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Speech by SCED at opening ceremony of Centrestage Elites (English only)
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     Following is the speech by the Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mr Edward Yau, at the opening ceremony of Centrestage Elites today (September 6):
      
Margaret (Executive Director of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, Ms Margaret Fong), Lawrence (Chairman of the Trade Development Council Garment Advisory Committee, Mr Lawrence Leung), distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
 
     Good evening. It gives me great pleasure to join you all tonight on this special occasion. A very warm welcome to everyone, especially those who have travelled far to be with us tonight.
      
     Fashion is a glamorous industry that is always lively, inspiring and under the limelight. It is the one sector from which new ideas, concepts and designs emerge every season, and a single winning design could set the trend of what we should or could wear every day.
      
     So, staying one step ahead of these fast-changing trends and catching the pulse of the industry is vital for designers, buyers and fashion enthusiasts. Thanks to the work of our Trade Development Council, we can look to the splendidly packaged trade fair Centrestage, which is in its second edition, and one of the iconic events of the fashion arena for pointers and guidance.
      
     With over 200 sought-after international and local fashion brands and a wide array of spectacular events including runway shows, designer sharing sessions, industry seminars and business matching sessions, the four-day Centrestage promises to be a spectacular fashion extravaganza, which will no doubt serve to reinforce Hong Kong's position as an international fashion capital.
      
     This evening's opening gala fashion show Centrestage Elites is the curtain-raiser for the four-day fashion carnival. Two of the hottest rising brands from Hong Kong and South Korea will respectively showcase their latest collections with top models. I am sure you will soon witness the turning of wheels of Asia's fashion industry and the sparking-off of new senses in fashion design by these new fashion stars.
      
     To my absolute delight and great anticipation, the Hong Kong designer brand participating in this evening's show is one of the incubatees of the Government-funded Fashion Incubation Programme. This programme provides our design talents with all-rounded support, from the provision of office space and monetary assistance to mentorship programmes, including business know-how with a view to building up and strengthening potential local fashion brand makers. Witnessing our incubatee taking her products onto the catwalk reinforces my belief that, with suitable support, our young fashion talents can go a long way and blossom on the international fashion runway.
      
     Indeed, the Government attaches great importance to our creative industries, including the fashion industry in particular in the areas of talent and start-up nurturing. In addition, we have also been actively promoting Hong Kong's designers and brands through local and overseas promotional programmes, such as our participation in the New York and Paris Fashion Weeks. We have also set up a resource centre at Kowloon Bay to strengthen technical support for local fashion designers. The enrichment of our talent pool will equip our young fashion designers to bring the fashion designs of Hong Kong to a new horizon.
      
     On this note, I would like to commend the excellent efforts of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council on staging this fashion spectacular and for helping to consolidate our status as an international fashion hub. With the concerted efforts of the industry and the Government, the future looks bright and promising for Hong Kong's fashion design industry.
      
     I wish you all a most enjoyable and memorable evening. Thank you.   
 
Ends/Wednesday, September 6, 2017
Issued at HKT 19:03
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