Paris Fashion Week: A growing Asian influence at the event

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02:18

Paris Fashion Week continues to churn out spring summer 2019 trends and groundbreaking designers. But one thing to take note of is the big Asian influence this season. 23 percent of the runway shows have been by Asian designers, a proportion which one fashion expert believes is a record. Oliver Whitfield-Miocic reports from the catwalk.

It used to be only western designers who took part in Paris Fashion Week. Now, more and more Asian clothes makers are putting their best foot forward. Like Chinese designer Uma Wang who thinks it's critical to show her garments in the French capital.

UMA WANG FASHION DESIGNER "Paris is Paris. Paris is the place who really respect the talent. Also, all the industry, the media, the press, the everything, the buyer, everybody here."

European fashion houses like Dior and Louis Vuitton remain very popular among Asian consumers. But there is now a growing trend to buy more local brands.

OLIVER WHITFIELD PARIS "18 of the 78 shows at this season's Paris Fashion Week are by Asian designers. That's almost a quarter of the total and shows just how prominent Asia is becoming in this industry."

Franck Delpal is a fashion business expert. He says Asian brands showing in Paris get more credibility. And the growing size of the Asian luxury market has a big part to play in the number of designers coming here.

FRANCK DELPAL FRENCH INSTITUTE OF FASHION "The weight of Asia in terms of population, in terms of economic power. So it's logic that we see today much more designers from Asia than in the past."

Something which Uma Wang also agrees with.

UMA WANG FASHION DESIGNER "Asian market I think for everyone is very important."

Journalist: "Why?"

Uma: "Because we are strong. Especially the country, the economy, the people."

Consultancy firm Deloitte predicts demand from Asia will continue to grow. So it's likely designers from the world's biggest continent will keep coming back to Paris.

Oliver Whitfield-Miocic, CGTN, Paris.