WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 17, 1990
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FASHION INDUSTRY NEEDS TO MOVE UP MARKET: GOVERNOR
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HONG KONG'S TEXTILE INDUSTRY WILL NEED TO CONTINUE TO MOVE UP MARKET IN THE YEARS TO COME IF THE TERRITORY IS TO KEEP ITS COMPETITIVE EDGE OVER THOSE WHO ARE ALWAYS SNAPPING AT HONG KONG'S FASHIONABLE HEELS, THE GOVERNOR, SIR DAVID WILSON, SAID TODAY (WRDNESDAY).
SPEAKING AT THE OPENING CEREMONY OF THE "HONG KONG FASHION WEEK 1990" ORGANISED BY THE TRADE DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL, THE GOVERNOR SAID PERSISTENT EFFORTS TO UPGRADE AND DIVERSIFY PRODUCTS, ABILITY TO RESPOND RAPIDLY TO CHANGING MARKET NEEDS WERE PART KEYS TO OUR ECONOMIC SUCCESS.
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HE ADDED THAT HONG KONG MUST ALSO LOOK TO ITS YOUNG TALENTS TO TAKE THE TERRITORY INTO THE NEXT CENTURY AS A TREND-SETTER IN WORLD MARKETS.
"THE YOUNG DESIGNERS' SHOW, A MAJOR EVENT IN FASHION WEEK, WILL HAVE AN IMPORTANT PART TO PLAY IN ENCOURAGING OUR UP AND COMING FASHION DESIGNERS, THE GOVERNOR SAID.
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SIR DAVID POINTED OUT THAT AS HONG KONG DEVELOPED INTO AN INCREASINGLY SOPHISTICATED ECONOMY AND THE IMPORTANCE OF ITS SERVICE INDUSTRIES GREW, THE MANUFACTURING SECTOR WAS STILL GOING TO REMAIN ONE OF THE FOUNDATIONS OF THE ECONOMY.
"IN THIS GARMENTS AND CLOTHING HAVE ALWAYS BEEN THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF HONG KONG'S EXPORTS," HE SAID.
SIR DAVID NOTED THAT IN 1989 CLOTHING AND TEXTILE EXPORTS ACCOUNTED FOR 39 PER CENT OF HONG KONG'S TOTAL DOMESTIC EXPORTS, AND THE INDUSTRY EMPLOYED OVER 40 PER CENT OF THE INDUSTRIAL WORKFORCE.
HONG KONG RANKED SECOND AMONG THE WORLD'S EXPORTERS OF GARMENTS AFTER ITALY, AND LESS WELL KNOWN WAS THAT IT WAS ALSO THE SECOND LARGEST GARMENT IMPORTER IN ASIA AFTER JAPAN, SIR DAVID SAID.
THE GOVERNON SAID HONG KONG'S GARMENT PRODUCERS HAD SWEPT ASIDE ITS LONG OUT-DATED IMAGE AS A PRODUCER OF CHEAP,
LOW QUALITY GOODS.
"WE RELY ON THEIR ENTERPRISE TO HELP US MAINTAIN HONG KONG'S LEADING ECONOMIC POSITION IN THE WORLD'S FASHION MARKETS, A POSITION WHICH HAS BEEN BUILT UP OVER THE LAST DECADE, SIR DAVID SAID..
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HE NOTED THAT THE HONG KONG FASHION WEEK HAD DEVELOPED OVER THE PAST 30 YEARS FROM A SMALL-SCALE FASHION SHOW INTO ONE OF THE MAJOR FASHION SPECTACULARS IN ASIA.
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