News

Best Use of Australian Merino Wool Award goes to knitwear student Annie Duan

The Woolmark Company and Flinders Merino Group presented the Best Use of Australian Merino Wool Award to knitwear design graduating student Duan Qiqi Annie, in recognition of her innovative graduation collection showcasing creative applications of Australian Merino wool at the PolyU Fashion Show 2025. The award presentation was successfully held at the Woolmark Company’s Wool Resource Centre on 19 August. Annie’s collection, “Echoes of Bronze: Timeless Resilience,” draws inspiration from the ancient Sanxingdui civilisation and features exquisite 3D sculptural knitted pieces, demonstrating high-tech integration of Merino wool and advanced knitting techniques. The Woolmark Company is the global authority on Merino wool and owns the Woolmark logo, a quality assurance symbol found on more than 5 billion products. As a not-for-profit organisation, The Woolmark Company works alongside 60,000 woolgrowers in Australia to research, develop and certify Australian wool. They support and collaborate with like-minded fashion designers and brands. SFT would like to extend heartfelt gratitude to Flinders Merino Group, Australian Wool Innovation and The Woolmark Company for their unwavering support in nurturing fashion design talents over the past 17 years. In the past, awardees had the opportunity to visit the wool farm in Australia, where they learnt more about merino wool and broadened their horizons.

SFT co-hosts 2025 Global Marketing Conference in Hong Kong

Co-hosted by SFT and the Faculty of Business of PolyU in collaboration with the Global Alliance of Marketing & Management Associations (GAMMA), the Global Marketing Conference (GMC) was successfully held at the Grand Hyatt Hong Kong from 24 to 27 July 2025. This prestigious international academic event brought together leading scholars, industry experts, and emerging researchers from around the globe, which created a vibrant platform for knowledge exchange and networking. Congratulations to Prof. Erin Cho, Dean of SFT, as she was the recipient of the Excellent Leadership Award at the 2025 GMC which honoured her visionary guidance and commitment to advancing the field of marketing. A total of 1,102 participants from 58 countries registered for the Conference, with 2,008 authors presenting 697 papers. In addition to the main academic sessions, the GMC offered a rich programme that combined scholarly discourse with cultural and creative experiences. The Conference featured three industry tours, workshops on research methods held on PolyU campus, the 2025 GAMMA Art, Fashion & Design Exhibition at Hong Kong, 2025 GAMMA Invited Fashion Show, and a digital fashion show, which all took place concurrently. These different activities highlight Hong Kong’s unique position as a dynamic hub for fashion, business, and innovation, which gave the participants both academic insights and a memorable cultural experience. Prof. Erin Cho delivered the welcoming remarks at the reception, following the welcoming address by Prof. Eunju Ko of Yonsei University, Chair of the Organising Committee. The speeches conveyed heartfelt gratitude to the global participants for their involvement and emphasised the conference’s role in fostering global collaborations in marketing research. At the official opening event, the atmosphere was one of excitement and anticipation as the attendees networked, which set the tone for the inspiring sessions that followed. At the plenary session, Prof. Jin-Guang Teng, President of PolyU, delivered a welcoming address and highlighted PolyU’s commitment to global collaboration, innovation, and academic excellence. This was followed by welcoming addresses from Prof. Jiannong Cao, Acting Vice President (Education); Prof. Erin Cho, Dean of SFT; and Ir Prof. T.C. Edwin Cheng, Dean of the Faculty of Business. Each speaker warmly acknowledged the contributions of the participants and emphasised the importance of cross-disciplinary engagement in advancing marketing scholarship.

Newly minted PhD Chung King-yan publishes in Advanced Materials

The spotlight is on Chung King-yan, Claire, a BA degree holder and recent PhD graduate of SFT. This Hong Konger recently published “Cottonseed-Derived Reusable Bio-Carbon Gel Ink for DIW Printing Soft Electronic Textiles” in Advanced Materials, a prestigious journal in the materials sciences with an impact factor of 26.8. Claire began her academic journey as a dedicated undergraduate who majored in intimate apparel and activewear at SFT, where she graduated with first-class honours. She then pursued her PhD studies under the supervision of Prof. Xu Bingang and obtained her PhD degree in 2025. During her PhD studies, Claire was awarded SFT Outstanding Research Achievement Award 2024 (Research Postgraduate Students), and the overall quality of her PhD thesis was rated “excellent” by the Board of Examiners. Throughout her academic journey, Claire has consistently pushed the boundaries of clothing innovation by incorporating electronic technology with wearable design principles. Her pioneering work focuses on wearable electronics and E-textiles, which explores the integration of clothing and electronic devices with multifunctional applications that range from health monitoring to energy harvesting and human-machine interaction. Claire’s published work highlights her innovative approach to the direct ink writing (DIW) technique for textile electronics. Her research examines the development of reusable bio-carbon gel ink for DIW and a simple integration process of flexible electronics into textile fabric, thus realising significantly important properties and functionalities. The fabricated direct ink written e-textile system can be directly worn not only for motion sensing, self-powered pressure detection, and energy driving, but also realise artificial intelligence-empowered functionalities, including real-time signal recognition and robotic manipulation. By transforming clothing into next-generation electronic platforms, Claire envisions a future where garments are not just passive wearables but interactive, intelligent systems that enhance human capabilities and IoTs.

SFT Outstanding Staff & Alumni Award 2024 Presentation Ceremony

SFT proudly hosted the SFT Outstanding Staff and Alumni Award Presentation Ceremony on 18 July 2025. The ceremony honoured eight distinguished SFT staff as recipients of the School Awards for Outstanding Achievement. Three exceptional SFT alumni were also honoured as recipients of the Outstanding PolyU Alumni Awards 2024. The morning session commenced with insightful sharing by the accomplished SFT Outstanding Alumni, which drew a large crowd of enthusiastic colleagues and students. Dr Vien Cheung captivated the audience with her keynote address on the Research Assessment Exercise (RAE), and offered invaluable insights into this academic impact measurement derived from her expertise. Mr Ray Lau followed with a highly relevant keynote with details on the complexities and opportunities within Mainland China's E-commerce business landscape by drawing from his leadership role at Jeanswest. Their compelling presentations proved particularly inspiring for the audience, sparked meaningful dialogue and profoundly enriched the collective knowledge of the SFT community with both scholarly and industry-relevant takeaways. The afternoon session featured the Award Presentation Ceremony. Amongst an environment with feelings of well-earned pride, the awardees received their well-deserved honours and shared personal insights into their achievements, thus highlighting the collaborative spirit and their vision for the future of their fields. This event celebrated their remarkable contributions, which united the SFT community in recognition of their excellence. Following the awards presentation, a post-ceremony reception with refreshments provided a valuable opportunity for the alumni, professors, staff, and students to mingle, share experiences, and strengthen their networks within the SFT community. Outstanding PolyU Alumni Award The Outstanding PolyU Alumni Award aims to recognise distinguished graduates of PolyU who have achieved distinction in their chosen fields, actively support their alma mater, as well as made impactful contributions to the wider community.  For details on the awardees of the Outstanding PolyU Alumni Award, please visit here. The School Awards for Outstanding Achievement The School Awards for Outstanding Achievement, organised by PolyU, recognise and celebrate the remarkable contributions of staff members in teaching, research and scholarly activities, knowledge transfer, and services.  For details on the awardees of the School Awards for Outstanding Achievement, please visit here.

Year-1 student Fiona Poon receives HSBC Hong Kong Scholarship 2024/25

Congratulations to our BA student, Fiona Poon, who has been awarded the prestigious HSBC Hong Kong Scholarship for the 2024/25 academic year. The award presentation on HSBC Scholar Day was held on 16 July 2025 at the HSBC Main Building in Central. Of the 11 PolyU awardees, Fiona is the only recipient from SFT — an extraordinary milestone for a first-year student. With an outstanding GPA and a remarkable record of achievements even before joining SFT, Fiona brings the same passion and curiosity to her studies in fashion design by integrating creativity, culture, and artistry in every step of the way. This scholarship will further empower her as she grows, learns, and makes her mark in the fashion world. The HSBC Hong Kong Scholarship is a highly esteemed award given to outstanding full-time Bachelor’s degree students in Hong Kong, which recognises academic excellence and encourages recipients to further their achievements. For over half a century, the HSBC Scholarship Scheme has granted scholarships that have enabled 7,500 students to pursue their dreams, with the goal of gaining new knowledge, skills, perspectives, and experiences to build more resilient communities in Hong Kong and elsewhere.

Fashion for Life Meaning: PolyU and HKFYG empower youth to find purpose through creativity

Fashion is more than style — it can be a powerful force for positive change and personal growth. This belief was at the heart of the “Beyond Style Fashion for Life Meaning - Fashion Show”, held on 5 July 2025, where 24 teenagers from the Youth Crime Prevention Centre of The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups (HKFYG) took to the runway to share not only their designs, but also their journeys toward a more meaningful life. Co-organised by SFT, the PolyU Service-Learning and Leadership Office, and HKFYG, the event aimed to inspire young people — especially those from vulnerable backgrounds — to discover their unique value and purpose. Through close collaboration with 32 PolyU students, each teenager co-created a fashion collection that reflected their personal stories, dreams, and aspirations. The fashion show was more than a display of creativity; it was a celebration of resilience, self-discovery, and hope. By participating in the design process and presenting their creations on stage, the youth gained confidence, learned new skills, and found new meaning in their lives. The PolyU students, in turn, deepened their sense of social responsibility and learned the importance of using their talents to serve the community. “We believe that fashion can be a transformative medium,” said Prof. Jin Lam, project leader and Associate Professor. “Through co-designing and sharing their stories, these young participants and our students are empowered to express their values, embrace their potential, and find the courage to face life’s challenges with a renewed sense of purpose.” The “Beyond Style Fashion for Life Meaning - Fashion Show” stands as a testament to the power of creativity and collaboration in helping youth build positive, meaningful lives.

Miss Cherry Lau recipient of Best Theoretical Contribution Award at Academy of Marketing Conference 2025

Congratulations to Miss Cherry Lau, a Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme (HKPFS) recipient and SFT PhD student under the supervision of Prof. Christina Wong, for receiving the Best Theoretical Contribution Award at the Academy of Marketing Conference 2025 Doctoral Colloquium, held at University College Cork in Ireland. Her research adopts the novel perspective of integrating the institutional theory into marketing communications. Using a series of seven different studies, she investigates how different institutional framing perspectives (i.e., regulative, normative, and cognitive) influence brand sincerity and perceived manipulative intent, and subsequently enhance purchasing and sustainable behaviours. She also explores the underlying mechanisms of heuristic-systematic processing and the boundary conditions of value-computation (i.e., self-relevance and social relevance) that drive the institutional framing effect in desirable consumer behaviours. Her research advances the signalling and persuasion literature and provides practical recommendations for managers and marketers on leveraging institutional framing as a new persuasion strategy to encourage consumer purchasing and sustainable behaviours. Her research presentation at the Academy of Marketing Conference 2025 Doctoral Colloquium was highly received by both her research mentors and fellow scholars due to her rigorous and robust experimental design and the impactful contributions to both theory and practice on how institutional message framing influences perceived brand sincerity and subsequently enhances the key marketing outcomes. She will also be presenting her research findings at the Academy of Marketing Main Conference 2025 in July. Congratulations to Cherry again for her research achievements!

SFT knitwear students shine at Young Design Project in Florence, Italy

With the generous sponsorships of Lai’s Knitters Ltd. (production and cash sponsor), M.oro Cashmere and Shanghai Shi-Kwan Textile Technology Co., Ltd. (yarn sponsors), and Glory Apparel Inc. and Chamtex Limited (production sponsors), three talented BA knitwear design students, Bobo Cheung, Hung Pui-ki and Ling Lui, designed six pieces of beautiful knitwear which were showcased in Florence, Italy in July 2025 and will be displayed at the 45th SPINEXPO™ in Shanghai in August 2025. Bound by Reality: Unveiling the Power within Limitations by Bobo Cheung Bobo’s design draws inspiration from the pressure and responsibilities that people face in everyday life, such as work, education, and daily demands, which can feel like a heavy chain or red rope that restricts freedom. This sense of being bound often causes individuals to lose touch with their true passions and desires. The top of the first set is made from a vibrant red and black patterned fabric, characterised by a high neckline and zipper at the front. Chains are added to the sleeves for decoration which emphasise the theme. As for the dress, compared with the top, the use of contrasting colours and patterns enhances its unique character. The dress maintains a graceful and elegant shape. The top of the second set consists of a unique layered design with an oversized, draped silhouette. The high neck adds an element of sophistication, while the open front showcases the underlying layers. The pants are wide-legged and flowy, made from a bold red fabric adorned with a black cable inlay pattern. Perceive Differently by Hung Pui-ki Pui-ki’s design concept celebrates the diversity of perception, particularly for those with colour vision deficiencies. Inspired by the idea that everyone experiences the world differently, the collection uses colour contrasts, tactile textures, and bold structural lines to create garments that are expressive for both colour-sighted and colour-deficient individuals. Both pieces start from the same rectangular base, which symbolise shared origins yet diverse outcomes. The first dress, in red and black, represents intensity, confidence and inner strength. The dress features sculptural cuts and a short skirt to convey strength and confidence. The second, in orange and blue, evokes warmth, calmness and clarity, and uses flowing drapes and stripes to create balance and movement. Pui-ki incorporated links and partial knitting into the design to create a ribbed fabric structure. This ribbing enhances the 3D effect of the garments. A wool-cashmere blend is created through partial knitting and linked construction, which produces a ribbed texture that adds a physical dimension to the garment. This tactile quality enhances the presence of the garment even for those who may not notice the visual contrast. The 3D structure, paired with geometric stripes and a rhythmic pattern, ensures visual engagement with all viewers—whether they are colour-sighted or colour-deficient. Childlike by Ling Lui Ling’s design concept is inspired by the joy and creativity of childhood, with the aim to help adults reconnect with their inner child. The collection uses puzzle pieces as a symbol of self-exploration and personal growth, which represent how people piece together their identities over time. Through playful designs, Ling hopes to bring happiness, creativity, and a sense of nostalgia to the busy lives of adults, thus encouraging people to embrace their true self and cherish the joyful moments. The first set features an oversized cape with puzzle pieces paired with short pants. Bubble stitching and birds-eye jacquard are used on both pieces to create a feeling of thickness and warmth. The second set includes a long overcoat and a sporty vest dress, with fur texture added to give an overall feeling of warmth.  

Year-2 student Janice Chan awarded Innovation and Technology Scholarship 2025

SFT is thrilled to announce that an outstanding Year-2 student, Chan Wing-ching Janice, has been honoured with the Innovation and Technology Scholarship 2025 which is sponsored by the Innovation and Technology Commission (ITC), HSBC, and The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups (HKFYG). The award recognises her passion and achievement in eco-conscious fashion innovation. The award presentation ceremony took place on 26 May 2025. Janice is the founder of a sustainable lingerie brand called Petal Couture, which develops hypoallergenic and eco-friendly fabrics. Inspired by her personal and family experiences with eczema, she collaborated with partners in France and Shanghai to explore breathable and biodegradable lingerie by using unconventional materials such as kombucha bacteria cellulose, mushroom mycelium, and pineapple leaf fibres. Janice asserts that “Fashion shouldn't just follow trends — it must prioritise sustainability and health.” Two distinct product lines form  her brand: affordable lingerie made from eco-friendly and hypoallergenic fabrics, and upscale garments crafted from recyclable technical textiles. Janice will receive $150,000 to participate in a series of PolyU initiatives, including the Overseas/Mainland Attachment Programme, Mentorship Programme, Local Internship Programme, and Service Project Programme, to study eco-textile manufacturing in France and ultimately fulfilling her vision for accessible eco-fashion in Hong Kong. About the Innovation and Technology Scholarship The Innovation and Technology Scholarship has been jointly launched since 2011, aims to inject new impetus into local innovation and technology (I&T) development by nurturing undergraduates with a passion for technological innovation. Over the years, the Scholarship has cultivated 375 young individuals and exposed them to global perspectives through a series of elite-nurturing initiatives, thus enhancing their experiences and skills while exploring I&T possibilities across the disciplines.

PolyU and Tiangong University sign MoU

We are delighted to announce that Prof. Erin Cho, Dean of SFT, and Prof. Jiang Yaming, Dean of the School of International Education and Director of Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan Affairs Office of Tiangong University signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on 26 June 2025. This MoU marks the beginning of a collaborative partnership that focuses on scientific research, innovation, talent development and academic exchanges. The signing ceremony was witnessed by Dr Lam Tai-fai, PolyU Council Chairman; Prof. Jin-Guang Teng, President of PolyU; and Prof. Jiang Yong, President of Tiangong University. Their presence underscored the importance of this collaboration and the support extended by both universities. This partnership reflects a strong commitment to enhancing educational and research capabilities in the textile sector, which paves the way towards innovative solutions and the development of skilled professionals in the industry. As both institutions move forward with this collaboration, they aim to contribute significantly to advancements in textile education and research, thus fostering a mutually beneficial relationship that will benefit students and the industry alike.