Asia Fashion Weekly News Bulletin – ISSUE 89 Week of 2 November 2026
(1) The Festival of Connoisseurs Opened in Hong Kong with Focus on Luxury Market
The Festival of Connoisseurs (TFOC), the first project supported under the Hong Kong government’s HK$100 million fund to attract major international exhibitions, will run from 1 to 8 November 2026, featuring luxury yachts, cars, jewellery, watches and other high-end categories.
(2) Chow Sang Sang Presented “Where Light Begins” Jewellery Art Exhibition in Shanghai
Chow Sang Sang staged its “Where Light Begins” jewellery art exhibition in Shanghai from 28 October to 1 November 2026, drawing on Eastern philosophy and its long-term collaboration with the V&A Museum to reinforce the cultural value of high jewellery.
(3) Cultural and Creative Industries Commissioner: Hong Kong Fashion Still at Starting Stage, Fashion Fest Helps Brands Go Global
Cultural and Creative Industries Commissioner Drew Lai Sai-ming said Hong Kong’s path to becoming an Asian fashion design centre remains at an early stage, while the Hong Kong Fashion Fest is helping local designers expand overseas following strong attendance figures earlier this year.
(4) ZEGNA to Stage Spring/Summer 2028 Show in Beijing to Mark 35 Years in China
Italian luxury menswear house ZEGNA will present its Spring/Summer 2028 collection in Beijing on 11 June 2027, returning to the city where it opened its first China store in 1991 to celebrate 35 years in the market.
(1) The Festival of Connoisseurs Opened in Hong Kong with Focus on Luxury Market
(Photo Credit: HKEJ)
The Festival of Connoisseurs (世界鑑賞家盛典) will take place in Hong Kong from 1 to 8 November 2026 as the first exhibition supported by the HK$100 million allocation in the 2026–27 Budget for attracting large-scale international events. Organised by Informa Markets (英富曼會展), the programme centres on the luxury market and aims to draw high-spending participants.
The main trade exhibition will be held from 4 to 6 November at AsiaWorld-Expo Halls 3 and 6, covering nine luxury themes, including yachts, supercars, jewellery and watches, fine wine and gastronomy, art and fashion, luxury residences, private aviation, luxury travel and longevity technology, with around 50 exhibitors. Approximately 1,000 tickets have already been sold, with organisers expecting 3,000 to 6,000 industry attendees, of whom about 40% are expected from mainland China.
Public elements include the TFOC Marina Fest on 1 November at Central Pier 10, offering guided yacht tours of Victoria Harbour, and a free Marina Showcase at AsiaWorld-Expo where six yachts will be on display. From 6 to 8 November, the Lantau Yacht Club event in Discovery Bay will feature 30 to 40 yachts along with lifestyle and F&B brands, open to the public free of charge.
Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Algernon Yau (丘應樺) has noted that the event is expected to attract around 3,000 high-spending visitors and support related transactions, including yacht purchases. Performance indicators will be set with the organiser, with final funding determined after the event based on actual results.
(2) Chow Sang Sang Presented “Where Light Begins” Jewellery Art Exhibition in Shanghai
(Photo Credit: Sing Tao)
Chow Sang Sang held the “Where Light Begins” (一念生光) jewellery art exhibition at Yard 200 in Shanghai from 28 October to 1 November 2026. Inspired by the I Ching (易經), natural phenomena and Eastern wisdom, the exhibition was structured around six life attitudes: agility (靈動), breakthrough (突破), inclusion (兼融), evolution (演進), coexistence (共生) and balance (平衡), exploring how people respond to change and connect with one another through contemporary design and craftsmanship.
Executive Director and Chief Brands Officer Genevieve Chow (周嘉頴) noted that the group operates nearly 800 directly managed stores across Greater China and continues to deepen its high jewellery and pure-gold art offerings. She observed that contemporary consumers increasingly value cultural meaning, design concepts and emotional resonance beyond materials and technique alone, prompting the brand to expand art exhibitions, cultural curation and cross-border collaborations.
A highlight was the “Inclusion” section, which presented the results of Chow Sang Sang’s more than 20-year strategic partnership with the Victoria and Albert Museum. Six jewellery pieces reinterpreted life rituals shared across Chinese and Western cultures, including beginnings, coming of age, love, commitment, achievement and peaks. The collaboration also extends to retail, with the brand’s first V&A jewellery concept store located at K11 MUSEA in Hong Kong.
The exhibition reflects Chow Sang Sang’s effort to position high jewellery as a carrier of cultural narrative and emotional value, using Eastern philosophical foundations and international cultural dialogue to strengthen its differentiated high-end positioning in the Greater China market.
(3) Cultural and Creative Industries Commissioner: Hong Kong Fashion Still at Starting Stage, Fashion Fest Helps Brands Go Global
(Photo Credit: Ming Pao)
In an interview with Ming Pao, Cultural and Creative Industries Commissioner Drew Lai Sai-ming (黎細明) described Hong Kong’s ambition to become an Asian fashion design centre as still in its starting phase. She noted that high rents over the past decade or more had contributed to the decline of many local brands, but said the government and industry had used the period to nurture designers and build platforms such as the Hong Kong Fashion Fest.
The September 2026 edition of the Fashion Fest (香港時裝薈) attracted about 179,000 participants and was integrated for the first time with the HKTDC’s CENTRESTAGE fair (香港國際時尚匯展), drawing more than 12,000 buyers from 96 countries and regions along with over 20,000 public visitors. A “Wear’s HK” programme also placed 20 local designers in pop-up stores across six shopping malls including IFC and Harbour City.
Legislative Council member for the textiles and garment sector Sunny Tan (陳祖恒) said Hong Kong cannot become an Asian fashion design centre within three to five years, citing the long development of events such as Shanghai Fashion Week. He highlighted Hong Kong’s role as a “super-connector (超級聯繫人)” that can help local and mainland brands reach international buyers while attracting overseas talent and partners.
Industry figures noted that consumers increasingly seek distinctive experiences rather than pure price or luxury competition. Local strengths in creativity, quality and uniqueness, together with greater participation from retailers and property developers in providing retail opportunities for designers, are seen as key to rebuilding momentum.
(4) ZEGNA to Stage Spring/Summer 2028 Show in Beijing to Mark 35 Years in China
(Photo Credit: HKET)
ZEGNA has announced that it will hold its Spring/Summer 2028 fashion show in Beijing on 11 June 2027. The presentation marks the brand’s 35th anniversary in the Chinese market, following its first boutique opening in Beijing in 1991 and a special exhibition held in the city around its centenary.
The Beijing show follows recent presentations in Dubai and Los Angeles. The brand describes the return to Beijing as particularly meaningful, reflecting its practice of establishing a sense of “home” in each market it enters. After the show, Villa Zegna is scheduled to open on 12 June as a temporary invitation-only space offering a curated luxury experience inspired by the city’s cultural context.
Earlier in 2026 ZEGNA appointed William Chan (陳偉霆) as global brand ambassador and opened a new Oasis store at Harbour City in Hong Kong. The Beijing runway and VILLA ZEGNA (ZEGNA宅邸) activation form part of a broader anniversary programme underscoring the importance of the Chinese market to the Italian house, which is known for its integrated control of fabric production through to retail and also owns TOM FORD and THOM BROWNE.
The choice of Beijing for the Spring/Summer 2028 show reinforces the city’s longstanding role in Zegna’s China strategy and positions the anniversary as both a celebration of history and a platform for future engagement with local audiences and culture.
