News

Muskan Shah won The Most Outstanding PolyU Student Award 2022

Year 3 student Muskan Shan, who is pursuing a BA in fashion retail and marketing, was selected as the Most Outstanding PolyU Student of the Year and received the Outstanding Student Award of the School. This award is given to recognise full-time final-year students who have excelled in both academic and non-academic pursuits during their studies. This year, 28 students were selected as outstanding students at the faculty/school and/or departmental levels. The award presentation ceremony was held on 20 March 2023 in the Chiang Chen Studio Theatre at PolyU. Prof. Jin-Guang TENG, President of PolyU, officiated at the ceremony and presented the awards to the students. Muskan has received multiple awards and scholarships during her studies and actively participated in various activities. She is also the co-founder of Rethinking Fashion, an Instagram page focused on sustainable fashion. “Words can’t describe how grateful and honoured I am to be selected as the Most Outstanding PolyU Student of the Year,” shared Muskan. “Studying at PolyU has helped open my mind to all options. Thanks to the University’s great network and internship opportunities, I have had the chance to further broaden my career horizon and understand the Hong Kong working landscape better.” After graduation, Muskan aspires to develop her career in sustainable development in Hong Kong and to pursue an MBA to gain business acumen.  

The Hong Kong Next Fashion Talent Award

>>>>> Project brief Fill in the online application form and submit your artwork to sft.nft@polyu.edu.hk on or before Friday, 30 June 2023 at 12:00 noon (Hong Kong time)

2023 Sustainable Fur Design Competition

Congratulations to the champion Lau Sze-yuet Moon and three other finalists Chiu Man-ka, Chung Wing-sum and Lee Chun-hei of the ‘2023 Sustainable Fur Design Competition’! All are year-3 students studying BSc (Hons) in Digital Fashion. They showcased their creative designs and impressed the audience and judges by their strives for sustainable fashion in the competition held at Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre on 22 Feb 2023. The Competition, organized by Hong Kong Fur Federation, has a strong focus on sustainability of upcycling, recycling, reusing and transforming vintage and waste fur into a biodegradable, relevant and contemporary new design. The Federation has been hosting the competition since 1987. The event aims at promoting the originality of fur fashion by kindling the interest of local design students in an attempt to recruit young talented designers for the industry. The 4 students joined the competition as a programme-and-industry collaborative project and were shortlisted, out of a few hundred of contestants, as top 10 finalists for the final show and competition. Moon Lau with her design entitled “The Great Wave” won the overall champion in the competition that night, receiving a cash prize of HK$30000 plus other rewards including a study trip to Finland. About the Hong Kong Fur Federation (HKFF) FFF was established in 1979 to coordinate fur trade activities and promote its development. Today it is a thriving organization with over 150 members, representing the vast majority of the industry in Hong Kong. With the exception of fur farming, the Federation comprises members from all sectors of the industry, from raw material distribution and processing (skin dealers and skin dressers) to manufacturing and marketing. Every year the Hong Kong Fur Federation organizes a programme of activities in Hong Kong and overseas to promote the fur industry. Empowered by its own ingenious flexibility and creativity, as well as with the full support of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council in various events, the Hong Kong fur industry has bloomed with flying colors. In the years to come, the Hong Kong Fur Federation will strive to uphold the statue of Hong Kong as the world's premier fur manufacturing hub and exporter through a comprehensive array of promotions and marketing activities.

Fashion in the metaverse

The Year 3 BA students recently designed creative luxury products and created business proposals to reimagine a better store experience and engage with consumers in the metaverse. SFT has quickly adapted to technological trends, which supports our digital curriculum and educates our students on ways to leverage new, digitally-native platforms like the metaverse in order to stay on top of industry demands. Student Project Showcase Students Hui Hei Yan, Jim Yu Ching, Ko Sze Nga, Chau Yin, and Lai Chu Yi incorporated 3D smart mirrors and AR glasses rendering techniques within the metaverse, building a futuristic virtual metaverse of fashion for the French luxury fashion brand Balmain, through which the brand can appeal to a younger clientele. Inspired by Ralph’s Coffee at Harbour City, students Minkyeong Bae and Jiyeong Ko proposed a business plan and metaverse game to raise awareness of the environmental, social and governance (ESG) initiative by Ralph Lauren: “Patience is Bitter, but the Result is Fruitful”. In the game, consumers can grow fruit fibers in the metaverse, exchange them for NFTs, and use these digital assets to buy a Ralph Lauren Earth Polo shirt.

SFT X UNIQLO Sustainable Future Challenge Competition

SFT and UNIQLO, Japanese global apparel retailer, has recently joined hands to launch the “Sustainable Future Challenge Competition”, with an aim to promote longevity and repairability of clothing. It also hopes to bring changes to achieve a sustainable development in fashion, textiles and design industries, and apply professional knowledge for the betterment of the future. This is the second collaboration between SFT and UNIQLO after the release of the “Survey on Consumer Perceptions of Sustainable Fashion in Hong Kong and Macau” in July 2022, which explores the views and perceptions of consumers in Hong Kong and Macau on sustainable fashion and the changing consumption patterns brought about by the COVID-19 outbreak. Over one hundred students participated the competition, with ten finalists selected in November 2022 preliminary by a judge panel consisting of experts from UNIQLO and SFT. The ten finalists then proceeded to develop their initial idea upon financial support and supervision from UNIQLO and SFT, and presented their refined project on 2 February 2023. The panel of judges of the final presentation are: Dr Fan Di, SFT Assistant Professor Ms Kathy Fan, Director, Human Resources & FR Management and Innovation Center Department, UNIQLO HONG KONG, LIMITED Dr Chris Lo, SFT Associate Professor Ms Pam Poon, Education Manager, Redress Ms Emon Shea, Director, Legal & Information Security Office Department, UNIQLO HONG KONG, LIMITED Mr Ota Tomoyuki, Chief Operations Officer, UNIQLO HONG KONG, LIMITED Dr Xiao Chengyong, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Groningen (from left) Dr Fan Di, Ms Kathy Fan, Ms Pam Poon, Mr Ota Tomoyuki, Dr Chris Lo, Dr Xiao Chengyong and Ms Emon Shea Inspired by the traditional Japanese knots, the champion team made a series of pet cotton rope toys through the recycling clothes. The sustainable proposal could bring new business opportunity and was greatly appreciated by the judges. The 1st runner-up team compressed recycled textile wastes to make composite boards. This new type of material has an outstanding quality for the use in the production of furniture, sound absorbing board and construction materials. The 2nd runner-up team upcycled coffee ground into fiber for textiles and apparel production. This fiber has unique features of odors absorption, fast drying and UV protection. The judges have been deeply impressed by these outstanding projects, and the innovative ideas from other finalist teams. Winning teams are: Champion "Pet Toys" by Chung Wing-tin, Nicole, Lam Tsz-shuen, Leung Wing-yan 1st Runner-up "Recycle Textiles Composites for Sustainable Society" by Lam Chak-wai, Lam Tsz-ki, Wong Mei-shan, Fok Chun-fung and Chung Ka-wai 2nd Runner-up "Green Fashion - Coffee Ground Fibre" by Tse Ka-wing, Au Man-yan, Cheung Mei-yan, Lau Tsz-yan, Pun Wai-jan and Sit Kai-man Merit "Regeneration of Applied Plastic Yarn - School Bag" by Lau Chu-yi, Jim Yu-ching Natalie, Hui Hei-yan, Zhou Yu-wei, Yiu Ching-yau and Leung Ka-yau Merit "3D Printing Accessories" by Chuk Hiu-lam, Tam Pui -ling, Choi Lok-yi, Tang Lai-sho, Wong Lai-ching and Tse Chun-ho “The education to future industry leaders is essential for the development of sustainable fashion. In the meantime, the support from industry is important for education. This competition collaborated between SFT and UNIQLO have provided a unique learning experience for our students to apply what they have learned from the class into practices.” Said Dr Fan Di and Dr Magnum Lam who organized this competition. Mr Ota Tomoyuki, Chief Operations Officer, UNIQLO HONG KONG, LIMITED said, “We have been actively pursuing our sustainability goals, strengthening our commitment to environmental protection and social sustainability, and are committed to giving back to the community through the power of apparel. We are honored to collaborate with SFT again to nurture creative talents for the industry. Through this competition, we have successfully identified many young talents in Hong Kong and were inspired by their visionary proposals. We look forward to working with young people to build a sustainable green future for the society and the next generation.”  

Rebranding Fur Fashion Competition 2022

On 12 December 2022, the Award Presentation for Rebranding Fur Fashion Competition 2022 co-organised by SFT and Hong Kong Fur Federation (HKFF) recognised the outstanding group projects of final year BSc (Hons) Digital Fashion students. In September 2022, these final year students were given the opportunity to work in groups under the guidance and supervision of industry experts from the HKFF, and develop creative ideas and campaigns for rebranding fur fashion. On the day of the Award Presentation, they presented their projects that showcased the creative media and digital contents of their promotional campaigns to the HKFF board members to compete for cash prizes and awards. Three groups of students were selected for three awards at the ceremony: WONG Victoria Man-hei, YEUNG Hoi Ching, and LI Man Yuen received Second Runner-up for “100 VS 1”; LI Yu Chuen, WONG Mei Ching, and LI Fan Zhen received First Runner-up for “Re Fur Studio”; and LEE Yin Wai, CHAU Yin, and KO Sze Nga were recognised as the Champion for “Fur on Wheels”. Two other awards were also given for ‘From Digital Replicate to Recycled Fur Fashion’, with Most Realistic Award going to LI Fan Zhen and Most Creative Award to NG Lai Yi. All of the winners were selected by a panel of professional judges who are also board members/staff of the HKFF, including: Mr Eric Lau, Chairman Mr Alva Choi, Vice-Chairman Ms Rose Ko, Honorary Chairlady Mr William Sun, Director Ms Joanne Chan, Director Mr Andy Wong, Director Mr Cyril Fong, Director Mr Thomas Wong, Director Mr Henry Lam, Director Ms Jenny Lam, Manager Other supporting organisations and parties of the event are: Ms Rebecca Leung, Fashion Designer Ms Samantha Vesala, Saga Furs Oyj Ms Winnie Lam, Saga Furs Oyj Ms Amy Lee, Lenzing Fibers (HK) Ltd. Mrs Sally Lam, Season Trading Co Ltd Sunlit Trading Ltd Hong Kong Fur Factory Ltd Marco-Ling Fur Processing Ltd Congratulations to all of the winning teams!

SFT team shortlisted at Future Retail Challenge 2023

The shortlist for the Future Retail Challenge student competition has been announced. Following a competitive judging process, four SFT students - Herbie Chan (Year 3), Rika Lui (Year 4), Muskan Shah (Year 4), and Dora Xu (Year 3), are selected as the student representatives to participate in the World Retail Congress 2023 in Barcelona, Spain which takes place in April 2023. The panel of judges for the final audition included three industry advisors: Mr Jimmy Chan, Head of Account Management, Farfetch Mr Anthony Keung, President and CEO, Fenix Group Holdings Ltd Ms Tiffany Lam, Vice President – Marketing and Communications, Lane Crawford And two SFT academic supervisors, Dr Magnum Lam and Dr Tsai-chun Huang. The theme of this year’s competition is “Reinventing the shopping mall for the post-pandemic world”. The finalists have to select a shopping mall in a non-prime position in their own city or country, which has a closed department store anchor and a large number of empty shops. They then develop a plan for its revival that not only involves retail but also other activities that will result in a return of footfall, business, and above all, new vibrancy and relevance. The Future Retail Challenge student competition is a key component of the World Retail Congress, which seeks to promote future talent in the retail industry across the world. The World Retail Congress partners with universities globally which are in turn supported by the industry. The Future Retail Challenge aims to promote tomorrow’s retailers, the work that these colleges do, and range of talented students who are preparing for their career in the industry, as well as bring fresh thinking and new ideas of the students towards retail to the Congress itself. Congratulations to the Future Retail Challenge finalists and we look forward to the good news!

SFT alumnus receives DFA Hong Kong Young Design Talent Award 2022

SFT alumnus, Toki Wong To-ki (BA, 2015), is the proud recipient of the CreateSmart Young Design Talent Award for the Fashion and Accessory Design Category at the DFA Hong Kong Young Design Talent Award (DFA HKYDTA) 2022.  The award presentation ceremony took place on 30 December 2022 at the Hong Kong Palace Museum.  Toki will receive a grant of up to $500,000 in financial sponsorship to conduct work overseas with a renowned design company. Toki established his own label called “Kowloon City Boy” in 2021 after 5 years at a fashion sourcing company.  Bold colours and knitwear design with versatility are his signature elements.  Seeking to develop a male image in Hong Kong that is whimsical, honest, and down-to-earth, Toki’s designs demonstrate creativity, a sense of humor and ingenuity, and express current social issues.  His marketable and wearable menswear collection “Zoom Olympics” is based on a reimagined Olympic Games conducted on Zoom due to the COVID-19 pandemic. About the DFA Hong Kong Design Talent Award (FDA HKYDTA) The DFA HKYDTA is one of five DFA Awards programmes organised by the Hong Kong Design Centre with Create Hong Kong of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (CreateHK) as the lead sponsor. Established in 2005, the DFA HKYDTA’s mission is to nurture and support Hong Kong’s emerging design talent and fuel the growth of the local creative industry. Since its inception, this programme has provided sponsorship for over 110 Hong Kong young talents, who are all design practitioners or graduates between the ages of 18 to 35 years old. The up-and-coming awarded designers, selected by a professional judging panel, are going to start their overseas journey with a substantial amount of sponsorship, and gain immersive experiences and global perspectives to take their future accomplishments to the next level.

Natural Sustainability publishes review article by Prof. Xiaoming Tao

Natural Sustainability, a top journal of the field, published an invited review article entitled “Advancing life-cycle sustainability of textiles through technological innovations”, which was released online on 22 December 2022 (https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-022-01004-5). An international team led by Prof. Xiaoming Tao of Hong Kong Polytechnic University was the contributing authors. Throughout their life cycle, textiles produce 5-10% of global greenhouse gas emissions and consume the second-largest amount of the world’s water with polluting microplastics and chemical agents released to waterways. Prof. Tao’s team and Dr. Svetlana Boriskina of Massachusetts Institute of Technology have joined forces and spent two years together to study technology innovations and their impacts on sustainability. The team examined the state-of-the-art technology developments meant to solve these problems in a cradle-to-grave fashion.  They collected 22724 publications during the last ten years, among which 940 were screened and 215 were studied in detail.  The team analysed their impacts with respect to the Sustainable Development Goals in United Nations Agenda 2030, particularly those concerning the deployment of natural resources, energy and environmental impacts. A systematic analytical framework was followed to identify and elucidate impactful technologies. Based on the findings, the team further discussed future directions of research and developments along which the green transformation of textiles could be accelerated. The topics cover: green sciences and processes based on high-throughput, data-driven discovery studies to identify and develop sustainable replacements for synthetic polyester and nylon fibres, biomass-based and degradable fibre–forming materials and the cultivation of insect- and disease-resistant plant seeds that require less water can be achieved through advancements in biological science, waterless or less-water colouration, reduction or elimination of production steps as well as mono-materiality in textiles for proactive material recovery. The first author is Dr Lisha Zhang, Research Assistant Professor. Prof. Xiaoming Tao is the corresponding author.  

$300K start-up fund from“Cre8 by AIA” for Minnie Lam

On 30 Nov 2022, alumna Minnie Lam (BA, 2020) shone at the “Cre8 by AIA” Competition in the Design category. Organised by AIA Hong Kong & Macau, the competition attracted over a thousand applications. The star mentors and judges, including Hins Cheung - multi-talented singer-songwriter, and Neo Yau – co-founder of the “Trial & Error” Youtube channel, selected Minnie as the winner from a lineup of very talented individuals. Not only has Minnie received $300,000 from the Cre8 kickstart fund towards her fashion brand, but Rap Chan, Creator of Dustykid – Soul Caring Brand based in Hong Kong, has also personally mentored her.   Minnie established her fashion brand, LAM WING SUM, in 2018 when she was still a student and supported by the fashion business and incubation platform of SFT - STORE by PolyU Fashion, for her B2C and B2B business.  Her design inspirations are mainly based on nature and abstract ideas and colours which promote durable and aesthetic slow fashion.  With the continuous support of SFT, Minnie received the opportunity to embark on an overseas study exchange at the Amsterdam Fashion Institute (AMFI) to enrich her traditional garment making skills and explore the concept of fashion sustainability.   About "Cre8 by AIA" The "Cre8 by AIA" competition is a youth-inspired co-creation programme dedicated to supporting young people to fully unleash their creativity to co-create tomorrow with infinite possibilities. "Cre8 by AIA" provides comprehensive support for young people to fulfill their creative aspirations, creating shared values for society. The programme is designed to support talents in five categories – "Performance Creation", "Design", "Food & Beverage", "Go Green" and "Innovation & Technology". Young people can submit their "Cre8tion" to the applicable category for an opportunity to enter "Cre8 by AIA". Shortlisted cre8tors not only receive mentorships from star mentors and judges, and promotional support from Cre8 for their endeavours but also funds from the Cre8 kickstart funds totaling $2.5 million to pursue their dream career.