The State of Asian Fashion

In some ways Asian fashion industry is a cunundrum. As an industry, should it vie for a share of the European market or should it be content with its own market and continue to build that side up. Being and interested observer in Thailand, notwithstanding that there are any number of up and coming local designers such as Stretsis, Tube Gallery, Grey, Zenith and the Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana (from her latest collection shown above), the emphasis for many of them is to challenge the markets in Europe and the US before they have fully conquered there own stamping grounds.

It is a problem however that is not just confined to the Thai designers, it is the same in all of the other countries in South East Asia including Australia. Success is measured by the recognition that a designer achieves in Europe or the US and not necessarily in their own backyards. The difference for the Europeans is that hold sway not only over their own markets but also all over the rest of the worlds markets. One only has to look at the fashion representations at any international airport or up market shopping mall, the internationals firms are all there and increasing their percentage of market share. The local designers are hardly recognised outside their own countries.

So what is it these designers hope to achieve in Europe or America that they cannot achieve in Asia?

Individually, the various textile trade councils in the major centres all see their own industries in isolation as I see it. Invariably, the promoters of a Fashion Festival in each major centre see their industry as being the “Hub” of Asian fashion, dismissing of course that the same sentiment is being expressed all over and by all the other promoters. Is it just hype or is that they are not strategising where they need to be going.

Paris fashion has of course gone from the Chambre Syndicale established by Charles Worth to protect early designs to the French Federation of Women's Ready-to-Wear or the Chambres Syndical de la Couture as it is known that was created by the major players in 1929 and helped to define the direction and exclusivity of French fashion into the industry it is today. These organisations still have a significant influence over the market taken internationally and that is not in the interest of designers emanating from Asia. Web site Fashion Era presents a concise coverage of the history of Haute Couture.

So why is it that Asian Fashion designers or the Fashion industry cannot organise themselves similarly, not just form in one country as happens, but as a region, inclusive of Hong Kong, of Indonesia, of Thailand, of Singapore even China, Japan and Singapore and some of the less developed countries as well. There is a long list of fashion books dedicated to describing and understanding the French fashion industry that would provide leads on how the Europeans have dominated the fashion industry for so long

In todays international markets and more universal international fashion trends, it is something that needs to be explored if the Asian fashion industry wants to expand, which it does.