The 11th edition of CENTRESTAGE, Asia's premier fashion event organized by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), concluded successfully today, attracting over 12,000 trade buyers from 93 countries and regions—a new attendance record. Notable growth was seen from buyers in Vietnam, Russia, the US, and Malaysia. The fair, held from September 2 to 5, also opened its doors to the public for free, drawing over 20,000 public visitors to CENTRESTAGE and the concurrent Salon de Time event. This enthusiasm underscores Hong Kong's unique position as a bridge between East and West, fostering cross-sector exchange between fashion and lifestyle industries.
Smilely Lam, Associate Executive Director of the HKTDC, emphasized the fair's role in helping brands expand internationally. “For many years, CENTRESTAGE has been committed to assisting fashion brands and designers in expanding into international markets,” she said. This year's fair brought together some 270 brands from 24 countries and regions, a record high, including first-time participants such as Korea's DOUCAN and holynumber7, Austria's Woody, and Australia's VICETA WANG. The fair also attracted top-tier retail buyers like Dover Street Market London, Selfridges, 10 Corso Como, and Korea's Musinsa, facilitating dynamic interactions that open up innovative collaboration models across fashion, art, and culture.
A survey conducted on-site revealed an optimistic industry outlook, with 96% of respondents expecting sales to remain steady or grow in the next 12 to 24 months. Notably, 73% agreed that brand crossovers and IP partnerships will become increasingly prevalent, highlighting the market potential of streetwear and cross-sector collaboration. To tap into this trend, CENTRESTAGE introduced the new Hype² pavilion, spotlighting fashion labels launched by local celebrities and KOLs. Actress Rosita Kwok, founder of Claro, noted that the fair helped her brand attract interest from buyers in the Chinese Mainland, Japan, and Germany, while also providing valuable direct feedback.
Cross-sector collaborations were also a highlight. Local designer Janko Lam's brand Classics Anew partnered with ink painting artist Kan Tai-keung to launch their first joint collection, “Quartet,” at the fair. Meanwhile, the fair strengthened support for local brands through workshops and business matching. Ronald Chan, founder of Devil Claw, credited the pre-fair workshop for helping him understand that international buyers value operational capability and long-term partnership potential. His brand generated tens of thousands of Hong Kong dollars in on-site sales and entered discussions with new buyers from France and Taiwan.
Korea made its debut as the “Featured Partner,” with 12 designer brands from Seoul and 10 from Gyeonggi Province. Wilfred Chung of KOTRA Hong Kong praised the fair's quality business-matching environment, noting that some brands had already secured deals with Hong Kong buyers. Korean designer Antonio Shin connected with department stores and specialty buyers from multiple countries, while first-time exhibitor Asparagus drew interest from buyers in the Chinese Mainland, Southeast Asia, and Australia, expecting initial orders of US$6,000 to US$7,000.
New country participants included Austria, Colombia, the Faroe Islands, Malaysia, Slovakia, and the UAE. Jennifer Feigll, Austrian Trade Commissioner, led a national pavilion in the Circular Fashion zone, noting that the fair was an excellent entry point into the Asian market. Marianne Perkovic of the Australian Fashion Council reported that buyer meetings increased from 120 to 180, with strong interest from Hong Kong, the Chinese Mainland, Indonesia, and Korea. Selfridges buyer Sophie Rose Davis-Evans visited for the first time and identified two Hong Kong labels, peces and MURFI LAU, as potential wholesale partners.
The fair also expanded into new areas, introducing a Perfume zone with over 20 fragrance brands making their Hong Kong debut. Moon Li of Artis Cultural Association expressed delight at the strong visitor interest and expected on-site retail sales to reach HK$100,000. She hoped the zone could evolve into Hong Kong's flagship fragrance event.
Over 40 events, including more than 30 fashion shows, set a record. The opening show, CENTRESTAGE ELITES, featured KIT WAN STUDIOS, presenting over 30 never-before-seen looks. The Fashion Hong Kong Runway Show showcased Spring/Summer 2027 collections from four local labels under the theme “Hong Kong Dopamine.” Other highlights included the Redress Design Award, won by Germany's Jon Liesenfeld, and the Sparkle Charity Foundation's Young Designer Challenge.
The fair's success underscores Hong Kong's role as a mega-event capital and its ability to attract global fashion players, reinforcing its status as Asia's fashion hub. For more information, visit the CENTRESTAGE website at HKTDC CENTRESTAGE.
