Hiromichi Ochiai To Be Fashion Designers’ Contest VIP Judge

29 August 2016 – The Hong Kong Young Fashion Designers' Contest (YDC) 2016 will be held on 10 September at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. The contest will be the finale of CENTRESTAGE, a brand new international fashion trade show. Seventeen YDC finalists will take the stage to compete for the top three awards, as well as the Best Footwear & Accessories Design Award. Both YDC 2016 and CENTRESTAGE are organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC).

YDC 2016 has invited Hiromichi Ochiai, designer for hot Japanese fashion label FACETASM, to be the VIP judge. He will attend the final and share his insights and ideas with the finalists. This year, Mr Ochiai became the first Japanese designer to reach an LVMH Prize final. He launched his own label, FACETASM, in 2007 and held the brand’s first fashion show four years later. At the 31^st Mainichi Fashion Grand Prix in 2013, Mr Ochiai received the Shiseido Award for best new designer of the year. Last year, he presented his 2016 spring/summer collection at Georgio Armani’s ARMANI / TEATRO at Milan Fashion Week.

The name FACETASM comes from the word “facet”, implying that each piece has different sides or different meanings. The brand believes in discovering new perspectives and embracing new challenges while not sticking to the rules. FACETASM is now available in Japan, the Chinese mainland, Korea, Taipei, London, Los Angeles, New York, Milan and Paris. In Hong Kong, FACETASM is available at such stores as I.T, Shine, Joyce and Lane Crawford.

Past YDC designers at the finale show

Apart from VIP judge Hiromichi Ochiai, other senior industry and media representatives will join the judging panel. Lawrence Leung, Chairman of HKTDC Garment Advisory Committee, will be the Chief Judge. Other judges include Federico Tan, Director, social/capital; Bonnie Lam, Vice President, YOHO! Media Division; Reeds Yau, Director, Creative & Visual Merchandising, ImagineX Group; Jonathan Lee, Senior Buyer, Shine Trading (HK) Ltd; and Virginia Chan, Head of Footwear, i.t apparels Ltd. The judges will select the best works based on creativity and originality, market potential, workmanship, use of fabrics and overall visual appeal.

In addition to cash prizes, YDC winners will receive overseas internship opportunities: the champion will be awarded an internship programme at international fashion brand FACETASM, sponsored by Sun Hing Knitting Factory Ltd.; The first runner-up and second runner-up will receive a one month overseas study trip sponsored by FASHIONALLY and YOHO! Magazine respectively; The Best Footwear & Accessories Design Award winner will be sponsored to produce their winning design as a limited edition, which will be on sale at selected shops under i.t group.

At the final, in addition to 17 finalists competing on stage, four past YDC designers who have established their own brands will also showcase their latest Capsule Collections. The four designers are MODEMENT by Aries Sin, Kevin Ho, Kurt Ho and DEMO. by Derek Chan. The Hong Kong & Kowloon Textile Wholesalers Association is sponsoring all the fabrics used in the collections, giving the four designers a valuable opportunity to try new fabrics and come up with innovative designs to excite the audience.

YDC: Uncovering the driving force of fashion 

YDC has been nurturing and identifying emerging talents for the local fashion industry for nearly four decades. As Hong Kong evolves into a hub for design and brands, YDC has also become the starting point for new local fashion brands. Seven recent YDC winners who have launched their own labels will be participating in CENTRESTAGE. They will have their own booths to showcase their latest collections to industry professionals and explore business opportunities. The seven designers are: Kenax Leung, Harrison Wong, Sherman Kwan, Shirley Wong (From Clothing Of), Effie Hung, Walter Kong (Blind by JW) and Matt Hui.

Photos of the 17 finalist collections of YDC 2016:

Photos from collections of four previous YDC designers:

Websites

FASHIONALLY：www.fashionally.com

CENTRESTAGE：http://centrestage.com.hk

Media Enquiries

Please contact the HKTDC's Communication and Public Affairs Department:

Joe Kainz     Tel: (852) 2584 4216           Email: joe.kainz@hktdc.org

Media Registration: Media representatives wishing to cover the event may register on-site with their business cards and/or media identification.

To view press releases in Chinese, please visit http://mediaroom.hktdc.com/tc

About the HKTDC

The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) celebrates its 50^th anniversary this year. The HKTDC is the international marketing arm for Hong Kong-based traders, manufacturers and services providers. With more than 40 offices globally, including 13 on the Chinese mainland, the HKTDC promotes Hong Kong as a platform for doing business with China and throughout Asia. The HKTDC also organises international exhibitions, conferences and business missions to provide companies, particularly SMEs, with business opportunities on the mainland and in overseas markets, while providing information via trade publications, research reports and digital channels including the media room. For more information, please visit: www.hktdc.com/aboutus.