Hong Kong CENTRESTAGE 2019, China

Hong Kong CENTRESTAGE is Asia’s premier fashion event, offering a promotion platform for fashion brands and designers to showcase their talent. Events such fashion shows, designer sharing sessions, open talks, trend analyses and networking opportunities, with the objective of connecting local brands with the global fashion industry.

The 4th edition of CENTRESTAGE, features some 240 brands and more than 40 fashion events, over 20 fashion shows are held at the event, including the opening gala fashion show CENTRESTAGE ELITES and Fashion Hong Kong Runway Show. Many brand launched their latest collections on stage. The show offering an ideal platform for fashion brands and designers to gain international exposure, and helping to reinforce Hong Kong’s position as a leading fashion hub in the region.

CENTRESTAGE 2019 have “Future Tribes” as its central theme. The event feature three thematic zones: ALLURE – representing craftsmanship, refinement and elegance; ICONIC – displaying avant-garde designs; and METRO – showcasing contemporary, minimalistic expressions of urban life. This year’s show feature some 240 fashion brands, including more than 80 local brands along with international labels from Mainland China, Chinese Taiwan, France, Italy, Japan, Korea, the United States and more. Thirty-six buying missions comprising about 1,600 international fashion buyers have been organised to visit the event, providing opportunities for designers to interact with the industry and get useful market insights.

The Hong Kong CENTRESTAGE showcase of high-calibre local and overseas fashion talents, and exciting, engaging events was held during the show period. It has created a fashion extravaganza that enables brands to overcome geographical and time limitations to showcase their latest designs to buyers and fashionistas.

CENTRESTAGE to provide a comprehensive promotional platform through which Asian fashion brands and budding designers can launch and present their latest fashion collections and connect with global buyers and fashionistas at the same time. A greater number of local and international fashion brands participating at this year’s CENTRESTAGE, underscoring the event’s position as Asia’s leading launch and marketing platform for fashion brands and highlighting its ability to create diverse business opportunities.

CENTRESTAGE ELITES
CENTRESTAGE launched its annual fashion extravaganza om 4 September at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. The exclusive CENTRESTAGE ELITES opening event brought together renowned Hong Kong designer Anais Mak and her brand ANAÏS JOURDEN, and New York-based Joseph Altuzarra and his brand ALTUZARRA, in a joint fashion show featuring their pre-spring 2020 collections.

Brands reveal their latest collections through fashion shows and presentations at CENTRESTAGE, an ideal promotion and launch platform for international fashion brands and designers. Three new local brands, including Charlotte Ng Studio, Fake Fan and SFZ & SON participating in the FASHIONALLY Presentation.

The spotlight opening gala show CENTRESTAGE ELITES, the global launch of pre-spring 2020 collections on the runway from Hong Kong designer Anais Mak’s internationally renowned brand, ANAÏS JOURDEN, as well as acclaimed New York designer Joseph Altuzarra’s brand, ALTUZARRA. Joseph Altuzarra’s first runway show in Hong Kong has been made possible with the collaboration of his brand partner JOYCE and the HKTDC. Mr Altuzarra introduce his spring collection at a JOYCE event.

CENTRESTAGE ELITES followed by the Fashion Hong Kong Runway Show, featuring the latest collections of Hong Kong designer labels that have participated in international fashion weeks, such as New York, London, Copenhagen and Tokyo. These local brands are 112mountainyam (designer: Mountain Yam), DORISKATH (designer: Doris Kath Chan), FROM ANOTHER PLANETS (designer: Kenax Leung), HARRISON WONG (designer: Harrison Wong), MEIKING NG (designer: June Ng), METHODOLOGY (designer: Glori Tsui) and YEUNG CHIN (designer: Yeung Chin). This show is part of the HKTDC’s Fashion Hong Kong campaign, which aims to promote Hong Kong fashion designers and labels in the global fashion arena.

Highlight Events
More fashion events was held during the fair period. Spotlight events on 5 September include Redress Design Award sponsored by CreateHK, the world’s largest sustainable fashion design competition, and Fashion Summit (HK) 2019, Asia’s first large-scale conference on sustainable fashion. The Knitwear Innovation and Design Society present the Knitwear Symphony 2019 and the ninth Hong Kong Young Knitwear Designers’ Contest on 6 September (Friday) to promote Hong Kong’s knitwear industry.

Fashion Summit (HK) and a series of seminars are held during the fair, exploring issues including the sustainable development of the fashion industry, and technological impacts on the industry, attracting many industry players. Meet the Visionaries seminars feature some international fashion designers.

The first Meet the Visionaries seminar was held on 5 September, featuring CENTRESTAGE ELITES participants Anais Mak and Joseph Altuzarra. They share their challenges and tips on design under the “When East Meets West: Young Creative Forces Reinventing International Runway” theme. Renowned Japanese fashion designer Mihara Yasuhiro share his ideas at “Crossover Fashion Trend Re-shaping Brand Value” on 6 September.

Redress Design Award, the world’s largest sustainable fashion design competition, and the Knitwear Symphony 2019 and the ninth Hong Kong Young Knitwear Designers’ Contest, organised by the Knitwear Innovation and Design Society, are held during the event to nurture more budding talents.

OPENSTAGE
The final day of CENTRESTAGE on 7 September, titled “OPENSTAGE”, open to public visitors aged 12 and above free of charge. Attendees have free access to the Fashionista’s Sharing Series, a make-up demonstration by NARS, a sharing session on fashion trends with fashionista Rikko Lee and designers from local brands METHODOLOGY and MEIKING NG, and more. Public visitors have a chance to check out the latest designs from leading local and overseas brands. Retail sales of selected brands was available.

Young Fashion Designers’ Contest 2019
This year’s YDC saw a total of three promising local designers awarded out of a pool of 16. Champion Wilson Yip received a monetary reward together with a one-month internship working in the studio of respected Japanese fashion designer Mihara Yasuhiro, sponsored by Sun Hing Knitting Factory Ltd.

The judging panel for this year’s YDC was made up of an impressive roster of fashion experts and media pundits. Chief Judge was Lawrence Leung, Chairman of the HKTDC Garment Advisory Committee, while Mihara Yasuhiro, famous Japanese fashion designer and owner of his own eponymous label, was VIP Judge. The other seats on the panel were taken by Michael Mok, General Merchandising Manager/Head of Merchandising at JOYCE; Jonathan Lee, Senior Area Manager (Asia) of Tomorrow Ltd; Peter Wong, Editorial Director of Vogue Hong Kong; Styling and Art Director Declan Chan; and Virginia Chan, Head of Footwear at i.t apparels Limited.

The judges assessed the young designers’ works based on creativity, originality, market potential, craftsmanship, use of fabrics and overall aesthetics, and offered expert feedback to each of the participants. VIP Judge Mihara Yasuhiro had particular praise for the winning piece, saying that Champion Wilson Yip “managed to paint fashion over the backdrop of everyday life, using elements of daily wear and injecting them with novelty and creativity”.

14 previous YDC designer brands: 112 mountainyam, ARTO.,Charlotte Ng Studio, DEMO, Fake Fan, FromClothingOf, HARRISON WONG, From Another Planet, KEVIN HO, Lapeewee, NECRO POON, S.F.Z. & Son, YEUNG CHIN and YMDH returned to the YDC stage on Saturday to present a special MINI x YDC fashion show. THE NEW MINI CLUBMAN also made its first launch in Hong Kong at this spectacular event to showcase the elegance and creativity shared among both the car and fashion designs.

In addition, from 13 September to 8 October, MINI run the MINI x YDC Anniversary Collection Exhibition at MINI Tsuen Wan showroom and the YDC 2019 Winning Collection Exhibition at the MINI Wan Chai showroom for the public to take a closer look at the skills of the YDC designers.

The YDC has been organised by the HKTDC for more than four decades with the objective of nurturing and promoting young fashion talents. To further promote the international visibility of local Hong Kong designers, in 2012 the HKTDC launched FASHIONALLY.com, an online platform that showcases the work of local labels and talents to link them with global industry insiders and opportunities.

Hong Kong in Fashion
Hong Kong in Fashion features over 90 fashion events beyond the CENTRESTAGE fairground, collaborating with more than 90 Hong Kong fashion boutiques, restaurants, hotels and cultural landmarks to generate “fashion heat” across the city. The campaign runs through 30 September.

Hong Kong in Fashion gives people throughout the city the chance to experience the power of fashion and the creative spark that underpins it, bringing life and colour to Hong Kong and further enhancing the city’s status as Asia’s fashion capital. This year’s Hong Kong in Fashion features a variety of themed events, including fashion exhibitions, live fashion parades and tea sets, at which people can immerse themselves in the local fashion culture in different ways.

At Lee Theatre in Causeway Bay, on 24-25 August, members of the public are invited to participate in a fashion-themed floral workshop held by Rose of Sharon, where guests can try their hand at bringing creativity and colour to life. Lee Theatre also plays host to a Live Fashion Busking event at which buskers dress in fashion collections by CENTRESTAGE designers and perform for passersby, helping to promote the series of events being staged in conjunction with the fashion fair.

In line with fashion’s often deep connection with music, dance and other expressive artforms, on 25 August Mira Place, The Mira Hong Kong Hotel and Mira Steps in Tsim Sha Tsui present fashion-themed flash-dance performances. On 27 August, local singer Lung Siu-kwan join fashionistas at a sharing session at KOOL Creative Studio in D2 Place, Lai Chi Kok, at which she give a much-anticipated live musical performance.

On 30 August, a group of stunning professional models ignite Fashion Walk on Paterson Street in Causeway Bay showing off the collections of the two star designers at this year’s CENTRESTAGE: Hong Kong’s Anais Mak and Joseph Altuzarra from New York. Both designers showcase collections from their respective namesake labels − ANAÏS JOURDEN and ALTUZARRA − at CENTRESTAGE ELITES, the opening gala show of the event.

On Lee Tung Avenue in Wan Chai, a group of young, up-and-coming fashion talents from Pooi To School present their own evening gown designs on 31 August, accompanied by a live orchestra performance by the school’s students. At the same venue on 1 September, a group of stylish models present wedding gown collections from around the world.

HKTDC
Established in 1966, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is a statutory body dedicated to creating opportunities for Hong Kong’s businesses. With more than 40 offices globally, including 13 on the Chinese mainland, the HKTDC promotes Hong Kong as a platform for doing business with China, Asia and the world. With 50 years of experience, the HKTDC organises international exhibitions, conferences and business missions to provide companies, particularly SMEs, with business opportunities on the mainland and in international markets, while providing information via trade publications, research reports and digital channels including the media room.