CENTRESTAGE ELITES 2018 to Feature Top Asian Designers

2 August 2018 -- CENTRESTAGE, Asia’s premier fashion event, will be held in Hong Kong for the third year from 5 to 8 September. The opening gala show, CENTRESTAGE ELITES, will see three of Asia’s most celebrated fashion designer labels – FACETASM from Japan, IDISM from Hong Kong and Ms MIN from the Chinese mainland – showcasing their latest 2019 Spring/Summer (SS19) collections for an international audience of trendsetters. Organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) to consolidate Hong Kong’s position as a fashion hub in Asia, CENTRESTAGE offers a platform for international, especially Asian, fashion brands and designers to launch and promote their designs.

Spotlight on Top Asian Fashion Designers
The first evening of CENTRESTAGE 2018 will put three top Asian brands and their newest collections under the spotlight, including award-winning Japanese avant-garde streetwear label FACETASM by Hiromichi Ochiai. FACETASM will present its latest collection at CENTRESTAGE ELITES, showcasing the designer’s bold and eclectic designs. Meanwhile, Hong Kong brand IDISM will launch its newest line of ready-to-wear womenswear at CENTRESTAGE ELITES. Design duo Julio Ng and Cyrus Wong debuted IDISM in 2016 and have since participated in Paris Fashion Week several times. In 2017, the label was selected as one of Vogue’s Talents, while also being dubbed “The Future of Asia” by YOHO! magazine. With the brand’s philosophy based on being active, true to nature, attuned to the senses and following a distinctive lifestyle, IDISM was created for the spontaneous lifestyle of the contemporary city woman, which manifests true beauty coming from within. At the same catwalk show, Chinese luxury womenswear label Ms MIN will reveal its newest collection. Its founder Min Liu, mentored by fashion mogul Sarah Rutson, has built a fashion empire around an aesthetic that seamlessly meshes modernity with classicism.

220+ Brands from around the World
As one of Asia’s signature fashion events connecting brands, buyers, media and fashionistas, CENTRESTAGE 2018 will feature a record number of over 220 brands from around the world, presenting about 40 events including more than 20 fashion shows and parades during the event period. A series of insightful seminars and panels such as the Master Sharing Series and Trend Talk Series will be hosted by fashion design masters and industry experts, with a focus on upcoming fashion trends and the importance of sustainability in the industry.

YDC: A Runway for Young Designers to Take off
In addition to CENTRESTAGE ELITES, The Hong Kong Young Fashion Designers’ Contest 2018 (YDC) will be another highlight of this year’s CENTRESTAGE. The judging panel will include Lawrence Leung, Chairman of the HKTDC Garment Advisory Committee and Michael Mok, General Manager of Merchandising/Head of Merchandising at JOYCE Boutique Ltd, while internationally renowned fashion designer Martine Rose will be the VIP judge.

YDC has successfully nurtured and promoted a new generation of Hong Kong fashion design talent since 1977. This year, 16 shortlisted candidates will compete for five awards including the New Talent Award and Best Footwear Design Award. Arto Wong, last year’s Champion and New Talent Award winner, will release her capsule collection Zero to Unlimited at JOYCE this August and display it at CENTRESTAGE this September. The event will also feature the latest works by other YDC 2017 winners, including Sonic Lam, who has partnered with Woolmark to develop a new outfit made with wool, and Jason Lee, winner of last year’s Best Footwear Design Award, who will showcase his capsule collection I Go to School by Bus.

FASHIONALLY Shows: Launch Pads for Local Designers
Now in its 12^th edition, FASHIONALLY Collection, a highlighted CENTRESTAGE show dedicated to Hong Kong designers, will welcome 10 local designer brands, including contemporary classic menswear label DEMO. and KEVIN HO, a modern womenswear label that participated in New York Fashion Week 2017. Furthermore, the FASHIONALLY Presentation show at CENTRESTAGE will feature three new local designer labels launching their SS19 collections. Unlike at conventional runway shows, the three labels – Redemptive, Tak Lee and YLYstudio – will present their collection in a storytelling format on a theatre-style stage. 

Hong Kong in Fashion
To spread the fashion buzz to the wider community, the Hong Kong in Fashion citywide campaign will be held from mid-August to the end of September in collaboration with over 100 partners, including fashion boutiques, fashion design institutes, restaurants and hotels. More than 90 events will be held across the city for public participation, including workshops, competitions, fashion parades and exhibitions.

Photos: Designers to be spotlighted at CENTRESTAGE ELITES 2018

CENTRESTAGE website: http://centrestage.com.hk
The Hong Kong Young Fashion Designers’ Contest 2018 (YDC) website: http://www.fashionally.com

Media Enquiries
For more information or to request interviews, please contact:

Sinclair at (852) 2915 1234

Nikki McLucas          | nikki@sinclaircomms.com                        | (852) 6895 0534
Jessica Man              | jessicam@sinclaircomms.com                | (852) 6083 0157
Wing Ng                     | wing@sinclaircomms.com                        | (852) 6106 8605
Kelly Chan                | kelly@sinclaircomms.com                        | (852) 6825 4496

HKTDC's Communications and Public Affairs Department
Sam Ho          Tel: (852) 2584 4569           Email: sam.sy.ho@hktdc.org
Selina Fan    Tel: (852) 2584 4298           Email: selina.mi.fan@hktdc.org

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

About the HKTDC
Established in 1966, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is a statutory body dedicated to creating opportunities for Hong Kong's businesses. With 50 offices globally, including 13 on the Chinese mainland, the HKTDC promotes Hong Kong as a platform for doing business with China, Asia and the world. With more than 50 years of experience, the HKTDC organises international exhibitions, conferences and business missions to provide companies, particularly SMEs, with business opportunities on the mainland and in international markets, while providing business insights and information via trade publications, research reports and digital channels including the media room. For more information, please visit: www.hktdc.com/aboutus.