Seniors strut their stuff at Hong Kong Polytechnic University's fashion show for the elderly. Long ignored by the fashion industry, designer clothes for older consumers look set to become big business in coming years. Provided to China Daily

The fashion world, with its strong orientation to youth, has traditionally ignored the market for older people. With today's aging population, however, that appears about to change - with fashion for the 'silver' set high on the agenda. Steven Chen reports.

It's the weekend in one of the thousands of clothing stores dotted around town and Wan Shui-ying is busy flicking through the clothes racks for something bright and colorful to wear for a Sunday night dinner with friends. If she doesn't find what she's looking for - "something with a good design that makes me feel young" - she'll move on to shop next door. But while the 60-year-old financial assistant may be fretting about finding the right thing to wear, one thing she isn't too worried about is how much money she's spending.

Wan is one of an emerging breed of shoppers in Hong Kong: a nearly retired consumer, financially stable enough to pursue an interest in fashion. And in the coming years she'll be joined by thousands like her.

With government statistics showing that the number of residents in the city, 65 and over, set to grow from 0.88 million, or 12.6 percent, of the population in 2008, to 14 percent in 2016 and 27 percent in 2033, Wang represents the vanguard of a huge customer base that may soon have the fashion industry falling over itself to offer service.

Better educated than previous generations and backed by better healthcare services that help them live longer, members of this "silver market" have a large amount of discretionary spending power to use on clothes, in a retail sector that is already worth nearly HK$70 billion a year.

It's a segment that has, to date, been largely ignored by the global fashion industry. In September, Spanish designer Juan Duyos put four aging icons on the catwalk to show off his latest collection during Madrid Fashion Week, saying he was tired of seeing 20-something models strut their stuff when older women like 60-plus socialite Eloisa Bercero were just as attractive. But having older women modelling your designs and actually designing for them are two entirely different things.

"Designers focus on youth because looking young is big business," says Barney Cheng, one of Hong Kong's leading and most internationally renowned fashion designers.

"Most brands target the young and the beautiful, even if they are serving the 'Silver' market also. Most designs look better on a 'perfect' body and the glow of youthfulness makes clothes look more attractive."

But the next generation of elderly will be a segment of the market that cannot be ignored, says Cheng, whose nearly 20 years in the industry has seen him become one of Hong Kong's greatest success stories with a client list populated with some of Asia's biggest movie stars including Maggie Cheung, Michelle Yeoh and Gong Li.

"This new 60-to-65 age group will be better educated, still active in the business world, and, with the power of the Internet market, be able to wield power over how collections are designed and bought."

This sentiment is shared by Felix Chung, head of Hong Kong Branding Limited, a family-operated clothing empire and supplier of OEM garments with over 40 years of doing business in the city's garment industry.

"Now, older buyers buy clothes, not fashion," says Chung, who has, under his watch, expanded the company into the retail market on the mainland with multi-brand outlets showcasing Hong Kong designers.

Fashion icon Eloisa Bercero catwalks at Madrid Fashion Week. Provided to China Daily

"The fashion industry in Hong Kong doesn't serve the older shopper because there's no money in it. (Today's elderly) shoppers grew up in the 1950s and 60s. They have had only primary school education. Their incomes are low with no money for (extra) spending. There was no interest in fashion.

"Older shoppers, in 10 or 15 years, will be different. They will have more money, because they are better educated. They have travelled and want lifestyle. They will want this even when they are older."

The agents of change in the market will be players like himself, says Chung, who believes garment makers are the bellwethers of the industry.

"Designers need us because we know the market. Usually they are too focused in their design world. We know how to do business and make money."

Things will be different, he says, when the garment industry starts to chase the silver dollar seriously.

Clothing companies and brands typically enter the market serving the 25-to-40-year-old segment because it is the most lucrative, Then they expand to the market for teenagers, or children or even go into men's clothing. Change will come when they start targeting 45-to-55-year-olds and above.

"The clothes themselves will change too," he adds.

According to United States online retailer Silverts, clothing for elderly customers should use easy materials that are durable and easy to clean. Designs should be simpler with fewer buttons or fastenings to make them easier to get on or off and they should be layered to provide warmth for older people who feel the cold more acutely.

"Sizes will also be different," says Chung. "When people age, their bodies change. They might shrink, or their body might turn to fat. Sizes will have to suit this.

"Older shoppers will also be more careful with their purchases. They'll want high-quality materials that last a long time. This is different from young buyers who have a steady income and buy a lot of disposable fashion. (Nowadays), girls will buy clothes for one season and then throw them away."

To see how the future may pan out, we need only to go as far as Japan, whose elderly citizens already represent 21 percent of the total population and are estimated to have three times the spending power of their 40-to-50 -year-old counterparts. And with the country's population set to decline to 88 million by 2055, with more than one in three people being 65 or older, older customers will be among the biggest drivers of domestic consumption.

Cornerstone retailer Takashimaya has already put the country's "stylish elderly" front and center in its $110 million upgrade of one of its flagship stores in Tokyo's Shinjuku district. The lower floors of the store are dedicated to these customers and include frequent rest areas for tired legs as well as fashion brands created especially for them.

At the same time, new magazine titles like Eclt for women and Oily Boy for gents have appeared, and are providing information on the latest lifestyle trends, including fashion, for 45-to-55-year-olds.

Here in Hong Kong, the landscape for elderly shoppers who aren't wealthy still may be barren from a fashion perspective but shoots are beginning to appear. Last June, the Hong Kong Apparel Society, of which Chung is chairman, joined together with Hong Kong Polytechnic University and the Brotherhood Charity Foundation to stage what was claimed to be the city's first ever fashion show for elderly consumers. Featuring clothes for women over 50 designed by graduates from the university's Institute of Textiles and Clothing, the lively, well designed submissions may have been exactly what Wan was looking for.

A new show is scheduled for July in 2011, the second of what is planned to be a permanent annual event, says the society's executive officer May Mok.

"These shows are more than just about fashion. Older people do not want to just think about how old they are, or about their health. They want to feel young. Buying fashion also has a psychological benefit. It makes them feel good about themselves."

Models show off designs by the graduates of Hong Kong Polytechnic University's Institute of Textiles and Clothing. Provided to China Daily

(HK Edition 03/22/2011 page4)