News

ITC welcomes new Teaching Fellow

Dr Manas K Sarkar is a newly appointed Teaching Fellow in Fashion & Textile Technology. He earned his Ph.D. in Textile from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Before joining ITC, Dr Sarkar worked as Research Head in a Hong Kong-based textile company.  His academic interest is in weaving, fabric design, fabric comfort and functional textiles. He has wide experience in teaching, research and the industry.  

PolyU Intimate Fashion Show 2020

ITC held the PolyU Intimate Fashion Show 2020 on 9 July at the Hotel ICON, 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. Three renowned figures in the design and fashion industry, Ms Beverly Black, Mr Dorian Ho and Mr Walter Ma, were invited to be the judges to select the Grand Prize of the show. ITC alumna and artist of TVB, Ms Chan Yan Yan, was also invited as MC for the show. The Grand Prize was won by Au Cho-Ying, Sally with her “Mountainous” sporty collection. Sally got her inspirations from huge mountains, she then made use of Chinese brush painting skills to illustrate the mountain sceneries, and combined them with the smocking patterns. Sally said sportswear is as skintight as intimate wear, she has taken much consideration to the functional features while doing tailoring: " I hope my designs can strike a balance of beauty and functionality – for example, the neckline should not be too high or too low. One can feel the comfort of wearing when doing sports while keeping a sleek look. Another student, Chow Ching-lam, Ariel's work "Infinity O" was chosen by the audience and as the " Audience Favorite". Ariel's design incorporates silver chains made up of small circles. Ariel explained that there are many limitations in real life, but she believes that "the only person that can set limits in life is yourself." Through this collection, she hopes to express her endless imagination and her courage to breakthrough. 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 show. 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.

National Research Foundation of Korea awards major research grant to ITC collaborative initiative

ITC is very pleased to announce an exciting new collaborative initiative.  The National Research Foundation of Korea, which is one of the most privileged research funding sources in South Korea, has awarded  KRW 240,000,000 (≈HKD 1,550,000) for three years (2020-2023) towards a project proposal entitled “K-lifestyle co-creation of young Vietnamese consumers: Focused on millennials and Z generation”. This project is led by Prof. Ho Jung Choo (PI) and her research team at the Seoul National University (SNU) in collaboration with Dr Eunsoo Baek, Assistant Professor of ITC, Dr Sangwon Park, School of Hotel and Tourism Management (SHTM), and the Hospitality & Tourism Institute (HTI) of the Duy Tan University (DTU). The initiative uses an interdisciplinary approach to integrate shopping/fashion marketing with tourism. This is a pioneering endeavour that establishes a trio relationship among three top universities in Asia.

Innovation and Technology Fund approves $26 million for ITC research projects

The Innovation and Technology Fund (ITF), which is administered by the Innovation and Technology Commission, has approved a total of HK$26M to fund eight ITC led projects in the past six months. The projects are diverse in scope and range from antiviral and durable clothing for healthcare workers to fabric for unidirectional liquid transport, medical pressure clothing, wearable energy fabrics, and antiviral, washable and reusable face masks, just to name a few.  These projects not only demonstrate the strong research capabilities of the ITC staff members but also their commitment to the well-being of the community.  Congratulations to the following successful recipients of the funding. Project Title Project-in-charge Trial: Development of a Low-cost Transplanar and In-plane Water Transport Tester for Fabrics Prof. KAN Chi Wai Developing Antiviral and Durable Clothing for Healthcare Worker in Elderly Home Prof. KAN Chi Wai Design and Development of Textile-based Vascular Prosthesis Dr LIU Rong 3D Printed Antivirus Materials and Application in Public Facilities Dr LO Kwan-yu Chris Nature Inspired Fabric for Unidirectional Liquid Transport Dr SHOU Dahua Key Technologies of Customized Intelligent Medical Pressure Clothing Prof. TAO Xiaoming Technology Development of Wearable Energy Fabrics Dr XU Bingang PUTM30 - Antiviral, Washable and Reusable Face Masks Dr YIP Joanne Yiu Wan

Academia and mass media jointly promote innovative research work of Prof. Jintu Fan and Dr Dahua Shou

Recently, a highly acclaimed research paper titled 'Skin-like' fabric for personal moisture management has been featured in the Hong Kong Economic Times, Sing Tao Daily and Ming Pao newspapers. This paper is co-authored by Prof. Jintu Fan, Head of ITC, and Dr Dahua Shou, Assistant Professor of ITC, and published in the Science Advances journal. The research work discusses a “skin-like” directional liquid transport fabric, which enables one-way liquid flow through spatially distributed channels that act like “sweat glands” yet repel external liquid contaminants. The water transmission rate can be 15 times greater than that of the best commercial breathable fabrics. This exceptional property is achieved by creating gradient wettability channels across a predominantly superhydrophobic substrate. The flow directionality is explained by the Gibbs pinning criterion. The permeability, mechanical property, and abrasion resistance (up to 10,000 cycles) of the fabric are not affected by the treatment. In addition to functional clothing, this concept can be extended to develop materials for oil-water separation, wound dressings, geotechnical engineering and flexible microfluidics applications, and fuel cell membranes. L. Lao, D. Shou, Y. S. Wu and J. T. Fan. “Skin-like” fabric for personal moisture management. Science Advances  03 Apr 2020, https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aaz0013

Knitwear sustainable solutions – Knitwear design students collaborate on project with UPW

UPW, a leading spinner of high quality yarns, initiated a sustainable design project in January 2020 based on the inspiring theme of ‘Find the Beauty in what you have’. The company invited all BA Year 3 students who are majoring in Knitwear Design and Technology to take part in the project and provided them with used fabric swatches as the raw materials to recreate new designs. The students could freely experiment and develop their designs with the UPW swatches and other reused materials, and apply different techniques such as embroidery, crocheting and felting. The project allowed the UPW and our students to collaborate on a very meaningful project, which not only highlighted sustainability in fashion, but also encouraged our students to start thinking about the design process in different ways. On 17 June 2020, ten students presented their design concepts and prototypes at the UPW head office. Their work is innovative and interesting, and a variety of products that were made from the UPW swatches and recycled materials were shown to Ms Grace Lant, Designer of UPW. Ms Lant commented that the products are creative and exciting. She hopes that fashion sustainability would continue to be an integral part of future designs. After the presentation, UPW chose Tina Ngan and Leung Hiu-man as the winners for the best design, and will sponsor the yarn for their final collections next year. The UPW yarn collection comprises woollen-spun, semi-worsted and fancy twisted yarns, all dyed and spun at their own facilities in Dongguan, China. They produce design-led luxury yarn collections with amazing colours, and supply the most respected brands and retailers worldwide with exceptional yarns. In recent years, UPW has made a corporate commitment  to environmental protection and sustainability in the production process and to source natural fibres. The UPW is a member of the Better Cotton Initiative.

EcoMat organises two webinars on solar cells

Prof. Zijian Zheng, Professor of ITC, is the editor-in chief of EcoMat, a journal co-published by PolyU and Wiley. The aim of EcoMat is to publish on a wide variety of topics from different disciplines that share a focus on cutting-edge advanced materials for green energy and the environment. In May and June 2020, EcoMat organized two webinars on solar cells. The first webinar, “EcoMat Perovskite Solar Cells Webinar”, was held on 20 May which featured the following speakers and topics: Prof. Sang Il Seok of the Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology: “The impact of A-site cationic management in ‘APb13’ perovskite solar cells” Prof. Hongwei Han of the Huazhong University of Science and Technology: “Highly stable printable mesoscopic perovskite solar cells” Prof. Feng Yan of PolyU: “Strategies for achieving high-performance Sn-based perovskite solar cells” The second webinar, “EcoMat Organic Solar Cells Webinar”, was held on 17 June and featured the following speakers and topics: Prof. Feng Gao of Linköping University : “Voltage losses in organic solar cells” Prof. He Yan of Hong Kong University of Science and Technology: “How to make efficient non-fullerene organic solar cells – material design, device optimization and operation mechanism” Prof. Yingping Zou of Central South University: “A-DA’D-A type (or Y-series) acceptor based organic solar cells”

ITC offering two new Cluster Area Requirements (CAR) subjects

Cluster Area Requirements (CAR) subjects are designed to expand the intellectual capacity of PolyU students beyond that of their disciplinary domain. To do so, they can pursue a broader range of academic subjects that use different paradigms, theoretical perspectives and methods of enquiry. After completion, students are more prepared to address professional and global issues with a multidisciplinary perspective. Starting in 2021/22, ITC will offer two new CAR subjects: "Fashion and Beauty" and "Smart Wearables and Smart Living". All PolyU students are welcome to enroll until the maximum intake quota of 160 students in total is reached. "Fashion and Beauty" falls under the cluster area of "Human Nature, Relations and Development". Students will develop a critical understanding of the role of fashion styling and beauty communication from sociological and psychological perspectives, and their cultural representations. Lectures, mass media analyses, group discussions and hands-on practical sessions will equip students with fashion etiquette knowledge, body modification skills to present a professional image, and attire management for different societal occasions. The subject leader, Dr Jin Lam shares her thoughts about “Fashion and Beauty”, "The intention of launching this new subject is to provide an additional choice of CAR subjects for PolyU’s undergraduates by offering an introduction on scholarly analyses and critical explorations of the role of fashion styling and beauty communication from a multidisciplinary perspective which incorporates sociology, psychology and cultural representations." This subject expands the holistic worldview, professional image and social communication skills of students by imparting a critical understanding of fashion styling, professional attire management and social etiquette in them, with the aim to provide them with the resources to become real-life communication professionals. Throughout this subject, students will have the opportunity to enhance their self-reflective awareness and develop their social identity to promote professional advancement and employment on a life-long basis. The second new CAR subject is "Smart Wearable and Smart Living", which falls under the cluster area of "Science, Technology and Environment". Smart wearable systems have high levels of intelligence, with many new functions that serve to enhance our everyday life. They can effectively see, feel, listen, talk, learn new things, memorize information, repair themselves, change their colour, shape or pattern, communicate with others via electronic media, mobile phones and the Internet, lift weight and even provide their own power. Foreseeable applications in smart living include but are not limited to healthcare, the Internet of things, smart cities, robotics, sports, fashion, housing, and protection of environment and animals. They will enhance the quality of life of human beings, help to monitor and protect the natural environment and animals, and contribute to the communication, safety and security of society. This new CAR subject aims to provide an introduction on smart wearable technology, which is an emerging multi-disciplinary field. "Smart Wearable and Smart Living" covers foundation knowledge on flexible functional materials, technologies and products as well as key applications in the arts, communication field, healthcare, sports, and well-being and protection efforts of the natural environment. The subject is designed to enable students to identify the features and requirements of smart wearable systems for smart living. The subject also provides an opportunity for students to apply the knowledge and skills obtained through enrollment in this subject to critically analyze the latest developments and explore futuristic wearables in laboratory-based projects. The subject lecturer, Prof. Xiaoming Tao, said, "The subject introduces innovative concepts, functional materials, interactive devices, fabrication and integration technologies, and current and emergent smart wearable systems and their applications. Emphasis will be placed upon innovative explorations of futuristic scenarios for the design, development and application of smart wearables and smart living." 

Staff retirement announcement

After many years of dedicated service, the following staff members retired in 2019 and 2020: Dr Frankie Ng, Ms Gloria Wong, Mr Jackie Leung, Ms Sun Mow-nin, Mr Tam Wing-kwong, Mr Wong Wang-wah and Mr Ng Yui-fat. ITC wishes them all the best and thank them for their service.  Dr Frankie Ng retired in October 2019 after serving PolyU for 29 years. He was Associate Professor in fashion and textiles design and taught the following specialties: fashion and textile design, design management, design strategy, OBM and OSM, practice-led PhD, research in design, etc. His research focus included using technologies for innovative ends, e.g., full-colour digital Jacquard textiles, seamless woven fashion, interactive fashion creations, innovative lace with foam polymers, seamless self-grown fashion, design theories and semiotics, etc. Dr Ng published over 200 papers in peer-reviewed academic and trade journals, and international conference proceedings, held some 40 design exhibitions and shows, and won many design and research awards. He had also held various positions in the design industry and is a member of various professional associations. Ms Gloria Wong retired in June 2019 and was Senior Teaching Fellow in fashion and textiles design. Her areas of specialization included fashion design, innovative textile design, fiber art, fashion history and trends, cultural and sustainability issues, postmodernism, deconstructivism and globalization. Mr Jackie Leung retired in October 2019, after serving ITC for 32 years. He was promoted to Instructor in 1992 and specialized in flat pattern construction, garment manufacturing, CAD in pattern design, and clothing production management. Ms Sun Mow-nin and Mr Tam Wing-kwong were Scientific Officers and retired in January 2020 and April 2020 respectively. Mr Ng Yui-fat and Mr Wong Wang-wah were technicians in the knitting and weaving laboratories respectively. Mr Ng retired in November 2019 whereas Mr Wong retired in January 2020.

Online prejudging of PolyU Fashion Show 2020

 Every year, ITC organizes a graduate fashion show to showcase the talent and creativity of our graduating class of design students and provide them with a rewarding and fulfilling experience. This year, 61 students presented their collection to a pre-judging panel. In the spirit of adaptation during the COVID-19 pandemic, ITC offered prejudging of the collections through an online voting platform, instead of an in-person exhibition, so that the judges could select the finalists for the fashion show in a safe and healthy environment. The Institute of Textiles and Clothing Students' Society (ITCSS) members generously provided their time to upload the design boards, videos and styling photos of the student collections onto the online platform which allowed the judges to review, comment, and cast their votes based on the selection criteria of degree of creativity, level of design skills, ability to problem solve, balancing commercial appeal with artistry, and level of professional competency. A total of 11 internal design staff and 14 external designers/industry leaders made up the judging panel. They completed the online prejudging task between 14-16 June 2020. The judges had only positive comments about the work of the graduating students and the user-friendliness of the online voting system. The following 17 finalists have been selected to showcase their work on the runway of the PolyU Fashion Show 2020. Name* Title of Collection Category CHAN Ho Lam The Seeker Journey Knitwear CHAN Lok Yin Spirited Ritual Womenswear CHU Chun Yee The Fire of Creation Knitwear LAI Hoi Lee Mileage Womenswear LAM Ching Hei, Charmaine One of a Kind Knitwear LAM Ka Man Sire Womenswear LEUNG Hoi Ting Extreme Storage Knitwear LI Ka Kei Party In The City Womenswear LIU Hoi Tung Falling Slowly Womenswear LUK Jo " p o r t r a i t " Menswear LUK Tsz Ting To Infinity and Beyond Menswear/Unisex MAK Cheuk Hei Chinese Maximalism - Left Behind Children Womenswear NG Wing Yan RATHER BE Womenswear SIAU Tsz Leong, Jimmy I, HUMANIMAL' Knitwear TAI Wai Tung Omni-things Menswear/Unisex TSE Yun Ting Alex DEVOID Womenswear YU Cheuk Lam, Topsy MORNING MOON Womenswear * In alphabetical order of last name   Special thanks to the judges and sponsors of the PolyU Fashion Show 2020. Gold Sponsors: Esquel Group Fenix Group Holdings Limited GU Hong Kong Apparel Limited Silver Sponsors: KERSON TEXTILES LIMITED Tove & Libra Hong Kong Fashion Designers Association The Mills Fabrica