisation of the fair works well for example, we had the opportunity to meet with overseas journalists who showed great interest in our products."


Cai Huan Tian, President, International Trade Branch of Wenzhou Fashion Association, Chinese mainland, said We have strong confidence in the trade fairs organised by HKTDC. They are professionally run and attract high-quality buyers from everywhere. Hong Kong Fashion Week serves as a major trading platform for our companies to expand sales and international profiles. This year, we have 42 companies from Wenzhou showing their collections at over 100 booths."

 

Buyers' Take


The buyers also seemed to be happy, as they could find sourcing easy and effective. Said Ahmad M. Akil, Managing Director, Akil Bros., Lebanon, "I have found many companies with stocks very suitable for my company, including bags and jackets and other garments. Fashion Week has been good for me and I will be back net year. The facilities are very good." Renata Acioli, Import Manager, Marisa, Brazil said, "Marisa is a department store chain at the popular end of the market with 218 outlets across Brazil. I have come here for the first time because it is a good opportunity to find more suppliers from Asia. This fair is organised well and suppliers are well prepared with information and samples. We have made lots of contacts and the experience has been very valuable for us."


Alexey Anokhin, Purchase Manager, Marketing Materials, JTI, Russia said, "This is my first visit-although my main interest is the Summer Sourcing Show for promotional items. I have found it very interesting to visit Fashion Week too. We have several womens brand and at Fashion Week I have found accessories such as bracelets that are very suitable as premium items. As usual with HKTDC, the location and organisation of the fair are very good." Lidia Urdinez, Owner, Portofem, Argentina felt, "We specialise in clothes for large-size women, everything from sporty to elegant. I am keen to find new factories that can make garments for our market in Argentina and in Europe. We can also investigate the market for bigger sizes in Asia. I have already met with factories that will be suitable for our younger range and an Indian supplier of scarves and other accessories, and jewellery suppliers. The organisation of this fair is perfect-staff are very kind and efficient." Anthony Korn, Commercial Director, ECRU, France was of the opinion, "This is my first time at Hong Kong Fashion Week. ECRU already works with companies in Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland and I am keen to increase these partnerships. HKTDC has been very helpful- meeting with exhibitors have been set up in advance, for example. I will also take the opportunity to watch some of the fashion shows."


Growing Number and Popularity of Seminars


There were a very large number of seminars, which were highly topical. These could attract heavy attendance both from exhibitors and business visitors. On the very first day, there was a seminar on "WGSN INSPIRATIONS-Global Trends 2010 and Beyond" as also Seminar on "Peclers Paris Lifestyle Fashion Trends for F/W 2010/11". Second day saw the seminars on "Brand-Building Strategies for Garment Manufacturers" as also on "Zoom on Womens wear trends for Winter 2010/11". On third day, there were seminars on "Latest Market Trends of Lifestyle Products in the Chinese Mainland", "Application of Fast Fashion Model in Asia" and "Using Kaizen to improve Lead time" as also on Accessories Trends-F/W 10.


All these seminars not only attracted good attendance, but were also highly appreciated for their professional excellence.



Originally published in The Stitch Times; August 2009