HONG KONG, Sept. 29 /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- In today's economy consumers may delay major expenses, such as house or car, but reward themselves with "small indulgences" such as the season's most stylish bag or a pair of shoes. The past year has seen this continued upswing of the fashion industry, although recovery comes with a price: having that competitive edge is now mandatory for businesses to succeed. Those who manage this will survive and prosper.
Fashion Access, which opened yesterday at the HKCEC and runs until 30 September, is proof of this. There are a total of 344 exhibitors -- 56 of which are first-time exhibitors -- showcasing fashionable, good-quality spring-summer 2011 collections. Coming from 22 countries and regions, together covering a wide range of fashion products, at Fashion Access they have the common benefit of gaining exposure in the Asia market while, with the fair's attraction to buyers worldwide, keeping one foot firmly in the international marketplace.
Spanish bag company Pepe Moli, a first-time Fashion Access exhibitor, received many inquiries and interest from buyers worldwide for its premium products. Meanwhile returning exhibitor Sally Chang of Gaya, Canada, who marked Fashion Access as "the must-participate trade fair", said that the event "helps us to reach the Asian market".
Opening day attracted a substantial number of buyers -- particularly with strong participation from Australia, Japan and Russia, looking to source products with the ideal price-quality balance that other fashion trade fairs in Asia do not offer.
"The fashion industry is often talked about in two extremes -- disposable fashion and luxury. Fashion Access takes the unique position of striking a balance between the right price, the right quality and the right designs in its vast product mix. This pleases many buyers," said Perrine Ardouin, event director of Fashion Access organisers APLF Ltd.
But take it from the buyers themselves.
Akanksun Suarma from Li & Fung Trading observed Fashion Access' product on offer to be far from the basic designs often seen at other fairs; its unique bag collections unmatched by other fashion fairs.
"The show offers, under one roof, products of good quality and design at a wide price range," noted buyer Kumar Gaurav of Indochine Textile.
For Russian fashion buyer Elena Yakunia, Fashion Access is a very good opportunity "to meet global suppliers, together offering a good range of fashion accessories."
Also impressed with the variety and quality of products of the fair, US-based fashion accessories buyer Katherine McHugh from Rowallan Ltd said: "I found more products here than at the trade fairs in Milan."
Concurred Japanese buyer Ryotaro Ezaki of Nano Universe: "The quality of the products is outstanding, probably even better than what I have seen at European fairs".
Today's schedule events include daily fashion presentations and the newly launched Fashion Access Forum, a 2-hour event in the afternoon covering several key issues shaping the fast-changing and competitive world of fashion. Primary themes discussed include sustainable fashion, footwear retailing in China and effective in-store retailing.
Fashion Access, the international fashion fair for head-to-toe fashion, is currently showcasing spring-summer 2011 collections at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre through to 30 September.
ABOUT APLF LTD.
APLF Ltd. is a joint venture between UBM Asia and SIC Group. APLF organises leading trade exhibitions in Hong Kong, mainland China and India. It launched the Hong Kong Leather Fair 26 years ago -- which is still the largest and most international sector event for all of Asia, and has expanded into the related fields of fashion and lifestyle products.
UBM Asia
Owned by United Business Media Limited (UBM) listed on the London Stock Exchange, UBM Asia operates in 13 market sectors with headquarters in Hong Kong. UBM Asia has over 130 media products in three categories: trade fairs, print and B2B portals. As Asia's leading exhibition organiser and the biggest commercial organiser in the two fastest growing markets in Asia: mainland China and India, the company stages leading events across Asia, with over 110 events attracting an annual attendance of 30,000 quality exhibitors and 1,270,000 visitors from all over the world. UBM Asia publishes high-quality trade publications for 191,000 industry professionals to capture the market trends and industry news. Complementing its exhibitions and publications are around-the-clock and industry-specific online B2B portals that provide a series of online trading networks, industry news hub and sourcing and marketing platforms for the world's trade buyers and suppliers.
SIC Group
SIC Group has been organising international professional events since 1926 for companies working in the leather sector. Its role is to support businesses in their development and offer them work platforms in of areas in the world with high potential. With nine fairs organised each year, SIC Group and its partners can take advantage of expertise that is unique in the world.
For fair details, please contact:
Ms Perrine Ardouin, Event Director
Email: perrine.ardouin@ubm.com
For media inquiries, please contact:
Ms Alice Chan, Marketing Executive
Email: alice.chan@ubm.com
APLF Limited
17/F China Resources Building
26 Harbour Road, Wanchai, Hong Kong
Tel: +852-2827-6211
Fax: +852-2827-7831
