The third edition of the Hong Kong Fashion Fest was unveiled at Hong Kong Palace Museum on Monday, underscoring the city’s commitment to becoming Asia’s premier fashion design capital.

The two-week showpiece kicked off with a special showcase, entitled “VIRTUOSE: The Artistry of Couture 2026”, featuring creations by prominent designers Guillermo Décimo of Spain, Phan Huy from Vietnam and Hong Kong talents Tigerstrolling and Vivian Luk, all of whom have made an impact on the international fashion scene.

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“VIRTUOSE” -- a nod to the French term for virtuoso -- celebrates the meticulous craftsmanship of haute couture, a fashion discipline characterized by labor-intensive, hand-crafted techniques, bespoke tailoring, and artistic expression akin to fine art.

Organized by the Hong Kong Fashion Designers Association and sponsored by the Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency under the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau, the festival gathers global fashion elites and sets a high-toned, prestigious benchmark for the rest of the event.

“Hong Kong will channel the vibrant creative energy across every link of the fashion value chain, further reinforcing its position as Asia’s leading hub for fashion design and retail,” Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Rosanna Law Shuk-pui said at the opening ceremony.

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The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government is committed to forging the city as Asia’s premier fashion design capital and reinforcing its position as the continent’s prime hub for fashion design and retail, she said.

Also launched was the “Wear’s HK” initiative, bringing together 20 of the SAR’s top and emerging fashion designer brands.

The event, arranged by the Clothing Industry Training Authority, spans six landmark locations across the city, including shopping mall atriums and department stores, as well as the departure floors of international airports. Designed to bring runway fashion directly to the public and visitors, the initiative offers an immersive shopping experience for consumers to see, try on, wear and purchase designs directly, the organizers said.

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“Wear’s HK” is a new edge for this year’s festival, aimed at injecting local creativity into retail spaces, Permanent Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Vivian Sum Fong-kwang said.

Running through Sept 14, the festival features more than 300 local and world design entities. In collaboration with six industry organizations, it’ll present eight flagship programs at various cultural landmarks and design spaces in Hong Kong.

Contact the writer at irismuk@chinadailyhk.com