Fashion in smart tie-up with technology
Smart apparel, internet-connected accessories, eco-friendly fibers — the convergence of fashion and technology, along with other latest trends in fashion — will come under the spotlight at the 2017 Fall Global Sources Fashion show.
Running from Oct 27 to Oct 30, the event will be the largest fashion sourcing show in Hong Kong at AsiaWorld-Expo.
The show will welcome participants from all over the world to source fashion products, including athleisure and performance sportswear, underwear and swimwear, bags and luggage, footwear, fashion jewelry, scarves and functional fabrics, from 1,800 booths.
This fall’s Global Sources Fashion show will continue to feature verified suppliers from major fashion manufacturing hubs, such as China, as well as South Korea, India, Vietnam and other Asian countries.
Among the 1,800 booths, more than 400 exhibitors are new to this year’s Global Sources Fashion event.
Younger brands
Apart from established suppliers, the show will also include 600 exhibitors who will accept small orders, and more than 450 exhibitors who will promote their own designs and brands to support the growth of younger brands.
One of the highlights of the show, Young and Rising Designers Corner, will be dedicated to providing platforms for emerging talents, fashion startups and students from fashion institutes in Hong Kong to introduce their creations.
The hottest designs from exhibitors and emerging designers will also be featured at the Fashion Parades, along with Analyst’s Choice and Amazon best-selling products, live on the catwalk.
Young fashion entrepreneurs will have the chance to learn from visionary speakers and influential experts in the industry about upcoming trends and valuable insights.
At a conference themed “Transforming Fashion: Technology and Startups”, attendees will be able to hear from the best of the industry about how to apply technology to the fashion industry, how fashion bags and luggage brands use the technology to catch up with the trend, and how technology can help brands to maximize their potentials.
Technology has already been an important element in the fashion business, including the apparel, accessories and other categories.
For instance, increasing health consciousness has led to greater involvement of the consumers in sports which, in turn, has resulted in the rise of smart apparel.
Apart from fitness tracking features present in most models, some intelligent garments can even act as a coach, which can help wearers to improve their performance in a specific sport.
Most of the garments can pair with a smartphone app to analyze data and give recommendations and feedbacks.
Fashion jewelry that incorporate fitness monitoring, GPS tracking and hands-free calling functions are also gaining popularity. Some brands have emergency buttons that can alert the family or the authorities if the wearers are in danger.
Watches that can help take selfies are also gaining ground among the young, tech-savvy population.
Intelligent features are not only confined to garments and accessories. Hard-shell smart luggage and anti-theft backpacks are emerging as strong categories.
Most of the latest releases have incorporated real-time GPS tracking and two-way anti-loss features, while they can support Wi-Fi and Bluetooth and can be controlled via a paired smartphone app.
Concealed zippers, power banks, fingerprint scanners and specialized compartments are also popular inclusions.
Apart from the fancy tech elements, show goers will continue to have their finger on the pulse on the essentials of fashion, including hues, fibers and style.
New trends
According to Global Sources, active wear that can be worn outside the gym remain popular for the next season, and the comfort level is the most important attribute that draws consumers to these garments.
Athleisure wear also boasts functional properties, including the ability to dry quickly, wick away sweat, protect against UV rays, eliminate odor-causing germs and stretch in all directions. Manufacturers are likewise experimenting with colors and styles to make the garments more attractive.
Meanwhile, the industry is witnessing a growing number of brands and companies that show concern for environment.
This trend has led to an increasing adoption of ecofriendly materials, such as bamboo and recycled plastic, and some major brands are employing circular strategies such as getting consumers to return old clothes so the fibers in these garments can be recycled and used to make new ones.
Manufacturers are also finding ways of minimizing consumption of water and electricity as the fashion industry is among the biggest contributors to environmental degradation.
For garments, vivid colors such as pink and green, as well as reworked styles, are expected to dominate the upcoming seasons, according to Global Sources.
At the 2017 Fall Global Sources Fashion show, Pantone will present the color trends for Autumn/Winter 2018/19, and key trends in the accessory categories will be revealed by Fashion Snoops.
Industry leaders will also share their insights and experience with regard to the challenges and solutions when sourcing from China at conference programs.
The latest Global Sources Fashion show is the third phase of the Global Sources 2017 fall show that runs from Oct 11 to the end of the month.