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Putting on the Style
Keeping ahead as the world's foremost garment exporter means continual up- grading of quality by Hong Kong manu- facturers. And today, the territory is also winning world-wide praise for its design. At the Paris Prêt-à-Porter in March 1983, a dozen young Hong Kong designers - in a dynamic promotion staged by the Trade Development Council (TDC) - proved to the world's most discerning fashion audi- ence that the territory has a distinctive flair for design in addition to its talent for production. Much of Hong Kong's designer talent comes from the Hong Kong Polytechnic where the Swire School of Design provides a higher diploma course in fashion. As well as enhancing Hong Kong's reputation in the fashion world, improved quality is a means to overcome the restraints imposed by pro- tectionism. Added to this, manufacturing has seen a shift to higher value-added fashion through the use of silk, leather and fur - all of which are quota-free - while new markets, such as Japan, are opening up. In April, the TDC presented an in- store promotion in seven cities throughout Japan featuring Hong Kong-made gar- ments and, later in the year, a ready- to-wear knitwear festival attracted 400 Japanese buyers to Hong Kong. Compu- terisation and advanced technology, too, are helping add an essential sophistication to the textiles and clothing industries which together produce by value some 41 per cent of Hong Kong's total domestic exports.
Previous page: High fashion in glamorous beaded and appliquéd silk and leather from one of Hong Kong's talented young de- signers. Left: Computerisation in the cloth- ing industry - for embroidery; for pattern marking; and for knitwear manufacturing.
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