Hainan FTP hot spot for upcoming fashion week

The 2023 China International Consumer Products Expo Fashion Week will take place from April 11 through April 15 in Haikou, capital of Hainan province, which experts said will help beautify the free-trade port through global fashion displays.

More than 40 brands will display nearly 1,000 of the latest fashion pieces during the event, the organizer, Hainan Provincial Bureau of International Economic Development (Hainan BIED), said.

Including fashion shows, forums and a fair, the event will gather domestic and foreign fashion and designer brands, and establish a platform for display, cooperation and trade to bring fashion closer to its visitors, the organizer said.

Referring to the fair, Hainan BIED said it will be held from April 10 to May 10 in a shopping mall to reach more agents and consumers.

"The expo is China's first and a major national-level exhibition in the Asia-Pacific region," said Grace Chen, a Chinese couture designer.

"By bringing together outstanding brands in various categories, the event will help the Hainan FTP attract more global attention and build itself into a hot spot for consumption."

During Fashion Week, participants can learn about preferential policies and the progress of the Hainan FTP at forums, which have invited brand owners, buyers, purchasing agents and brand representatives.

Yang Shanhua, deputy director of the Hainan BIED, said this year's event will demonstrate more about Hainan's unique marine and rainforest characteristics. A special education project, namely the Shemmer Girls Program, will be launched to help Li ethnic girls in less-developed areas, including putting on special fashion shows that combine Li brocades with modern designs.

"We hope to take advantage of Fashion Week to showcase the charm of the local culture and promote the integration of Hainan culture with the global fashion industry," Yang said.

Covering nearly 6,000 square meters, venues for the event include a main expo area, a seaside runway, a showroom and a pop-up runway near the Haikou Century Bridge.

"It's a great pleasure for a new fashion brand like us to attend such a high-level expo in China and present to domestic and international participants the design and the culture we want to represent," said Sara Shen, designer of the Chinese pearl design brand Pearlstige.