Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre | 2nd 'Fashioning Patterns' - Embracing the Beauty of Chinese Culture Emerging Designers Draw Inspiration from 'Grass Flower Head' to Construct a Surreal Botanical Garden

Description

Following the unprecedented success of the inaugural 'Fashioning Patterns' exhibition last year, the 2nd 'Fashioning Patterns — Embracing the Beauty of Chinese Culture' returned from 4–6 December 2025 at DesignInspire 2025, with multiple heavyweight exhibitions planned for 2026.

Organised by the School of Design (HKDI) of the Vocational Training Council (VTC) and funded by the Creative Industries Development Fund, the 'Fashioning Patterns' exhibition invites emerging designers to reinterpret traditional Chinese patterns and integrate them into contemporary life. From home decor to everyday items, innovative designs bring classic patterns back to life, allowing the beauty of Chinese culture to flourish in a modern context, while encouraging the younger generation to appreciate and perpetuate the contemporary value of traditional culture. 'Fashioning Patterns' also provides a platform for creative exchange and collaboration among emerging designers, helping them expand their horizons in Hong Kong and overseas.

The 2nd edition takes 'From Culture to Nature — A Surreal Garden of Plant Patterns' as its theme, starting from the Chinese character radical 'grass flower head' (艹/艸) to guide visitors into the symbolic world embodied in Chinese characters. Throughout history, Chinese characters have carried abstract concepts, emotions, and philosophies, remaining integral to daily life even after thousands of years.

Curated by Michael Leung, the exhibition brings together multiple local and international participants, inviting 30 local design students and young designers from various fields to co-create works inspired by the radical 'grass flower head' (艹/艸) and embark on a surreal journey of exploration. The works blend the wonders of nature with fantastical colours, connecting the mysteries of Chinese characters with the vitality of plants.

The highlight is the 'Surreal Garden' created by designers Moon.noon × Stickyline, who took patterns designed by local design students and young designers as their inspiration and transformed flat designs into an immersive experience — visitors step from the real world into a digital realm, travelling through the four seasons marked by the 24 solar terms of traditional Chinese calendar.

This surreal journey also resonates with the over 100 unique patterns created by local young design students, inspired by the 'grass flower head' radical, like a hundred flowers blooming in the same Tian Ye, each with its own unique form yet rooted in the same ancient and immortal starting point — '艹'.

DesignInspire 2025 invites you to step into this fantastical garden, where Chinese characters and nature intertwine, and let your imagination run wild.

Curator: Michael Leung
 
Born in Hong Kong, Michael obtained a master's degree in design from Design Academy Eindhoven in the Netherlands, where he founded Studio AA (formerly MIRO). His projects span graphic, product, and spatial design. His works explore craftsmanship and industry, local culture, and sustainability, earning him accolades such as the Hong Kong Young Design Talent Award and Perspective's 40 Under 40 Awards. His creations have been showcased in Milan, Dutch Design Week, and other prominent international exhibitions. In recent years, he has collaborated with institutions like the Vitra Design Museum in Germany and the V&A in the UK, extending his design expertise into exhibition curation.

Exhibitor: Moon.noon

Moon.noon (Kong Fan-liang) is a real-time visual artist adept at blending data storytelling, immersive audiovisuals, and sensory experiences. With a background in user experience design, he transforms climate data, urban landscapes, and audience interactions into compelling visual languages. His works have been featured at M+ Museum, the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra, and the Freespace Jazz Fest, and he has collaborated with brands like Coca-Cola, LG, and Samsung, continuously pushing the boundaries of data storytelling with artistic sensibility and rational analysis.

Exhibitor: STICKYLINE

STICKYLINE was founded in 2011 by Hong Kong creative artists Mic Leong and Soilworm Lai. They create large-scale polyhedral sculptures that showcase the beauty of creative engineering, mathematics, and geometry. Working primarily with paper and metal, they combine kinetics, sound, and lighting technologies to craft minimalist, durable, and futuristic art installations, site-specific works, and private commissions, earning widespread recognition in the design industry.

Moroso x HKDI Furniture Collaboration

The exhibition features a collaboration between Italian high-end furniture brand Moroso and students from the Department of Architecture, Interior and Product Design. The 'Fashioning Patterns' designs are printed on Moroso's fabrics in an innovative 'clothing for furniture' project.

The project envisions furniture as wearable three-dimensional bodies, dressed in textiles and flexible components. The 'furniture clothing' not only emphasises aesthetics but also incorporates interchangeable and upgradable modular designs, circular materials, and a service-oriented mindset. Each piece is tailored to individual lifestyles, climate changes, and special occasions, allowing the furniture to evolve with time and its users, spanning generations and forging enduring emotional connections.

Exhibition Details:

2nd 'Fashioning Patterns — Embracing the Beauty of Chinese Culture' @ International Creative Expo 2025
Date: 4–6 December 2025
Time: 9:30 am–7:30 pm
Venue: Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, 3E-D02 Booth

2nd 'Fashioning Patterns — Embracing the Beauty of Chinese Culture' Exhibition
Date: 3–31 March 2026
Time: 10:30 am–7:30 pm (Daily)
Venue: 2/F Atrium, Landmark

2nd 'Fashioning Patterns — Embracing the Beauty of Chinese Culture' @ Hong Kong Fashion Week and Hong Kong Fashion Homeware and Lifestyle Expo 2026
Date: 27–30 April 2026
Time: 9:00 am–6:00 pm
Venue: Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre Lobby