News

Postgraduate programmes attract high calibre international students

Every year, the taught postgraduate programmes at ITC attract applicants from all parts of the world. These applicants have a diversity of personal and educational backgrounds. Despite COVID-19, the number of non-local applications to our two MA programmes has been impressive this year, with 86% of the Fashion and Textile Design and 66% of the Fashion and Textiles applicants from outside of Hong Kong. Not everyone would choose to pursue a Master’s or Ph.D. degree after graduation from their undergraduate degree as the endeavor would require years of dedication and effort. Wang Xinyu, Claire, a first year MA student in Fashion and Textiles who graduated from Colorado State University in the U.S., shares why she has chosen to undertake a Master’s degree at ITC: "I wanted to acquire an in-depth understanding of the fashion industry. ITC is a well-known fashion institute across the world, not only in Asia, but also in the U.S." Claire chose to study in Hong Kong rather than enroll in her undergraduate university in the U.S. because of the difference between the Asian and North American fashion industries while the pandemic is in full force: "The fashion industry in the U.S. is going through a rough time, so switching to a different environment is perhaps a good beginning for my new journey. I plan to pursue my PhD study at ITC after my Master’s degree." Na Yangyumeng, who graduated from the Oregon State University in the U.S., faced many challenges when she decided to enroll in Fashion and Textiles in the MA programme due to travel restrictions: "I was coping with many challenges, but then another challenge laid ahead. I found out that I could not fly to Hong Kong for my classes as I am in Yunnan in Mainland China." She was also concerned about adapting to the differences in teaching style and method online. Even though Yumeng cannot be in the same physical space as her professors at the moment, she emphasizes that the professors at ITC are very welcoming and experienced as they attach great importance to cultivating the critical thinking process of students despite being restricted to online classes. She hopes to develop networks in Hong Kong during her study for her future career. Xie Weilu, a first year student in Fashion and Textile Design in the MA programme, graduated from the China Central Academy of Fine Arts, and is from Guangzhou, China. She hopes to enhance her  design skills, which motivated her to enroll in the MA programme even though it has been a few years since she received her undergraduate degree. Weilu said, "I am aspiring to broaden my horizons, have greater achievements and contribute to my future career. Thus, I left my job to chase my ambitions, despite that it is hard for me to return to university life." Life is full of uncertainty and challenges, and these unprecedented times have not prevented our students from pursuing their dreams despite the challenges, as many of them are from far away places. Since no one should have regrets, follow your dreams and stay strong to make them come true. We are proud that the reputation of ITC has attracted students from other countries, and ITC welcomes Claire, Yumeng and Weilu among the many new ITC graduate students as they further their studies at our institute.

Sammie Wong recipient of Innovation and Technology Scholarship 2020

Congratulations go to Sammie Wong, a Year 4 BA student who is majoring in Knitwear Design & Technology. She has been recognized as one of the four outstanding students at PolyU who have received the Innovation and Technology Scholarship 2020 jointly sponsored by the Innovation and Technology Commission and HSBC, and organised by The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups (HKFYG). Sammi will receive a scholarship of up to HK$150,000. Sammie Wong has been recognized as one of the four outstanding students at PolyU who have received the Innovation and Technology Scholarship 2020 In total, the scholarship is awarded to twenty-five recipients this year, who are all exceptional undergraduates from different universities in Hong Kong and have diverse backgrounds, including medicine, physiotherapy, mechanical engineering, public health, speech and hearing sciences, and other science-related areas of study. They were selected from a pool of 163 candidates. All of these outstanding awardees underwent a highly competitive selection process, have demonstrated excellence in their academic studies, and are passionate about innovation and technology.  Other PolyU awardees include those who are majoring in radiography, occupational therapy and physiotherapy. The HKFYG requires students to participate in a series of initiatives to enhance their international exposure and further their passion and commitment toward science and technology. Sammie designed an innovative product called “The Stressless Climate Detective Sleeping Bag” which focuses on developing a thermally sensitive fabric for the homeless by using nanotechnology. Apart from receiving the scholarship, Sammie represented PolyU when she participated in the prestigious Future Retail Challenge student competition. The theme this year is to make a retailer relevant again against the challenges of COVID-19 under Project Retail Phoenix. Sammie and her team members worked on a project that focuses on a 3D home printer to create food for a restaurant that is suffering from loss of business during the pandemic. The printer is installed with a camera and a projector so that people can eat and connect with their friends and family while enjoying the food. Sammie had a wonderful experience with her team members on preparing a professional business proposal and making the presentation to four world-renowned retail leaders, including Ms Alexandra Waldman, Co-founder and Chief Creative Officer of Universal Standard; Mr Antonis Kyprianou, General Manager - Franchising of Tendam; Mr Bernie Brookes, Former CEO of Edcon; and Ms Michelle Feeney, Founder of Floral Street. Li & Fung has supported the Future Retail Challenge and mentored the students for over a decade. Sammie is one of these students. She is very appreciative of Li & Fung for sponsoring her and her team members to participate in such a meaningful event. Currently, Sammie is working at GOXIP as a fashion curation intern and has had the opportunity to develop and design more than 250 posters, logos and banners for digital marketing channels.

ITC welcomes new Teaching Fellow

ITC is pleased to welcome Ms Cristina Kountiou, a newly appointed Teaching Fellow in Fashion Business. Ms Kountiou is a fashion catalyst and educator with over 20 years of experience.  Her transition from design to  quality assurance, product development and brand management has provided her with a comprehensive overview of the industry and a focus on sustainability. She has 14 years  of industry experience and 7 years of teaching experience across 3 fashion departments at a creative design institution, where she taught Luxury Fashion Management. This program based in the US was voted No. 1 in BOF. She has always strived to connect the industry and education sector, and believes in bringing fashion education to the forefront with new technology and creative thinking.  She has continued to consult on fashion business development and sustainable practices.  With a passion for sustainable research and development, Ms Kountiou managed sustainable start-up label Puer, developing the branding and design, and marketing the label as well as showcasing it at the Berlin Fashion week and Pure London. Cristina managed design teams for a Hong Kong based design house, developing trend reports and forecasting, design concepts and products for womenswear collections, childrenswear and sportswear. Brands that she has worked for include: DKNY jeans, Esprit, and House of Fraser. She has also conducted design and brand consulting for independent labels.

Prof. Chi-wai Kan and team develop reusable isolation gowns that sustain 30 washes

A research team at ITC led by Prof. Chi-wai Kan has developed a reusable isolation gown that can maintain 90% of its antibacterial effect after 30 washings. Prof. Kan states that the reusable gown can resist virus and bacteria like COVID-19, Escherichia coli., Staphylococcus aureus  and H1N1. The antibacterial effect remains acceptable for use in places like residential care homes where the risk of infection is still relatively low after the gown is washed for up to 104 times. However, he adds, the gown would be worn out after so many washes, and suggests 30 washes as the limit. The team secured about HK$1.7 million in funding from the Special Call for Projects for the Prevention and Control of Coronavirus Disease 2019 of the Innovation and Technology Commission for the development of reusable isolation gowns that can be used in higher risk environments such as residential care homes. Prof. Kan says that unlike disposable isolation gowns, which are highly protective but unbreathable, their novel reusable gowns are made by applying an antibacterial coating onto cotton fabric, which ensures that they are comfortable. The reusable gown was first developed in 2018. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the ITC team has added a waterproof coating onto the gown so that virus droplets bounce off the surface. Prof. Kan explains that the coronavirus is usually carried as droplets; therefore, the risk of infection would be increased if these droplets are allowed to remain on the garment. As for the cost, Prof. Kan says that disposable gowns are about HK$10 each, and hence HK$300 for 30 gowns. However, the cost of his reusable gown is definitely lower than the disposable ones.

New record set: Six top achievers with 5*/5** in five subjects admitted to ITC

Six high-calibre students with top scores in this year's Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (HKDSE) examination have been admitted to the BA (Honours) Scheme in Fashion and Textiles at ITC. One of the students scored 32# in the five best HKDSE subjects, which set a new historical high since the introduction of HKDSE in 2012. Prof. Jintu Fan, Head and Chair Professor of ITC had this to say about the calibre of the applicants: “This year has been an exceptionally difficult year for HKDSE candidates, yet we see them striving for self-improvement and achieving outstanding results. I am exceptionally delighted to have over 3,000 local and international applications (for both first-year and senior year admissions). Quite a number of them came from renowned schools, including St. Paul's Secondary School, St. Paul's Convent School, St Stephen's Girls' College, True Light Girls' College, Maryknoll Convent School, Canossa College and many more. We hope they can further nurture and develop their interests at ITC to achieve their dreams.” One of these academically outstanding students, Lau Ka-sum Sammi, received an admission scholarship of HK$35,000 with three 5*s and two 5s in her five best HKDSE subjects. She hopes to study fashion at ITC to fulfil ambitions that she has held since primary school. "Being a fashion designer is my lifelong dream. PolyU's ITC is the best in Hong Kong and Asia. I chose ITC without any hesitation." In Hong Kong, most parents want their children to become a doctor, lawyer, accountant financial analyst, or other well-paid professionals. But not Sammi’s parents. "My parents and friends unconditionally supported my decision. They know I love fashion so much. Studying in other programmes would not be an alternative at all." A graduate from the Buddhist Sin Tak College, Sammi majored in Chinese literature, Chinese history and visual arts. She loves to draw and make handicrafts, and is also interested in ancient Chinese culture and history. She also enjoys watching fashion shows. "I don't know much about fashion brands, still, luxury fashion brands like Chanel and Dior are my favourite. The Moschino show earlier was amazing too!” When asked to give some advice to other aspiring students who would like to excel in the HKDSE, Sammi said, "While I've never set up a schedule to review the instructed information, I did however set aside time to study each subject. The amount of time is not an issue, as it is more important to absorb the information. Every day, I would set a goal for myself. When I achieved it, I stopped reviewing and left the rest for the next day." Another high achiever is Chan Wai-yin Natalie, who is also passionate about art and later, fashion, after attending a fashion workshop. "This was the first time that I created a dress with my old school uniform by adding lots of details and embroidered details. Since then, my passion for fashion continues to grow." Natalie graduated from Valtorta College with exceptional results of one 5**, two 5*s and two 4s in her five best DSE subjects. She reached level 5** in the extended maths module, 5* in Mathematics as well as Business, Accounting & Financial Studies. "I did struggle when filling in the JUPAS form as I wasn’t sure about the career prospects. I struggled again when I received my HKDSE results. At the end, I chose this BA programme as I think that it is important to study what I’m interested in during my four years in university. It's true that I'm good at math and I should take advantage of my results to apply for an accounting programme. But fashion is still on my top wish list." Natalie said. The Blonds is Natalie's favourite brand. "I love their style, craftsmanship, eye-catching colours and diverse use of luxurious materials. I love watching their fashion shows." Natalie added. In March 2020, along with all the students scheduled to take the HKDSE who were panicking about the rescheduling of the examination, Natalie also felt lost: "I didn't know what to do and how to prepare for my examination, as the date hadn’t been fixed. Seemed like everything became meaningless." The examination date was finally confirmed on 15 April 2020, which motivated Natalie to study hard. Unlike Sammi, Natalie prepared a schedule for reviewing taught information: "I pushed myself very hard, and suffered from insomnia. I didn’t want to disappoint my teachers and parents, I didn’t want the  6 years of high school to have been a waste. I stressed out." Later, she realised that if she could not control her mentality and emotions, her knowledge and abilities would not be reflected in the examination results. She successfully found ways to release stress. Her exceptional scores are good proof of this success. Natalie doesn’t have a dream job yet. She is hoping that she can find direction after graduation.   Note: #The PolyU scoring system giving bonus points to applicants achieving 5 or above, where Level 5** = 8.5; 5*= 7; 5 = 5.5.  

2020 Intimate and Activewear Exhibition: Designers in Progress (23 - 27 Nov)

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) will hold the 2020 Intimate & Activewear Exhibition ‘Designers in progress’ from 23 to 27 November 2020 at the Fashion Gallery, showcasing the creativity and design talents of 12 graduating students. The 12 collections of six outfits put on show were designed and produced by students majoring in Intimate Apparel and Activewear under ITC, with raw materials sponsored by intimate apparel manufacturers and suppliers. The chief sponsor this year is Nobeemas, a well-known high-end lingerie brand of Melaydoti.  Prof. Wing-tak Wong, Dean of Faculty of Applied Science and Textiles, PolyU, expressed his gratitude to the industry for its generous support to the Show which enhanced the diversity of students’ learning experience. Prof. Jintu Fan, Chair Professor and Head of ITC, remarked that the students have overcome enormous challenges in completing their collections as the university was closed for a few months due to COVID-19 pandemic. Our students have fully demonstrated their innovation, talent and passion for intimate apparel and activewear design in the exhibition. Ms Angie Lau, Chairman of Hong Kong Intimate Apparel Industries’ Association and the CEO of Clover Group International Limited, stressed that HKIAIA would continue to support and nurture the younger generation for the continuous development of the industry. For more photos, please click here.

International Fashion Competitions 2020-2021

International fashion competitions are calling for application across the globe, we would like to invite all ITC students to actively participate in them. We strongly believe that the competitions would provide great opportunities for you to showcase your talents, expand your creative boundaries and win excellent rewards and experiences! You are advised to browse the official websites of respective competitions for detailed guidelines, eligibility and the format of submission.

Advisory Board and Academic Committee newly formed for The Fashion Gallery

It is our great pleasure and honour to announce the first Advisory Board and the first Academic Committee of The Fashion Gallery at PolyU. Established in 2009, The Fashion Gallery is the only gallery in the region that specifically exhibits fashion and textiles. Regular exhibitions at The Fashion Gallery are free to the public, which provides an open forum and dialogue with the design community at large. The Fashion Gallery best exemplifies a global endeavor; not only is a platform provided for the exchange of original design concepts between the East and West, but interdisciplinary networking is also facilitated. We are extremely grateful to the distinguished members of the Advisory Board and Academic Committee for their service and hope that as a collective entity, we will break new grounds in fashion and textiles.  For the list of Advisory Board, please click here. For the list of Academic Committee, please click here.

Prof. Xiaoming Tao recipient of 2020 Guanghua Engineering Science and Technology Award

Prof. Xiaoming Tao, Chair Professor of ITC, is the recipient of the 2020 Guanghua Engineering Science and Technology Award granted by the Chinese Academy of Engineering. She was nominated for the award by the Hong Kong Academy of Engineering. This is a prestigious award that acknowledges Chinese engineering science and technology experts who have made important contributions and outstanding achievements in the related fields. It is the highest award in the engineering field by social organizations in China. Since 1996, the biennial Guanghua Engineering Science and Technology Award has been awarded 13 times. A total of 305 recipients who hail from different engineering fields have been given the honor, including for example, machinery, electronics, chemicals, textiles, etc. As a textile engineering expert, Prof. Tao has made original contributions in the areas of new spinning and smart textile technology. Prof. Tao has led her team to propose for the first time a new ring-spun single yarn structure and a theory around low torque, low twist and high strength yarns. They have invented a one-step low-torque single yarn spinning method by modifying a conventional spinning frame to produce single yarns with the unique new structure, thus successfully remedying a major technical problem of ring-spun yarn with low twist and low strength that has long plagued the industry. Under the premise of ensuring quality and production efficiency, the yarn twist is greatly reduced and the productivity of the spinning frame is increased. Other advantages of this technology include reducing energy use during spinning, and avoiding the fiber damage that is common in the original process and the use and discharge of steam, water and chemicals. It is the first time that this technology has been successfully applied in the industry worldwide to realize mass production, and has achieved significant economic and social benefits. Fabric electronic sensing technologies have been invented including fabric strain gauges, pressure sensors and bio-potential electrodes that are sensitive and reliable, capable of large deformation sensing, have anti-fatigue ability, resistant to washing, and have a highly dynamic response. They overcome the shortcomings of the existing technologies such as small measurement range, poor repeatability and stability, and non-washability. Their industrialized production has been achieved, thus providing the real practical textile electronic sensing technologies for numerous wearable systems. A number of theoretical models and experimental methods have been proposed for fiber-based optoelectronic devices. Prof. Tao is recognized as one of the world leaders in the field of smart textile research. Prof. Tao is Chair Professor of Textile Technology and Director of the Research Center for Smart Wearable Technology at ITC. She is the former World President of The Textile Institute, an international professional society.

ITC Summer Internship 2019/20

The ITC Summer Internship Programme was initiated in 2017 with the aim of enriching the learning experience of students through local or overseas on-the-job training. The professional work experience not only improves the industry skills of students, but cultivates professional soft skills, including interpersonal and communication skills, and time management. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, most of our internship partners have been forced to suspend or modify their participation in the internship programme. This year, six companies in retailing, manufacturing and buying offered intern positions to 13 ITC students. The students have greatly benefited from the invaluable opportunity to gain experience in their field. Coco Lam, who is majoring in Design in the BA programme, interned with Concept 4 during the past summer and had this to say about her internship experience: “I've learnt a lot of skills and techniques for official meetings and negotiations. I finally realised the importance of communication skills and how to use them to encourage receptiveness to my suggestions.” Coco's presentation at Concept 4 Coco's Project 1: prints creation and sample launch Coco's Project 2: Product shoot As an intern with Newtimes Development Ltd. which provides supply chain management, sourcing and the development of products for two American brands, Nordstrom and The Normal Brand, So Nga-wun Tara assisted with product development tasks and quality control during sample production. As a student who is majoring in Retail and Marketing in the BA programme, she found the job to be very challenging, "I think that product development is a complex and intensive process which requires tremendous effort from different departments. I became more mindful of details and more careful after I was given the task of inspecting the garment samples.”   Tara's Project 1: Product development with Nordstrom for SS 2021 Tara’s first 3D runway show made possible by using CLO fashion design software at Newtimes This is the first time that Newtimes Development Ltd. is participating in the internship programme. They accepted three student interns for three different departments in their company. Mr Paul Walsh, CEO, stated, "It was our absolute pleasure to provide student internship opportunities to ITC this year - they all demonstrated incredible enthusiasm, effort and talent during their tenure with us and represent the bright future ahead for our apparel industry!" OnTheList also took part in the internship programme for the first time. The company was established in 2016, and offers luxury brands to members at a discount price. Initially OnTheList offered internship positions in Hong Kong, Taipei, Shanghai and Singapore. Due to COVID-19, four internships were provided to ITC students to support the Hong Kong outlet. Ho Ka-yee Kelly, who is majoring in Design in the BA programme, was one of the student interns at OnTheList. She was responsible for supporting the floor team, especially during the Flash Sales events. "As a design student, I am also interested in fashion retail. At OnTheList, my knowledge has been enriched by the hands-on work experience, and I had the opportunity to witness the store operations, merchandising systems, business metrics, consumer behavior and buying experience." Kelly said. "Retailing plays an important role in the entire business operation. If customers are given bad service, it doesn’t matter how great the design is, and how perfect the marketing strategy is, the business won’t last very long," she added.