#Textiles & Apparel / Garment
Hong Kong Fashion Week for Spring/Summer opens next week
New trend ideas forges boundless opportunities
The fair is sectioned into eighteen theme zones addressing various needs of the fashion industry, while facilitating an efficient matching of buyers and exhibitors. Always evolving, Hong Kong Fashion Week for Spring/Summer adds Fashionable Sportswear and Urban Clothing to its zones lineup in this edition.
Accessories for matching
The debut World of Fashion Accessories will cover a consortium of accessories-related zones, including Accessories, Bags, Footwear, Leggings & Socks, Gloves, Scarves & Shawls for buyers to source matching accessories at ease. Titane Group (Hong Kong) Limited (Booth no.: 1B-C21), exhibitor from the Accessories zone, will be presenting the HOTITLE Speed Racer titanium cufflinks inspired by the rim of sports cars. The series is light-weighted, durable and so finely crafted that even the tiny inner brake system is well elaborated. On top of that, the rims are interchangeable to complete looks of different styles.
Function meets fashion
Consumers nowadays not only look for quality apparels, but also clothing with functionality. The buoyant demand in the market gives rise to a variety of functional clothing, which is backed by producers’ adoption and development in functional fabrics. The Woolmark Company (Booth no.: 1B-B01), global authority on wool production, developed the wool denim that preserves the look and style of traditional cotton denim, but goes beyond the possibilities it can offer by adding traits such as softness, warmth-keeping, wrinkle-free and quick-drying. The company will also share the latest technology applied in wool denim and wool sneakers at a seminar. On the other hand, Hyperbola Textile Co., Ltd. (Booth no.: 1C-D02), who focuses on combining fashion, aesthetics and technology to deliver high-performance outdoor clothing, will exhibit smart and practical products such as durable wind- and water-proof windbreakers at the new Fashionable Sportswear zone.
Fashion tech drives industry development
Rapid development of electronic technology has generated broad applications. With people heavily relying on electronic apps in their everyday lives; the fashion industry has found its niche within it. HopIN Digitech Company Ltd (Booth no.: 1B-E34) will showcase a mobile fashion app at the Fashion Tech zone. The app allows easy browsing of digital catalogues, as well as trying on the clothes in real time by uploading photos of oneself. This innovative user experience boosts customers’ buying incentives, providing an effective alternative for industry players to promote their products.
A round-up of global designers
International Fashion Designers’ Showcase will return again this year to house designers from around the world, with Indonesia, Japan and Thailand hosting group pavilions to flaunt the alluring local designs. Among them, Indonesian designer PRISCILLA LISTIA (Booth no.: 1C-DS20), who attended the Vancouver Fashion Week, will present her women’s wear brand Mia Amica which is acclaimed for employing the Indonesian Batik that has been acknowledged as an intangible world heritage product. The collection is executed with superb craftsmanship, modern silhouettes and charming embellishments such as embroideries and sequins.
Unveiling fashion trends and market information
Aside from being an outstanding sourcing and marketing platform, Hong Kong Fashion Week also presents opportunities for networking and acquisition of the latest market intelligence with its exciting event line up.
A series of fashion shows and parades will be staged across the first three days of the fair, participants include the exotic Indonesian brand Neusa, Macau haute couture and bridal designer brand Chavin, Macau Productivity and Technology Transfer Centre, School of Continuing of Professional Studies of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, as well as exhibitors from the Chinese mainland, Saudi Arabia and Thailand. Hong Kong Polytechnic University and the Technological and Higher Education Institute of Hong Kong (THEi) will also host graduation shows and a lingerie show.
Alongside, seminars and forums will be held. The internationally renowned trend forecaster Fashion Snoops will shed light on the upcoming trends for Autumn & Winter 2018/19 for women’s and men’s wear. With wearable technologies becoming increasingly popular, a seminar co-organised with Hong Kong Research Institute of Textiles and Apparel (HKRITA) on the latest development and application of wearable technologies will also be organised. Other seminars will cover hot industry topics such as testing and certification for textiles and garments, and fashion E-tailing strategies.
Wearable Technology woven into fashion industry’s future
The growth of wearable technologies is revolutionising the way people connect through smart devices, which will also greatly impact the fashion industry. According to a study by Allied Market Research, the wearable technology market was valued at US$19.6 billion in 2015, growing at a compound annual growth rate of 16.2 per cent to reach US$57.7 billion by 2022. The forecast highlights the sector’s potential to boost the overall fashion industry.
The topic will be examined at an 11 July seminar entitled “Wearable Technologies for Future Fashion.” Jointly organised by the HKTDC and the Hong Kong Research Institute of Textiles and Apparel, the session is part of a seminar series to be held at the 24th Fashion Week for Spring/Summer, which will run 10-13 July at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre.
Wearable technologies in focus at seminar
Industry leaders will offer insights about upcoming trends in wearable technologies. Dr Raymond Chu, Chairman of textile machinery agent Chemtax Industrial Co Ltd, will speak on the topic “Future Knitting with Wearable Technologies.”
“Predictions of huge demand in the smart and wearable textile sector will lead to a 40 per cent annual growth, worth US$2.5 billion by 2021. We are likely to see the biggest growth among sports fashion brands,” said Dr Chu.
“Going forward, sophisticated sensors, heating elements – even battery chargers – will be added to fabrics using high-tech knitting machines for sport, leisure, the military, hospitals and emergency services. Such devices will be able to measure a person’s vital signs, such as heart rate, breathing, skin temperature – even perspiration levels,” he added.
The health benefits of wearable technologies will also be highlighted by Dr Roy Cheung, Associate Professor at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University’s Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, who will speak on “Modifying the Fingerprint of Gait with Wearable Sensors.”
“Sensors used in wearable devices could have health benefits, such as rehabilitation for patients with physical impairments and functional disabilities, and injury prevention for people at risk,” Dr Cheung said. “Advances in technology, including muscle and motion sensors, mean that wearable devices will be able to provide increasingly useful data to accurately estimate a person’s biomechanics. We can use the knowledge gained, along with widely used products, to launch tailor-made training or prevention.”
Stanley Kwok, Director of Senty Ltd, which produces knitted grounding products, will discuss “The Health Concerns in Wearable Tech.” He emphasised the importance of addressing concerns surrounding the use of wearable technologies. “Most wearable technological devices worn close to the body transmit data to smartphones. They use frequencies of between 450MHz and 2700MHz, while peak power levels are between 0.1 Watts and 2 Watts, which have been proved safe for humans.”
Jason Ho, Vice-President of Intertek Testing Services Hong Kong, an assurance, testing, inspection and certification agency, will speak on the topic “Total Quality Assured.” He said that all wearable technologies had to be carefully tested to ensure they met strict manufacturing requirements. “The quality of smart clothing must meet both the necessary electronic and high-performance textile requirements. Such devices are specially developed and tested so they are made to the highest standards, with advanced performance features, and are safe to use,” said Mr Ho.
Other seminars to be held at Fashion Week for Spring/Summer also spotlight major industry trends and topics, including “Visionary Trends for Autumn/Winter 2018/19 for Women’s and Men’s Wear” presented by Fashion Snoops, “The Woolmark Company Presents: New Generation of Merino Wool Innovation – Wool Denim Wear and Wool Sneakers,” “Tips on Marketing Your E-tailing Business,” and “Testing and Certification Services for Textiles and Garments”. Buyers are welcome to register online (www.hktdc.com/hkfashionweekss) for these free seminars to learn about the latest developments and applications.
