12 New Designers to Look Out for at the FabriX Fashion Fest

Weaving new-fangled Web 3.0 technology into the threads of fashion, FabriX is the meteoric convergence of design with virtual reality experiences. Sponsored by CreateHK, and hosted by creative incubator PMQ, the programme provides an initiative that’s set out to inject the appeal of virtual clothing into Hong Kong fashion.

Compiling projects culled from an open call for fashion collections to be converted to NFT, AR, and Metaverse markets, the inaugural FabriX showcase will debut with a public display of selected pieces from the shortlisted designers.

The pop-up runs from Sept. 1 to 11 at PMQ, with more details on the location here. A special showcase can also be admired over the first weekend (Sept. 2-4), featuring a stunning floor-to-ceiling installation that opens the doors to the future of digital fashion.

Visitors can get in touch with a completely virtual wardrobe of designs that will put Cher Horowitz’s dressup simulator to shame through cutting-edge AR setups at the space. What’s more, the FabriX Design Dialogues of exclusive talks led by industry experts will take place over the pop-up for eager designers and the public to join, with more details and sign-ups available here. Get a glimpse of what’s in store, by flicking through our catalogue of the featured talent.

1. CADYLEE

With multiple awards under her belt, three of which were earned in the year 2021 alone, Cady Lee is a rapidly ascending talent who deserves some attention. The PolyU alum stole the show at her university fashion show, the Hong Kong Young Fashion Designers contest, and the Young Design Talent Award through her striking work.

Her visceral collection titled “Dreamscape: Metamorphose” integrate glitch-like and liquified effects into its fabrics, with unconventional sculptural shapes that lend to a sense of cyborg-ified biomimicry. Pulling inspiration from her dreams, mythical beasts, and mild body horror, she brings a sense of the ethereal to concepts of the grotesque.

2. CELINE KWAN

Having already ticked off Paris Fashion Week despite only graduating from Central Saint Martins last year, Celine Kwan is a brightly burning designer bringing a style built from optimism to a world emerging out of dark times. Inspired by splashy, wavy interiors of the 1960s and '70s, her retro futuristic vision is chock full of blazing tones from every sect of the colour prism, and uses whimsical shapes you’d find sooner in a Polly Pocket set than hanging on a rack.

Debuting at Fabrix, “Welcome Home” spins a new perspective out of pandemic gloom, whilst reminiscing the long-gone sense of normalcy that once was. With the common living room as a central driving point, the virtual pieces play around with the tipping scale of form and function, reinvigorating humble everyday items with a sense of wonder.

3. CHRISTIAN STONE

Assigning his work the tongue-in-cheek descriptor of “Nerdcore meets The Fifth Element,” Christian Stone has been a prolific presence in celebrity wardrobes since his first collection made its debut at NYFW 2018. With A-list features like A$AP Rocky, Billie Eilish, CL, and FKA Twigs, Stone has being chronically online (in hyperbolic terms) to pinpoint as a source of inspiration, creating pieces that offer a radioactive take on techwear that's oozing an edgy cool and never losing its glaring sense of fun.

Titled “The Mythic Creatures,” Stone's contribution assumes the skin of a natural predator that gets by in masquerading as non-threatening species. Those who are as well versed in the internet are sure to recognise the trickle down influence of anime and video game creatures that are hidden in plain sight.

4. DEMO

Redefining menswear through subtle and delicate yet perceptibly impactful refinement, DEMO is fashion and textile designer Derek Chan’s foray into prodding at the boundaries of masculinity as marker of style. Having been granted high praise by the Hong Kong Fashion Council, and being named as one of the top Asian Designers to Watch by Fashion Asia in 2019 and 2020, it’s clear that Chan has an effectual presence in dismantling the restrictions of gendered constraints in apparel design.

Drawing upon 18th-century French garments, Chan’s “Be Bold!” digital collection hearkens back to the era of King Louis XIV and his courtiers. Restrained in colour choice yet grand in delivery, his monochrome line-up is full of bodacious detailing that earned the French aristocrats their “qu'ils mangent de la brioche” (“Let them eat cake”) persona.

5. HARRISON WONG

Leaving his printworks all over the world, Harrison Wong made a name for himself in fashion by winning the local Hong Kong Young Designer’s Contest here, being awarded the Asian Fashion Grand Prix Contest in Japan, and earning a Master’s at the London College of Fashion in the U.K. Recognisable by their understated yet striking silhouettes that are carried across in artful tailoring, Wong’s pieces have graced many a pop star—Hong Kong’s men of the hour MIRROR included—as well as DJs, actors, and figures who enjoy a lot of their time in the spotlight.

Returning to simplicity yet bringing an air of elevation, "Rain" refreshes structured garb through deconstruction, a gradual gradient moving between grey clouds and reflective blues. A form of pathetic fallacy through fashion, the collection speaks volumes about the strong undercurrents beneath the global trauma of the past few years.

6. Jüü Jüü

Shining as the sole jeweller of the showcase, Jüü Jüü is the brainchild of Judy Lacy, with its name sneaking in a phonetic spin on the Cantonese word for “beads.” Though this multicoloured, Y2K, kidcore-inspired style has been all the rage recently, Lacy’s designs are anything but a dime a dozen. Throwing in elements from Chinese divine mythology and Japanese anime, her range of quirked up beaded accessories is unique in references and design concept.

Titled “Alien Goddess Transformation,” Lacy’s FabriX exclusives combined the aesthetic starting points of the Five Elements with goddesses from Chinese folklore. Wearers can become virtually adorned with mythical headpieces and elaborate accessories, granting them with superpowers in a Sailor Moon-like transformation, or at least, lending some positive energy.

7. KAY KWOK

A card carrying alum of the London College of Fashion who specialises in Menswear, Kwok is renowned amongst designers, international brands, and artists for his eponymous haute couture brand. The narrative behind his FabriX collection named “Chapter 2 – DEIFY" follows the reimagining of 16th century Chinese deities and demons recast in the year 2100, with a line of breathtaking futuristic regalia. Worn like exoskeletons, the eclectic designs showcase Kwok’s talents in pushing the cyberpunk aesthetic to the next level.

8. Loom Loop

Traditional Cantonese silk takes on a new form and meaning under the needle of designers Polly Ho and Andy Wong. Integrating modern day flair to classical Chinese designs, their brand Loom Loop turns out culture-laden pieces that are intricately put together to relay elements of historical significance and honour old craftsmanship.

Loom Loop's “Classic of Mountains and Seas” line for FabriX turns the dial back by culling inspiration from 4th century artistic references. As if pulled from the closet of a royal in the celestial plane, the virtual garments are decorated with care using embroidery, appliques and vibrant patterns to hit the scene of a digital paradise.

9. NILMANCE

Showing another instance of fashion colliding with tech, NILMANCE STUDIO is a brand much attuned to the lifestyle and needs of a city folk, a prevailing philosophy to assume for the context of Hong Kong. Founder Mike Yeung designs for fashion that also performs function, adding upgrades of durability, weather and bacteria resistance using smart fabrics. The brand has shown popularity for its stylish comfort, having been part of collaborations with brands like BEAMS and Acne Studios.

Assuming another definition for functionality, “UP SIDE DOWN” spotlights the NILMANCE brand philosophy in a wholly digital way through allowing customisations in the metaverse. In this new realm, mods are no longer restricted to simply clothing. Anyone can become someone else entirely with just a few digital commands, a freedom that’s celebrated by the collection.

10. SHEK LEUNG

Founded by Shek Yen Leung, SHEK LUNG is a label centered around the art of storytelling. Influenced by his family’s ties to the movie industry, Leung’s designs are parallel to his independent production work in film, expressed through fabrics.

Dealing with transferring the tangibility and texture of the details in his clothing into the digital feed, “A Breath of Fresh Noise” transforms the granular feel of noise in film rendering into his digital garms with a hybrid touch. Manifesting in the form of intriguing new silhouettes, details, and patterns, the collection is at once unique to the digital all whilst retaining a humanistic sensibility in its thematic power and aura.

11. WILSONKAKI

On the list of Top 10 Asian Designers to Watch in 2021, Wilson Yip is the founder of WILSONKAKI and one of the talents to grace the ever-growing rotation of fashion retailer I.T. Taking in all the influences of hypermodernity and transplanting them into fashion, his designs are striking in their rejection of the typical forms of mainstream fashion.

The “Swap” collection for FabriX turns the relationship between object and user on its head. Clinging to the wearer and moving in ways that defy the usual laws of physics, his virtual outfits are dynamic yet structured, fluid yet crisp, textured yet lustrous. The potential of digital tools is dialled up and on full show in this bespoke line.

12. YMDH (You Make Daddy Happy)

Pairing together the unlikely duo of streetwear with elements hearkening back to old history, the brand YMDH (standing for You Make Daddy Happy) is the work of THEi graduate Jason Lee. Founded in 2018, the label is effortlessly cool yet spirited, showcasing signature pieces that come alive with the bustle of Hong Kong street culture. Proudly made in Hong Kong as well, their pieces portray the local spirit with authenticity and flair.

Drawing from classic Shaw Brothers martial arts and triad movies, YMDH’s collection for FabriX is titled "GONG WU AW2022” and stands as an homage to Hong Kong's most iconic works of film. Utilising laser printing technology to capture the ancient craft of Chinese calligraphy on Western denim, the collection deconstructs and reconfigures sects of Eastern and Western culture that blend together with great style, just like the culture of Hong Kong.