Exhibitor Snapshots
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A significant reason for the success of Fashion Access is it’s sheer diversity. That’s reflected in the international scope of exhibitors but also in who they are and what they do. The three exhibitors below could hardly be more different: one is pioneering recyclable products, one is just starting out in her career and, finally, the third is a well-established company selling high-end footwear into China. |
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Fashion Access launches Banner Bags
Fashion Access is proving to be a platform for ‘eco-‘ developments’. It’s a fashionable topic for conversation, sure, but can it make you money?
Well, yes. Spanish designer Javier Serrano noted the attractive banners advertising the Fashion Access exhibition and thought it a pity (and a waste) that they would be scrapped - just thrown away - after the event. So he found a new use for the strong, durable and colourful fabric. He made them into a range of bags and, under the name of his new company, O91’s Eco Couture, he put them on show at Fashion Access last March.
And he will be doing so again at Fashion Access in October because the range provoked widespread interest, most especially, from buyers in North America, Europe and Japan.
The fabric is a type of nylon mesh that is strong, yet light, and does not attract mould because it breathes like a natural fibre. The actual bags are manufactured at a factory in Dongguan and are presently sold in Hong Kong at a shop called Delay No More, and at CitySuper supermarkets in Hong Kong. They can also be bought on-line at the company’s web-site http://www.ecocouture.hk/.
A whole range of bags are available but tote and handbags are proving especially popular with price tages running typically from HK$180 - 780 (US$25 - 100).
Remember: the advertising banners you see advertising Fashion Access could be tomorrow’s ‘must have’ handbag. |
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Bonnie Leung @ Design Zone
What do a giant plastic ice cream cone, a shoe designer and the study of European history have in common?
Not a lot. Well, not a lot normally ...... |
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Ms Bonnie Leung
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Tucked away in Hall 5, and possibly missed by some, was a small booth decorated only by a giant plastic representation of an ice cream cone. (One down).
Those that persevered would have seen the collection of ladies shoes and boots of 27 year old, Bonnie Leung.
Ms Leung has always wanted to be a designer. (Two down). She spends a lot of her spare time thinking up new styles for the shoes, although at the Hong Kong Baptist University she studied European history and languages. (That's all three down).
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Undeterred by her lack of industry experience she decided to take a small booth at Fashion Access in the Design Zone, hoping that some shoe makers would be attracted by her designs.
Ms Leung's shoes are entirely in leather, some in patent leather, some printed with various patterns. All the shoes are flats, because she is not comfortable walking in heels, although the boots have high heels. "I feel boots do not look really smart or fashionable unless they have heels," she said. She has researched the details of the fabrics and materials needed for the shoes and estimates they could sell wholesale for around US$25. They have all been made up for her by a factory in Guangzhou.
Fashion Access introduced her to potential buyers in Japan, China the UK and Australia. She's now in the process of following up.
But, she isn't giving up the day job just yet - helping her father in his restaurant and several clerical jobs in various commercial offices, "But I always feel I am just filling in time until I can get the job as I designer that I dream about," she said. |
Ballin Franco @ Fashion Avenue
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Mr Marco Rimini
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Marco Rimini is the marketing manager for Ballin Franco & Co., Italian manufacturers of high-end footwear for both men and women. The company was exhibiting in the Fashion Avenue of Fashion Access.
The company sells to the likes of Harvey Nicholls and I.T. Boutiques in Hong Kong, so it comes as no surprise to learn that the average retail price of their shoes in Europe is around 350 Euros (that's USD 550). |
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Yet, despite the price level, Ballin Franco sells into China already and he believes it's where the future lies. Many of his colleagues in the Italian footwear industry think the same, but bad experiences in the past have caused some concern. It's a temporary thing, says Mr Rimini, "The Asian market is of first importance in the world."
http://www.sifrancoballin.com/ |
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If you wish to contribute to the APLF News, with your experiences in the industry, your observations, or general thoughts on the direction the industry is going, we would like to hear from you. Email: aplf-news@aplf.com |
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