iF October DIGITAL September-October 2020 | Page 12

living
The fashion world has been severely
impacted due to COVID, and international
travel restrictions. The
impact has been felt by every aspect
of the industry and has created new
ways of hosting events. This has resulted
in a wonderful response from
the Hong Kong Trade Development
Council, and a variety of virtual
events.
My dreams of becoming an international
buyer began with the first
trade mission trip to Mainland China
and Hong Kong in 2015. Since this
time I have worked to build a strong
relationship with the HKTDC. The
HKTDC has hosted me on several
occasion to the Hong Kong fashion
shows, and now we are collaborating
for my first import shipment.
In August 2020 Summer Sourcing
week took place virtually, and
allowed for meeting suppliers. An
informative webinar detailing the
crimpling impact of COVID on the
fashion world and what to expect in
upcoming trends was held via Zoom
on September 8th 2020. The expertise
of Ms. Julia Son, the Marketing
Manager at HKTDC spoke on the
Asian Fashion industry with updates.
Mr. Ken Lee spoke of the upcoming
virtual fashion show that is normally
held in Honk Kong, and will take
place September 17th to September
19th 2020.
The excitement is the addition to the
show with designs from Brazil, Canada,
Poland, and showcasing over 200
Asian brands.
At time of writing this article I am
awaiting the first virtual CentreStage
fashion show. This will be an amazing
journey for the fashion industry
as rebuilding, growth, strategies, and
new opportunities will be available.
My mission in working with the
HITDC as the Asian American International
Initiative Chair is to seek
opportunities for Houston area enterprises
who want to do business in
Asia. Relationships internationally
bring income for Houstonians and a
platform for designers to locate buyers.
The market for ready to wear and
affordable for all fashions will have
sustainable growth in the coming
year. Working with Asian organizations
for the right consumers and
empowering Houston’s economic
comeback will be the goals.
Nicole Griswold
HITDC, Chair,
Asian American
International
Initiative