Will CENTRESTAGE 2025 elevate Hong Kong’s position as Asia’s fashion capital?

Asia may not have a reigning fashion capital, or a Western-style “Big Four” like Paris, Milan, London, and New York, but its fashion scene is alive, diverse, and culturally distinct in every city. Tokyo thrills with avant-garde street style, Bangkok buzzes with a rising local creative scene, and Seoul rides the K-wave of youth-oriented streetwear. 

Hong Kong, with its unique position in the Greater Bay region, has traditionally been seen as a luxury hub and gateway to the Chinese market. But the 2025 edition of its annual trade show and fair, CENTRESTAGE, is showcasing the city’s fashion scene in a whole new light.

Organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) and sponsored by the Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency (CCIDA), the 2025 fair marked its 10th anniversary, an occasion that called not just for bigger, but better. And the fair certainly delivered.

From 1- 4 Sep, the fair drew more than 260 brands from 25 countries and regions, and welcomed over 10,000 trade buyers worldwide – its most international edition yet. Whether you’re an emerging label looking to sell in a new market, or a buyer looking for the next big thing in fashion, or simply just a fashion enthusiast looking to widen your fashion repertoire, here’s what we gleaned from our trip to Asia Pacific’s buzziest fashion event, and why you should consider attending next year.

Guo Pei’s first solo couture show in Hong Kong

The only female Asian designer ever welcomed into the prestigious Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode, Guo Pei is, suffice to say, a Big Deal in the world of haute couture. A true fashion visionary, her creations draw from her Beijing upbringing, deeply influenced by Chinese imperial art and mythology.

Singaporeans may remember Guo Pei from the Asian Civilisations Museum’s Season of Chinese Art in 2019, where 29 of her intricate gowns were displayed alongside 20 Chinese masterpieces from the museum’s collection – including the now-iconic 2015 Met Gala gown Rihanna wore, affectionately dubbed the “omelette gown” by netizens.

Though she no longer shows in Paris, Guo Pei continues to innovate for private clients, driven purely by her passion for the craft – making this solo showcase all the more significant. As part of CENTRESTAGE ELITES, the fair’s prestigious opening event, she presented 30 one-of-a-kind couture creations under the theme Gilternity: An Everlasting Radiance, inspired by the dazzling yet fleeting flow of molten gold.

Blending traditional craftsmanship with modern artistry, the collection exemplifies her unparalleled technical mastery. For the opening look, she collaborated with students and researchers from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University to create a piece using a luminous new fabric — a breakthrough at the intersection of art and technology. The result was an otherworldly debut that perfectly captured the show’s spirit of heritage and innovation.

Get up close and personal with fashion legend Jimmy Choo

The name Jimmy Choo may be synonymous with shoes, but the fashion legend is so much more than that. The Malaysian designer may have sold his stake in his eponymous luxury shoe brand in 2001, but he’s still got his foot firmly in the fashion world. 

As a leading designer in the luxury space, it seems befitting that his next step would be to start the JCA London Fashion Academy – a school where he can mentor the next generation of fashion industry leaders. 

Professor Jimmy Choo OBE attended CENTRESTAGE both as a guest speaker and in support of the JCA’s latest MA cohort, who showcased their collections in hopes of catching the eye of buyers throughout the trade show.

When asked about his reasons for starting the school, he shared: “JCA is about bridging the gap between industry, education, and entrepreneurship. We want students to gain real work experience and mentorship. Even our faculty members come from building their own brands before teaching, so students learn from both the successes and the struggles.”

He draws parallels between running a successful fashion house and leading a school, noting that both require “a good team” and “good finances” to attract the best talent.

A spokesperson added that the school’s unique selling point lies in the opportunities it offers – such as presenting both a fashion show and a private booth at international trade fairs like CENTRESTAGE – giving students the chance to be seen on a global stage.

This focus on commercial viability is crucial in an industry where 80% of businesses fail within their first year. On this, Professor Choo emphasised the importance of adaptability in the creative field:

“As a designer, you have to be able to change yourself. If a garment isn’t selling well, I look at doing something else. I’ve done private talks, worked on buildings, mobile phones, and even taken on ambassadorships.”

For Professor Choo, JCA Academy is a legacy project: “I want to be able to share all my knowledge with the next generation.”

Celebrate a decade of design with Fashion Hong Kong’s 10th Anniversary

This year marks Fashion Hong Kong’s 10th anniversary, and the showcase carried the theme “A Decade in Design: What is Seen? What is Felt?”—a reflection on the evolution of Hong Kong designers over the past decade. The runway show spotlighted the creative vision of four Hong Kong labels: ANGUS TSUI, ARTY:ACTIVE, IP AXIS INDUSTRIAL STUDIO and selfFab.Each collection told its own story, weaving together cultural heritage, personal expression and design innovation to create a runway experience that spoke as much to the emotions as it did to the eye.

The show drew an enthusiastic crowd of industry insiders, celebrities and fashion lovers, with familiar faces like Grace Chan, Tony Wu, DeeGor Ho and Isabella Chan in attendance.

Discover the next fashion cult brand from over 260 brands

Bored of shopping online? Or tired of scrolling past the same cookie-cutter brands and trends on TikTok? At the fair, you’ll be spoilt for choice. Creativity ran through almost every collection we saw, with cross-cultural craftsmanship emerging as a strong theme.

Some highlights included Indonesian designer Ika Butoni, who uses the ecoprint technique to imprint unique, botanical one-of-a-kind patterns directly onto fabric; Czech brand Linda Pro, known for hand-crafted glass purses that double as sculptural art pieces; Japanese label The Nerdys, who transformed French shopping bags into quirky t-shirts; and Australian brand re/lax remade, which upcycled vintage designer beach towels into luxury sun hats.

This year also marked a first: the United Kingdom joined CENTRESTAGE as Partner Country, presenting 16 boundary-pushing fashion brands. Among them were Bianca Saunders, Kyle Ho, Saul Nash and Patrick McDowell—who all made time to show in Hong Kong ahead of London Fashion Week.

From Hong Kong to London and everywhere in between, CENTRESTAGE is more than just a trade show—it’s a celebration of ideas, innovation and cross-cultural dialogue. And if this year’s showcase is anything to go by, the next decade of fashion is set to be even more daring, diverse and dynamic.