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Prof. Xu Bingang’s team develops biocompatible materials for new e-textiles

Realising flexible electronics with wear comfort and durability that are comparable to traditional textiles is one of the ultimate pursuits of smart wearables. The fabrication of e-textiles is ideally to print conductive ink onto fabric, which is a simple and inexpensive process. However, fabricating high-performance atop textiles with good dispersity, stability, biocompatibility, and wearability for high-resolution, large-scale manufactured, and practical applications has remained challenging. Recently, Prof. Xu Bingang and his team made an innovative breakthrough in the field with the development of water-based multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) -decorated liquid metal (LM) inks with a carbonaceous micro-nanostructure of gallium–indium for new e-textiles. With the use of biopolymers, the sodium alginate-encapsulated LM droplets contain high carboxyl groups which non-covalently crosslink with silk sericin-mediated MWCNTs. The new e-textiles can be subsequently prepared via a printing technique for a naturally waterproof triboelectric coating, which facilitates good flexibility, hydrophilicity, breathability, wearability, biocompatibility, conductivity, stability, and excellent versatility, without the need for any artificial chemicals. The obtained e-textiles can be used in various applications with designable patterns and circuits. Multi-sensing applications that recognise complex human movements, breathing, phonation, and pressure distribution are found with repeatable and reliable signals. Self-powered and energy-harvesting capabilities are also presented by driving electronic devices and lighting LEDs. As proof of concept, this work provides new opportunities in a scalable and sustainable way to develop novel wearable electronic textiles and smart clothing for future commercial applications. The work is published in Nano-Micro Letters which has an impact factor of 26.6. The first author is Miss Chung King-yan, Clarie (BA, 2019), a local first-class honour graduate from our BA programme. She is currently pursuing her PhD study under the supervision of Prof. Xu Bingang.

Dr Chen Shaoyu wins PolyU Innovative Researcher Award 2024

Dr Chen Shaoyu, Assistant Professor, was honoured with the PolyU Innovative Researcher Award (YIRA) 2024 in recognition of her outstanding research work in tackling global challenges. The YIRA is a prestigious university-level award that recognises young faculty members under 35 years old who have demonstrated research excellence in addressing global challenges. Taking inspiration from nature, Dr Chen’s research project “Smart and Recyclable Materials from Supramolecular-Dynamic Covalent Co-Assembly of Stimuli-Responsive Amphiphiles and Biobased Polyelectrolytes” aims to create biocompatible and intelligent materials with feedback signals based on the supramolecular-dynamic covalent co-assembly of stimuli-responsive amphiphiles and biobased polyelectrolytes in ecological and recyclable approaches. The resulting materials are likely a significant step in the evolution of materials as advanced wearable sensors, smart fashion textiles, and soft robotics for daily health monitoring and early disease diagnosis, ultimately promoting human health and developing a more sustainable society.  Dr Chen’s research showcases the academic and research excellence at PolyU in meeting societal demands and creating practical solutions. Dr Chen will receive research funding support of HK$500,000, along with a personal cash prize of HK$20,000 to encourage her continuing pursuit of innovative and impactful research. SFT extends its warmest congratulations to Dr Chen for her remarkable achievement. We look forward to seeing more of her exciting research contributions and hard work.

6IXTY8IGHT X SFT | 68 Creator Award 2024

We are thrilled to announce the successful conclusion of the “68 Creator Award 2024” and its award presentation ceremony jointly organised by SFT and 6IXTY8IGHT, was held on 17 May. This competition, sponsored by the vibrant and youthful lingerie brand 6IXTY8IGHT, challenged BA students majored in Intimate Apparel and Activewear to design a capsule of lingerie items for the F/W 2024 season. The theme, “Redefine your lingerie”, inspired contestants to create four unique outfits tailored for 6IXTY8IGHT’s dynamic customers. A huge round of applause for Lai Ching-yan Nicky, who emerged as the Champion with her exquisite “Lady Ballet” collection. Nicky, with her childhood roots in ballet, envisions bringing the elegance and allure of ballet to the lingerie world. As a Gen Z innovator, she's keen on merging the girlish charm and subtle sensuality of ballet with the current balletcore fashion trend. Nicky was awarded a $3,000 6IXTY8IGHT cash coupon, and her exceptional designs will come to life in 6IXTY8IGHT stores come November 2024. Kudos also to our first runner-up, Lee Yeuk-lam Caroline, who received a $2,000 6IXTY8IGHT cash coupon, and to our second runner-up, Hung Hoi-wai, who was awarded a $1,000 6IXTY8IGHT cash coupon. Congratulations to all our winners and participants for their incredible talent and hard work. Stay tuned for more updates and the launch of the winning collection in stores!

ai-FaMeSTORE Avatar Design Contest

The ai-FaMeSTORE Avatar Design Contest award ceremony was successful concluded on 10 May. The event was marked by an impressive panel of judges, including esteemed Professor Calvin Wong from the Laboratory for Artificial Intelligence in Design (AiDLab), Mr Jimmy Chan, Head of Commercial, APAC of Goxip, and Ms Winnie Choy, Senior Manager of Regional E-business Projects of LVMH Fashion Group. A special note of congratulations was extended by Ms Kim Chung-ae, President of Della, who praised the exceptional talent of the participating students. “As fashion increasingly transitions to online platforms with the emergence of metaverse platforms and AI technologies, there is a growing demand for skilled digital fashion designers and content creators. In this transformative era, we firmly believe that SFT’s Avatar Design Contest has been instrumental in discovering talent in this emerging field.” Della is a Hong Kong-based luxury fashion retailer that specialises in bags, shoes, accessories and small leather goods. Professor Calvin Wong of AiDLab believes the fashion industry is undergoing significant changes and exciting opportunities in the Web 3.0 era, driven by technologies like AI, VR/AR, blockchain and the Internet of Things. “Avatars, virtual fashion, NFT fashion and their associated intellectual property are central to this transformation. By embracing virtual or NFT fashion, avatars empower individuals with and additional avenue to express their unique style in the digital realm.” Congratulations are in order for the contest winners! BA students Jim Yu-ching Natalie and Jiyeong Ko clinched the championship, while Hui Hei-yan Catherine secured second place. They were awarded cash prizes of $5,000 and $3,000, respectively. Additionally, their winning avatars will become the new faces of the ai-FaMe Store on SFT, the cutting-edge fashion NFT platform.

Professor Xu Bingang’s team has developed new textiles that can generate electricity directly from the air

Rapid technological developments have greatly reduced the size of electronics and increased their portability. The number of portable devices worldwide reached 12.2 billion in 2021, which is predicted to more than double to over 25 billion in 2025. The exorbitant number of small electronics has led to an ever-increasing demand for energy. Existing energy sources are primarily derived from unsustainable resources, such as coal, oil and natural gas, which are non-renewable and lead to global pollution. Therefore, developing renewable and sustainable types of energy is urgently needed, which is an important but challenging task. Recently, Professor Xu Bingang and his team made an innovative breakthrough in the field by developing a new type of wearable textile that can generate electricity directly from air. This development is based on their new understanding and regulation of charge transfer and ion occupation effects. The textile is capable of generating an impressive electric output (0.88 V and 37.58 µA at a size of 4 cm2) across a wide range of relative humidities (10% to 90%) and ambient temperatures (-30˚C to 50˚C), including various weather conditions such as sunny, cloudy, overcast, and rainy, regardless whether it is day or night. As a result, the scaled-up new textiles have the ability to power various wearable electronic devices, including optical fibres, luminous shoes, digital timers, high-power digital multi-sensors, and wireless locators, with a maximum work time of over 200 days. The innovative work promotes the further development of next-generation renewable energy technologies and smart wearable systems. A patent application has been filed to protect the intellectual property of this technology, and the theoretical foundations have been published in Advanced Functional Materials.

Appreciating Chinese art and culture - “Stitchable Chinese Arts” fashion design competition

Jointly organised by the Education Bureau and SFT, the “Stitchable Chinese Arts” Fashion Design Competition is open to all primary and secondary students in Hong Kong. The theme of this competition is “Modern China-Chic”. To prepare for submission, primary and secondary students participated in a series of online briefing sessions, courses on fashion design and technology, as well as design workshops, to learn how to design fashionable clothing inspired by traditional Chinese art and cultural elements, and catch a glimpse of the dynamic and ever-changing fashion industry. The participants were required to design and sketch a “T-shirt” and a “whole garment outfit”. In total, 660 and 844 artworks were received from 51 primary and 76 secondary schools, respectively. Among the submissions, 20 primary and 30 secondary students were shortlisted. With the support of SFT professors and students, these 50 finalists participated in workshops in April and May 2024 at SFT to transform their designs into real garments. On 29 August, their creations will be presented on the runway at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre.

SFT scholars garner global recognition at the 49th International Exhibition of Inventions Geneva

Three SFT scholars Prof. Calvin Wong, Prof. Jeanne Tan, and Dr Shou Dahua proudly won four medals, including one Gold Medal with Congratulations of the Jury, two Gold Medals, and one Silver Medal at the 49th International Exhibition of Inventions Geneva (Geneva Inventions Expo), a widely recognised annual event devoted exclusively to invention. This year, 1,035 entries from 38 countries and regions were attracted. Their award-winning innovations underscore the commitment of the PolyU and SFT community, encompassing scholars, students and alumni, to embracing research breakthroughs. 1.    Gold Medal with Congratulations of the Jury: AI Knitted Textile System with Interactive Illumination Principal investigator: Prof. Jeanne Tan, Centre Assistant Director of AiDLab; Professor The AI knitted textile system possesses two unique features: An offline system based on self-built algorithm and a patented illuminative Polymeric Optical Fibre (POF) knitted textile, Intuitive commands with immediate responses enable customisation and facilitate inclusive interaction.  This textile system can be applied in the contexts of interior design, product design and sensory rehabilitation. The project is from from AiDLab (established under the AIR@InnoHK cluster in collaboration with the Royal College of Art, UK).   2.    Gold Medal: iActive: Intelligent Active- Perspiration Activewear Principal investigator: Dr Shou Dahua, Limin Endowed Young Scholar in Advanced Textiles Technologies; Assistant Professor iActive sportswear features artificial sweat glands and a root- like liquid transport system, to dissipate sweat faster, and with more control. Unlike traditional sportswear – which, with perspiration, becomes heavy and clingy and does not breathe effectively – iActive excels at active sweat management, ensuring dry, comfortable, high- performance activewear. iActive creates a breathable and dry skin microclimate by dissipating sweat at a rate that is three times faster than the maximum human sweating rate. It also reduces discomfort from post-exercise chills. A smartphone app further aids personalised sweat management by wirelessly adjusting the sweat level of iActive to ensure a dry, relaxing workout experience. It is 60% lighter and 50% less clingy when soaked, providing the wearer with all-round comfort. iActive is highly sought after by athletes, sports enthusiasts, construction workers, hyperhidrosis patients and high- performance professionals, signifying an innovative and sustainable future in sportswear technology.   3.    Gold Medal: AiDA: AI-based Design Assistant for Fashion Principal investigator: Prof. Calvin Wong, Centre Director of AiDLab; Cheng Yik Hung Professor in Fashion Currently, fashion designers prepare their mood boards to start their creation process. It then usually takes a few weeks to months to modify, refine and finalise the new collections. AI- based Design Assistant for Fashion, named AiDA embedded with various AI technologies, is the first designer-led AI system to serve as an assistant to fashion designers and positions as an inspiration tool to enhance and accelerate the fashion design process. Through the co-working relationship between fashion designer and AiDA, AiDA can provide many design possibilities speedily, say 8 outfits in 10 seconds each time and speed up the whole fashion design process by 70%. The project is from from AiDLab (established under the AIR@InnoHK cluster in collaboration with the Royal College of Art, UK).   4.    Silver Medal: WiseEye: A standalone AI based defect detection, classification and grading system for textiles Principal investigator: Prof. Calvin Wong, Centre Director of AiDLab; Cheng Yik Hung Professor in Fashion In global textile and apparel industries, the inspection of textile materials relies mainly on human visual inspection which is unreliable and inefficient. WiseEye is a pioneer standalone AI based inspection system to detect, classify and grade defects automatically and instantly on common woven, knitted, and non- woven textile materials in high- speed inspection environments. It alleviates the problem of shortage of highly skilled quality inspectors and minimises downstream wastage. The project is from from AiDLab (established under the AIR@InnoHK cluster in collaboration with the Royal College of Art, UK).

PolyU and Seoul National University sign MoU

We are delighted to announce a new partnership with the Seoul National University (SNU), which is ranked 29th in the QS World University Rankings 2023. This collaboration aims to establish academic exchange opportunities to both institutions'  research postgraduate and undergraduate students. On 26 April, Professor Erin Cho, Dean of SFT, and Professor Yuri Lee, Dean of the College of Human Ecology at SNU,signed two Memoranda of Understanding (MoU). These MoU mark a pivotal moment in fostering a strategic cooperation and collaboration between SFT and the Department of Fashion and Textiles at SNU.The partnership includes the establishment of a dual PhD degree programme and student exchange programme. 

“Stitchable Chinese Arts” Fashion Design Competition | Results Announcement

BSc (Hons) Digital Fashion X GOELIA Capstone project on Global Branding Strategies

The BSc (Hons) Digital Fashion programme of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University has successfully completed an exciting collaboration with GOELIA, a renowned ladieswear fashion brand in China. Established in 1995, GOELIA was born with a single vision: to craft garments with sincerity that transcend borders. In the past 29 years, GOELIA has dedicated wholeheartedly to fashion using high quality fabrics, carefully designing and sewing, and offering the most reasonable pricing to customers. Since 2022, Goelia has achieved global expansion, connecting with users in over 46 countries and regions worldwide via their website www.goelia1995.com. Additionally, their flagship stores have flourished on a global scale, establishing a presence from China and Singapore to Australia and beyond. The collaboration between the Digital Fashion programme and GOELIA aims to connect PolyU students with the fashion industry in the Greater Bay Area which empowers final year undergraduates through real-world experiences and exposure to the industry in a capstone project on global branding strategies. The capstone project, ‘Cross Boundaries’, witnessed the collaboration of 30 final year students with GOELIA in a two-phase proposal development competition. In Phase 1, the students conducted in-depth research on GOELIA and proposed innovative initial ideas for the introduction of the brand to two overseas cities, which would contribute to its global expansion plans. Among the 13 initial proposals submitted to GOELIA, 5 proposals were selected in Phase 2 to further fine tune the ideas. Teams were formed to develop more comprehensive branding strategy proposals to compete for the final prize. The selected teams were challenged to develop plans for a branding strategy by creating digital content that aims to introduce the brand to international consumers and enhance the positive image of the brand. We are grateful for the support from GOELIA for this collaboration, including a field trip to their highly digitalised manufacturing facilities at their headquarters in Guangzhou as well as their retail stores, museum and gallery. This trip gave the students the opportunity to have a first-hand understanding of the brand’s history, operations and marketing strategies. GOELIA also coached and supported the selected teams on the production of digital content for this capstone project. Last but not least, we are grateful to the generous cash prizes given to the winning teams that reward the efforts and innovative ideas of the students in this branding strategy project. This collaboration between the BSc (Hons) Digital Fashion programme and GOELIA represents a significant milestone in linking the industry with our future talents. Integrating academic excellence with industrial expertise, this collaboration has equipped students with theoretical knowledge, practical skills and a better understanding of the fashion industry through the lens of a successful fashion brand.