News

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   

Dr Huang Tsai-chun wins Gold in French Fashion Awards

Congratulations to Dr Huang Tsai-chun, Assistant Professor, who has been honoured as Gold Winner in the Ready-to-Wear-Casual Wear category in the prestigious French Fashion Awards. Dr Huang's award-winning series, "Style in Motion", was inspired by the art of tai chi, and integrates its essence into the collection through four new events at the 2024 Paris Olympics: breakdancing, skateboarding, surfing, and climbing. Each sport, along with tai chi, is represented by the five Olympic ring colours, with black for tai chi, yellow for breakdancing, green for skateboarding blue for surfing, and red for climbing. The collection used 3D dynamic scanners to capture the tai chi movements, and then transformed them into geometric origami structures. This innovative approach combines Eastern garment patterns with Western cutting techniques, thus creating unique silhouettes that reflect the dynamics of each sport. Utilising digital knitting and traditional folding methods, the sportswear collection enhances athletic performance, and embodies the tai chi philosophy of yin-yang harmony. The collection beautifully fuses Eastern and Western elements, thus resonating with the rhythm of the body and soul, and enhancing the inner qi. The designs translate the kinetic energy of these sports into tangible forms, elevating the performance and capturing the essence of each vibrant sport.  

HKSAR Government and PolyU chart a new chapter of Chinese cultural fashion creativity: “China-chic” fashion designs to celebrate National Day

To celebrate the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government and PolyU joined hands to start a new chapter in Chinese cultural and fashion creativity, showcasing the charm of Chinese culture and the unique grace of modern women to the world, and highlighting Hong Kong’s status as an “East-meets-West Centre for International Cultural Exchange”. SFT was honoured to be invited by the HKSAR Government to design a collection of “China-chic Fashion” for the Chief Executive’s wife, five female bureau secretaries and the director of the Chief Executive’s Office. The outfits were worn by them during their attendance at the National Day flag-raising ceremony and reception held by the HKSAR Government, as well as at other National Day celebratory activities. Led by Dr Dr Jin Lam, Associate Professor, the team spent three months designing seven distinctive “China-chic Fashion” for the Chief Executive’s wife, five female bureau secretaries and the director of the Chief Executive’s Office, based on their personal styles, preferences and work nature. The designs feature the use of Chinese knot buttons, Mandarin collars, side openings and exquisite jacquard fabrics. With modern tailoring and silhouettes, the fashion outfits showcase the unique charm of traditional Chinese culture and contemporary women. Dr Lam graduated with a bachelor’s degree from the Institute of Textiles and Clothing (former SFT) of PolyU in 2007 and her project has been recognised as a highly commended Research Project of the Year by the Times Higher Education Awards Asia 2024. PolyU’s Council Chairman Dr Lam Tai-fai said, “PolyU was invited by the HKSAR Government to design ‘China-chic Fashion’ for the Chief Executive’s wife and a group of senior female government officials in celebration of National Day. This invitation is a testament to their full trust and recognition of our work. With innovative thinking and sophisticated craftsmanship, our teachers and students from SFT have showcased the profound heritage of Chinese culture by perfectly incorporating traditional cultural elements into modern designs. PolyU will continue nurturing more talents to inject new vitality into the industry and drive innovative development in the fashion sector, manifesting Hong Kong as Asia’s premier fashion stage.” Dr Lam said that this cross-disciplinary creative collaboration will inspire the new generation of designers to embrace Chinese culture, and further promote the global influence of oriental aesthetics, cultivating a stronger sense of national esteem and patriotism.

Promotions and appointments

SFT is pleased to announce the promotions of the following academic staff members as Associate Professor with effective from 1 July 2024: Dr Fan Di Dr Chloe Ki Dr Jin Lam Dr Shou Dahua We are also pleased to welcome the following academic staff members who took up the full-time positions: Assistant Professor Dr Kuang Yunjuan Research Assistant Professor Dr Ding Yujuan Dr Lou Lun Dr Zhang Hanchao