In ancient times, Chinese silk became a supreme luxury in the western world. Today, textile from Hong Kong have also penetrated the European market. Between the late 20th century and early millennium, textile industry in Hong Kong was flourished and became important among international trade. The success of Hong Kong International Group (HKI) is an outstanding example. Their development over the past 50 years reflected the rise and fall of Hong Kong textile industry as well as the innovative spirit of Hong Kong people.

HKI’s knitted products are directly exported to European, American and Japanese markets, with its honing skills in fusing western designs with Chinese elements. For instance, their graphics on knitwear resemble Chinese embroidery pattern, sewed with sequins and transformed into three-dimensional decorations; refashion the cutting design from slim-fit to loose-fit, with Chinese traditional overlapping panels that covered from left over right or right over left. When the world’s interest toward Chinese textile waned, HKI shifted the focus towards manufacturing technologies and bringing about the invention of washable silk, maintained its competitive edge in the international market.

This exhibition not only showcases iconic products from the 10 brands of HKI, but also displays rare textile machinery that produced these fabulous pieces. They reveal an East-West artistic exchange in a form that are both classic and fashionable.

Venue address: 4th Floor, SML Tower, 165 Hoi Bun Road, Kwun Tong, Kowloon,