News

SFT BA students at Future Retail Challenge Final Competition 2025

Three BA programme students, Au Che-yiu Quincy, Woo Sin-yu Lia and Yiu Ching-yau Emma proudly represented PolyU at the Future Retail Challenge of the World Retail Congress in London (UK) in May 2025. The competition is the highlight of the World Retail Congress event, which aims to inspire and shape the next generation of retail talent by bridging academic knowledge with real-world applications. The students embarked on this international journey under the supervision of Profs. Magnum Lam and Hau-Ling Chan who provided invaluable mentorship and guidance. The competition required the student teams to devise practical and robust solutions to the pressing issue of attracting and retaining Gen Z workers in the retail sector. The PolyU team proposed an innovative start-up in fashion retailing, which features a cutting-edge recruitment strategy and a dynamic work experience plan. Recognising the impact of technology, they integrated social media to enhance customer contact and offered Gen Z employees greater freedom, more room for creativity, and opportunities for professional growth. Their vision for the future of retailing emphasised the 3R principles: Re-refine, Re-organise, and Re-connect, as the essential strategies for success in this competitive landscape. This year, the PolyU team competed against students from five other universities, including the EDHEC Business School (France), ESCP Business School – Turin campus (Italy), London College of Fashion (UK), Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University (Saudi Arabia), and the University of Amsterdam (Netherlands). The World Retail Congress connects influential leaders, executives, technology experts, stakeholders, and academics from around the globe to explore opportunities and tackle challenges within the retail sector. Profs. Lam and Chan would like to express their heartfelt gratitude to Mr Anthony Keung, President & CEO of Fenix Group Holdings Ltd, Profs. Joanne Yip and Chu-Po Ho, for their valuable advice and support to the team.

Year-3 student Luna Chung brings home Children’s Shoes – Individual category award from IFDC 2025

The School is thrilled to announce that an outstanding Year-3 student, Chung Lok-in Luna, won the Children’s Shoes – Individual category with her enchanting design, “Stitch & Purr” at the 14th International Footwear Design Competition (IFDC), which was organised by the Confederation of International Footwear Association. The award presentation ceremony took place on 15 May 2025 in Guangzhou, China. Luna’s creative cat-themed design captivated the judges with its adorable features, including a 3D denim cat-head plush adorned with hand-stitched metallic bead whiskers and charming white contrast threading. A poseable wire-reinforced cotton tail arcs gracefully at the midfoot, while the heel is wrapped in yarn and a denim tassel toggle, which is reminiscent of the playfulness of cat paws. The frontal silhouette captures a cat during mid-stretch, with a raised head, arched back, and perked up tail frozen in motion. The textured rubber outsole leaves whimsical paw prints on sand or soft terrain, which is imprinted with subtle claw-shaped designs. About the International Footwear Design Competition (IFDC) The IFDC highlights the significance of shoe design in the evolving footwear industry. The event encourages originality and advances design vision while fostering product research and development to enhance competitiveness. The competition also nurtures designers in shoe manufacturing and design by recognising outstanding performances with prestigious awards.

Faye Lu and Annie Duan represent Hong Kong at Loro Piana Knit Design Award 2025

The Loro Piana Knit Design Award 2025, organised by the prestigious Italian high-end fashion brand Loro Piana, was held at Casa degli Artisti on 13 May 2025. This was an international competition that allowed talented students to use the various iconic yarns that represent the excellence of the Maison. Two BA final year students, Faye Lu and Annie Duan, were shortlisted for the opportunity to develop a creative idea that focused on the theme "Winter Legacy" – to celebrate 100 years of history and heritage by experimenting and fusing linen yarns with classic Loro Piana winter yarns to craft a garment or silhouette and create a versatile, unexpected and seasonless heritage knitwear based on their own interpretation. Faye and Annie proposed a knitwear design project titled “Threads of Time: Italian Stories in Linen & Pixel” according to the theme, which explores the journey of Italian heritage and projecting the journey into the digital age. Inspired by Loro Piana’s legacy of craftsmanship and their signature linen yarn, they blended historical motifs — especially the dynamic forms of Italian architecture, with reference to “Forme Uniche della Continuità nello Spazio” created by a sculpturer of the Futurist movement, Umberto Boccioni — with modern digital visuals thus defining “Unique Forms of Continuity in Space”. Jacquard and 3D knitting techniques merged tactile tradition with playful, digital language, while the linen yarn symbolised the continuity and evolution of the craft. The final created outfit celebrates both heritage and innovation, telling a story of Italian identity knitted across time and technology. About the Loro Piana Knit Design Award The Loro Piana Knit Design Award celebrates talented students from leading design schools around the world with an extraordinary passion for knitwear. The initiative, first launched in 2016, is an international competition that aims to give talented design students the chance to showcase their unique creative expressions with some of Loro Piana's iconic yarns. The aim is to preserve and enhance savoir-faire while passing on a passion for excellence to the next generation of talents. The vent is also a key project to encourage and discover new creative talents and give them support to fulfil their passion.

Prof. Shou Dahua chairs The Fiber Society 2025 Spring Conference

Jointly organised by SFT, Research Centre of Textiles for Future Fashion (RCTFF), Research Institute for Intelligent Wearable Systems, Joint Research Centre for Fiber Innovations and Renewable Materials, and PolyU-Xingguo Technology and Innovation Research Institute (XGRI), the global event for fiber science, The Fiber Society 2025 Spring Conference, was successfully held at PolyU from 21 to 23 May 2025. The conference, themed “Future Fibers for Wellbeing, Intelligence, and Sustainability”, attracted over 300 scholars, experts, and industry representatives from around 20 countries and regions, and showcased 200 high-quality academic presentations. Participants included scholars from world-renowned universities such as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Oxford University, Cornell University, Tsinghua University, and Peking University, as well as representatives from leading international enterprises in fiber materials and the textile and apparel industries. The conference served as a platform for exploring the latest advancements and future trends in fiber science and technology. The conference also received substantial support from the State Key Laboratory for Advanced Fiber Materials at Donghua University and the flagship journal Advanced Fiber Materials, thus underscoring the collective commitment to advancing fiber science and technology. Prof. Dahua Shou, Conference Chair, Associate Director of RCTFF and XGRI, Limin Young Scholar in Advanced Textiles Technologies, and Associate Professor at SFT, presided over the opening ceremony and was joined by Prof. Meifang Zhu, President of The Fiber Society, a Fellow of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and a professor at Donghua University, as well as Prof. Christopher Chao, Vice President (Research and Innovation) at PolyU. They delivered welcoming speeches, and shared their vision for the future of fiber innovation and technological translation. During the conference, six world-renowned scholars delivered plenary lectures in cutting-edge areas such as fiber materials, and intelligent technologies and their implementations in energy and safety. The plenary sessions were moderated by Prof. Xungai Wang, Chair Professor and Associate Dean of SFT; Prof. Shou, Conference Chair; and Prof. Jintu Fan, Chair Professor and Director of RCTFF. The conference featured 11 thematic breakout sessions that covered a wide range of topics, including advanced fiber materials, intelligent wearable technologies, healthcare and biomedical applications, energy and environmental fibers, sustainable textiles, fiber composites, industrial textiles, and more. Emerging topics such as fibre-based sensors, actuators and batteries, fiber modelling and mechanics, and Fiber+: applications in AI, robotics, and the metaverse were also explored, which highlighted the diverse applications of fiber technology. At the conference banquet, Prof. Xiangwu Zhang, Vice President of The Fiber Society and Samuel S. Walker Distinguished Professor in Textile Innovation and Associate Dean for Research of the Wilson College of Textiles at North Carolina State University, announced the winners of the poster competition. Prof. Liejin Guo, a Fellow of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and a professor at Xi’an Jiaotong University, presented the awards to the winners. He was joined by Prof. Wang Zuankai, Chair Professor and Associate Vice President (Research and Innovation) of PolyU as well as other plenary and keynote speakers and session chairs for a group photo. During the banquet, Prof. Fan delivered a special presentation that reflected on the evolution of Hong Kong’s textile industry, and highlighted its innovations and historical transformation. Prof. Shou is dedicated to research on personal thermal and moisture management, advanced textiles, intelligent wearables, and soft robotics. He has actively promoted the practical translation of these technologies. In recognition of his outstanding contributions to fiber science, he was awarded PolyU Outstanding Research Postgraduate Alumni Award 2024 and The Fiber Society's 2023 Distinguished Achievement Award, which further affirm his international academic reputation.

SFT x Consinee | Yarn Design Project sparks creative collaboration

We are pleased to share the success of the Yarn Design Project, a meaningful collaboration between SFT and the Consinee Group, a leading luxury yarn manufacturer in China. Conducted in Semester 2 of the 2024/25 academic year, Prof. Yadie Yang, Assistant Professor led this project, which aimed to provid our students with the exciting opportunity to engage in hands-on yarn design supported by real industry input. As the industry sponsor, the Consinee Group generously provided a wide range of premium yarns so that our students were able to explore and experiment with creative yarn designs. To further enhance the learning experience, designers and marketing staff of the Consinee Group were invited to deliver an insightful guest lecture which provided an introduction on the key concepts of yarn design and showcased their latest products and design trends. The project culminated in a final portfolio presentation. Among the student submissions, six outstanding students, including Cai Wai-wang, Chan Ka-yan, Chui Wing-chi, Leung Wing-hong, Li Man-yiu and Wong Ka-yan, were recognised  for their creativity and technical excellence. Their works and photos are featured on Consinee’s official Instagram page as a way to celebrate and encourage emerging talent.   (from left) Ms Anne Chow (left), Cai Wai-wang and Prof. Yadie Yang   (from left) Ms Anne Chow (left), Chan Ka-yan and Prof. Yadie Yang   (from left) Ms Anne Chow (left), Chiu Wing-chi and Prof. Yadie Yang   (from left) Ms Anne Chow (left), Leung Wing-hong and Prof. Yadie Yang   (from left) Ms Anne Chow (left), Li Man-yiu and Prof. Yadie Yang    (from left) Ms Anne Chow (left), Wong Ka-yan and Prof. Yadie Yang     

PolyU and Flinders University forge new educational partnership

We are thrilled to announce a new partnership with Flinders University (South Australia), which aims to enhance collaborations in education, research, and cultural exchange. Professor Erin Cho, Dean of SFT and Bill Damachis, Director, International Partnerships at Flinders University, signed the related memorandum of understanding (MOU) on 7 May 2025. The MOU establishes a framework to facilitate ongoing discussions between the two institutions, thus promoting the exchange of ideas and knowledge among staff and students. Key initiatives include an undergraduate exchange programme and opportunities for Flinders University students to participate in the four Master's degree programmes offered by SFT. Both parties are committed to continuing discussions and, upon reaching a mutual agreement on the terms and conditions, will seek the necessary internal approvals to formalise the partnership with a written agreement.

SFT Alumni Dazzle at Guangdong Fashion Week: Spring 2025

Five esteemed 2024 BA and MA design graduates, Mr Theo Chan, Mr Kian Cheng, Ms Lee Wing-see, Mr Zio Liu and Ms Ng Pui-pui, showcased their impressive collections at GBA: Fashion Fusion 2025 during the Guangdong Fashion Week held in Panyu, Guangzhou on 19 April 2025. For the BA graduates, Theo's "空How Are You? " draws inspiration from a family funeral and uses fashion to initiate a dialogue between religion and life. Wing-see's "孽" tells the story of the deity "Ling", who governs spring rain, and the demon "Hu", who consumes evil thoughts, as they fall into a forbidden love, which reflects the intangible qualities and mysterious aura of Chinese mythology. Pui-pui's "EUCLIDIAN" showcases her skilled knitting techniques, playing with geometric patterns to create optical illusions. For the MA graduates, Kian's "The Overwhelming" aims to explore inner turmoil, and seeks reconciliation between artwork and personal emotions. Zio’s "Release" cleverly blends street style while exploring the process of self-liberation through fencing. About GBA: Fashion Fusion 2025 Launched by non-profit organisation, Fashion Farm Foundation (FFF) and sponsored by Create Hong Kong of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, GBA: Fashion Fusion 2025 is FFF’s fashion campaign in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (Greater Bay Area). The event promotes closer collaborations among Hong Kong fashion designers and young talents, design institutions, professional groups, and cultural practitioners from other cities within the Greater Bay Area.

Miro Bra x PolyU SFT Bra & Panties Design Competition 2024

The "Miro Bra x PolyU SFT Bra & Panties Design Competition 2024" was successfully held and culminated in an award presentation ceremony on 26 February 2025. The competition provided a platform for students to showcase their design prowess by creating a collection that features the MIRO patented BiyuTech wireless cup. This innovative technology is known for its wear comfort and support, and challenged the participants to integrate functionality with aesthetic appeal. Nine finalists were selected from dozens of entries for the final round. Congratulations to our Year 3 BA student, Cheng Sin-kei, who captivated the judges with her collection titled "Silent", which earned her the title of Champion. She was inspired by the mysterious and uncharted realms of the deep ocean. This theme captures the beauty of the unknown, allure of silence, and strength found in vulnerability, thus celebrating the complexities of femininity through luxurious and evocative lingerie pieces. Sin-kei's achievement comes with a cash prize of $10,000 and the exciting opportunity to bring her designs to life at MIRO Bra stores, which is a significant step forward in her design career. Applause is also given to our talented MA student, Choy Wing-kiu, Daisy, who won first runner-up with her creative flair and was awarded a cash prize of $8,000. Our Year 4 BA student, Yau Ho-yan, showed her exceptional skills and received second runner−up with a cash prize of $5,000 for her efforts. The winning collections are now showcasing at The Fashion Gallery from 21 April to 5 May 2025. Stay tuned for more updates and the launching of the winning collection in MIRO Bra stores.

SFT scholars garner global recognition at the 50th International Exhibition of Inventions Geneva

Three SFT scholars Profs. Erin Cho, Kinor Jiang and Shou Dahua proudly won three medals, including one Gold Medal with Congratulations of the Jury, two Bronze Medals at the 50th International Exhibition of Inventions Geneva (Geneva Inventions Expo), a widely recognised annual event devoted exclusively to invention. This year, 1,043 entries from 42 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: SweatMD: Health-monitoring Wearable Sweat Sensor Principal investigator: Prof. Shou Dahua, Associate Professor; Associate Director, PolyU-Xingguo Technology and Innovation Research Institute; Associate Director of Research Centre of Textiles for Future Fashion; Limin Endowed Young Scholar in Advanced Textiles Technologies SweatMD is a cutting-edge, all-textile wearable sensor that non-invasively tracks biomarkers in sweat, such as glucose and potassium ion levels. It decodes user health conditions at the molecular level with exceptional accuracy, comfort and durability. By continuously detecting multiple biomarkers and displaying real-time data on an intelligent mobile app, SweatMD empowers users to seamlessly self-monitor their health metrics and gain valuable insights into their well-being. The innovative textile-based microfluidic design features a nature-inspired sweat collection system, enabling the rapid and directional transport of fresh sweat for precise analysis – even against gravity. Meanwhile, the advanced electrochemical sensing yarns are wrapped in skin-friendly fibres, further ensuring superior durability and comfort. This breakthrough technology sets new standards in wearable healthcare, while also revolutionising how individuals manage their well-being and fostering global health awareness. SweatMD, by combining accessibility, user-friendliness and comfort, has the potential to transform disease prevention and health management strategies on a global scale. 2.    Bronze Medal: Next-generation Sportswear with Polylactic Acid, Auxetic Knitting Structure and Ergonomic Design Principal investigator: Prof. Erin Cho, Dean and Limin Professor in Integrated Strategies and Leadership in Fashion; Advisor, Leopitorca Global Limited (a PolyU startup) This ergonomic sportswear solution uses polylactic acid (PLA), a natural eco-substitute for polyester, for its fabrication, combined with auxetic knitting structure (AKS) textile engineering. This combination delivers improved shaping, support and fit without using Lycra or polyurethane, while also enhancing the sportswear’s antibacterial properties, UV protection, flame retardancy, and temperature and moisture management. Additionally, the ergonomic construction maximises athletic performance by aligning with muscle groups, allowing full-range motion and effective temperature regulation. Being 100% sustainable, using PLA can improve environmental sustainability in textile production waste management and sportswear functionality. Meanwhile, the auxetic knitting structure ensures superior shaping, elasticity and support. The ergonomic design also provides a better-contoured fit, improving protection against injury and offering better body support. This solution not only enhances performance for athletes and physically fit individuals who exercise rigorously, but also improves the exercise experiences of individuals in less-than-perfect physical condition by providing better safety, functionality, support and fit. 3.    Bronze Medal: 3D-printed Superior Light and Breathable Wearable Textiles Principal investigator: Prof. Kinor Jiang, Professor Produced using the Low Force Stereolithography printing system with flexible photosensitive resin based on a 3D model, this innovative 3D-printed material comprises multiple unit structures systematically arranged along the X, Y and Z axes. Each unit structure features a cubic diamond configuration made of truss rods, with dimensions ranging from 2mm to 2.5mm in length, width and height, and truss rod diameters between 0.2mm and 0.3mm. Incorporating a cubic diamond structure as the fundamental unit of the microcrystalline fabric significantly enhances the material’s breathability, lightness, durability and aesthetic appeal. It also accommodates various body shapes and movement conditions, ensuring comfort and adaptability. The material is soft and skin-friendly, offering breathability that surpasses traditional woven fabrics, and exhibiting excellent elasticity. This advancement showcases the significant improvement in the performance and comfort of 3D-printed textiles.

SFT collaborative team publishes in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

An SFT collaborative team that comprises Profs. Ma Kaikai, Kan Chi-wai, Fei Bin, and John Xin has published a research paper titled "Tetrathienylethene-based Porous Framework Composites for Boosting Photocatalytic Antibacterial Activity" in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), which is a prestigious top-tier journal in the field of fundamental science (JCR Q1). The research work, which makes significant contributions to sustainable antibacterial textiles, was published on 8 April 2025 (https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2423052122). The work is built on a successful collaboration with Prof. Chen Zhijie at Zhejiang University and Prof. Fraser Stoddart at the University of Hong Kong. Benefiting from interdisciplinary joint research cooperation, the study leverages on the strong academic foundation of SFT, advanced research infrastructure in fashion and textile technology, and the expertise of our collaborators in chemistry.  In this study, the team has designed a stable metal-organic framework (MOF) material which is incorporated into cellulose fibres to develop a sustainable antibacterial textile material. The MOF is rationally designed and, under visible light (sunlight) exposure, can spontaneously produce reactive species capable of killing pathogens. After the MOF material is integrated into the cellulose fibres, flexible and durable functional antibacterial fibre composites are subsequently produced. With its strong antimicrobial efficacy and excellent biocompatibility, this material has great potential for healthcare applications and air purification.  In recent years, this collaborative team has made significant contributions in the field of smart and sustainable textile materials for pathogen protection (e.g. COVID-19) and toxic chemical defence, and published a series of high-impact papers in top-tier journals, including: Advanced Materials, 2024, 36, 2300951 Journal of the American Chemical Society, 2022, 144, 12192-12201 Journal of the American Chemical Society, 2021, 143, 16777-16785 Journal of the American Chemical Society, 2019, 141, 15626−15633 Journal of the American Chemical Society, 2019, 141, 20016-20021 Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 2022, 19, e202202207 Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 2021,8, e202115956 With the immense support of PolyU and SFT for interdisciplinary and inter-institutional collaborations between researchers or research teams in Hong Kong and Mainland China that complement the strengths of both parties, our esteemed researchers are able to actively contribute to fundamental science and applied technology, thus strengthening our research community with their impactful innovations.