He said Hong Kong fashion designers had missed a good opportunity for international fame in the years leading up to the handover in 1997.

'The international press was stationed in Hong Kong,' he said. 'Whatever we did then attracted attention worldwide. We did not get as much out of the opportunity as we could have. Now, we have to take bigger steps and compete with our former partners in China and Asia.'

Ika said that Hong Kong had always been the 'big brother' in fashion in the region, but that was changing with the emergence of talented designers from other Southeast Asian countries such as Indonesia and Malaysia.

Mainland fashion, although still young, was also on the rise, Tang said. The good news was that healthy competition among Asian countries was driving the quality of Hong Kong fashion design, he added.

'The coming fashion week is huge,' Tang said. 'There have been so many applications for exhibitions. It's a good sign.'

Tang, whose designs sell internationally (under his labels William Tang, W by William and the unisex teenage label W10), will unveil a new label, Vis a Face, tomorrow at 8pm in Hall 5 of the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre.

Tang said the idea for the show, titled 'Dim Sum', was inspired by his passion for Hong Kong history. The collection is a tribute to pre-1997 Hong Kong, drawing from a variety of Chinese and western influences. The designs evoke 1950s silhouettes, British private school uniforms, royal ball gowns, traditional Chinese dress and even police uniforms.

The display offers two contrasting themes: the Suzie collection evokes Wan Chai of the 1960s with its 'colourful, wild, sexy and unconventional pieces', and the Queen's collection is a tribute to colonial times, and features regal ball gowns.

'The show reflects Hong Kong's mix of east and west. We have an incredible tradition of fashion,' Tang said.

Ika, the Indonesian-born Hong Kong designer and founder of Butoni, said the inspiration for her recent collection, 'A Celebration of Life', came from a 'very personal' subject.

The collection charts an emotional journey for the designer, who spent a week working as a volunteer in Bali after the terrorist bombing there. She said the experience had had a powerful impact on her world view, and subsequently on her work.

Ika's show will be staged jointly with designer Peter Lau's 'Opera' collection tomorrow at 5pm in Hall 5 of the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre.

Ika said the new collection formed part of an evolution in her work following her Bali experience. The first phase was seen in 'Gladiator', in 2002, which reflected a 'warrior-type' response to the tragedy. The 'Black and White' collection of 2003 was the result of the designer's 'inability to see colour'. The 2004 show 'Shanti' (meaning peace) hailed the return of colour, warmth and richness to her work.

Ika said 'A Celebration of Life' was inspired by the Kuta carnival in Bali and embraced the philosophy that life - filled with happy and sad moments, loss and renewal - should be celebrated every day.

'This richness of feeling translates into opulent colours like gold and the darker hues,' Ika said. Aubergine, wine red, taupe and dark grey were used for the mostly eveningwear collection.

Sequins, multicoloured piping, multiple layering and lace enrich the lavish costumes.

'Each piece has a lot of colours and textures and uses the handiwork techniques we are known for,' Ika said. 'Each dress may have up to six materials.'

Asked whether she thought Hong Kong held a significant spot on the world fashion stage, Ika said: 'I'd like to think we do, but that's for the world to judge.'