CHINA: For the second week in a row the halls of the Hong Kong Exhibition and Conference Centre have been ringing with the sounds of the Australian twang.
The venue is the site of the 39th annual Hong Kong Fashion Week for autumn/winter 2008 together with the co-located World Boutique apparel trade fair.
In all more than 340 Aussies and 20 Kiwis will attend the two events with the first of them arriving yesterday [January 14] barely hours after the last of a group of Australian toy distributors and manufacturers departed for home following the conclusion of a large toys and games fair.
The combined fashion fairs, co-sponsored by the Hong Kong Trade and Development Council, attracted around 1800 exhibitors, of which three are Australian - womenswear label Breathless and men's shirting brands Monza by Eren and The Shirt Company.
However it is the sourcing of garments that appears most attractive to Australians with more than 330 buyers making their way to Hong Kong including representatives from Pacific Brands, Lowes, Kmart and Target. Individual delegates include Richard Poulson from Western Australia-based retailer Morrison, Liz Davenport from Melbourne-headquartered chain Liz Davenport and TCFWA founder Carol Hanlon.
Other countries taking part in the event include the Chinese mainland, France, India, Indonesia, Italy, the Philippines, Korea, Singapore, Switzerland, Taiwan and the US.
Highlights of the week-long showcase include daily parades as well as industry seminars covering everything from trends to tackling the Korean market.
A seminar entitled 'Let fur inspire you', which took place yesterday, was marred by a protest from animal protection group PETA. Two members from the group staged a protest outside the exhibition centre where they flew banners reading "Fur hurts" and chanting "Fur is murder" in English and Cantonese before being tackled by security guards.
Those inside the seminar were unaware of the commotion. It is the second year in a row the group has staged a protest at the event with the group storming the catwalk during a fashion show in 2007.