PolyU has emerged as a trailblazer in the global fashion industry, returning from France with two significant achievements: collaborating with AELIS Couture to debut a sustainable textile collection and launching the “Flying High” exhibition. These accomplishments highlight PolyU’s innovative approach to fashion and textiles and underscore its commitment to sustainability and global collaboration.

Collaboration with AELIS Couture

In a first-ever collaboration, PolyU has partnered with the esteemed Paris fashion house AELIS Couture and legendary designer Sofia Crociani to debut a collection featuring a sustainable textile developed by our School of Fashion and Textiles (SFT) researchers.

This collaboration was part of the Fall/Winter 2024/25 Couture Collection, unveiled during the haute couture week in Paris this June. Sofia Crociani crafted the collection using sustainable metal-coated textiles developed by the research team led by Professor Kinor Jiang of SFT. This innovative textile technology applies metallising technology to embed ultra-thin, nano-scale metal films onto textiles. Remarkably, this process is executed without producing any polluted water or releasing harmful chemicals. The textiles, including gold and silver-coated sustainable silk organza, boast a metallic pearly sheen yet retain the comfort and flexibility of traditional fabrics. This integration of PolyU’s pioneering materials into AELIS Couture’s designs has resulted in a collection that embodies both style and state-of-the-art technology, showcasing the potential of combining sustainability with luxury in fashion.

“Flying High” exhibition

Furthermore, PolyU marked a significant milestone with its first international showcase, the “Flying High” exhibition in Paris. This exhibition highlighted PolyU’s interdisciplinary research and innovation, featuring ten projects under two main themes: “Style in Motion” and “Sustainability in Innovation”. “Style in Motion” featured sportswear designs and research projects tailored for the upcoming Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games, while “Sustainability in Innovation” presented advanced sustainable materials from various disciplines. The exhibition served as a vibrant platform for exchange among researchers, industry leaders, fashion editors, and other stakeholders, reinforcing PolyU’s dedication to driving global innovation and research excellence.