The Role of Fashion Accessories in Hong Kong

Abstract

Fashion accessories are vital for fashion design in terms of creating the total look and presenting a fashion statement. They are also important for marketers to develop the correspondent market to increase the companies’ profit. The research was begun with a thorough review of the roles and functions of fashion accessories. Quantitative and qualitative research methodologies were adopted in this study. A questionnaire survey was undertaken to collect data from the consumers and in-depth interviews were used to collect useful information from the accessories designers in Hong Kong. The findings showed that the fashion accessories were mainly functional from the perspective of consumers, especially in the case of shoes and handbags. Accessories had a decorative role and that was particularly so in the case of jewellery. Some findings showed that designers' concerns about accessories did not fully conform to those of the consumers. Therefore, an in-depth research on different buying behaviour between male and female consumers was carried out. The research questions included the amount of money consumers would spend on accessories, and their purchasing decisions primarily depended on their functionality, durability, comfort and brands. These findings will assist the fashion accessory designers to understand the wants and needs of the market. Finally, future recommendations are given to the marketers and educators.