Hong Kong people adore fashion, especially brand names. Yet, instead of buying pret-a-porter collections, some talented women and men who have honed their skills at prominent schools are now creating their own designs for the local market, store shelves overseas and even Chinese Olympians.
Quite a number of Hong Kong's young designers trace their roots to one leading institution - the Institute of Textiles and Clothing at Hong Kong Polytechnic University.
The institute's outstanding alumni include Pacino Wan Tai-wai, Chen Dao, Mary Yu-wah as well as renowned fashion designer Vivienne Tam, who graduated from the university in 1978 with a higher diploma in design.
"Fashion is a very attractive industry," says Raymond Au Wai-man, associate professor at ITC. "A lot of people fancy a job in this field, not necessarily as a designer."
ITC offers programs ranging from the diploma to the master's level, with courses separated into four main streams - fashion technology, fashion and textile design, fashion and textile marketing and merchandising, and fashion retailing.
Chen Dao, ITC graduate in 2002, commends the PolyU program for its practicality.
"The program is comprehensive. It equips you with everything you need to know about the fashion industry, from making a garment to selling it," says the 30-year-old designer who has established his own brand.
He says the resources available at the school have helped him develop his creativity.
"Also, the professors wou
Final-year student Sherry Kwok Wai-shan, who this month won the overall prize in the Hong Kong Young Fashion Designers' Contest at Hong Kong Fashion Week, also thinks the school's resources are vital for generating new ideas.
"Once I actually tried to do embroidery or to dye a cloth on my own. Now, I know how to integrate my creativity into reality," she says.
She attributes part of her success to ITC's exchange program, under which she spent half a year at Manchester in Britain studying textile design for fashion.
"It gave me an international perspective on fashion and design. Now my inspiration comes from all over the world, not merely from Hong Kong."
Sportswear designer Ho Ho-tak, 27, who got both his bachelor and master's degrees at ITC, says the theory part of the programs grabbed his attention.
"Instead of technical support, I prefer discussing design concepts with professors," he says, adding that the exchanges help him understand the shortcomings in his designs.
The hands-on skills came from the bachelor's, while the master's program "trained my mind."
Ho now works at Li Ning Sports, designing outfits for China's Olympic Games table-tennis team. "The training I received at ITC is quite comprehensive yet there's always room for improvement," he says, suggesting that the school should offer programs in specific categories such as women's wear or casualwear.
ld honestly say your design sucks if it's not good enough," he recalls. "And then quickly pull you back on the right track." Chen, who works as the stylist for bands such as I Love You Boyz, believes he owes his career to the school. "It taught me how to establish my identity in this commercial industry. I enjoyed my school days very much."
