The global fashion industry will enjoy a better year in 2002, according to 70 per cent of buyers and exhibitors interviewed at Hong Kong Fashion Week Fall/Winter2002, held from15-18 January at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. Some 64 per cent of buyers expected a rebound in the US market, said the survey, which was commissioned by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (TDC).

The event, the largest of its kind in Asia, attracted a total of 19,062 buyers from all over the world, an increase of 25 per cent over last year. Buyers from the Chinese mainland increased to 3191, a massive 75 per cent higher than last year.

The forecast for 2002 is positive but due to the tough global economic situation, buyers have been forced to be more competitive than ever and search for new ways to attract customers.

“We have been importing directly from China for the past eight years but this is my first time at the Hong Kong Fashion Week. I’m looking for new suppliers, and for new finishes. We have done well with cashmere and silk in the past few years and we are now looking for new items,” said Christine Guler, owner of Australian jewellery and clothing wholesaler, exporter and retailer, Vintage Kattoomba.

French exhibitor Alexander Baehr, sales and marketing manager for childrenswear manufacturer Esber group France, said that the fair was an ideal place “to learn about the markets and find out what buyers want. We are expanding in Asia, but we know this takes time so we are here to learn. Hong Kong is an excellent location to gather market intelligence from Asia,” he said.