Chickawa Dee Limited Partnership operates two Thai brands: Chickawa, specialising in premium resortwear featuring hand-dyed cotton with intricate layering, and YOMP Thailand, offering streetwear-inspired tie-dye designs. Both brands employ traditional Chiang Mai village artisans,with each piece being unique due to the handmade processes.
Participating in Hong Kong's trade fair aims to connect with existing Hong Kong clientele who frequent their Bangkok stores, while capitalising on the city's fashion-forward market. The brands seek to expand their premium positioning beyond Thailand, leveraging Hong Kong's role as a regional fashion hub.
While this marks their debut at the Hong Kong fair, the company recognises the event's potential to access international buyers. Their decision to exhibit stems from observed demand among Hong Kong tourists in their Chiang Mai and Bangkok outlets, viewing the fair as a strategic platform to elevate their luxury craftsmanship to wider audiences.

Raegita Oktora is the creative designer behind Indonesian brand RAEGITAZORO and serves as a curator for the Indonesia Fashion Chamber. The brand specialises in vibrant streetwear featuring bold neon patchwork designs, utilising upcycled parachute fabric, cotton and polyester to create sustainable collections with a distinctive boyish aesthetic.
Participating as a mentor for YOU．C1000 competition winners, the designer aims to showcase Hong Kong's affinity for neon colours - a stark contrast to Indonesia's traditional earth-toned preferences. The third-time exhibitor seeks to leverage Hong Kong's international platform to attract regional buyers from Japan and Malaysia, while promoting their new sustainable line crafted from production leftovers.
Having previously won awards at this event, the designer values Hong Kong's fashion-forward environment where their designs gain stronger traction compared to Jakarta. The fair provides crucial exposure to international clients and reinforces the brand's eco-conscious positioning through its upcycled collections.

Simon Pereira, CMO of Intimity Australia, introduces CELUS as "the world's first compostable polyester fibre," offering a zero-microplastic solution that decomposes in industrial composting. The innovation targets brands and manufacturers seeking sustainable synthetic alternatives across the value chain.
The show yielded 80 contacts in the pass 3 days spanning Vietnam, India, China, Indonesia, Australia, and the UK, including major brands like Ralph Lauren and Lacoste. Pereira noted a balanced mix of mills, manufacturers, distributors, and brands, particularly strong engagement from Asian markets, with Thailand and Vietnam showing special interest in the compostable fibre technology.
Praising the well organised event, Pereira highlighted effective guided tours, a user-friendly matching app, and the venue's functionality. He confirmed plans to return, noting Hong Kong serves as "an important launch pad for Asia" and the show has "given us a lot of confidence in the region."

Daniil Kostyshin, CEO of FABRIC FUTURE, heads a Russia-based tech fabric company with offices in China and Russia. Specializing in innovative textiles, they produce "fabrics with unique effects - change colours, electrical fabrics, hydrochromic, reflective" for global clients across 15+ countries.
The Hong Kong debut proved strategically valuable as "a good place to communicate with whole world," facilitating multi-national negotiations. Kostyshin noted successful test orders from Thailand, Japan, South Korea and the Netherlands, typically starting with "two rolls, 200 meters" for technology validation.
With three deals over (USD4,000 average order value), the company anticipates strong returns. The CEO emphasised ambitions to "improve this result today and tomorrow," indicating confidence in Hong Kong's market potential.
Kostyshin praised the "best organization" among 12 global exhibitions attended, highlighting the "very kind atmosphere" and efficient business matching.

Vojtěch Paprok, COO of Nilt Textile, leads a fully circular textile company achieving 70% CO2 and 98% water reduction through innovative processes. Their closed-loop system features QR-coded garments returnable worldwide, with four core materials including award-winning NILPLA® (100% corn fabric) and CIRPAD®（ (tire-recycled fabric). A bacterial cellulose leather alternative is in development.

The company connected with "tens of people daily" across Australia, China, USA and South America. Notable interest came from watchmakers and backpack producers. Exhibiting in Hong Kong can expend the brand to the Asian market, with Paprok noting "we met a lot of people from Australia because it's close" and confirmed sample exchanges with multiple buyers.

Anticipating "between five and ten thousand pieces" in initial orders, Wojciech confirmed active price negotiations. He praised the event's global reach: "a great place to meet people from the whole world," particularly valuing connections with Chinese buyers to develop this strategic market. The company is "satisfied" with the quality of potential partnerships formed.

Weewat Heranprek, advisor to the Thailand Textile Institute and Thailand National Soft Power Committee, has collaborated with Hong Kong's fashion events for over a decade, transitioning from Hong Kong Fashion Week to Fashion InStyle. He emphasises Hong Kong's role as "a shortcut from local to global" for ASEAN textile industries, enabling Thai exhibitors to establish an international presence.

The current edition brought 30 Thai exhibitors who forged cross-border supply chain partnerships, with specialists in buttons, sewing, and fabrics connecting organically. Heranprek notes participants achieved "very good results," with some securing deals initiated at previous CENTRESTAGE shows and returning clients collecting prototypes. This demonstrates the event's continuity in facilitating concrete business outcomes.

Amid US-China trade shifts, Heranprek stresses Hong Kong's critical function as a neutral hub for supply chain restructuring: Thailand cannot live alone, and Hong Kong is the place to develop multilateral partnerships. The advisor confirms sustained institutional commitment, with veteran exhibitors considering this "a show they need to attend" annually due to consistent buyer engagement and trend-setting influence.

Osaka-based ARIES CO.,LTD. with 30+ years' experience operate manufacturing facilities in Japan, Korea and China, specialising in wholesale textile distribution. Their signature collections feature season-specific innovations like "Rose of the Fall" (ultra-smooth 100% cotton) and reversible down jackets, with premium "Yaku" fabric that's warmer than cashmere and resists pilling - particularly their rare white Yaku variant enabling vibrant dyes.

As first-time international exhibitors, they secured multiple business meetings through the "scan2match" function. Contact exchanges focused on potential clients from humid climate markets ideally suited for their stretch fabrics.
While no immediate orders were confirmed, the team is actively providing price lists to interested parties, with negotiations ongoing. Revenue potential hinges on post-show follow-ups with collected contacts.
They praised the "media tour and VIP tour" for product exposure but suggested improving meeting reliability. The "scan2match" function proved effective for contact exchange, with the representative concluding "it works well" despite being new to large-scale exhibitions.

MYCL (Mycotech Lab) is an Indonesian biotech company pioneering sustainable materials using mycelium technology. Their flagship product Mylea is a leather alternative grown from mushroom roots that requires "less time, less water" than traditional leather while maintaining comparable strength without heavy metals. Founded in 2015 with architectural roots, the company initially developed mycelium building materials before expanding into fashion applications.
As first-time Hong Kong exhibitors, MYCL connected with buyers from 10+ markets including China, Singapore, Malaysia, Japan, and UAE. The event "surpassed our expectations", generating immediate collaborations with Southeast Asian designers and revealing Asia's market potential. The team noted the show's value in understanding regional expectations for "specification, the price, and quantity" of innovative materials.
While specific deals remain in negotiation, MYCL confirmed multiple opportunities emerging from the event. They praised the strategically positioned booth and global platform, calling it "a very good venue for new materials" that transformed their Asia strategy, particularly for China where they now plan localized production to reduce shipping carbon footprint.

Techatat Luangpitak (Sam), Creative Director of SAAMU (Smith Garment Factory), leads this award-winning Thai brand specializing in multicultural-inspired garment accessories blending Thai craftsmanship with traditional materials. The brand was recently honored as "Best Thai Brand of the Year" for its distinctive patterned designs featuring avian motifs and vibrant colors.
The show yielded over 30 serious buyer contacts from Dubai, Singapore, Hong Kong and mainland China. Most notably, SAAMU secured a landmark "one-year contract" with Singaporean importers to distribute products through Takashimaya department stores and Singapore Art Museum outlets - a deal Sam described as "more important than order numbers" for long-term market penetration.
Sam praised the event as "a great open door" for Thai designers, particularly valuing its community-building aspect where manufacturers, exporters and buyers organically connect. Having participated since its Fashion Week, he confirmed the show's consistent ability to deliver "wonderful opportunities" for brand expansion.

Vilasinee Churat, CEO of SIMARUNGRUANG CO.,LTD and founder of Munie brand, leads a sustainable enterprise transforming water hyacinths into innovative yarn through chemical-free processes. The brand's name embodies its philosophy: Mankind, Unity, Natural, Innovation, and Eco-friendly. Recognized with a UN Honourable Award, the company collaborates with European designers on lifestyle products while supporting local Thai communities.
The debut Hong Kong appearance attracted 40+ potential buyers from Southeast Asia, Japan, Taiwan, and Europe, with 10 serious inquiries daily. Buyers responded enthusiastically to the sustainable proposition, with initial orders starting at "4,000 USD" per client. The CEO noted the alignment with current market trends: "right now is the trend for sustainable, and we run this business."
While global uncertainties temper expectations, projected orders could reach 10,000 USD. Churat expressed surprise at the event's success, stating it was "over my expectation," particularly valuing connections with buyers who appreciated the brand's dual focus on profitability and environmental/social impact. Export logistics remains a learning curve for this emerging sustainable brand.

Denny Salim, Brand Consultant at PT Kahatex, represents an Indonesian textile giant established since 1975 with 50,000 workers across five factories in Indonesia and Vietnam. The company specializes in spinning yarn, woven knit, denim jeans production.
As first-time participants, they're "sourcing lots of information about new technology, accessories, insights" to establish international connections. With a budget exceeding USD 10,000, they aim to negotiate deals for packaging materials, buttons and innovative fabrics discovered at the fair.
Denny acknowledged finding lots of interesting products and potential partners. The event successfully served as a platform to connect with other vendors and exhibitors fulfilling their international sourcing needs through meaningful business negotiations.

Wei Lin, founder of knitwear label PH5, operates an international designer brand specialising in sustainable women's wear for the US, UK and Middle East markets. PH5 combines wholesale and direct-to-consumer channels, with roots in New York Fashion Week and prior retail presence in Hong Kong's Lane Crawford.

Attending specifically for the feature on sustainable materials, Lin discovered innovative supplies including yarn made from seaweed and eco-friendly packaging solutions. She aims to replace existing materials with these sustainable alternatives, noting "there are already things we're using that can be replaced."

Pancheewa Pangmaun from BigC Supermarket Thailand represents a major retail chain with more than 1,000 branches across Thailand and Southeast Asia, including Laos, Cambodia and Hong Kong. The company specialises in one-stop procurement solutions for modern retail products.

With an estimated budget of more than 9,000 USD per order and MOQs of 5,000-10,000 units, BigC seeks suppliers offering comprehensive material solutions. Pangmaun emphasised the need for modern products and valued the exhibition's networking opportunities, stating the Scan2Match platform allows me to keep in touch with the supplier and get an idea for the future of our business.

Pangmaun expressed strong satisfaction with the event's supplier diversity and innovation level, noting plans to return for more innovative products in future editions. The face-to-face business matching and joint networking activities were particularly praised for facilitating direct supplier engagement essential for their regional expansion plans.

Trillise Cooper, a New Zealand designer with 40 years' experience, operates four distinct women's wear brands under her eponymous company. With 10 retail stores across Australia/NZ and 250+ wholesale accounts, the business combines physical and digital channels (including successful e-retail) to serve diverse customer segments from premium to contemporary markets.

Cooper anticipates spending anything from 300,000 to 5,000,000 USD, with initial sample orders of 100-200 garment pieces potentially scaling to thousands in gift. She emphasises long-term vendor relationships, noting some current suppliers have been partners for 20 years through previous Hong Kong Fashion Week, with million-dollar order histories.

The designer praised the event's comprehensive offerings: "We have actually found everything that we came here to find," particularly valuing denim, knitwear and giftware suppliers. After a 15-year hiatus, she confirmed Hong Kong's renewed relevance, calling it a "very successful fair" that rebuilt critical Asian sourcing connections lost when focusing on Shanghai and Paris markets.

Alexandra Harrell, Sustainability & Innovation Reporter at Sourcing Journal, covers material advancements for fashion executives across global supply chains. The B2B publication serves as an industry hub for sustainable sourcing insights.

Harrell noted there are 60+ innovative materials in the NEXT@Fashion InStyle zone, particularly agricultural waste applications like lotus flowers and water hyacinths. She highlighted Thailand's water hyacinth roots and Vietnam's pineapple waste as standout examples of how "we can make mistakes and learn from them" in material development.

The show's narrative layout created a cohesive experience where "fashion is storytelling." Harrell praised how exhibitors merged scientific innovation with design, observing "a palpable energy of wanting to do what's necessary to make things feasible for the rest of the industry."