“Hong Kong Design Institute Emerging Design Talents 2025”
Emerging Designers Illuminate Creative Art and Life’s Infinite Possibilities

Hong Kong Design Institute (HKDI), a beacon of design education in the region, continues to spearhead creative pedagogy, nurturing visionary designers who are equipped with practical expertise by integrating cutting-edge industry techniques into its curriculum. The “Hong Kong Design Institute Emerging Design Talents 2025” (EDT), a cornerstone of HKDI’s annual celebration of creativity, takes place from now until 21 September 2025, showcasing over 440 meticulously curated works by emerging talents from disciplines such as Architecture, Interior and Product Design, Communication Design, Digital Media, and Fashion and Image Design. Featuring projects from the “Advanced Design Studio” (ADS) programme, dedicated to nurturing outstanding promising design professionals and leaders, alongside an array of dynamic design presentations, the exhibition invites the public to explore the boundless possibilities at the intersection of creative art and life.

The EDT debuts with an immersive musical, “The Ultimate Bid: A Musical Extravaganza”, a fusion of captivating storytelling, original music, and virtual stage effects. This performance transports audiences into a narrative of art and romance set against the backdrop of an auction. One of the highlights of the musical is the collaboration between veteran DJ Dr Wong Chi-chung, HKDI’s virtual idol, Vi and the creative team. They perform and sing the new song “A night with light” through interactive virtual lighting, creating a transcendent experience that bridges time and space.

Highlights of “Hong Kong Design Institute Emerging Design Talents 2025”

Centred on the convergence of culture, society, and quotidian life, this exhibition showcases how design graduates transform their learning into works that inspire reflection and change. From immersive experiences that breathe new life into traditional culture to spatial designs addressing the needs of marginalised communities; from digital creations that revive collective memories to interactive games that reflect on urban existence, these young designers engage with pressing issues, exploring how design can shape a brighter future.

Fashion takes centre stage, igniting the exhibition with bold creativity. On 4 July, the highly anticipated annual “The Revolutionary Image of New Generation” fashion show will present around 40 wearable art pieces, seamlessly blending innovative makeup, hairstyling, and fashion styling to capture the pulse of contemporary trends. Following closely, another fashion show, “New Fashion Force”, held on 8 July at HKDI’s campus, will spotlight outstanding works by around 30 Higher Diploma in Fashion Design graduates.  With daring creativity and distinctive perspectives, these pieces not only demonstrate the designers’ flair but also chart the course of fashion’s future.

The personal narratives woven through fashion extend into deeper social commentary. Drawing from the field of human anatomy, “Anatomy: Rights of Garments” created by Higher Diploma in Fashion Design graduate Chau Ching Miu employs knitted fabrics to mimic the sensation of stretched skin and multi-material designs to defy physical constraints. This work probes the intricate relationship between body and clothing, provoking audiences to reflect on self-care and attire.

Shifting from introspection to societal care, Diploma of Vocational Baccalaureate (Design) graduate To Martin Kwong Chak addresses the needs of foster teenagers, an often-overlooked group, through his project “Discovery Hub - Foster Youth Centre”. This residential design creates a safe, supportive environment that cultivates mutual help and interaction among foster families to build a robust growth network. Through its empathetic design language, To’s work underscores a commitment to social inclusion and responsibility.

This focus on modern society finds resonance in explorations of cultural heritage. Xie Wolong, a graduate of Higher Diploma in Design for Event, Exhibition and Performance, with eight years of lion dance practice, channels his passion into an exhibition design. This immersive experience features a lion dance championship, martial arts school, thematic displays, plum blossom pole-walking challenges, and lion dance virtual reality interactions, deftly blending traditional craftsmanship with modern design to inspire reflections on connecting heritage with the future.

The gaze on culture extends to rekindling collective memory. The virtual production “Lai Yuen”, produced by seven Higher Diploma in Arts Technology graduates, revisits Hong Kong’s iconic Lai Chi Kok Amusement Park back in the 1960s and 70s. Crafted in HKDI’s virtual production studio at Shaw Studios, this work reawakens shared nostalgia, revealing design’s power to forge emotional connections across time.

Beyond cultural heritage and historical reflection, design also embraces nature’s essence. Created by Li Man Hei, a graduate of the Higher Diploma in Visual Arts and Culture, “Ephemeral Traces” merges new ink art with Japanese wabi-sabi aesthetics. Through interactive elements—magnetic branches, stones, powder, and adhesive—visitors co-create fleeting moments and experience the transient beauty of nature and time. This interactive piece, with its embrace of imperfection, echoes with design’s pursuit of authenticity.

The exhibition concludes with a light-hearted yet profound return to daily life. Diploma of Foundation Studies (Design) graduate Yu Pak Lok designed a board game, “Gong Si Gaan A Wai !!” to capture the city’s frenetic pace and challenge players to balance money, time, and health. This playful design prompts introspection on life’s priorities, weaving the exhibition’s diverse explorations into a thoughtful reflection on existence.

About Hong Kong Design Institute

Hong Kong Design Institute (HKDI) is a member of VTC Group. HKDI was established in 2007 with the mission to be a leading provider of design education and lifelong learning, including architecture, interior and product design, communication design, digital media and fashion and image design. With a view to providing professional designers for the creative industries, it promotes the “think and do” approach and encourages interdisciplinary synergy in its broad range of design programmes that cultivate students’ cultural sensitivities and sense of sustainability. HKDI maintains a strong network with industry and provides its students with essential practical experience. Overseas exchanges are actively arranged for students to broaden their horizon and international perspective.

Website: http://www.hkdi.edu.hk

About Advanced Design Studio

The Advanced Design Studio is a synthetic and thorough outcome-based training scheme under HKDI aimed at cultivating a number of high-calibre and talented young design leaders for tomorrow, as well as facilitating students in reaching their higher potential for the challenging and fast-changing global and local societies. The programme promotes holistic development to better prepare graduates for their future career. Students will undergo a series of results-oriented training and internship to actively engage in various invaluable professional experiences with hands-on, trade-specific skills. The programme also makes available a mentorship network to strengthen students’ sense of belonging to the Institute in support of its continued development in the future.

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