Asia Fashion Weekly News Bulletin – ISSUE 85 Week of 5 October 2026
(1) Shanghai Advances Fashion Capital Ambitions with Yangtze River Delta’s First AI Innovation Incubation Base for Pan-Fashion Consumption
Shanghai is leveraging AI to strengthen its position as a fashion capital, with the Yangtze River Delta’s first AI innovation incubation base for the pan-fashion consumer industry now established to drive digital transformation across design, production and marketing.
(2) Chow Tai Fook Opened First Chow Tai Fook Pavilion at Macau’s Four Seasons
Chow Tai Fook Jewellery has inaugurated its first Chow Tai Fook Pavilion at the Four Seasons shopping mall in Macau, a new luxury concept store featuring a VIP private space and exclusive high-jewellery and home collections.
(3) PolyU AI-Designed New Chinese-Style Fashion Worn by Chief Executive’s Wife and Female Officials at National Day Events
Hong Kong Polytechnic University’s School of Fashion and Textiles used AI to design and produce ten sets of “China-chic Fashion” attire for the Chief Executive’s wife, eight female bureau secretaries and the Director of the Chief Executive’s Office, which were worn at National Day celebrations marking the 77th anniversary of the People’s Republic of China.
(4) Cecilia Yiu Made Modelling Debut at Milan Fashion Week
Former Hong Kong actress Cecilia Yiu made her first appearance as a model at Milan Fashion Week for a Thai brand, drawing praise for the mature feminine presence she brought to the runway.
(1) Shanghai Advances Fashion Capital Ambitions with Yangtze River Delta’s First AI Innovation Incubation Base for Pan-Fashion Consumption
(Photo Credit: Shanghai Observer)
Shanghai is accelerating efforts to build itself into a fashion capital by integrating artificial intelligence into the fashion consumer goods sector. The city has seen the landing of the Yangtze River Delta’s first AI innovation incubation base dedicated to the pan-fashion consumption industry, supporting the broader goals of advancing fashion, branding and design capabilities.
In June 2026, Shanghai issued the Action Plan for Promoting High-Quality Development of the Fashion Consumer Goods Industry (2026–2028) (上海市促進時尚消費品產業高品質發展行動方案(2026-2028年)). The plan aims for the sector’s scale to exceed RMB 500 billion by 2028, with fashion technology and Eastern aesthetics as key drivers. It specifically calls for an “AI + Design” special action and full-chain digital transformation covering user demand, intelligent design, flexible production and creative marketing.
The relevant centre has established an AI Fashion Technology Innovation Professional Committee (AI時尚科創專業委員會), organising salons, practical camps and forums to address enterprises’ real AI challenges. In July 2026, it hosted the Yangtze River Delta AI Fashion Technology Innovation Summit (長三角AI時尚科創峰會) in Hangzhou, which helped facilitate the establishment of the region’s first dedicated AI incubation base for the pan-fashion sector.
Officials emphasise combining government policy, university research, corporate practice and innovation platforms so that AI empowerment moves from concept to practical industry application, helping Shanghai and the wider Yangtze River Delta region upgrade their fashion consumer industries and cultivate new quality productive forces.
News Source: https://www.jfdaily.com/staticsg/res/html/web/newsDetail.html?id=1187664
(2) Chow Tai Fook Opened First Chow Tai Fook Pavilion at Macau’s Four Seasons
(Photo Credit: Ming Pao)
On 1 October 2026, Chow Tai Fook Jewellery opened its first Chow Tai Fook Pavilion at the luxury shopping centre Four Seasons in Macau. The new concept store is designed to deliver personalised and elevated retail experiences as part of the group’s ongoing brand transformation that began in 2024.
The store draws inspiration from traditional Chinese courtyard architecture, organised around independent pavilion-style structures that connect jewellery and display areas. It is also Chow Tai Fook’s first and currently only Macau store equipped with a VIP private space, where experienced jewellery specialists host exclusive workshops on jadeite, diamonds and rare gemstones.
As the first Macau store to present “Chow Tai Fook HOME (周大福家居)” works, it features a limited-edition pure gold lotus art piece cast in 999.9 gold. Only five pieces exist worldwide; each contains 360 grams of pure gold and required more than 350 hours of craftsmanship. The lotus motif references Macau while the pure-gold standard recalls the group’s early introduction of pure gold jewellery in Hong Kong and Macau in 1972.
In the 2026 financial year, Chow Tai Fook recorded nearly 30% year-on-year growth in same-store sales in Macau. During the period, the group also net-opened five retail points in the city, including a new store at Wynn Palace and a HEARTS ON FIRE outlet at MGM Cotai, reflecting continued confidence in Macau’s luxury consumption market.
(3) PolyU AI-Designed New Chinese-Style Fashion Worn by Chief Executive’s Wife and Female Officials at National Day Events
(Photo Credit: Wen Wei Po)
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University’s School of Fashion and Textiles was again invited by the HKSAR Government to design and produce ten sets of “China-chic Fashion” fashion for the Chief Executive’s wife, eight female bureau secretaries and the Director of the Chief Executive’s Office. The garments blend traditional Chinese dress aesthetics with contemporary fashion design, incorporating elements such as slanted closures, Chinese stand collars and frog buttons into modern silhouettes and cuts.
A team led by Associate Professor Dr. Jin Lam Chi-hin (林枝衍) integrated artificial intelligence into the design process. The AI system analysed the wearers’ personal style preferences, colour choices and overall look to generate design inspiration. Designers then combined the AI recommendations with professional judgement to refine and finalise each unique piece, demonstrating a balance between technological assistance and human creativity.
The officials wore the specially created outfits at the flag-raising ceremony and National Day reception celebrating the 77th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, as well as other related events. The project also featured three-dimensional printed Bauhinia flower brooches produced by PolyU alumna Vicky Tsang (曾安婷)’s brand Gnastiy.com, combining advanced manufacturing with Chinese cultural symbols.
PolyU Council Chairman Dr. Lam Tai-fai (林大輝) described the commission as both recognition of the university’s educational achievements and a meaningful act of cultural inheritance. The School of Fashion and Textiles emphasised that the collaboration provided students with practical experience linking cultural heritage, technological innovation and fashion creativity, contributing to Hong Kong’s role as an East-meets-West centre for arts and cultural exchange and as an Asian fashion hub.
News Source: https://www.wenweipo.com/a/202610/01/AP6abe0bd5e4b01d54a285831e.html
(4) Cecilia Yiu Made Modelling Debut at Milan Fashion Week
(Photo Credit: HK01)
Former Hong Kong actress Cecilia Yiu (姚正菁) made her modelling debut at Milan Fashion Week after travelling to Italy with her manager Connie Lam (林寶玉). She walked for a Thai brand, deliberately losing weight beforehand to present her best condition, and appeared in a striking purple Thai ethnic outfit that led some audience members to assume she was of Thai-Chinese heritage.
As a newcomer in the modelling world, Yiu joked that she raised the average age of the cast. She thanked her manager and the organisers for the opportunity, noting that most models around her were much younger. Organisers later told her that the mature feminine presence she projected was something younger models could not easily replicate, reinforcing her belief that age need not limit new experiences.
Yiu described the overall experience as highly exciting and one of the most memorable of her life. She said she had never imagined herself walking an international fashion-week runway and expressed clear interest in continuing to develop in the fashion field.
Looking ahead, she emphasised that nothing is impossible and that the key is to seize every opportunity. The Milan appearance marks a notable new chapter as she explores further possibilities within the industry.
