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SFT X UNIQLO Sustainable Future Challenge Competition

SFT and UNIQLO, Japanese global apparel retailer, has recently joined hands to launch the “Sustainable Future Challenge Competition”, with an aim to promote longevity and repairability of clothing. It also hopes to bring changes to achieve a sustainable development in fashion, textiles and design industries, and apply professional knowledge for the betterment of the future. This is the second collaboration between SFT and UNIQLO after the release of the “Survey on Consumer Perceptions of Sustainable Fashion in Hong Kong and Macau” in July 2022, which explores the views and perceptions of consumers in Hong Kong and Macau on sustainable fashion and the changing consumption patterns brought about by the COVID-19 outbreak. Over one hundred students participated the competition, with ten finalists selected in November 2022 preliminary by a judge panel consisting of experts from UNIQLO and SFT. The ten finalists then proceeded to develop their initial idea upon financial support and supervision from UNIQLO and SFT, and presented their refined project on 2 February 2023. The panel of judges of the final presentation are: Dr Fan Di, SFT Assistant Professor Ms Kathy Fan, Director, Human Resources & FR Management and Innovation Center Department, UNIQLO HONG KONG, LIMITED Dr Chris Lo, SFT Associate Professor Ms Pam Poon, Education Manager, Redress Ms Emon Shea, Director, Legal & Information Security Office Department, UNIQLO HONG KONG, LIMITED Mr Ota Tomoyuki, Chief Operations Officer, UNIQLO HONG KONG, LIMITED Dr Xiao Chengyong, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Groningen (from left) Dr Fan Di, Ms Kathy Fan, Ms Pam Poon, Mr Ota Tomoyuki, Dr Chris Lo, Dr Xiao Chengyong and Ms Emon Shea Inspired by the traditional Japanese knots, the champion team made a series of pet cotton rope toys through the recycling clothes. The sustainable proposal could bring new business opportunity and was greatly appreciated by the judges. The 1st runner-up team compressed recycled textile wastes to make composite boards. This new type of material has an outstanding quality for the use in the production of furniture, sound absorbing board and construction materials. The 2nd runner-up team upcycled coffee ground into fiber for textiles and apparel production. This fiber has unique features of odors absorption, fast drying and UV protection. The judges have been deeply impressed by these outstanding projects, and the innovative ideas from other finalist teams. Winning teams are: Champion "Pet Toys" by Chung Wing-tin, Nicole, Lam Tsz-shuen, Leung Wing-yan 1st Runner-up "Recycle Textiles Composites for Sustainable Society" by Lam Chak-wai, Lam Tsz-ki, Wong Mei-shan, Fok Chun-fung and Chung Ka-wai 2nd Runner-up "Green Fashion - Coffee Ground Fibre" by Tse Ka-wing, Au Man-yan, Cheung Mei-yan, Lau Tsz-yan, Pun Wai-jan and Sit Kai-man Merit "Regeneration of Applied Plastic Yarn - School Bag" by Lau Chu-yi, Jim Yu-ching Natalie, Hui Hei-yan, Zhou Yu-wei, Yiu Ching-yau and Leung Ka-yau Merit "3D Printing Accessories" by Chuk Hiu-lam, Tam Pui -ling, Choi Lok-yi, Tang Lai-sho, Wong Lai-ching and Tse Chun-ho “The education to future industry leaders is essential for the development of sustainable fashion. In the meantime, the support from industry is important for education. This competition collaborated between SFT and UNIQLO have provided a unique learning experience for our students to apply what they have learned from the class into practices.” Said Dr Fan Di and Dr Magnum Lam who organized this competition. Mr Ota Tomoyuki, Chief Operations Officer, UNIQLO HONG KONG, LIMITED said, “We have been actively pursuing our sustainability goals, strengthening our commitment to environmental protection and social sustainability, and are committed to giving back to the community through the power of apparel. We are honored to collaborate with SFT again to nurture creative talents for the industry. Through this competition, we have successfully identified many young talents in Hong Kong and were inspired by their visionary proposals. We look forward to working with young people to build a sustainable green future for the society and the next generation.”  

Rebranding Fur Fashion Competition 2022

On 12 December 2022, the Award Presentation for Rebranding Fur Fashion Competition 2022 co-organised by SFT and Hong Kong Fur Federation (HKFF) recognised the outstanding group projects of final year BSc (Hons) Digital Fashion students. In September 2022, these final year students were given the opportunity to work in groups under the guidance and supervision of industry experts from the HKFF, and develop creative ideas and campaigns for rebranding fur fashion. On the day of the Award Presentation, they presented their projects that showcased the creative media and digital contents of their promotional campaigns to the HKFF board members to compete for cash prizes and awards. Three groups of students were selected for three awards at the ceremony: WONG Victoria Man-hei, YEUNG Hoi Ching, and LI Man Yuen received Second Runner-up for “100 VS 1”; LI Yu Chuen, WONG Mei Ching, and LI Fan Zhen received First Runner-up for “Re Fur Studio”; and LEE Yin Wai, CHAU Yin, and KO Sze Nga were recognised as the Champion for “Fur on Wheels”. Two other awards were also given for ‘From Digital Replicate to Recycled Fur Fashion’, with Most Realistic Award going to LI Fan Zhen and Most Creative Award to NG Lai Yi. All of the winners were selected by a panel of professional judges who are also board members/staff of the HKFF, including: Mr Eric Lau, Chairman Mr Alva Choi, Vice-Chairman Ms Rose Ko, Honorary Chairlady Mr William Sun, Director Ms Joanne Chan, Director Mr Andy Wong, Director Mr Cyril Fong, Director Mr Thomas Wong, Director Mr Henry Lam, Director Ms Jenny Lam, Manager Other supporting organisations and parties of the event are: Ms Rebecca Leung, Fashion Designer Ms Samantha Vesala, Saga Furs Oyj Ms Winnie Lam, Saga Furs Oyj Ms Amy Lee, Lenzing Fibers (HK) Ltd. Mrs Sally Lam, Season Trading Co Ltd Sunlit Trading Ltd Hong Kong Fur Factory Ltd Marco-Ling Fur Processing Ltd Congratulations to all of the winning teams!

SFT team shortlisted at Future Retail Challenge 2023

The shortlist for the Future Retail Challenge student competition has been announced. Following a competitive judging process, four SFT students - Herbie Chan (Year 3), Rika Lui (Year 4), Muskan Shah (Year 4), and Dora Xu (Year 3), are selected as the student representatives to participate in the World Retail Congress 2023 in Barcelona, Spain which takes place in April 2023. The panel of judges for the final audition included three industry advisors: Mr Jimmy Chan, Head of Account Management, Farfetch Mr Anthony Keung, President and CEO, Fenix Group Holdings Ltd Ms Tiffany Lam, Vice President – Marketing and Communications, Lane Crawford And two SFT academic supervisors, Dr Magnum Lam and Dr Tsai-chun Huang. The theme of this year’s competition is “Reinventing the shopping mall for the post-pandemic world”. The finalists have to select a shopping mall in a non-prime position in their own city or country, which has a closed department store anchor and a large number of empty shops. They then develop a plan for its revival that not only involves retail but also other activities that will result in a return of footfall, business, and above all, new vibrancy and relevance. The Future Retail Challenge student competition is a key component of the World Retail Congress, which seeks to promote future talent in the retail industry across the world. The World Retail Congress partners with universities globally which are in turn supported by the industry. The Future Retail Challenge aims to promote tomorrow’s retailers, the work that these colleges do, and range of talented students who are preparing for their career in the industry, as well as bring fresh thinking and new ideas of the students towards retail to the Congress itself. Congratulations to the Future Retail Challenge finalists and we look forward to the good news!

SFT alumnus receives DFA Hong Kong Young Design Talent Award 2022

SFT alumnus, Toki Wong To-ki (BA, 2015), is the proud recipient of the CreateSmart Young Design Talent Award for the Fashion and Accessory Design Category at the DFA Hong Kong Young Design Talent Award (DFA HKYDTA) 2022.  The award presentation ceremony took place on 30 December 2022 at the Hong Kong Palace Museum.  Toki will receive a grant of up to $500,000 in financial sponsorship to conduct work overseas with a renowned design company. Toki established his own label called “Kowloon City Boy” in 2021 after 5 years at a fashion sourcing company.  Bold colours and knitwear design with versatility are his signature elements.  Seeking to develop a male image in Hong Kong that is whimsical, honest, and down-to-earth, Toki’s designs demonstrate creativity, a sense of humor and ingenuity, and express current social issues.  His marketable and wearable menswear collection “Zoom Olympics” is based on a reimagined Olympic Games conducted on Zoom due to the COVID-19 pandemic. About the DFA Hong Kong Design Talent Award (FDA HKYDTA) The DFA HKYDTA is one of five DFA Awards programmes organised by the Hong Kong Design Centre with Create Hong Kong of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (CreateHK) as the lead sponsor. Established in 2005, the DFA HKYDTA’s mission is to nurture and support Hong Kong’s emerging design talent and fuel the growth of the local creative industry. Since its inception, this programme has provided sponsorship for over 110 Hong Kong young talents, who are all design practitioners or graduates between the ages of 18 to 35 years old. The up-and-coming awarded designers, selected by a professional judging panel, are going to start their overseas journey with a substantial amount of sponsorship, and gain immersive experiences and global perspectives to take their future accomplishments to the next level.

Natural Sustainability publishes review article by Prof. Xiaoming Tao

Natural Sustainability, a top journal of the field, published an invited review article entitled “Advancing life-cycle sustainability of textiles through technological innovations”, which was released online on 22 December 2022 (https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-022-01004-5). An international team led by Prof. Xiaoming Tao of Hong Kong Polytechnic University was the contributing authors. Throughout their life cycle, textiles produce 5-10% of global greenhouse gas emissions and consume the second-largest amount of the world’s water with polluting microplastics and chemical agents released to waterways. Prof. Tao’s team and Dr. Svetlana Boriskina of Massachusetts Institute of Technology have joined forces and spent two years together to study technology innovations and their impacts on sustainability. The team examined the state-of-the-art technology developments meant to solve these problems in a cradle-to-grave fashion.  They collected 22724 publications during the last ten years, among which 940 were screened and 215 were studied in detail.  The team analysed their impacts with respect to the Sustainable Development Goals in United Nations Agenda 2030, particularly those concerning the deployment of natural resources, energy and environmental impacts. A systematic analytical framework was followed to identify and elucidate impactful technologies. Based on the findings, the team further discussed future directions of research and developments along which the green transformation of textiles could be accelerated. The topics cover: green sciences and processes based on high-throughput, data-driven discovery studies to identify and develop sustainable replacements for synthetic polyester and nylon fibres, biomass-based and degradable fibre–forming materials and the cultivation of insect- and disease-resistant plant seeds that require less water can be achieved through advancements in biological science, waterless or less-water colouration, reduction or elimination of production steps as well as mono-materiality in textiles for proactive material recovery. The first author is Dr Lisha Zhang, Research Assistant Professor. Prof. Xiaoming Tao is the corresponding author.  

$300K start-up fund from“Cre8 by AIA” for Minnie Lam

On 30 Nov 2022, alumna Minnie Lam (BA, 2020) shone at the “Cre8 by AIA” Competition in the Design category. Organised by AIA Hong Kong & Macau, the competition attracted over a thousand applications. The star mentors and judges, including Hins Cheung - multi-talented singer-songwriter, and Neo Yau – co-founder of the “Trial & Error” Youtube channel, selected Minnie as the winner from a lineup of very talented individuals. Not only has Minnie received $300,000 from the Cre8 kickstart fund towards her fashion brand, but Rap Chan, Creator of Dustykid – Soul Caring Brand based in Hong Kong, has also personally mentored her.   Minnie established her fashion brand, LAM WING SUM, in 2018 when she was still a student and supported by the fashion business and incubation platform of SFT - STORE by PolyU Fashion, for her B2C and B2B business.  Her design inspirations are mainly based on nature and abstract ideas and colours which promote durable and aesthetic slow fashion.  With the continuous support of SFT, Minnie received the opportunity to embark on an overseas study exchange at the Amsterdam Fashion Institute (AMFI) to enrich her traditional garment making skills and explore the concept of fashion sustainability.   About "Cre8 by AIA" The "Cre8 by AIA" competition is a youth-inspired co-creation programme dedicated to supporting young people to fully unleash their creativity to co-create tomorrow with infinite possibilities. "Cre8 by AIA" provides comprehensive support for young people to fulfill their creative aspirations, creating shared values for society. The programme is designed to support talents in five categories – "Performance Creation", "Design", "Food & Beverage", "Go Green" and "Innovation & Technology". Young people can submit their "Cre8tion" to the applicable category for an opportunity to enter "Cre8 by AIA". Shortlisted cre8tors not only receive mentorships from star mentors and judges, and promotional support from Cre8 for their endeavours but also funds from the Cre8 kickstart funds totaling $2.5 million to pursue their dream career.

Dr Sun Young Choi receives Sandra Hutton Award for Excellence at 2022 ITAA Conference

 Dr Sun Young Choi, Assistant Professor, was recently awarded the Sandra Hutton Award for Excellence in Fiber Arts — Professional Level for her suit set-up titled "Floating World" at the 2022 International Textile and Apparel Association Annual (ITAA) Conference in Denver, USA. There was a very enthusiastic response to the call for design entries. Out of a total of 230 submitted designs, 61 were accepted through a peer-review process with panels of industry experts. The acceptance rate was 39.3% in the professional category. The skills and talent of Dr Choi are truly recognised as the recipient of the award in this category. The design originated from the idea to transfer traditional woodcut printed images of Ukiyo-e (浮世絵), a type of Japanese art from the 17th to the 19th centuries, to garments through modern digital printing techniques. Geometric patterns in a gradual linear style with vivid tones were placed on top of the initial image to create a surrealistic feeling. In addition, a novel means of constructing a jacket was devised in which shirts and jackets are integrated into one piece to highlight the theme of ties between two disparate worlds. By layering various colours and patterns printed on translucent polyester organza, the design achieves a depth effect as well as surrealism with floating material, unlike the real world, where gravity dominates. Dr Choi explains more about her work: “This meaningful study expands the possibilities of digital printing and reinterprets historical and artistic inspired designs to provide new applications in a modern way. The goal is to create a pleasing design and boost the spirit of the wearer. I believe my study will give insights to my fashion design students in considering historical and cultural sources in fashion design development." The following are some of the comments from the jurors on Dr Choi’s work: “The design created and displayed actually speaks beautifully to the title of the work and the concept." "The concept of this piece is very interesting with the exploration of perspective and depth. The finished design is visually effective and represents the concept well." The International Textile and Apparel Association (ITAA) is a global association composed of scholars, educators and students in the fashion and textiles disciplines in higher education. ITAA promotes the discovery, dissemination, and application of knowledge and is a primary resource for its members in strengthening leadership and service to society. This year, the annual conference was held in USA from 26 October to 29 October 2022.

SFT scholars ranked among top 2 % of scientists in the world

SFT is proud to announce that 14 of our colleagues are ranked among the world’s top 2% scientists in a global report recently released by Stanford University, 10 of them are listed in the 'Career-Long Impact List' and 13 of them are listed in the 'Single-Year Impact List', this recognize our excellence in research and academia.  The colleagues who are listed among the Top 2% include Profs. Chen Wei, Fan Jintu, Hu Hong, Jiang Shouxiang, Kan Chi-wai, Tao Xiaoming, Wang Xungai, Christina Wong, Calvin Wong, Xin John, Xu Bingang, and Drs Fei Bin, Shou Dahua and Joanne Yip. The science-wide author database is updated in Sep 2022 and is created by using the Scopus database of over 180,000 top scientists in the world based on standardised citation indicators. Scientists are classified into 22 scientific fields and 176 sub-fields. The rankings are calculated based on standardized information of citations, h-index, co-authorship-adjusted hm-index, citations to papers in different authorship positions, and a composite indicator. The following two tables highlight the rankings of SFT scholars in terms of their ‘Career-long Impact Statistics’ and ‘Single Year Impact Statistics’. Our heartiest congratulations to our colleagues on their excellent achievement! Table 1 Career-long Impact Statistics                                             Name of Researcher     Position Subject field Prof. Chen Wei Professor Nanoscience & Nanotechnology Prof. Fan Jintu Chair Professor Materials Dr Fei Bin Associate Professor Polymers Prof. Hu Hong Professor Materials Prof. Kan Chi-wai Professor Materials Dr Shou Dahua Assistant Professor Materials Prof. Tao Xiaoming Chair Professor Materials Prof. Wang Xungai   Chair Professor Materials   Prof. Calvin Wong            Professor Artificial Intelligence & Image Processing Prof. Xin John H. Chair Professor Materials Prof. Xu Bingang Professor Materials Table 2 Single-year Impact Statistics Name of Researcher Position Subject field Prof. Chen Wei Professor Nanoscience & Nanotechnology Prof. Fan Jintu Chair Professor Materials Dr Fei Bin Associate Professor Polymers Prof. Hu Hong Professor Materials Porf. Jiang Shouxiang Professor Materials Prof. Kan Chi-wai Professor Materials Dr Shou Dahua Assistant Professor Materials Prof. Tao Xiaoming Chair Professor Materials Prof. Wang Xungai Chair Professor Materials Prof. Christina Wong Professor Operations Research Prof. Calvin Wong Professor Artificial Intelligence & Image Processing Prof. Xin John H. Chair Professor Materials Prof. Xu Bingang Professor Materials Dr Yip Joanne Associate Professor Materials  

PolyU Undergraduate Info Day 2022

PolyU Undergraduate Info Day 2022 was successfully held in a hybird format on 8 October 2022. SFT has received over 3000 prospectus students and their teachers and parents, with the support and participation of staff and student ambassadors. The Info Day provides students with the first-hand advice on the SFT’s full-time undergraduate revamped programme – BA (Hons) Scheme in Fashion. A broad range of activities, such as admission seminars, programme seminars, exhibitions, virtual booths, and consultations, were offered to help prospective students making an informed choice about their future academic pursuits at the University. Playback of the info seminar is now available here:

SFT @Fashion Forward GBA 2022

SFT has been going places and was recently at Fashion Forward GBA 2022, organised by the Fashion Farm Foundation (FFF), from March to September 2022. The project comprised four major events, including: FASHION FORCE (Fashion Show) FASHION BOND (Roving Exhibition) FASHION BEAT (Music Night) FASHION DISCOVERY (Event Sharing) The events were held in five cities in the Greater Bay Area (GBA) to showcase the creative strength of the new design force and pave the way for Hong Kong’s new design talents to make their mark in the GBA. Eleven SFT alumni, Chan cho-man (BA, 2021), Chole Chan (BA, 2021), Kunis Chen (BA, 2021), Debbie Choi (BA, 2021), Coco Lam (BA, 2021), Vincent Leung (MA, 2021), Phyllis Ma (BA, 2021), Kin Ng (BA, 2020), Judy Soo (MA, 2021), Bailey Tai (BA, 2021), and Ken Yeung (BA, 2021) were invited to joined the fashion show and exhibitions to showcase their creative designs in different cities including Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Hong Kong, Zhuhai and Foshan. More than 20 design brands from the Mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau, as well as six prestigious design schools in the GBA also took part in this exciting undertaking. The project originated from the desire of mainly young creatives from fashion institutions in the GBA to build stronger connections with the fashion industry. The endeavour also gave the unprecedented opportunity to demonstrate innovation and creativity. The project concluded with a sharing session held at Laws Knitters, where our Associate Dean - Dr Joanne Yip and alumna Ms Judy Soo (MA, 2021) were invited to share their valuable event experience and insights into the entire project and the opportunities in the GBA. About the Fashion Farm Foundation The FFF was established in Hong Kong in 2012. The entity consists of a group of enthusiastic senior fashion entrepreneurs and educators. FFF is a non-profit organisation dedicated to promoting the development of Hong Kong's fashion industry. FFF held the "HKFG" to give designers the opportunity to showcase their brand collections at overseas fashion weeks. So far, they have covered Paris, New York, Tokyo and other important cities in the fashion industry. In recent years, they have been actively exploring opportunities in the GBA for Hong Kong fashion designers .