30 January 2018 － The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) will present a pavilion at the Copenhagen International Fashion Fair (CIFF), the premier fashion event in Northern Europe, from 31 January-2 February (Wednesday to Friday) to assist Hong Kong designers to go global. The pavilion, called “Fashion Hong Kong Gallery”, will showcase the latest collections from four Hong Kong fashion accessory brands: Cafuné (designer: Queenie Fan), POMCH (designer: Felix Tai), ro and Volare (designer: Franco Yeung). Networking events will also be arranged to provide greater exposure and more business opportunities.

Flagship event to promote Hong Kong fashion labels
The Fashion Hong Kong Gallery is a feature of the HKTDC’s Fashion Hong Kong campaign, which was launched in 2015 to promote Hong Kong fashion designers and labels in the global fashion arena through a series of international events. These include large-scale runway shows and displays at major international fashion events such as Tokyo Fashion Week, New York Fashion Week and London Fashion Week, as well as Hong Kong pavilions and networking activities at fashion fairs.

Northern Europe’s largest and longest-running fashion fair, CIFF has evolved into a major event for the global fashion industry. The coming edition, opening Wednesday, will feature some 2,000 international labels across various exhibition halls, including STYLE SETTERS BUNGALOWS where the Fashion Hong Kong Gallery will showcase Hong Kong’s creativity to global buyers and media, helping the city’s designers and labels expand internationally.

Rebecca Tse, Senior Product Promotion Manager at HKTDC, said, “We are taking Hong Kong designers to fashion events in Copenhagen for the fourth consecutive year. This time, we will focus on CIFF and present Hong Kong labels of different styles. In addition, we will arrange networking events for the designers and buyers. We are confident that we will draw interest from industry players, the media and bloggers alike. The HKTDC will continue to review Hong Kong’s strengths in fashion markets around the world. We hope to help Hong Kong designers and labels reach out further and capture more business opportunities.”

Cafuné to display “connections and balance” philosophy
Cafuné is the label of Queenie Fan, a handbag designer born and bred in Hong Kong. Ms Fan studied Industrial Design at the Rhode Island School of Design in the United States. Her works give full play to her design philosophy about “connections and balance”, and redefine the notion of luxury in terms of the emotional attachment between users and products. Central to the brand is a strong attention to construction and detail, and a devotion to creating a harmonious balance between timeless and playful elements.

POMCH wins acclaim from renowned media
The POMCH brand was founded in 2011 by its Director Felix Tai, a graduate of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University School of Design majoring in industrial and product design. Inspired by a university project about applying industrial technologies to various materials to produce one-of-a-kind pieces, the brand concept is “Industrial Essentials,” referring to the incorporation of fundamental industrial elements into fashion design to create unique yet elegant collections. The brand, focused on handbags, has been featured at global events, including the DMY International Design Festival in Germany and Paris Fashion Week, winning high acclaim from renowned media such as Elle, Marie Claire and Hypebeast.

ro accentuates individual styles
Fine leather accessories label ro was built on the design philosophy of “refining the urban lifestyle”. The use of premium leather and fabrics and the design of the inside-pockets reflect thoughtful attention to users’ needs, which results in a meticulous combination of functionality and detailing. Known for its simple, exquisite and timeless designs as well as fine craftsmanship, ro handbags, wallets and accessories are made to reflect users’ personalities and bring out their individual styles.

Volare to launch new footwear collections
A graduate of the College of Fine Arts at the University of New South Wales in Australia, Franco Yeung was a designer and merchandiser for more than eight years, working with clients in the United States, Italy, Israel and other parts of the world. In 2008, he founded his brand with the name “Volare,” an Italian word meaning “fly”. The designer wants his footwear to enable wearers to travel far, broaden their horizons and take off towards their dreams. Having participated in New York Fashion Week with the HKTDC last February, the designer will launch his new collections of men’s and women’s footwear at CIFF.

HKTDC networking events
To help these Hong Kong designers capture more business opportunities, the HKTDC will organise networking events at CIFF. Buyers such as representatives of famous department stores and fashion e-commerce platforms have been invited to meet with the designers.

Please contact the HKTDC's Communications & Public Affairs Department:
Agnes Wat Tel: (852) 2584 4554 Email: agnes.ky.wat@hktdc.org

To view press releases in Chinese, please visit http://mediaroom.hktdc.com/tc

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 . For more information, please visit: www.hktdc.com/aboutus .