Creative Living Fuels Design Frenzy

The long-awaited Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (CEPA) came into effect this January, giving some 90 percent of Hong Kong products currently veing sold on the Chinese Mainland tariff-free. This is wonderful news not only to Hong Kong manufacturers but also to Maniland consumers who will be paying less for these Hong Kong products.

Needless to say, CEPA further cemented the already close trade partnership between Hong Kong and the Mainland. This closer relationship is mutually beneficial to both sides: it will bring in more business opportunities on a global level as each party repositions itself in the internaional trade arena.

The Mainland market has been udergoing dramatic transformation. The sustained econoimic growth is giving rise to a new middle class who is craving for a more comfortable, more fashionalbe style of living. In this pursit, this group of consumers are demanding products with a sophisticated appeal, of a better quality and a more trendy design. All these, they soon find our, are being embraced, delivered by most branded merchandise. This explains why many labels are becoming hot items on the Mainland with some of them being regarded as status symbols.

With China's admission to the Worold Trade Organization, the Mainland market will be flooded with even more imported goods, more high-quality products. For Hong Kong goods to retain their competitiveness, their suppliers must pay greater efforts in brand building.

To some, "branding" means nothing more than coming up with a name, a label. This is an outdated way of thinking as in today's market, brands are meant to be "functional", and they help to define a specific style of living.

This notion, this lifestyle philosophy is nothing new to Hong Kong. Since the 70's, the city has been devoted to brand building and has come to know of its imprtance. Since then, the city has turned out many brands, symbolizing design excellence and sophistication, with many of them making their presence felt in the international market.

Hong Kong brand supliers are in full knowledge of the need to constantly re-created, re-innovated and re-invent. Indeed, the whole environment, atmosphere of the city is about creativity - things new and ideas updated are being treasured. Hong Kong's creative scene is bustling and vibrant, with local talents from varied fields working hand in hand on new projects, new ventures.

It is often said that the more sophisticated the place, the higher its standard of visual arts and a greater tolerance of all styles and art forms. This is very true inHong Kong, with a whole new generation of creative professionals and design talents whose works, ideas are taking on the region and the international market-place.

In this issue of Style Hong Kong, we introduce to you the cream of the crop. They are from a diverse field - covering visual arts, comics, graffiti, photography, graphic design, advertising and even figure making, but they are all multi-talented and have a strong passion for creativity.

With such a vibrant scene packed with a rich pool of design talents, it is natural that Hong Kong;s entertainment scene is constantly changing - with new clubs, new nightsports taking on bolder looks, more impressive interior. For this issue, we highlight some of the very fine examples.

It is widely held that a city's level of creativity or its standard of design is in correlation with its cultural development, and that the former is often used to determine the place's standing and real worth. That explains continued efforts of this Council to nurture up-and-coming talents, to encourage innovation and branding. The TDC views its efforts in that regard as a long-term mission and is committed to organizing events such as fashion shows, parades and competitins to promote and highlight Hong Kong;s design capabilities. TDC also works closely with local educational institutes to ensure that well-trained design students, graduates are brought to the attention of local enterprises. With Council initiatives, many of the young talents have been spotted or have been matched with some of the most established enterprises here.

As Hong Kong evolves into a service entre excelling in design, the need for new blood and qualified professionals alike remains strong. Some will end up serving local enterprises, local brands, others will be solicited by establishments across the border. Already branded as the region's world city, a city of style, Hong Kong must not be complacent about its achievements. It must continue to create, to innovate in order to retain the respectable image of its brand.

Patrick Lam
Head of Fashion