For the second consecutive year, MasterCard Luxury Week Hong Kong 2008 will be presented in Hong Kong, 26 – 30 August, affirming the city as the luxury shopping capital of Asia. This year’s event, held in a specially created showroom at the prestigious four Seasons Hotel, is a consumer-focused luxury event and showcases high-end apparel and accessories from some of the world’s leading luxury fashion brands. No less than 14 international IMG supermodels led by one of the world’s most famous luxury models, along with Asian modeling and acting phenomenon, Emma Pei will grace the catwalk adorned by revered hair and make up artists Toni & Guy and Shu Uemura.
Produced by the world’s leading fashion event specialists, IMG Fashion, MasterCard Luxury Week provides enormous cache, and reinforces Hong Kong’s enduring appeal as a luxury shopping destination in the face of ever-growing competition in the region.
An exclusive schedule of catwalk shows will take place by BCBGMAXAZRIA, Diane von Furstenberg, Donna Karan, Dorian Ho presented by Hong Kong Tatler, Escada, Jean Paul Gaultier, Kenzo of The Swank, La Perla, Marc by Marc Jacobs, Marc Jacobs, Oscar de la Renta, Sportmax, Vera Wang, and The Best of MasterCard Luxury Week, presented by Miele.
“MasterCard recognizes that Asian consumers are looking to experience luxury in new ways. Through showpiece events such as MasterCard Luxury Week Hong Kong, we build on our fashion and fashionable lifestyles platform to bring these increasingly sophisticated affluent consumers in Asia, a unique opportunity to access luxury items and enjoy insider luxury experiences,” said Natalie Lockwood, Group Head, Global Marketing, Asia/Pacific, Middle East & Africa.
The official schedule includes 14 professional catwalk shows over five days and this year, offers high-tea showings as well as gala evening showcases. MasterCard Luxury Week provides fashion enthusiasts a unique opportunity to get a first-hand glimpse of designer picks from a variety of Fall Winter 2008 collections from around the globe and showcases designs as they arrive in store and are featured in the leading fashion magazines.
The success of last year’s MasterCard Luxury Week Hong Kong debut confirmed that the fashion industry at large is now ready to embrace a consumer version of an industry fashion week, which is the model IMG Fashion has applied to this premium fashion event.
In 2007, visitor spending in Hong Kong reached HK$140.52 billion, an increase of 16.4% over 2006. The average per capita spending of overnight visitors surpassed the HK$5,000 target, reaching HK$5,122, 6.7% higher than 2006. Meanwhile, same-day in-town visitor per capita spending surged by 22.1% to HK$1,239. Of all the categories, shopping took up the lion’s share of spending for both overnight and same-day visitors with 56.7% and 86.2% recorded respectively in 2007. Consumer confidence is underpinned by rising wages and good employment prospects, as demonstrated in the soaring retails sales so far in 2008; a further 20% increase was recorded in March 2008 over the same period last year. In addition, visitors not only spent more on shopping but their shopping experience and satisfaction in Hong Kong improved from 81% to 83% last year. *
“Fashion events are often focused on an exclusive group of industry insiders, and we are delighted that MasterCard Luxury Week Hong Kong creates a direct connection between leading luxury brands and their consumers. This is an international event which affirms Hong Kong as the luxury shopping capital in Asia,” said Simon P. Lock, Managing Director of IMG Fashion Asia Pacific.
“We are also extremely excited to have MasterCard as our principal partner, which definitely adds to the event’s international profile and through its marketing and cardholder initiatives helps to strengthen Hong Kong as a luxury destination and prime hub for shopping in Asia,” he added.
Content from our partners
Organisers of this year’s fashion extravaganza also confirm that “The Daily” – the official fashion publication featured at all the major Fashion Weeks around the world – will publish a Hong Kong specific edition for MasterCard Luxury Week Hong Kong. The Daily will contains festival event information, designer details, official schedule and traditional Daily-esque content. This consolidates Hong Kong’s indisputable position on a global scale for an internationally acclaimed fashion event.
MasterCard Luxury Week Hong Kong is an annual event presented by MasterCard and produced by IMG Fashion.
Miele, Taubman Asia and DHL join the event as major event sponsors, along with the support from Toni & Guy, Shu Uemura, Quintessentially, Sanpellegrino and Godiva. For further information and/or to subscribe to the LUXE eNewsletter, please visit www.mastercardluxuryweek.com.hk.
* All shopping figures and statistics acquired from the Hong Kong Tourism Board and Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce
About IMG Fashion (Asia-Pacific)
IMG Fashion, a division of international sports, entertainment and media company IMG, is the global leader in the management and production of fashion weeks and designer fashion events. Its portfolio of events in Asia-Pacific includes Rosemount Australian Fashion Week in Sydney, the Rosemount Sydney Fashion Festival, Lakme Fashion Week in Mumbai, MasterCard Luxury Week Hong Kong and ecoStyle Kuala Lumpur. Internationally, IMG Fashion produces Mercedes-Benz Fashion Weeks in New York, Los Angeles and Miami, Fashion Fringe in London and Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Berlin. IMG Fashion also represents the international commercial rights of Milan Fashion Week, Moscow Fashion Week. IMG Fashion’s The Daily Group publishes The Daily Front Row, the bi-monthly Fashion Mini, The Daily Front Row Extra and www.fashionweekdaily.com, all content that is also syndicated to newspapers and magazines across the globe.
The division’s network also includes IMG Models, the world’s number one modeling agency with offices in New York, London, Paris and Milan and Art + Commerce, the world’s leading agency for photographers, art directors, stylists and makeup artists. For more information on IMG and its business visit www.imgworld.com.
About MasterCard and Fashion
MasterCard Worldwide is building a strong fashion platform globally, providing relevant means to enhance its customers’ premium portfolios and strategy through a spectrum of privileges that help cardholders celebrate and enjoy fashion. This is an extension of its retail leadership and is supported by its vast knowledge and rich insights into consumers. MasterCard is presenter and sponsor of some of the foremost premium global fashion events, including the Singapore Fashion Festival, Rosemount Australian Fashion Week, MasterCard Luxury Week Hong Kong, and 30 Days of Fashion Presented by MasterCard in New York.
About MasterCard Worldwide
MasterCard Worldwide advances global commerce by providing a critical economic link among financial institutions, businesses, cardholders and merchants worldwide. As a franchisor, processor and advisor, MasterCard develops and markets payment solutions, processes over 18 billion transactions each year, and provides industry-leading analysis and consulting services to financial institution customers and merchants. Through its family of brands, including MasterCard®, Maestro® and Cirrus®, MasterCard serves consumers and businesses in more than 210 countries and territories. For more information go to https://www.mastercard.com
