News

Best Use of Australian Merino Wool Award goes to Allison Lam

The Woolmark Company and Flinders Merino Group presented the Best Use of Australian Merino Wool Award to knitwear design graduating student Tso Hiu-lam Alison for her graduation collection that promoted innovative applications of Australian Merino wool at PolyU Fashion Show 2022.  The award presentation was successfully held at The Woolmark Company’s Wool Resource Centre on 27 August 2022. Allison’s collection is called “GEN Z”, which combines the past and future as retrofuturism. The idea behind her design was inspired by the movie, Matrix. One of the scenes of the movie is set in the 22nd century based on the simulation of the 1990s, so that people believe that they are living in the end of the 20th century. It’s like time traveling. Allison’s collection highlights the features of futurism, form-fitting shapes, code patterns and 90s vibrant normcore silhouettes. The Woolmark Company is the global authority on Merino wool and owns the Woolmark logo, a quality assurance symbol applied to more than 5 billion products.  As a not-for-profit organisation, The Woolmark Company works alongside Australia’s 60,000 woolgrowers to research, develop and certify Australian wool. They support and collaborate with like-minded fashion designers and brands. We would like to thank The Woolmark Company and Flinders Merino Group for their continuous support so that the next generation of fashion design talents can be nurtured.

SFT Summer Programme 2022

On 9 Aug 2022, 25 young fashion lovers from different secondary schools joined our PolyU Summer Programme and got inspired from workshops “Creative Thinking and Practice in Fashion Design” and “Design & Make Your Own Bag”. Participants leant a lot about design thinking, skill sets, applications and sewing of a T-shirt and denim tote bag.  In just a half day, they found what it is like being a fashion student in SFT!

SFT welcomes Prof. Wang Xungai

SFT is pleased to announce the hire of Prof. Wang Xungai, the newly appointed Chair Professor of Fibre Science and Technology. Before joining SFT, Prof. Wang held the position of an Alfred Deakin Professor, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Future Fibres), and Director of the ARC Research Hub for Future Fibres at Deakin University in Australia. Prof. Wang obtained his Doctor of Philosophy in Fibre Science and Technology and Graduate Diploma of Higher Education from the University of New South Wales (UNSW) in 1992 and 1996 respectively. He worked as Senior Lecturer at the UNSW before he joined Deakin to start research on fibre/textile materials there in 1998. He held a Personal Chair at Deakin and was the Director of Centre for Material and Fibre Innovation from 2008 to 2010. Between 2011 and 2017, Prof Wang served as Deputy Director and then Director of the largest research institute at Deakin, the Institute for Frontier Materials, which enjoys the highest ERA ranking score of 5 in Australia. Prof. Wang received the Fiber Society Award for Distinguished Achievement in Fiber Science and the H&M Foundation Global Change Award in 2005 and 2017 respectively. In 2019, the ARC Research Hub for Future Fibres led by Professor Wang received the Vice-Chancellor’s Award for Outstanding Contribution to Industry and Employer Partnerships. Prof. Wang's research interests are primarily in sustainable fibres and textiles. He is Editor-in-Chief of a premier journal in the textile field, the Journal of the Textile Institute (UK).

MA Graduation Fashion Show 2022 “THEN, NOW, META”

SFT held its dynamic MA Graduation Fashion Show 2022 last night (28 July 2022) at The Mills. More than 200 guests were in attendance, including representatives from the fashion industry and media. Over 1000 audiences were watching the live show on YouTube and Xiaoe-tech. The theme of this year's show, “Then, Now, Meta”, is a metaphor for the collective, yet diverse journey that students have embarked on through their work. Of the 17 graduating students from the Master of Arts (MA) in Fashion and Textile Design who showcased an exploration of the past, studying and mastering the learnings of yesterday through their fashion collections. Some had reacted to our current times and questioned the reality of today. Whilst others encountered the future and contemplated the boundless opportunities of tomorrow. In addition to ingenuity in design, students put great effort into creating their own materials. For example, students produced unique fabric finishes using natural plant dying techniques, and established new approaches to embroidery and embellishment using epoxy resins. Furthermore, digital technologies such as three-dimensional design software CLO3D and Blender were widely adopted, in order to minimize the material consumed in the production process and improve the sustainability of the designs. Opening the Show was student Lin Ruo-ming, Lyn, alumni of the Zhujiang College of South China Agricultural University. Her collection was inspired by her observations of Hong Kong people drying their garments in public areas. She felt that this metaphorically reflected the “Pajama Culture” of Shanghai where pajamas, which are ordinarily used to sleep in, are worn as everyday dress. Both the role of public spaces and pajamas have been reconfigured. Her menswear collection included beautifully patterned silk shirts which directly referenced pajamas. In addition, there were some strong denim pieces, particularly a pair of shorts that looked like a fusion of two garments. Lyn wanted to create a sense of "harmonized regional confusion" with each outfit. Another highlight of the evening was a sustainable collection created by Wang Zi-yi, Sylvia alumni of Zhejiang Sci-tech University. Her collection was fully patterned using the digital software, CLO3D to reduce the amount of material used in the development of her collection. Sylvia has a strong background in textiles and developed all her own sustainable fabrics, including in particular organic silks that had been naturally dyed using plants and vegetables. Conceptually, her collection explores the relationship between architecture and nature. Each garment appeared as a robust structure, the textile surface of which looked like it had been naturally eroded by the environment. Closing the show was alumni of from Dalian Art College, Bao Yi-fan, Evan. Evan’s collection was inspired by his surroundings and how he connects with people and objects emotionally. He used a journal to document his state of mind and surroundings, and then visualize them through his design. Evan patterned his collection using CLO3D, and digitally simulated thethrowing of clothes onto the floor and over a chair. His collection had a young, rebellious feeling, with its own chaotic harmony. Developing his own textiles, a particularly interesting feature of the collection was how he bleached and dyed denim and jersey pieces using a wig covered in hair bleach and blue hair dye. Mr Ryan Scott HOULTON, the programme leader, hopes that talented and ambitious young designers can fully demonstrate their creative potential through this practical one-year course. He remarked, “This programme aims to nurture future industry mavericks, who are innovative and free-thinking. We also equip them with comprehensive skillset. I look forward to seeing our graduates shine in the field, and become a new driving force and potential disrupters in the global fashion industry.”

PolyU X HKFYG co-presents “#WYWT Fashion Show” showcasing youth creativity in fashion for social good

On 16 July 2022, 20 teenagers from vulnerable and challenging backgrounds, together with members of the Youth Crime Prevention Centre of The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups (HKFYG), presented 20 fashion collections they designed in collaboration with 76 students from PolyU, at the “#WYWT - What You Wear Tomorrow- Fashion Show”. The 20 teenagers glammed themselves up for the runway presentation of the designs they had worked on together with the PolyU students. The event vividly showcased the creativity and confidence of the participants through their creations and aimed to encourage more of our young generation to stay true in life. The Show was co-organised by the PolyU School of Fashion and Textiles (SFT), (formerly known as the Institute of Textiles and Clothing), the PolyU Service-learning and Leadership Office and HKFYG. The idea was to unleash the teenagers’ creative potential and enhance their self-confidence. The programme also allowed the PolyU students to apply the practical skills they had acquired on their courses and enhance their sense of social responsibility through serving the community. The Show was held at the HKFYG Building and Officiating Guests at the kick-off ceremony included Prof. Raymond WONG, Interim Dean of the SFT; Prof. Eric CHUI, Head of Department of Applied Social Science; Mr Wilson CHAN, Deputy Executive Director of HKFYG; Dr Joe AU and Dr Joanne YIP, Associate Deans of the SFT. The project leader, Dr Jin LAM, who is also SFT Assistant Professor, said, “Through #WYWT’, we hope that the young generation can develop the strengths and talent within themselves and in others, and learn to appreciate and have confidence in themselves. “While connecting the community with the positive , we believe that by using fashion as a medium, through the co-designed outfits, both the teenage participants and the PolyU students would be able to fully express their own unique values and potential and pluck up the courage to face life’s challenges.” Mr Wilson CHAN, Deputy Executive Director of HKFYG remarked that, “I am a firm believer that everyone has talent, and I am so happy that this student-led project has given all the participants the opportunity to showcase their creativity and imagination. To participate in a process that encompasses every level of fashion production, from ideation to presentation, and by weaving art and fashion together to highlight their stories, both the PolyU students and the Federation’s teenage participants have gained a greater understanding of their strengths, thoughts and feelings. This will go a long way in building up their confidence and creativity. Two of the participants, Yi and Hong, expressed their thoughts on their participation.  Yi, who had dreamed of being a teacher when she was young, had to contend with a difficult family environment, filled with misunderstandings, bickering and high expectations, which resulted in her becoming extremely stressed and exhibiting extreme behaviour. Joining the #WYWT programme, Yi was able to realise her innermost thoughts through textile art and incorporated her concepts into clothing design. In addition, by applying the calligraphy skills that she had learned, Yi also expressed her feelings in exquisite literary style by writing a chrysanthemum poem to convey her hopes of pursuing her goals.  Hong grew up with a single parent lacking financial and spiritual support, turning him into an introverted personality. However, with his talent in sports and in particular cycling, Hong had always wanted to become a professional cyclist and wear cycling outfits he had designed himself to represent Hong Kong in international competitions. He was unable to do this without adequate resources and support. However, working with his team in the #WYWT programme, Hong was able to integrate his ideas into the clothing design. Thus, he was able to demonstrate his determination by overcoming challenges and difficulties, and express himself boldly through his design and styling, while engaging in a unique experience that he says has enriched his life.

Prof. Xiaoming Tao receives President’s Awards for Outstanding Achievement in Knowledge Transfer

SFT is pleased to announce that Prof. Xiaoming Tao, Chair Professor of SFT, recently received the President’s Awards for Outstanding Achievement in KT: Industry. The award acknowledges her research work titled Nu-Torque™: Breakthrough in Yarn Manufacturing Technology for Better Textile Properties. Nu-Torque is a revolutionary yarn-spinning technology that uses physical means to create yarns with lower torque and twist while achieving the same strength as conventionally spun yarns. Fabrics made with Nu-Torque yarns are less prone to deformation even after being repeatedly washed, while also feeling softer and looking shinier with less hairiness. Compared to conventional yarn-spinning technologies, Nu-Torque improves productivity, saves energy and is less polluting. Fabrics and garments made with Nu-Torque yarns are widely sold in the U.S., Europe, Japan and China. Congratulations to Prof. Tao! We hope that she will continue to have an immense impact on the industry. Learn more:    About the President’s Awards for Outstanding Achievement in Knowledge Transfer in KT: Industry The President’s Awards for Outstanding Achievement in Knowledge Transfer (KT) is established to recognise and reward the KT endeavours of staff members that are underpinned by research and innovation and have significant impacts on the industry and society. The “President’s Awards for Outstanding Achievement in KT: Industry” recognises KT impactful cases that demonstrate contributions to advancing the technological or industry standards, addressing the needs of the industry, or enhancing its competitiveness through application of PolyU’s research and innovations in the form of products, methodologies, systems and/or solutions.

SFT welcomes new staff members

SFT is pleased to welcome the following new Research Assistant Professors to the academic team. Dr Fang Bo received his Ph.D. degree from Zhejiang University. During his Ph.D. study, he focused on the performance enhancement and energy conversion ability of graphene fibres. In October 2020, he joined ITC (now renamed as SFT) as a postdoctoral fellow in Prof. Xiaoming Tao’s group where he studied the scalable production of ultrafine polyaniline fibres and soft organic electrochemical transistors based on conducting polymer fibres. Dr Fang’s research interests cover new-frontier functional fibres, ultrathin sensors, and non-invasive biomarker test techniques. He has published influential academic papers in the field of functional fibres and wearable devices in internationally renowned journals, including Science, Nature Communications, Advanced Materials, ACS Nano, Materials Horizons, etc.   Dr Fu Jimin obtained his Ph.D. degree from the Department of Mechanical Engineering at PolyU in 2019 and then worked as a postdoctoral researcher at ITC (now renamed as SFT). Dr Fu’s research interest lies in the theoretical and computational modelling of multi-length scale physical and mechanical behaviours in advanced materials, biological materials and related devices. He uses molecular dynamics simulation, combined with the density functional theory and continuum mechanics methods to develop methods to quantitatively predict physical and mechanical behaviours in novel wearable devices. His work has been published in top-tier journals including ACS Nano, Advanced Functional Materials, Energy Storage Materials, Advanced Science, etc. The ultimate goal of his research is to transfer the knowledge learned from natural materials with superior functions to engineering materials by rationally designing their structure. Dr Kang Zhanxiao received his Ph.D. degree from the Department of Mechanical Engineering of the University of Hong Kong in 2017. Then, he worked as Postdoctoral Fellow at ITC (now renamed SFT) since early 2018. He has more than ten years of research experience in thermal engineering. His research interests include heat and mass transfer, computational fluid dynamics, body thermoregulation modelling, and wearable technology for body thermal management. He has published over 25 peer-reviewed journal papers in journals including Building and Environment, International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, International Communications in Heat and Mass Transfer, International Journal of Thermal Sciences, Applied Thermal Engineering, etc. He is also a reviewer of many academic journals including the International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, Chemical Engineering Journal, Journal of Thermal Biology, etc.

Survey on consumer perceptions of sustainable fashion in Hong Kong and Macau

The School of Fashion and Textiles (SFT) and a Japanese global apparel retailer UNIQLO today jointly released the results of the “Survey on Consumer Perceptions of Sustainable Fashion in Hong Kong and Macau”, 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. The survey was designed and operated by Dr Di Fan, Assistant Professor, Dr Chris Lo, Associate Professor and Ms Weiqing Yan from SFT. Survey results showed that over 80% of Hong Kong and Macau consumers understand the concept of “sustainable development”, and about 56% of them are aware of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) proposed by the United Nations. Overall consumer attitudes towards apparel retail brands in Hong Kong and Macau are linked to the brand's sustainable development goals (SDGs) vision and actions. In view of the COVID-19 outbreak, consumers have become more concerned about sustainable fashion, with more than 80% of respondents saying they would consider a brand's position and approach to sustainability issues when selecting clothing, and more than 60% saying they would be willing to pay a premium of 10% to 20% above the original price for a sustainable fashion product. The pandemic has significantly changed many consumers’ apparel requirements. More than 80% of respondents believe that whether a product is sustainable will affect their selection on a retail apparel brand. 64% of respondents believe that the pandemic has made them more likely to buy durable clothing. At the same time, the respondents also said that during the pandemic, they paid more attention to the practicality (66.4%) and product quality (50.7%), followed by price (47.7%), appearance (35.4%) and personalization (30.1%). “An increasing number of fashion brands or industry experts have been paying more attention on sustainable development in recent years. We have seen the competitiveness of apparel retail brands gradually expand from product design and price to sustainability considerations, making ‘sustainable fashion’ more of a concern to consumers,” said Dr Di Fan, who coordinated the survey. He believed that this change in consumer spending patterns can have a positive impact on the fashion industry’s existing business model, and this change in behavior is evidence of a general awareness of the environmental pollution caused by the fashion industry. Over 40% of the respondents were neutral on whether apparel retail brands are “honest”, “reliable” and “able to do the right thing”. The survey also revealed that consumer trust is relevant to their propensity to purchase zero-carbon products. More than 60 percent of respondents were positive about sustainable fashion, but their preference for sustainable fashion was relatively low. Dr Chris Lo, who specializes in sustainable supply chains in the fashion industry, said, “In general, consumers are concerned that brands will pass on the cost of producing and selling sustainable products to consumers, and that design may be limited using sustainable materials. The fashion industry should strengthen its public education and publicity channels to increase consumers’ awareness of the sustainability of the fashion industry and thereby dispel their myths. The School of Fashion and Textiles will continue its effort in sustainable fashion education, so as to increase the awareness among consumers and industry practitioners”.

Congratulations Lydia: Newest management trainee @ La Perla

Over the past decades, the flagship programme of the School of Fashion and Textiles (SFT, previously known as ITC), the BA (Honours) Scheme in Fashion and Textiles, has nurtured nearly three hundred young fashion talents to support the fashion and textile industry in Hong Kong, Mainland China and internationally. Recently, one of our graduating student, Lydia Ng (BA, 2022), has been hired as Management Trainee at La Perla, a crafted luxury Italian lingerie, nightwear and swimwear brand. "Over the past year at La Perla as a merchandising intern, I have gained eye-opening insights and experiences into the luxury fashion industry, and I am more than grateful to receive my graduate job offer to continue working there as a management trainee," Lydia shared. Lydia has always been interested in and determined to pursue her career in the luxury fashion industry since young. In recent years, the pandemic has hindered the fresh graduates when it comes to job searching, especially in the retail industry. "La Perla has offered me so many insightful opportunities, from the participation of cross-departmental functions, to the collaboration with overseas counterparts. There are so much I never experienced, but I am excited to learn more. During a market analysis I did lately, I was able to apply the knowledge and skills that I have learnt and acquired from ITC (currently renamed as SFT). I am pleased that my supervisors appreciated my hard work and seriously considered my suggestions for future planning. I am thankful that I chose this programme as the beginning for my journey in the fashion industry." Lydia said.

Staff Promotions

SFT is delighted to announce that Dr Rong Liu has been promoted to Associate Professor, and Dr Magnum Lam and Dr Shuang Zhou have been promoted to Assistant Professor effective on 1 July 2022. Dr Rong Liu’s research interests include functional compression textiles, clothing ergonomic comfort and biomechanics, performance evaluation, and product innovation for healthcare, rehabilitation, and active sports. She holds a PhD degree in Textiles and Clothing Science and Technology, and MSc degrees in Biomedical Engineering and Clothing Engineering. Dr Liu was Assistant Professor at ITC; Visiting Assistant Professor at the College of Textiles of North Carolina State University; Research Fellow with the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences of PolyU; and R&D Manager, Technical Designer, and Director of Innovation Research in fashion/textile industrial companies. Dr Liu has secured 35+ project grants, published 100+ research articles and granted patents, and received 20+ design and academic research awards, including the 2021 ‘Faculty Awards for Outstanding Achievement-Technology Transfer’ in the fashion/textile industries. Dr Magnum Lam earned his PhD in Fashion Business at PolyU. He also holds an MA in Anthropology from the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Before joining ITC, Dr Lam was Visiting Scholar at the University of British Columbia – Okanagan (UBCO) and Visiting Fellow at the Hong Kong Design Institute. His research interests lie in corporate philanthropy, social innovation, fashion consumer behaviours, and symbolic meanings of consumption. Dr Shuang Zhou received her PhD at the University of Manchester in 2019 and then proceeded to join ITC in 2022. Her research interests lie primarily in the fields of digital and social media marketing, integrated marketing communications, and cross-cultural marketing. She is particularly interested in influencer marketing and the use of artificial intelligence and augmented and virtual realities in marketing. Dr Zhou has presented her work at several international academic conferences and worked as a teaching assistant for undergraduate and postgraduate courses in fashion marketing and retail at the University of Manchester.Congratulations to the three professors. We wish them continued success at SFT.