AI collaborates with fashion on the runway
Press release provided by Culture X AI
Hong Kong, China – 19 July, 2024 – The ‘Kan Tai Keung X AiDLab X Hong Kong Fashion Designers Show’, organised by the Laboratory for Artificial Intelligence in Design (AiDLab) with the Culture and Creative Industries Development Agency (CCIDA) of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR Government) as the lead sponsor, took place on 17th July at Victoria & Albert Museum in London.
Experts from the realms of technology and fashion joined forces for a captivating evening, unveiling the latest advancements in AI and fashion. The event showcased a collection of garments that drew inspiration from the renowned Hong Kong artist Dr. Kan Tai Keung. Crafted by five Hong Kong fashion designers using AiDA - an AI-based design technology from AiDLab in their creative process.
In the opening ceremony of the fashion showcase, Mrs Lowell Cho, Assistant Commissioner for Cultural and Creative Industries, expressed her gratitude to AiDLab for organising the Culture X AI 2024-2025: Culture and Future Mode, which includes the showcase in London.
Prof. Calvin Wong, Centre Director of Laboratory for Artificial Intelligence in Design (AiDLab), in his welcoming speech, said: “This collaboration successfully demonstrates the creative outcomes of how the cultural masterpieces of Dr. Kan and the creativity of Hong Kong designers' fuse with artificial intelligence technology. Although we are now in an AI era, creativity is still the most valuable asset for design practitioners. Treating AI as an assistant and embracing it in the creation process will be the future of the fashion industry.”
Among the highlights of the showcase was the incorporation of AiDA (Artificial Intelligence Based Interactive Design Assistant). As a groundbreaking design assistant, AiDA played a pivotal role in the creation of the remarkable designs. Each designer presented their collection in the show, which also marked the launch of AiDA's inaugural menswear application. This milestone solidifies AiDA's position as a trailblazer in shaping the future of fashion design through the fusion of AI and human creativity.
Exhibiting 20 styles inspired by the theme ‘Culture, Innovation and Fashion’ in the Show, the designers - Derek Chan, Wilson Choi, Tak Lee, Sophia XinLi and Aries Sin – presented their outfits based on five artistic phases of renowned Hong Kong artist Dr. Kan Tai Keung’s creative journey: ‘Pop Ink Art’, ‘Psyche in Motions & Honour to Master’, ‘Landscapes Fresh Appearance, ‘Brush Stroke from My Mind’, and ‘Timeless Ideas & Contemporary Emotions’.
During a press briefing ahead of the Show, Dr. Kan said: “In addition to sharing my passion for ink painting, I encourage artists not to become dependent on AI but instead embrace how the technology can work in unison with their creative spirit. More importantly, we must face the challenges of any new intelligent technology in the future with an open mind to create a better future.”
Prof. Jeanne Tan, Professor of School of Fashion and Textiles, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, in her closing remark of the Show, gave the audiences an overview of Culture X AI 2024-2025. Prof. Jeanne Tan said: “Culture X AI is a great platform to showcase Hong Kong's creative innovations on the world's stage by synergising the elite practitioners of culture, design and innovation! It is a great honour to collaborate with Dr. Kan Tai Keung to push the boundaries of culture and AI to create fashion designs that are not only seen on screen but also in reality.”
The ‘Kan Tai Keung X AiDLab X Hong Kong Fashion Designers Show’ marks the start of the ‘Culture X AI 2024-2025 series of events. Upcoming events include thought-provoking forums and multiple exhibitions to be held in Hong Kong and other cities of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. Please visit the following link to obtain more information about these upcoming activities: https://www.culturexai.com/
About Culture X AI 2024-2025: Culture and Future Mode (www.culturexai.com)
Organised by the Laboratory for Artificial Intelligence in Design (AiDLab), jointly established by The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) and the Royal College of Art (RCA), and sponsored by the Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency (CCIDA), the programme sets out as a platform to bring together the foremost Hong Kong cultural icon Dr. Kan Tai Keung, Hong Kong fashion designers, international young talent, and AI innovators to further push the boundaries of creativity and technology. The 18-month programme will harness Hong Kong's three key strengths in Culture, Fashion and AI to broaden international exchanges in creative innovation and promote a vibrant creative interdisciplinary eco-system. It comprised a series of six key events: Kan Tai Keung X AiDLab X HK Fashion Designers Show, GBA Forum, International Young Talent Mentorship, International Young Talent Fashion Show, Exhibitions and Pop-up Retail.
About the Laboratory for Artificial Intelligence in Design (AiDLab) (www.aidlab.hk)
AiDLab is the first research platform that focuses on the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) with design. It was jointly established by The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) and the Royal College of Art (RCA) in the UK, and is funded by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region under the InnoHK Research Clusters. Located at the Hong Kong Science Park, AiDLab has established a new creative cluster of AI in design and is in a leading position internationally to conduct interdisciplinary research that drives innovation and sustainability, and makes a positive impact on both industry and society. AiDLab brings together a diverse mix of leading researchers and practitioners from its founding institutions to conduct research in three thematic programmes: Ergonomic and Inclusive Design, Innovation in Product and Service Design, and Intelligent Fashion Design and Quality Control.
About Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency (www.ccidahk.gov.hk)
The Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency (CCIDA) established in June 2024, formerly known as Create Hong Kong (CreateHK), is a dedicated office set up by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region under the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau to provide one-stop services and support to the cultural and creative industries with a mission to foster a conducive environment in Hong Kong to facilitate the development of arts, culture and creative sectors as industries. Its strategic foci are nurturing talent and facilitating start-ups, exploring markets, promoting cross-sectoral and cross-genre collaboration, promoting the development of arts, culture and creative sectors as industries under the industry-oriented principle, and promoting Hong Kong as Asia’s creative capital and fostering a creative atmosphere in the community to implement Hong Kong’s positioning as the East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange under the National 14th Five-Year Plan.
