From Hong Kong Fashion Fest to our first joint design mission to Nanjing, we have spent recent weeks turning our vision into action for designers, businesses and the communities they serve.
Creating value from design is our mission at Hong Kong Design Centre (HKDC). On 16 September, we welcomed the HKSAR's First Five-Year Plan for Economic and Social Development (2026–2030) and the Chief Executive's 2026 Policy Address, particularly their support for local design enterprises going global, the nurturing of design talent and the staging of design mega events in Hong Kong. From the runway to the summit stage, and from Nanjing to Milan, that vision is already at work.
A Stage for Asia's Next Generation
Fashion set the pace. Spearheaded and sponsored by the Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency (CCIDA) under the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau (CSTB), Hong Kong Fashion Fest returned for its third edition. In support of the Government's drive to reinforce Hong Kong's position as Asia's leading hub for fashion design and retail through this annual mega event, we were delighted to partner for the first time with Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana (CNMI), the organiser of Milan Fashion Week. Together, we co-curated the 'Future Threads: Menswear's New Waves Between Italy and Hong Kong' Exhibition, one of the flagship programmes of this year's Fest. Held at Fashion Walk from 3 to 13 September with Sara Sozzani Maino as curator, the exhibition brought together ten emerging menswear designers from Italy and Hong Kong, with a preview of their Spring/Summer 2027 collections.
Fashion Asia Hong Kong 2026, also one of the Fest's flagship programmes, marked a milestone of its own. Celebrating the tenth anniversary of the 10 Asian Designers To Watch programme, we presented its first fashion show and award presentation at the Hong Kong Fashion Fest Gala 2026 on 3 September, honouring ten emerging designers from across Asia. Their collections were then exhibited at The Peak Galleria until 13 September. On 4 September, the Fashion Challenges Forum brought together global industry leaders, curators and creative talent to explore business strategies and the industry's future direction.
BODW 2026: Switzerland Joins the Dialogue
If September belonged to fashion, November will belong to Business of Design Week (BODW). At a press conference on 17 September, we revealed the highlights of BODW 2026, which runs from 16 to 21 November with Switzerland as Partner Country under the theme 'Design in Dialogue: Connect + Transform'. The BODW 2026 Summit, from 18 to 20 November at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, will gather more than 50 creative leaders across six topic pillars. Speakers include Wim Walschap, CEO and Senior Partner at Herzog & de Meuron; Thilo Brunner, Chief Design Officer of On; and Emily Yan, Director of Studio Hong Kong (Asia Region) at Snøhetta. The bodw Future Lab opened its pre-Summit series at DX design hub on 26 August.
DESIGN@HKG: Design in Every Corner of the City
The celebration will also spill onto the streets. From November, DESIGN@HKG, formerly BODW in the City, will work with venue partners, local and international brands and designers to bring design programmes to districts across Hong Kong. Drawing on a network of 80 to 100 partners, it will stage more than 40 citywide activations, from landmark installations to pop-up experiences, for brands, visitors and the public. Leading this year's line-up is 'BREATHE WITH ME', an immersive architectural installation created by Swiss-born, New York-based artist and experience designer Annabelle Schneider. Presented in partnership with the Consulate General of Switzerland in Hong Kong as a key feature of both DESIGN@HKG and Swiss Month 2026, the installation transforms architecture into a soft, breathing sanctuary, offering rare space for urban wellbeing in one of the world's fastest cities.
Hong Kong Design Heads to Nanjing
Hong Kong design also travelled north. From 21 to 23 September, we joined hands with the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) for the first time to lead the 'Hong Kong Design Mission to Nanjing'. Funded by CCIDA under CSTB, the mission took 15 Hong Kong designers from architecture and interior design, product design, branding and packaging, visual and spatial arts, and fashion to meet Jiangsu businesses with specific design needs. The delegation visited the Jiangsu Cultural Investment Group, Deji Art Museum, Laomendong Historic District and the Hunan Road urban renewal project, and joined the Jiangsu–Hong Kong Creative Design Cooperation Business Matching Forum. Our Executive Director, Rainy Chan, described the designers as 'particularly adept at transforming creative ideas into compelling commercial outcomes'. Both sides will explore memoranda of understanding between organisations in the two regions.
DX design hub: Where Community Meets Culture
Back in Sham Shui Po, DX design hub kept bringing people together. On 18 September, 'Curatorial Conversations #280' drew curators, exhibition designers, cultural practitioners and design students. The curators and artists of current DX exhibitions together with respondents from Central Saint Martins exchanged ideas on the day. On 26 September, 'Design × Chinese Orchestra: An Evening of Lunar Resonance' marked our first collaboration with the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra, pairing contemporary design with moon-themed classics.
Join Us!
There is more to come. BODW 2026 Summit passes are now available for pre-order at 2026.bodw.com, and the final bodw Future Lab pre-Summit session, 'The Semiotic Advantage: How Future-Ready Brands Speak to Culture', takes place on 21 October. At DX design hub, 'Design To Bridge' runs until 25 October, while 'Fading Out/In: Designed to Remember', 'Browse and Found in Sham Shui Po' and 'Meow-cation – With Cats, We Connect' continue until 2 November, along with various workshops and exchanges open for registration on a first-come, first-served basis. Be our Fans & Fellows to stay close to Hong Kong design.
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