Asia's Spotlighted Fashion Event CENTRESTAGE Opens

Reinforcing Hong Kong's Role as Asia's Fashion Capital

In its most expansive edition yet, CENTRESTAGE 2018 hosts a record-breaking 230 brands, representing the cream of the crop from 22 countries and regions. New participants this year include brands from Austria, Canada, Germany, Poland and Switzerland. EMI - ENTE MODA ITALIA - brings a new dimension to the event by showcasing top Italian brands including ANNECLAIRE, CHICCA LUALDI BEEQUEEN, COLLIROSSI, COMPLIT and more.

This year's event centres on the theme of "TOMORROW LAB" and features three thematic zones: ALLURE - representing craftsmanship, refinement and elegance; ICONIC - displaying contemporary, chic and avant-garde designs; and METRO - showcasing casual, youthful expressions of urban life.

The HKTDC has organised 35 buying missions to visit the show, bringing buyers from more than 1,100 companies from 25 countries and regions, including Galeries Lafayette from France, Isetan from Japan, as well as select shops Antonioli from Italy, VooStore from Germany, Labelhood, Anyshopstyle, The Fashion Door and D2C from the Chinese mainland, along with local representatives from Lane Crawford, Harvey Nichols and online shop Farfetch.

Spotlighting Best Asian Talents

CENTRESTAGE 2018 launched with a series of fashion shows by emerging local talents at the FASHIONALLY Collection #12 and FASHIONALLY Presentation, and an inspiring Trend Talk Series discussion.

FASHIONALLY Collection #12 spotlighted 10 up-and-coming designers exemplifying the best of design and creativity in Hong Kong. The Spring/Summer 2019 collections on display came from their brands: 112 mountainyam, Blind by JW, CAR | 2IE, DEMO., FromClothingOf, KEVIN HO, LAPEEWEE, NECRO POON, phenotypsetter and YEUNG CHIN.

At FASHIONALLY Presentation, designer TAK LEE showcased his debut collection inspired by the passage of time and using the concepts of war and destruction in an unconventional, theatrical fashion show. This is the first of three highly anticipated FASHIONALLY Presentation shows, with brands REDEMPTIVE and YLYstudio showcasing their latest collections on 6 and 7 Sept respectively.

The future of fashion was explored as part of the "WGSN Fashion Forecast A/W 19/20: Street Style, Luxury and Culture" discussion, led by industry veteran and key fashion thought leader Anupreet Bhui, Senior Editor of Global Street Style, WGSN. Ms Bhui explored the key items, colours and macro trends determining the mood, feel and socio-cultural movements for the season ahead.

This evening will see three leading Asian brands taking part in CENTRESTAGE ELITES. FACETASM, IDISM and Ms MIN will have top models parade their Spring/Summer 2019 collections down the runway and in front of a star-studded audience. This will be followed by the FASHION HONG KONG RUNWAY SHOW, featuring the latest collections of eight Hong Kong designer labels that have previously participated in international fashion weeks, such as New York, London, Copenhagen and Tokyo. These eight local brands are ANVEGLOSA, DORISKATH, HARRISON WONG, HOUSE OF V, LOOM LOOP, MAISON VERMILLION, MEIKING NG, and METHODOLOGY.

Highlight Events

In the coming days, CENTRESTAGE will see a series of shows presenting local and international design excellence, as well as seminars providing insights into the future of the global fashion industry.

Among the many shows coming up is the world's largest sustainable fashion design competition, the Redress Design Award, which will take place on 6 Sept. Opening on the same day will be Asia's largest sustainability conference, Fashion Summit (HK) 2018, a two-day event that will explore sustainability solutions for fashion under the theme of "Circular Economy".

On 7 Sept, the Knitwear Innovation and Design Society will present the Knitwear Symphony 2018 and the 8th Hong Kong Knitwear Designers' Contest to promote Hong Kong's knitwear design and wool manufacturing capabilities. That evening, renowned local designer and wedding gown specialist Dorian Ho will present his new collection created in collaboration with DOXA at a runway show. The Hong Kong Young Fashion Designers' Contest (YDC) 2018 will run on 8 Sept as the finale of CENTRESTAGE, with 16 budding designers competing for five coveted prizes.

The first Meet the Visionaries Series of seminars, on 6 Sept, will see CENTRESTAGE ELITES designers and brand representatives discuss the theme "In Conversation with the Asian Creative Forces Shaping the International Fashion Scene". The speakers will also explain the inspiration behind their collections. Shortly after, Jorge Martin, Head of Fashion Research at Euromonitor International, will address the second Trend Talk Series to share his views on the latest digital developments and how technology will transform the global fashion industry. On 7 Sept, international fashion designer and YDC VIP Judge Martine Rose will participate in the second Meet the Visionaries Series to discuss her extensive experience in the industry.

Public Welcome to Attend "OPENSTAGE" and "Hong Kong in Fashion"

The final day of CENTRESTAGE, titled "OPENSTAGE", will open to public visitors aged 12 and above free of charge. On 8 Sept, attendees will have free access to the Fashionista's Sharing Series featuring key fashion editors, a make-up demonstration by NARS, a fashion and music event named "CENTRESTAGE Live House: Busking x Fashion Bazaar," and more. Public visitors will have a chance to check out the latest designs from leading local and overseas brands.

Furthermore, Hong Kong in Fashion is currently underway with over 90 not-to-be-missed events organised in collaboration with more than 100 partners. Taking place at numerous hotspots across the city, the activities range from workshops and fashion mob performances to afternoon tea sessions and more.

From now until 30 Sept, participants can join the "Street Snap Competition" and upload a personal styling snapshot to Instagram (#CENTRESTAGEHK) for a chance to win attractive prizes, including a MiraSpa Sunset Spa Session for two and HKTDC Design Gallery Coupons. Highlight events include CENTRESTAGE Fashion Tea at stylish cafe and patisserie COCO in The Mira Hong Kong hotel from 25 Aug to 30 Sept and the MINI x YDC Spring/Summer 2019 Fashion Gear Night on 13 Sept.

CENTRESTAGE website: http://centrestage.com.hk CENTRESTAGE activity schedule: http://centrestage.com.hk/en/event/schedule.php Hong Kong in Fashion activity schedule: http://centrestage.com.hk/en/event/hkinfashion/index.phpThe Hong Kong Young Fashion Designers' Contest webpage: http://www.fashionally.comCENTRESTAGE ELITES designers' promo video: https://youtu.be/4YhAEJgsrZwPhoto Download: https://bit.ly/2NnrWPi^{[1][2][3][4][5][6]}

For more information or to request interviews, please contact:Sinclair on +852 2915 1234Nikki McLucas, [email protected]^[7], +852 6895 0534Shanti Sadhwani, [email protected]^[8], +852 6386 4904Wing Ng, [email protected]^[9], +852 6106 8605Kelly Chan, [email protected]^[10], +852 6825 4496

HKTDC's Communications and Public Affairs DepartmentSam Ho, Tel: +852 2584 4569, Email: [email protected]^[11]Selina Fan, Tel: +852 2584 4298, Email: [email protected]^[12]

About HKTDC

The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is the dedicated to creating opportunities for Hong Kong's businesses. With more than 40 offices globally, including 13 on the Chinese mainland, HKTDC promotes Hong Kong as a platform for doing business with China, Asia and the world. 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 business insights and information via trade publications, research reports and digital channels including the media room. Please visit www.hktdc.com/aboutus^[13] or follow us on Google+, [email protected]^[14], LinkedIn. Source: HKTDC^[15] Topic: Trade Show or ConferenceSectors: Trade Shows, Fashion/Apparel, Travel & Tourism^[16][17][18] http://www.acnnewswire.com From the Asia Corporate News Network

Copyright © 2018 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. A division of Asia Corporate News Network.

References

1. ^{^} http://centrestage.com.hk (centrestage.com.hk)
2. ^{^} http://centrestage.com.hk/en/event/schedule.php (centrestage.com.hk)
3. ^{^} http://centrestage.com.hk/en/event/hkinfashion/index.php (centrestage.com.hk)
4. ^{^} http://www.fashionally.com (www.fashionally.com)
5. ^{^} https://youtu.be/4YhAEJgsrZw (youtu.be)
6. ^{^} https://bit.ly/2NnrWPi (bit.ly)
7. ^{^} [email protected] (www.acnnewswire.com)
8. ^{^} [email protected] (www.acnnewswire.com)
9. ^{^} [email protected] (www.acnnewswire.com)
10. ^{^} [email protected] (www.acnnewswire.com)
11. ^{^} [email protected] (www.acnnewswire.com)
12. ^{^} [email protected] (www.acnnewswire.com)
13. ^{^} www.hktdc.com/aboutus (www.hktdc.com)
14. ^{^} [email protected] (www.acnnewswire.com)
15. ^{^} HKTDC (www.hktdc.com)
16. ^{^} Trade Shows (www.acnnewswire.com)
17. ^{^} Fashion/Apparel (www.acnnewswire.com)
18. ^{^} Travel & Tourism (www.acnnewswire.com)