News

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.

SFT alumni recognised among top 10 finalists at YDC 2026

Organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), the Hong Kong Young Fashion Designers’ Contest (YDC) 2026 was successfully held during Asia’s premier fashion event, CENTRESTAGE, on 5 September 2026. As one of the most influential fashion design competitions in the region, YDC celebrates emerging young designers and their unique visions. This year, four outstanding SFT alumni: Mr Calvin Chan (BA, 2024), Mr Einar Lai (BA, 2024), Mr Zephyr Liu (BA, 2015), and Miss Selena Xie (BA, 2025), found themselves among the top 10 finalists and showcased their creative flair on the runway. Calvin’s collection, “A Rookie Tailor”, re-evaluates traditional menswear by transforming overlooked bespoke components, such as shoulder pads and hand-stitching, into central design elements. Approaching craftsmanship with a fresh, rule-breaking perspective, he blends precise cutting with intentional rawness to offer a contemporary take on classic tailoring. Einar’s collection, “Sh-boom”, captures the spontaneous spark of inspiration and blurs the boundaries between fine art and fashion. Translating the intimate creative process in the studio into garments, he repurposes modest art materials through meticulous handcraft to place canvas-inspired concepts directly onto the body. Zephyr was inspired by Yoko Ono’s conceptual art for his collection, “Map to Get Lost”, which explores themes of growth, existence, and transformation. Utilising skin-like fabric manipulations, exposed stitching, and reconfigurable structures, the designs invite the wearer into an open-ended dialogue of self-discovery and perpetual flux. Selena fulfils a childhood dream in her collection “Episode 0”, which returns to the pure, uninhibited joy of creation. Using primary colours, circular forms, and open structural spaces, she balances childlike imagination with wearable, thoughtful tailoring. SFT extends its warmest congratulations to all alumni on their stellar achievements and wishes them continued success in their design journeys.  

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.

Trev Yung clinches HKFDA Young Talent Award 2026

Graduating fashion design student Yung Tsz-tsun Trev won the prestigious Young Talent Award 2026, presented by the Hong Kong Fashion Designers Association (HKFDA). The award presentation ceremony was held on 1 September 2026. Each year, the HKFDA assembles a panel of veteran fashion designers to evaluate graduation runway shows across Hong Kong's four leading design institutions: PolyU, Hong Kong Design Institute, Saint Francis University, as well as Technological and Higher Education Institute of Hong Kong. From a competitive pool where only four to seven top graduates from each institution are shortlisted, candidates undergo rigorous interviews before a single standout designer is selected as the overall recipient of the coveted annual award. Trev’s victory highlights his exceptional creative vision and craftsmanship among Hong Kong’s emerging design talents.

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. 

SFT secures key distinctions in IP commercialisation at PolyU Patents Achievement Award 2025

SFT is proud to announce that the PolyU Patents Achievement Award (PPAA) 2025 gave dual recognition to our outstanding achievements. It honours academic departments and faculty members for their exceptional commitment to translating research breakthroughs into practical, commercial solutions. First, SFT was awarded the Most Active IP Commercialisation Award which acknowledges our active role in technology transfer and research impact. Adding to this success, Prof. Tao Xiaoming, Director of the Research Institute for Intelligent Wearables (RI-IWEAR) and Chair Professor of Textile Technology, received the prestigious Outstanding IP Commercialisation Award 2025. These awards celebrate SFT’s significant contributions to global innovation, industry collaborations, and economic development, while reinforcing PolyU’s vibrant culture of high-impact research.Moving forward, SFT remains dedicated to advancing cutting-edge textile and fashion technologies, fostering cross-disciplinary research, and maximising the commercial and societal values of its intellectual property.