News

Fashion Forward: SFT unveils its first digital ambassadors

SFT is thrilled to introduce its first-ever digital avatars, which will bring our vision for fashion into the virtual world! Crafted by our talented alumnae, Miss Natalie Jim (BA, 2024) and Miss Catherine Hui (BA, 2024), these avatars won the “Avatar Design Contest” for their inspired blend of SFT’s core brand values, colours, and fresh, forward-thinking creativity. Their designs showcase the exceptional skills and innovation nurtured at SFT, which embody our commitment to advancing fashion through AI and the metaverse to thrive in the exciting Web 3.0 era. Dressed in stunning, digitally-rendered traditional Chinese attire, these avatars beautifully honour SFT’s dedication to celebrating Chinese fashion heritage, making it both vibrant and accessible for today’s digital generation. Looking ahead, these virtual ambassadors will light up future events, and spotlight SFT’s leadership in digital innovation and bringing Chinese fashion to audiences worldwide in a more engaging and interactive way. Some of the avatars have already been minted as NFTs and are available for sale on OpenSea. Through initiatives like this one, SFT will continue to proudly shape the fashion leaders of tomorrow!

SFT ranks 7th place among global top 50 in textile science and engineering

SFT has made a remarkable leap in the ShanghaiRanking’s Global Ranking of Academic Subjects 2024, advancing from 25th to 7th place among the Top 50 in the "Textile Science & Engineering" category. This significant achievement underscores SFT's exceptional growth and commitment to excellence on an international scale. The ShanghaiRanking’s Global Ranking of Academic Subjects is a highly regarded evaluation that assesses universities worldwide based on their academic performance and research impact in various disciplines. SFT's impressive rise in the rankings is a testament to its dedication to advancing research, fostering innovation, and nurturing talent in the fashion and textile industry. Professor Erin Cho, School Dean, expressed pride in the School's accomplishment, stating, "I extend my heartfelt gratitude to our dedicated faculty in this field for their hard work and commitment. Let us continue to excel in all aspects of our academic endeavours."   SFT has been at the forefront of cutting-edge research and development in textiles, focusing on sustainable practices, advanced materials, and innovative technologies. The School's collaborative approach with industry partners and its emphasis on real-world applications have further solidified its reputation as a leader in the field. This achievement not only enhances PolyU's global standing but also reinforces Hong Kong's position as a hub for academic excellence and innovation in textile science and engineering. As SFT continues to strive towards excellence, the School remains dedicated to shaping the future of the textile industry through groundbreaking research and education. For more information on ShanghaiRanking’s Global Ranking of Academic Subjects 2024, please visit: https://www.shanghairanking.com/rankings/gras/2024/RS0228.

Recipients of the Faculty/School Awards for Outstanding Achievement 2024 announced

SFT is proud to announce that eight SFT faculty members have received the Faculty/School Awards 2024 which recognise their outstanding achievements in teaching, research performance and service.  Category of Award Awardee  Teaching (Outstanding Young Teacher) Ms Nico Liu, Instructor Research & Scholarly Activities (Outstanding Researcher) Prof. Xu Bingang, Professor Research & Scholarly Activities (Outstanding Young Researcher) Dr Shou Dahua, Associate Professor, Limin Endowed Young Scholar in Advanced Textiles Technologies Knowledge Transfer: Society  Dr Jin Lam, Associate Professor Services Dr Fan Di, Assistant Dean and Associate Professor Knowledge Transfer: Industry (Team) Prof. Yick Kit-lun, Professor (Team Leader) Prof. Joanne Yip, Associate Dean and Professor  Dr Shi Qiuqiong, Research Assistant Professor Congratulations to all of the awardees for their dedicated work!

SFT knitwear students show their talent at Young Designer Project competition

Two talented knitwear design students, Emily Li and Olivia Yau, were nominated for the Young Designer Project organised by M.ORO Cashmere and given the unique opportunity to showcase their exceptional designs in Florence, Italy, in June. This prestigious event attracted guests and visitors from all corners of the world. Building on this success, the outfits also captivated audiences at the 43rd Shanghai Spin ExpoTM in September, which is the leading international industry sourcing exhibition dedicated to innovation in yarns, fibres and knitwear. This global exposure highlights the significance and impact of the collaborations between SFT and the knitwear industry. The students received sponsorship from M.ORO Cashmere and created their outfits with the generous production sponsorship of both local and mainland Chinese knitting manufacturers.

PolyU takes pride in designing ties and scarves for the HKSAR Government

SFT was honoured to be invited by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) to design a collection of ties and scarves worn by Mr John Lee Ka-chiu, the Chief Executive of the HKSAR, and his team on the announcement day of the 2024 Policy Address. Led by Dr Jin Lam, a PolyU alumna and Associate Professor, the team has merged traditional weaving techniques with innovative technologies and adopted a green colour tone to echo this year’s Policy Address, signifying harmony, vitality and prosperity.The team has depicted some of Hong Kong’s signature skyscrapers and buildings, including the Central Government Complex and the International Financial Centre, in the design of the ties and scarves with meticulous line drawings and sharp geometric patterns respectively. The intricately arranged drawings and patterns are also used to outline the world-renowned Victoria Harbour skyline. The criss-crossing lines incorporated in the tie’s graphic design also symbolise Hong Kong’s unique advantages of enjoying strong national support while maintaining unparalleled connectivity with the world. "This co-design projects have enabled a group of young local fashion designers to display their creativity by merging traditional techniques with innovative technologies, while also drawing a broader blueprint for the future of the cultural and creative industries," Dr Jin Lam said.

SFT students dazzle at National Day Celebration

To commemorate the 75th National Day of the People's Republic of China, the Hong Kong Housing Authority organised a vibrant celebration called "National Day 75th Anniversary @Domain", which was held at Domain Mall in Yau Tong on 1st October. One of the highlights of the event was the fashion show. Based on the theme "Joyful Dream," four of our outstanding fashion design students including, Cheung Nga-yi, Hui Lok, Lee Hoi-kiu, and Woo Sin-yu, designed 11 stunning outfits. Their innovative designs were brought to life on the runway, modelled by 11 senior residents from various public housing estates, alongside distinguished guests, including the Honourable Winnie Ho Wing-yin, JP, Secretary for Housing; Miss Rosanna Shuk Pui Law, JP, Permanent Secretary for Housing/Director of Housing; and Mr Victor Sheung Shing Tai, Under Secretary for Housing. The event not only highlighted the creative prowess of our students but also underscored the importance of community engagement and inter-generational collaboration.

SFT faculty members ranked among the world top 2% scientists 2024

SFT is proud to announce that 14 faculty members have been listed on the World’s Top 2% most-cited scientists, according to the latest two rankings compiled by Stanford University. Notably, 13 scholars were included based on their career-long citation impact. Together with the scholars named for their single-year citation impact, a total of 14 scholars were recognised. These rankings attest to our research excellence and outstanding academia. The colleagues who are listed among the Top 2% include Profs. Fan Jintu, Fei Bin, Hu Hong, Kinor Jiang, Kan Chi-wai, Tao Xiaoming, Wang Xungai, Christina Wong, Calvin Wong, John Xin, Xu Bingang, Joanne Yip; and Drs Esfandiar Pakdel and Shou Dahua. Over 100,000 top scientists globally were grouped into 22 subject fields and 174 sub-fields. The lists were based on indicators including citations, scientific research output and a composite indicator for citation impact, up to the end of 2023. The two lists were compiled based on scholars’ career-long (1960-2023) and single-year (2023) impact, recognising their lifetime achievement and recent research impact respectively. The two tables below list the rankings of the SFT scholars in terms of ‘Career-long data’ and ‘Single Year data’. Our heartiest congratulations to our colleagues on their excellent achievement!   Career-long Data Name and Position Subject Field  Prof. Fan Jintu Chair Professor in Textiles Technologies, Director of Research Centre of Textiles for Future Fashion, Associate Director of Research Institute for Sports Science and Technology Materials Prof. Fei Bin Professor Polymers Prof. Hu Hong Professor Materials Prof. Kinor Jiang Professor Materials Prof. Kan Chi-wai Professor Polymers Dr Shou Dahua Associate Professor and Limin Young Scholar in Advanced Textiles Technologies Materials Prof. Tao Xiaoming Chair Professor of Textile Technology, Vincent and Lily Woo Professor in Textile Technology, Director of Research Centre for Smart Wearable Technology, Director of Research Institute for Intelligent Wearable Systems Materials Prof. Wang Xungai Chair Professor of Fiber Science and Technology (Global STEM Professorship Scheme) and Associate Dean Materials Prof. Christina Wong Professor and Director of Research and Innovation Operations Research Prof. Calvin Wong Professor, Cheng Yik Hung Professor in Fashion, Director of AiDLab Artificial Intelligence & Image Processing Prof. John Xin Chair Professor and Lee Family Professor in Fashion and Textiles Polymers Prof. Xu Bingang Professor Nanoscience & Nanotechnology Prof. Joanne Yip Professor and Associate Dean  Materials   Single-year Data Position Subject Field  Prof. Fan Jintu Chair Professor in Textiles Technologies, Director of Research Centre of Textiles for Future Fashion, Associate Director of Research Institute for Sports Science and Technology Materials Prof. Fei Bin Professor Polymers Prof. Hu Hong Professor Materials Prof. Kinor Jiang Professor Materials Prof. Kan Chi-wai Professor Polymers Dr Esfandiar Pakdel Research Assistant Professor  Polymers  Dr Shou Dahua Associate Professor and Limin Young Scholar in Advanced Textiles Technologies Materials Prof. Tao Xiaoming Chair Professor of Textile Technology, Vincent and Lily Woo Professor in Textile Technology, Director of Research Centre for Smart Wearable Technology, Director of Research Institute for Intelligent Wearable Systems Materials Prof. Wang Xungai Chair Professor of Fiber Science and Technology (Global STEM Professorship Scheme) and Associate Dean Materials Prof. Christina Wong Professor and Director of Research and Innovation Operations Research Prof. Calvin Wong Professor, Cheng Yik Hung Professor in Fashion, Director of AiDLab Artificial Intelligence & Image Processing Prof. John Xin Chair Professor and Lee Family Professor in Fashion and Textiles Polymers Prof. Joanne Yip Professor and Associate Dean Materials

Research postgraduate students gathering

SFT hosted a vibrant and dynamic postgraduate students gathering on 2 October 2024, which marked the beginning of an exciting academic year. Prof. Erin Cho, School Dean, who is always supportive of student events, delivered an inspiring speech that set the tone for the gathering. Aside from Prof. Cho, our faculty members are equally supportive of student events, and many took the time to attend the gathering. They provided a self-introduction, and shared their academic journey, research interests, and wisdom with the new cohort of students. The highlight of the event was the interactive session where students also provided an introduction of themselves, shared their background information, aspirations, and areas of interest in the field of fashion and textiles. This session created a sense of community and camaraderie, allowing the students to meet with their peers and the faculty at the personal level. The event was not only a meet and greet, but also a celebration of the diverse and dynamic community that makes up SFT. The students had the opportunity to network, exchange ideas, and initiate relationships for future collaborations. As the evening drew to a close, there was a palpable sense of excitement and anticipation for the year ahead. SFT is committed to supporting its students in their academic and professional endeavours, and this gathering is one such example of this commitment. We look forward to a year filled with creativity, innovativeness, and academic excellence. A warm welcome to all our new postgraduate students – we are thrilled to have you join our community!

Dr Ma Kaikai and global collaborative team publish groundbreaking work in Advanced Materials

An international collaborative team with members from PolyU and Northwestern University (USA), and Dr Ma Kaikai, Assistant Professor from SFT as a core member, has successfully developed catalytic zirconium (Zr)- metal-organic framework (MOF) nanozyme coated cellulose nanofibre aerogel that has exceptional detoxification properties against the ultra-toxic organophosphorus toxin. The novel fibrous aerogel composites, which have high MOF loadings and a unique hierarchical porosity structure, allow for efficient access to catalytic active sites. The resulting fibrous Zr-MOF nanozyme aerogel composites represent a significant leap forward in environmentally-friendly sustainable forms of protection against toxins. Their ability to continuously hydrolyse and detoxify organophosphorus-based nerve agent simulants and pesticides from contaminated water highlight their potential for real-world applications. With a simple synthesis process and optimal detoxification performance, these nanocomposites are a promising solution to eliminate toxic agents in a variety of settings. This development marks a significant milestone in safeguarding both the environment and human health, thus paving the way for a more sustainable future. The work is published in a top-tier journal, Advanced Materials.

Mr Kay Kwok is among Asia’s Most Stylish

Asia’s Most Stylish 2024 is an exclusive list of best-dressed individuals selected by Tatler magazine to define fashion. Our always fashionable alumnus, Mr Kay Kwok (BA, 2009), has been listed on Asia’s Most Stylish along with 60 other very chic individuals from Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Thailand. They are the brightest fashionistas in the continent, and include celebrities, cultural icons, social media influencers and tastemakers. Prominent member of Hong Kong boy band Edan Lui and Thai pop star Pyra, also made the list. Kay’s journey from PolyU to the forefront of the fashion world is truly inspiring. His innovative approach and distinctive style have set new standards in the industry, making him a true fashion icon. Kay is the first Hong Kong designer to present at the London Men’s Fashion Week. His name was on everyone’s lips after Beyoncé wore one of his custom-made, 3D-printed pieces on her Renaissance World Tour in 2023. His avant-garde, futuristic designs have also caught the attention of global artistes like Icelandic singer Björk and mainland Chinese popstar Chris Lee. His unique vision has produced groundbreaking designs. Kay pushes the boundaries and redefines fashion. After finishing his Master’s degree at the London College of Fashion and interning at Alexander McQueen, Kay launched his eponymous label in 2013. In 2022, he rebranded his label as KWK by Kay Kwok, envisioning the future of fashion with a keen eye on digital possibilities. Kay told Tatler, “While technology for digital fashion still needs to mature, this is the direction we want to further explore. It’s where my aesthetics and DNA are at.” Video interview of Kay