XN000022-1977-09-05 — Page 7

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MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 1977

LADY MACLEHOSE VISITS HIGH FASHIONS DESIGN WORKSHOP

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LADY MACLEHOSE THIS MORNING VISITED THE WORKSHOP OF THE HOUSE OF MARGUERITE THURSBY, A LOCALLY-OWNED HIGH CLASS LADIES' FASHION DESIGNER IN HONG KONG.

ORIGINAL DRESS PATTERNS ARE CUT AND SEWN UP IN THE WORKSHOP AND SAMPLES ARE SENT TO SUB-CONTRACTING GARMENT MANUFACTORIES FOR PRODUCTION TO SUPPLY MAINLY OVERSEAS MARKETS.

LADY MACLEHOSE WAS RECEIVED BY MR. GEOFFREY THURSBY AND MRS. MARGUERITE THURSBY, CHAIRMAN, AND DIRECTOR OF THE COMPANY, AND WAS SHOWN THE VARIOUS STAGES OF DRESS-MAKING IN THE WORKSHOP, AS WELL AS MADE-UP DRESSES AND SUITS FROM PREVIOUS COLLECTIONS.

THE SMALL BUT HIGHLY SKILLED AND CLOSELY INTEGRATED WORKFORCE CAN PRODUCE SOME 60 SETS OF PATTERNS IN SIX WEEKS - ABOUT HALF THE TIME NORMALLY REQUIRED.

HONG KONG IS NOW THE WORLD'S LARGEST EXPORTER OF GARMENTS AND OUR GARMENT MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY IS THE MOST IMPORTANT LOCALLY BOTH IN TERMS OF DOMESTIC EXPORT AND THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE EMPLOYED.

A WIDE ARRAY OF ITEMS, RANGING FROM HIGH FASHION WEAR TO ORDINARY DRESSES AND CLOTHING ACCESSORIES, WORTH SOME $14,288 MILLION (44 PER CENT OF TOTAL EXPORT VALUE), WAS PRODUCED LAST YEAR FOR OUR OVERSEAS BUYERS, MAINLY IN THE UNITED STATES, WEST GERMANY AND BRITAIN.

IN DECEMBER 1976, THE INDUSTRY EMPLOYED 280,060 PEOPLE IN OVER 9,500 FACTORIES, ACCOUNTING FOR 36 PER CENT OF TOTAL EMPLOYMENT IN MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES.

NOTE TO EDITORS:

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PRESS CONFERENCE ON 1976 BY-CENSUS

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MR. DAVID WHITELEGGE, COMMISSIONER FOR CENSUS AND STATISTICS, WILL GIVE A PRESS CONFERENCE ON WEDNESDAY (SEPTEMBER 7) TO ANNOUNCE DETAILS OF +1976 BY-CENSUS BASIC TABLES+, TO BE PUBLISHED SHORTLY.

ALSO ATTENDING THE CONFERENCE WILL BE MR. JOSEPH M.K. LEE,

SENIOR STATISTICIAN, AND MR. TAM SIU-MING, STATISTICIAN.

YOU ARE CORDIALLY INVITED TO SEND YOUR REPRESENTATIVES TO COVER THE CONFERENCE, IT WILL BE HELD AT 3 P.M. IN THE G.I.S.

THEATRE, 5TH FLOOR, BEACONSFIELD HOUSE.

COPIES OF A SUMMARY OF SOME OF THE RESULTS AND COMPARISONS OF THE 1976 BY-CENSUS WILL BE AVAILABLE AT THE PRESS CONFERENCE.

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