Fashion-conscious office workers in Central, Hong Kong, have long turned to IL Sarto Tailor – a local specialty tailor focussing on Italian-style, custom-made suits – for such sartorial needs. Yet, the fallout from the pandemic meant many face-to-face meetings were shelved and working from home became routine. Office workers no longer needed to dress to the nines in order to meet customers, which abruptly halved IL Sarto’s business. The brand adapted immediately: in addition to focusing on wedding suits, and launching casual and women's clothing lines, the tailor also plans to open a store in the United Kingdom to capitalise on demand there for tailor-made clothing, particularly in London.
The trade show, established in 1991, was revamped as bi-annual event and moved from Beijing to Shanghai in 2015. In order to strengthen business connections between Hong Kong and other cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), and to identify more business opportunities for Hong Kong garment businesses in the GBA, the HKTDC will launch the first Hong Kong Pavilion at the China International Fashion Fair’s “CHIC Shenzhen/GBA” event – the GBA edition of the well-established CHIC Shanghai.
Organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) and sponsored by Create Hong Kong (CreateHK) of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government, CENTRESTAGE returns to the spotlight from 9 to 11 September. The three-day event will open to fashion buyers and also the general public, featuring a number of in-person as well as virtual exhibitions, with visitors able to immerse themselves in augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) interactive experiences.
The rise of so-called “fast fashion” over the past two decades enabled consumers to buy a wider range of clothes at low prices, rapidly boosting the fashion industry worldwide – but the fast fashion trend has led to a string of environmental and sustainability concerns.
Hong Kong-born designer Winnie Tang (main picture, right) and her friend Kitty Chan (main picture, left) started their first business at the age of 14. They bought fashion items from Korea and sold them on a Hong Kong online platform, then brought them to the Australian market.
Hong Kong is renowned for bespoke tailoring, with many using a tailor for office wardrobes or formalwear. After more than 20 years of tailoring for men, Frederieke van Doorn was keen to begin offering tailored pieces for women. She established her luxury fashion brand, Frey, in September 2021 and has already opened a boutique on Queen’s Road Central on Hong Kong Island. The brand has an off-the-rack range, which offers everything from shirt dresses to trench jackets, in addition to bespoke tailored garments.
The International Sourcing Show (ISS), running from 5-8 July 2022, aims to bring smarter sourcing and better living. The show consolidates seven fairs that the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) had originally planned for April but needed to reschedule amid the fifth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong. The themes of the combined show are Healthy Living, Smart Living, Stylish Living and Sustainable Living.
As many global fashion manufacturers, brands and traders seek more sustainable supply chain strategies, this webinar will focus on how growing environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) awareness has prompted many businesses to use recycled fabrics and innovative upcycling solutions.
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