News

Prof. Chen Jianming secures $4.2M from Atour Planet for sleep science research

Prof. Chen Jianming, Assistant Professor, secured $4.2 million for a collaborative research project from Atour Planet Co., Ltd. for translating sleep science into market-leading pillow and quilt products. The project combines research on sleep-stage analysis, ergonomics, textile materials, and thermal comfort to develop sleep products that have strong commercial and continuous innovation potential. Key outcomes include Deep Sleep Pillow Pro 3.0 and a series of deep-sleep quilts designed for different seasons. The deep sleep pillow features a three-layer gradient foam structure that incorporates an R6 structural design, as well as a breathable, thermoregulating pillowcase. Together, these features provide dynamic and stable support for the head, neck, and shoulders while improving sleep comfort. The deep-sleep quilt series was developed for different use scenarios that offer both thermal and moisture comfort, facilitates regulation of the material, and provides an optimal structural design, thereby improving its adaptability across different sleep environments. The project also supports the company in developing four enterprise standards and filing four patents, thus establishing a pathway from technology development and standardization to intellectual property protection and product commercialization. The project advances the translation of sleep science into market-ready consumer products and further expands the application of advanced textile materials and sleep technologies in the sleep health market. SFT would like to thank Atour Planet Co., Ltd. for their generous support and valuable collaboration on this project.

Prof. Bo Fang receives Materials Scientist Award at International Conference in Singapore

Prof. Bo Fang was invited to provide a talk on extreme-performance fibres, textiles and devices at the 6th International Conference on Materials Science, Engineering and Technology in Singapore, which took place from 5 to 7 May 2026. At the conference, Prof. Fang shared the latest work of his research group with global experts and scholars on the continuous fabrication of next-generation extreme-performance fibrous materials and fibre transistor array-based artificial olfactory sensors. Prof. Fang has authored a number of top scientific publications and patents and secured important research funds in the field of extreme-performance fibres and fibre-based smart devices. In recognition of his outstanding contribution to the advancement of materials science, engineering and technology, particularly in the area of fibre sciences, Prof.Fang was awarded the Materials Scientist Award by the conference committee.

SFT announces Outstanding Alumni Awards 2026 receipents

SFT is pleased to present the Outstanding PolyU Alumni Award of SFT 2026 to five distinguished graduates. They are:       Mr Roger Chan Associate Diploma of Textile Technology, The Hong Kong Polytechnic, 1985 Outstanding Alumni Award in Professional Achievement Proposer: Mr Yeung Wai-hon, Group Strategy Office, TexRay Industrial Co. Ltd.; Chair, ESG Committee, Taiwan Garment Industry Association Mr Chan is the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Technology Officer of Cobalt Fashion (Hong Kong) Limited. He is a prominent leader in the textile and apparel industry who has pioneered smart manufacturing, AI integration, and supply chain digitalisation. A staunch advocate for sustainability, he has spearheaded digital carbon-accounting tools to align Hong Kong’s fashion sector with global green standards. Mr Chan also serves in key leadership roles across the industry, including Chairman of the Clothing Industry Training Authority (CITA) and Vice Chairman of the Textile Council of Hong Kong. He actively supports SFT as an Advisory Committee member and through the Chan Wing On Scholarship.   Mr Penter Yip  Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Fashion & Textiles, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, 2007  Outstanding Alumni Award in Entrepreneurial Achievement Proposer: Prof. Kan Chi-wai, Associate Dean and Professor, SFT Mr Yip revolutionised the design industry by creating Fashionary, the world’s first tailor-made sketchbook that integrates garment references with body templates. Under his leadership, Fashionary became a global sensation and the No. 1 best-selling title distributed by Thames & Hudson (2017–2025). He has since expanded into creative tech with digital apps like FashionDraw and PatternDraw. Mr Yip actively supports SFT as a guest speaker, PolyU Fashion Show pre-judge, and partner in the SFT Summer Internship Partnership Scheme.     Miss Vicky Tsang  Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Fashion and Textiles, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, 2023 Outstanding Young Alumni Award in Entrepreneurial Achievement Proposer: Prof. CP Ho, Associate Professor, SFT MissTsang is the founder of GNASTIY.COM, an avant-garde brand that has pioneered 3D-printed and virtual-to-reality fashion. Her futuristic designs have garnered global acclaim, and earned organic features in over 50 leading publications, including Vogue and Highsnobiety, while dressing international icons such as BLACKPINK, Katy Perry, and Tyla. The champion of the PolyU Fashion Show 2022 and Hong Kong Young Fashion Designers’ Contest (YDC) 2022, Miss Tsang continues to inspire the next generation as an SFT guest speaker and project reviewer.       Prof. Xin Binjie  Doctor of Philosophy, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, 2009 Outstanding Alumni Award in Scholarly Achievements Proposer: Prof. Kan Chi-wai, Associate Dean and Professor, SFT Prof. Xin is the Dean and Professor of the School of Textile and Fashion at the Shanghai University of Engineering Science. Being an acclaimed scholar in functional micro-/nano-fibres, wearable e-skins, and ancient textile digital restoration, he has authored over 300 papers, published five English monographs, and holds 32 patents, which have earned prestigious accolades including the Shanghai Science and Technology Progress Award. A recipient of the China Textile Industry Outstanding Contributor to Talent Development award, Prof. Xin actively maintains close academic ties with SFT as an external examiner, PhD co-supervisor, and research collaborator.       Prof. Shen Bin Doctor of Philosophy, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, 2013 Outstanding Young Alumni Award in Scholarly Achievement Proposer: Prof. Fan Di, Assistant Dean and Associate Professor, SFT Prof. Shen is the Associate Dean of the Glorious Sun School of Business and Management at Donghua University. He is also an internationally recognised expert in fashion supply chain management, green transformation, and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) strategy. Ranked among Stanford’s Global Top 2% Scientists with over 8,600 citations, his honours include recognition as China’s National Youth Top Talent and recipient of the Humboldt Research Fellowship. He developed China’s first textile ESG evaluation system, which has been adopted by industry giants like ANTA and Li-Ning. Prof. Shen frequently collaborates with SFT on research initiatives, academic exchanges, and PhD supervision.

MSc students advance intelligent wearable technology translation

Three MSc in Intelligent Wearable Technology students, namely Zhao Ge, Zhang Xinyue and Chen Yige, have been developing AirMass Wear under the guidance of Prof. Shou Dahua. AirMass Wear is an intelligent wearable pneumatic massage garment for relieving muscle fatigue, encouraging office wellness, and facilitating post-exercise recovery. The project involves soft textile design, pneumatic actuation, physiological sensing, and AI-enabled adaptive control to deliver personalised massage support in a lightweight wearable format. With the support of PolyU’s innovation and entrepreneurship resources, the team has developed a first-generation prototype and received university-level seed funding, including funds from the Micro Fund Scheme and Ideation Fund. Zhao Ge also represented PolyU in the 2026 Zhejiang Tour for Hong Kong and Macao Youth, where she presented the AirMass Wear project and exchanged ideas with young innovators and industry experts. During the event, she had the opportunity to meet Mrs Carrie Lam, former Chief Executive of Hong Kong SAR, with whom she shared his experience in smart wearable innovation and technology translation. These achievements highlight the role of the MSc programme in nurturing interdisciplinary talents and promoting the translation of intelligent wearable technologies into real-world applications.

Linda Lin wins the Best Creativity Award at “Thread of Creativity" Fashion Design Competition 2026

Warmest congratulations to final-year fashion design student Linda Lin, who clinched the Best Creativity Award at the “Thread of Creativity” Fashion Design Competition 2026 with her visionary collection, “Adapted Glow”. The grand finale runway showcase and presentation ceremony took place on 5 September 2026 at CENTRESTAGE, which was held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. Jointly organised by the Sham Shui Po District Youth Development and Civic Education Committee and the Asian New Generation Creativity Design Association (CDA-Asia) along with support from the Sham Shui Po District Office and sponsorship from the Home Affairs Department, the competition is dedicated to discovering and empowering emerging design talents who are 16 to 29 years old. Through hands-on workshops, professional mentorship, and a signature runway finale, the initiative nurtures rising designers while injecting vibrant, creative energy into Hong Kong’s fashion landscape. SFT is proud of Linda’s outstanding achievement and looks forward to seeing her continue to flourish as an innovative fashion talent.

Knitwear study tour to Chinese Mainland 2026

Sponsored by Mr Anthony Keung, President and CEO of Fenix Group, Dr Lo Kawai and Mr Calvin Tiu led a group of 14 BA students who are majoring in knitwear design on a seven-day study tour to Chinese Mainland in August 2026 to explore yarn spinning, dyeing, innovative knitwear production, and the latest design trends. During the trip, the group visited a well-known yarn manufacturer, the Consinee Group in Ningbo and the Cixing R&D Center in Shanghai. The students had the opportunity to observe the different spinning, dyeing and weaving techniques, notably Consinee’s automated production lines. They were also very impressed by the advanced machine knitting technologies at the Cixing R&D Center, particularly its innovative scan-to-order sweater production service. These visits provided valuable firsthand experience in terms of the integration of cutting-edge digital and intelligent technology in modern textile production. The group also attended the Shanghai SPINEXPOTM which took place from 25 to 27 August. They were inspired by the trend forum and noted the latest trends in yarn at the different in-booth presentations including those of Consinee, ICCI, M.ORO Cashmere, Shanghai Shi-Kwan, TopLine and Xinao Textiles. Special thanks to Ms Bernia Chan, Founder of F. I. T. Knit-tech Limited, for her instrumental support in coordinating the sponsorship.

Dr Alice Yao and graduate Kock Man-yan win Merit Award at 35th Jeanswest Casual Wear Design Competition

Congratulations to Dr Alice Yao, Research Assistant Professor, and SFT graduate Kock Man-yan (BA, 2025), on winning the Merit Award (7th Place) at the prestigious 35th Jeanswest Casual Wear Design Competition with their collection, “Paper Blossoms”. Selected as one of the national Top 20 finalists from an impressive pool of 1,255 nationwide entries reviewed by the China Fashion Designers Association, Dr Yao and Man-yan showcased their physical collections on the runway at the China International Fashion Week in Beijing on 4 September 2026. Inspired by the traditional crafts of Chinese paper-cutting and chan hua (silk-wrapped flowers), their collection reimagines “paper” as red leather, and turns two-dimensional paper-cut motifs into sculptural peonies enhanced by chan hua techniques. Centred on a red-and-white palette, bold leather meets delicate threadwork. As pioneers in bringing heritage techniques into modern fashion, they showcase a confident cultural aesthetic that harmonises strength and grace. This remarkable achievement highlights the cutting-edge creative prowess and design excellence fostered within the SFT community on the national stage.

Wang Jiayu and Xue Hanfei receive Award for Outstanding Excellence

Congratulations to two of our PhD students in fashion business, Wang Jiayu, Violet and Xue Hanfei, Sophie, on receiving the Award for Outstanding Excellence for their research  work presented at the 31st International Costume Congress. The event was held in Taiwan from 24 to 26 August 2026. Supervised by Profs. Chloe Ki and Christina Wong, the award-winning study, “Virtual vs. Human Influencers: Which Type Captures Consumer Minds and Shapes Behavior, and How Does Content Moderate Their Impact?”, was recognised as the top Oral Presentation at the conference.  With only one Award for Outstanding Excellence presented in each of the three categories — oral presentation, poster presentation and exhibition, this achievement represents a significant recognition of their academic excellence and research contribution.

Prof. Xu Bingang Editor of New Book: Electrical Textiles for Intelligent Applications

Prof. Xu Bingang has edited a new scholarly book entitled Electrical Textiles for Intelligent Applications, which will be published by Springer Singapore. The hardcover edition (ISBN: 978-981-92-2095-3) is scheduled for release in Sep 2026 and will comprise about 379 pages with 135 colour illustrations. The book presents the latest advancements in intelligent electrical textiles. The fundamental principles, material and structural design strategies, fabrication methodologies, performance evaluations, and emerging intelligent applications are covered in the book. Key topics include energy-harvesting, energy-storage, electrochromic, electrodeformation, thermal-regulation, and self-powered intelligent textiles, as well as textile-based sensing technologies and multifunctional integration. With the rapid development of wearable technologies, the demand for textiles that offer functions beyond traditional ones has increased significantly. Electrical Textiles for Intelligent Applications addresses this evolving landscape by exploring how textiles can incorporate self-powering features, sensing capabilities, and intelligent functionalities to support next-generation portable electronics and smart systems. This book highlights current challenges in the field and outlines future research directions, thus serving as a valuable resource for students, scholars, and researchers in smart and functional textiles, wearable technologies, self-powered devices, and intelligent systems. This publication reflects Prof. Xu’s continued leadership in advancing intelligent textile technologies and further strengthens the School’s global research impact in smart textiles and wearable innovation.

SFT welcomes high school talents to PolyU Summer Institute 2026

SFT proudly welcomed over 40 local and international high school students to the PolyU Summer Institute 2026, which was held from 27 July to 7 August. This immersion programme offers prospective students a comprehensive picture of university life while encouraging creative and technological exploration in fashion and textiles. In the programme, the students got creative by crafting customised bags and mastering photography in hands-on workshops. Alongside exploring our campus through facility tours, they stepped outside for a site visit to the DX Design Hub, which gave them good insights into this innovative hub dedicated to empowering Hong Kong’s next generation of design talents. Another group of students attended the “Designing Smart Wearables” class, which gave them a firsthand look into intelligent wearable technologies. This direct experience helped them to unleash their interdisciplinary creativity and envision real-world applications for smart designs. The PolyU Summer Institute provides secondary school students with a valuable opportunity to explore their academic interests and experience SFT’s vibrant learning environment. SFT extends its sincere appreciation to all participants for their active engagement, which contributed to the resounding success of the event.