Hong Kong's largest fashion sourcing show begins

Global Sources, a leading business-to-business media company and a primary facilitator of trade with Greater China, opened the largest fashion show in Hong Kong on Wednesday bringing together a range of suppliers and new products from across Asia.

There are more than 1,500 booths to welcome buyers looking for the hottest items in the industry. Three shows - Fashion Accessories & Footwear, Fashion Apparel & Fabrics and Underwear & Swimwear - will run till April 30 at Hong Kong's AsiaWorld-Expo, Global Sources said in a press release.

Global Sources' fashion show assembles top suppliers from mainland China, India, Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Thailand, the Philippines, Vietnam and across Asia. Buyers will be able to source fashion products including apparel, fashion jewelry, underwear and swimwear, bags and luggage, scarves, footwear and fabrics. In addition, dedicated brand walls have been set up to help 330 ODM/OBM suppliers promote their own designs and brands.

President of Global Sources Fashion Group, Livia Yip, said: "With an eye on market trends, we strive to help buyers discover items that will be hot in the coming months. We also adapt the show to match demand for specific product categories. For instance, we have brought in a broader selection of footwear and functional fabrics this spring; the selection for bags and luggage has been increased by 50 percent from the previous show; and, to meet rising demand, the bags and luggage pavilion will become a standalone show in October 2016."

Young Designers Corner and Fashion Technology Corner will introduce new high-tech products and elements to visitors and make it a perfect platform for industry players to meet fashion entrepreneurs.

"By connecting the traditional and the new, the experienced and the young, Global Sources aims to create a fashion ecosystem to help manufacturers move up the value chain," added Yip.

Co-located with the shows, TEDxHongKong will hold its first-ever event on fashion innovation, Phabulous, on April 30. Visitors will gain inspiration from expert speakers, selected TED videos and curated community interactions.

Among the thousands of buyers pre-registered to attend the shows are Adidas, Anteprima, Ebay, El Corte Ingles, Esprit, Fossil, Gap, Hugo Boss, Kate Spade, Li & Fung, Puma, Ralph Lauren, Ripley, Swarovski and Zalora, the release said.