With its manufacturing bases located in the surrounding Pearl Delta region, China and other places as well as its strong linkage with the world trade, Hong Kong has played a major role in the global textile and clothing arena, both as an exporter and as a service hub for the textile and fashion supply chain. Its success in manufacturing, trading and retail sectors is world renown. Supported by the high quality professionals with managerial, design and technological competence in the industry, Hong Kong has an inspiration to develop as a world class fashion and design centre.

The 86th Textile Institute World Conference organised by the Textile Institute, UK and the Institute of Textiles and Clothing of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University will be held from 18 November 08 (Tuesday) to 21 November 08 (Friday) in Hong Kong. Under the theme of the conference "Fashion and Textiles: Heading Towards New Horizons", speakers from world-renowned fashion brands, academics and corporations of textile and clothing industry will be invited to share their common interests and experiences in the specialism of fashion and textiles design, technology, retailing, marketing and merchandising. In particular, they will discuss how cutting edge technologies can be applied to textile and fashion design successfully.