*|MC:SUBJECT|* 04/08/15 15:14 EARS on Fashion - How to import fashion to China? Friday 28.8.2015 at 9.30-12.00 Location: YLE, iso paja, Radiokatu 5, Helsinki Organiser: Martta Louekari & Miia Koski / Pre Helsinki As a part of "EARS on Helsinki 2015" conference Tickets: 150€. The ticket includes the 3-day EARS on Helsinki conference and fashion programme on the 28th. Book your ticket with the code FASHION2015 to get 10% discount and to enrol to fashion programme. The ticket includes lunches. More info about EARS seminar and booking the tickets: www.ears.asia In a less than 10 years, China has become number one market for many international fashion brands. China has one of the biggest consumer markets for clothing industry and the annual output has been ranked as the world number one for the last couple of years. About 20 percent of China’s 200 or so billionaires can thank the fashion business for at least part of their fortunes. In June 2015 TechCrunch reported that online spending in China will reach one trillion dollars by 2019. The growth will be fueled by mobile apps and improving logistics networks, which have helped e-commerce companies reach new customers in smaller cities. There is a of demand for new fashion designer brands and interest to Scandinavian style and brands in China and Hong Kong. The rise of the 2nd and 3rd tier cities in China has provided new consumer groups and areas, it is not only Shanghai, Beijing or Hong Kong that foreign brands should look at. For example, the city of Chengdu has 21 multibrand stores, even more than nearby (first-tier city) Guangzhou. The overall development of luxury brands in Chengdu is still an ongoing process, which means that there are still a lot of business opportunities for multibrand stores to provide their customers with a unique mix of fashion designer brands. The bridge between Chinese multibrand stores and Finnish brands needs to be established. The visibility of Finnish labels in Chinese media has to increase and the export of design services needs to be developed. But most urgently Finnish designers and other professionals in the fashion field need to team up, share the knowledge and experiences and plan the future actions together. Join us for a half-day session “EARS on Fashion - How to import fashion to China?” as part of Europe-Asia Roundtable Sessions 28.8.2015 at 9.30-12.00. Europe-Asia Roundtable Sessions brings creative industry professionals together to discover business opportunities, share best practices and get inspired by others and their ideas. Programme: Welcome words: Martta Louekari, Director of Marketing and Communication, Co-Founder and Miia Koski, Director of Development and Business Relations, Co-Founder, Pre Helsinki www.prehelsinki.com file:///Users/MarttaBJG/Downloads/Untitled%20Template-1.html Page 1 of 3 *|MC:SUBJECT|* 04/08/15 15:14 Martta Louekari and Miia Koski work as the team behind Pre Helsinki project. As a part of the Pre Helsinki, Louekari and Koski have been organising export and research trips to China and Hong Kong for Finnish designers and fashion companies, resulting business opportunities and media visibility. Martta Louekari has 6 years of experience working with Finnish companies from creative field curating exhibitions, writing articles and organising workshops and match-making events in China. The great market of China Vito Plantamura, PGM & Elite Model Management Business Director, Shanghai Vito Plantamura is one of the key figures of the Shanghai fashion scene. Besides working for Elite Models, Plantamura has been helping Italian brands to set up business in China. Since 2011, he is also in charge of all the oversea projects for the Chamber of Commerce of Prato (Tuscany), creating and executing with his team projects and events to promote the Italian companies manufacturing fabrics and yarns. Previously, he worked for IED (Istituto Europeo Design) and Stylesight (WGSN) as Business Development for China, Italy and Switzerland markets. Plantamura will be speaking about the development of the Chinese market and sharing the insights of the cultural, social and economical aspects of the fashion market in China. Video postcard: Sheryl Leung, Stylist, Hong Kong Case study: Reima kids wear brand expanding to China Elina Björklund, CEO, Reima www.reima.com Elina Björklund was appointed CEO of Reima Oy in 2012. Reima is the leading Nordic functional kids wear brand currently owned by Riverside, the US based private equity investor. Prior to joining Reima, Elina was Partner and Director of Management Consultancy B&B Advisors in Shanghai, China. Prior to this her working history included executive roles in companies Fiskars Plc and Iittala Group. Elina has had several positions of trust throughout her career including including Marimekko Plc and Finnair Plc. Reima is the leading functional kids’ wear brand in Finland and has entered the chinese market in 2012. Now Reima is moving into a new expansion phase via its new distributor in China. Elina Björklund will share the story and experiences of Reima’s activities there. IPR rights and China Antti Innanen, Legal Councel, Partner, Dottir www.dottir.fi Antti Innanen advises clients on questions related to intellectual property and brands, as well as on complex data protection and cyber security related matters. Before founding Dottir, Innanen worked in a leading Finnish law firm as a lawyer, working closely with some of the largest brands in Finland. Innanen worked for over three years in the European Trademark Office (OHIM), in Alicante, Spain. Innanen has extensive experience in the field of trademarks and branding, especially with international brand protection. Innanen has also worked as a Legal Counsel for the National Communication Security Authority (NCSA-FI) and the Computer Emergency Response Team (FICORA) (CERT-FI). These organizations have now merged into the National Cyber Security Centre. Antti Innanen will be speaking about IPR rights in China and what Finnish companies should consider before starting the business in China. Video postcard: Melinda Wong, Buyer / Founder, Vein & Vien, Hong Kong Case study: Satu Maaranen - a collaboration with a Chinese fashion brand Satu Maaranen, Fashion Designer www.satumaaranen.com Satu Maaranen is a Fashion Designer specialised in hand painted prints and sculptural shapes. Maaranen graduated in 2012 from Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture. Her graduate collection won the first prize at the prestigious Hyéres Fashion Festival 2013 by unanimous decision. In 2015 she was nominated in the British Design Museum’s annual Designs of the Year Awards in Fashion category among 7 other nominees including Raf Simons, J.W. Anderson and Thomas Tait. She has also been recognised by the Elle Style Awards 2012 and the Designers’ Nest Awards 2011. In 2014 Maaranen started a collaboration with one of the biggest Chinese fashion brands, the first collection will be released in Fall 2015. She has also been teaching at the China Academy of Fine Arts. Her designs have been seen file:///Users/MarttaBJG/Downloads/Untitled%20Template-1.html Page 2 of 3 *|MC:SUBJECT|* 04/08/15 15:14 on Chinese super model Sui He and on Leaf Greener, a style icon, stylist and a former Senior Fashion editor of Elle China and her work is widely published in China and abroad. Maaranen will be talking about the collaboration and how the cultural differences affect the design work, communication and creative work. More info about “EARS on Fashion” –session: Martta Louekari Te. 040 5284818 [email protected] Photos from Satu Maaranen & Samuji collections file:///Users/MarttaBJG/Downloads/Untitled%20Template-1.html Page 3 of 3.