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Four HKDI graduates stood out from the competition with their creative masterpieces, and successfully won CreateSmart Young Design Talent Special Award, HKDI Young Design Talent Award and Young Design Talent Special Mention Award bestowed by Hong Kong Design Centre. The winners have received a total of HK$500,000 financial sponsorships to further their practices, such as overseas studies and internships. Every year, HKDI graduates shine at the DFA Hong Kong Young Design Talent Award, demonstrating programmes of HKDI are highly respected by the design education sector in Hong Kong.

Overseas exchange and internships lay the foundation for fashion design career

SO Man-ching, HKDI graduate of Higher Diploma in Fashion Design, received the CreateSmart Young Design Talent Special Award. She thanks HKDI for providing a great learning platform with rich resources and diversified overseas internship opportunities, supporting her to become acquainted with the fashion industry. Man-ching’s horizon was further widened when she learnt about the whole clothing production process at a visit to a denim factory in Indonesia and worked with an independent fashion designer during her internship. She becomes bold and innovative when she makes use of different materials in her designs, allowing her to win in various design competitions. Her YDTA award-winning design "Hysteric Solitude" which made of different natural fabrics such as leather, wool and silk, shows the potential of the collection.

Man-ching shared that the winning experience had inspired her to further her goal. She is planning to further her study and gain more experience in Belgium or Italy, which she wishes to learn from a renowned fashion master of asymmetric cutting there. Taking pattern-making lessons in Antwerp and conducting research in the well-stocked Royal Library of Belgium in Brussels are also included in her plans. Through learning different fashion cultures, she hopes to lay the foundation for her own fashion design career.

Resisting the current "fast fashion" with traditional handcraft techniques

Juliette HO, who won the HKDI Young Design Talent Award, also graduated from the HKDI’s Higher Diploma in Fashion Design. In face of the popular trend of designing easy-to-wear, mass produced and fast fashion, Juliette has aspired to focus more on haute couture and handcrafted apparel.

Techniques of historical dressmaking and spirit of the arts and crafts movement in the Victorian Era could be easily found in Juliette’s designs. In her award-winning collection “RE-COUTURE”, traces of handicraft techniques in the 18th century, including slashing, smocking, ruffles could be seen. Even though the production method is laborious and time-consuming, she still spares no effort in making her fashion pieces unique.

During Juliette’s studies at HKDI, she had an exchange opportunity at the Kolding School of Design in Denmark with Esprit International Exchange Scholarship.  She was also selected as the Ambassador of HKDI at Cumulus, an international design forum held in Denmark. HKDI gives students numerous opportunities to learn about design elements around the globe. Inspired by the concept of “combining traditional and contemporary design", her work emphasizes the importance of preserving traditional craftsmanship so as to show gorgeous and high-end custom fashion remains as one of the important cultural heritages. She hopes to resist the impact of the current "fast fashion" phenomenon with her fashion revolution.

“Moth” and “Ocean” –Response to ecological pollution problems 

As for another fashion design graduate Ingrid HO, she was the Overall Winner at the 2018 HKDI Graduation Show, as well as the winner of the "Young Design Talent Special Mention Award" with her “MOTH” collection. Inspired by the color and pattern of moths, her collection is made of knit and woven fabrics and it demonstrates the light texture of a moth’s wings with the use of tulle. In addition to showing the beauty of moths, Ingrid hopes to remind people of the damage caused by industrial pollution to the ecological environment. She also responds to the pollution brought by garment industry by using environmentally friendly materials.

During her studies at HKDI, Ingrid won the Fenix Group Travel Scholarship to participate in SPINEXPO Shanghai 2017. Her understanding on wool garment technology, which she applied on her collection had been deepened at her visits to knitting factories in Shanghai. The "MOTH" collection is made from a kind of naturally renewable fiber “merino wool”. The yarns are knitted and woven in different ways for creating a significant contrast in colours and texture. Ingrid hopes to work on sustainable fashion, encompassing greener materials as well as low-carbon-footprint and socially responsible production methods.

Carmen LI, another graduate of Higher Diploma in Fashion Design of HKDI, was awarded the Young Design Talent Special Mention Award as well. Her award-winning graduation project “The Blue Void” was inspired by the ocean. She hopes to present the different colours and layers of the ocean, while also brings forth the ocean pollution problem. Using fabrics that were hand dyed by the designer, as well as denim wash, painting, and knitting techniques, the collection offers a kaleidoscope of various shades, tints, and tones of blue complemented by interesting layers and patterns. She also won in other contest with this collection.

During her exchange semester at the University of Borås in Sweden and an internship at a New York denim manufacturer, she acquired a deeper understanding on the dyeing techniques, facilitating her to improve her design. During the creation process, it took her a lot of time and effort to come up with the desired fabrics, through numerous trials and errors.

DFA Hong Kong Young Design Talent Award cultivates local young designers 

DFA Hong Kong Young Design Talent Award (DFA HKYDTA) as one of the programmes of DFA Awards organised by the Hong Kong Design Centre (HKDC), aims to support and cultivate local up-and-coming designers and design graduates. Awardees may receive sponsorship to undergo overseas work attachment in renowned design companies or study in overseas institutes to unleash their potential and contribute to Hong Kong’s design and creative industry development upon their return.