FASHION TO RECONNECT: A Tale of Two Style Capitals From today to 25 December

Bringing together the fashion capitals of the East and West, featuring 9 Hong Kong-based and 16 Italian designers and brands

• FASHION TO RECONNECT Exhibition creates an immersive journey of sustainable aesthetics
• Establishing Cultural Bridges: Symposium, Roundtable and Seminars to Discuss East-meets-West Exchange Strategies in Creative Industries

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 24 November 2025 – The global fashion extravaganza, FASHION TO RECONNECT: A Tale of Two Style Capitals, organised by the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences (CLASS), City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK) with Fondazione Pistoletto Cittadellarte in partnership with Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana and sponsored by the Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency as a programme of the Hong Kong Fashion Fest which is presented by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, will be held from today to 25 December 2025. This cultural exchange project is supported by the Consulate General of Italy.

The exhibition by Fondazione Pistoletto Cittadellarte and curated by Tiziano Guardini will showcase masterpieces by 9 Hong Kong-based and 16 Italian designers and brands reflecting the cultural exchange and resonance between two regions. It will also serve as a platform to recognise designers’ contributions to sustainable fashion worldwide. The FASHION TO RECONNECT project is being activated through 6 Third Paradise art installations reinterpreted by Hong Kong-based artists and collectives and will be further explored through a two-day symposium.

The large-scale Third Paradise art installations are being unveiled in Hong Kong with the first one having officially debuted on 17 November. During the launch event, the Consul General of Italy expressed his deepest gratitude to all partners, with special words of appreciation to the CCIDA and the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences of City University for their commitment to a project that combines art, fashion, and sustainability, reflecting the very best of Italian craftsmanship and tradition. The FASHION TO RECONNECT exhibition will take place at ArtisTree in Taikoo Place from 25 November to 24 December. The exhibition aims to elevate fashion as an artistic medium for driving social change, showcasing the creative processes and works of 9 Hong Kong-based and 16 Italian designers and brands. Through fashion, the exhibition invites visitors to consider humanity’s relationship with nature and encourages them to make conscious choices for a sustainable future.

To promote exchanges between Hong Kong (China) and Italy in the field of sustainability, FASHION TO RECONNECT is hosting a symposium, a roundtable and 2 seminars under the theme “Sino-Overseas Exchange: The Tale of Two Style Cities”. These events will be held at Soho House in Sheung Wan from 27 to 28 November.

Prof. Alfred Tat-kei Ho, Dean of CLASS, CityUHK, and part of the project team expressed his enthusiasm in announcing the project “CLASS is proud to announce this project as it represents a high-impact activity that will engage not only academics and professionals interested in fashion, sustainability, and art, but also the wider public through activations that will contribute to brand Hong Kong as a creative and cultural hub focusing in East Meets West. This is a concrete example of cross-sectorial collaborations that represent the direction for companies to grow and enhance their brand awareness”.

Prof. Esterina Nervino, Assistant Professor at CityUHK and Project Coordinator of FASHION TO RECONNECT commented: “With my research rooted in luxury, sustainability, and art, I am especially proud of this initiative, which brings together exceptional partners to create cultural experiences that will inspire communities and enliven districts across the city”.

FASHION TO RECONNECT is a touring exhibition presented by Fondazione Pistoletto Cittadellarte and inspired by the dynamic equilibrium of Michelangelo Pistoletto’s Third Paradise. The exhibition opens with artist Michelangelo Pistoletto’s very own words “In the Third Paradise, nature and humanity interweave into a single breath: in sustainable fashion, that breath becomes freedom, becomes responsibility, becomes ethical beauty.” Imagining garments and fashion objects as artworks, the exhibition seeks to showcase the possibilities of sustainable fashion, as drivers of social change and testaments of beauty. Designers, entrepreneurs, brands, and artists articulate new pathways for reconnecting with nature, where material choices, processes, and a renewed sensibility toward creation become catalysts for a more virtuous evolution of the fashion system.

Curated by Tiziano Guardini, with contributions from a scientific committee, including Mr. Carmelo Ficarra, Consul General of Italy in Hong Kong, Prof. Alfred Tat-kei Ho, Dorian Ho, Project Consultant, Ms. Sara Sozzani Maino, Ambassador of Camera Nazionale della Moda, Mr. Paolo Naldini, General Director, Fondazione Pistoletto, and the Project Coordinator Prof. Esterina Nervino, the exhibition grows from the encounter between East and West in a city long shaped by cultural exchange.

The Curator commented: “Each designer and brand featured demonstrates that creating does not merely mean producing, but generating value, respect, and regeneration at every stage of the process. This exhibition is a bridge between Italy and Hong Kong, between past and future, between who we are and who we can become”.

Through this international exchange of ideas, visitors are invited to experience a heightened, nature-rooted fashion. The exhibition stands as one of the flagship initiatives of Cittadellarte Fashion B.E.S.T., the platform created by the artist Michelangelo Pistoletto and late Vogue Italia Editor in Chief Franca Sozzani, that since 2009 has advanced sustainability within the textile and fashion sectors, and forms part of the Fashion to Reconnect: A Tale of Two Style Capitals programme of Fashion Fest.

Bringing Together Hong Kong (China) and Italian Design Power

The FASHION TO RECONNECT Fashion Exhibition Creates an Immersive Journey of Sustainable Aesthetics

The FASHION TO RECONNECT fashion exhibition will be held from 25 November to 24 December at ArtisTree in Taikoo Place. Created by Fondazione Pistoletto Cittadellarte and curated by Tiziano Guardini with exhibition design by GuardiniCiuffredaStudio, it features sustainable fashion pieces from Italy, selected by Fondazione Pistoletto Cittadellarte in partnership with Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana.

Symposium, Roundtable and Seminars

Discussing Strategies for Cultural Exchange between East and West in the Creative Industries

To foster deeper industry dialogue, FASHION TO RECONNECT will host a symposium, a roundtable and 2 seminars on fashion and art at Soho House in Sheung Wan on 27 and 28 November. These events will bring together scholars, designers, industry leaders and business representatives from Hong Kong (China), Italy and around the world. They will focus on key topics in sustainable fashion, cultural heritage, and cross-sectorial collaborations.

Hashtag: #FASHIONTORECONNECT

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About The College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences at City University of Hong Kong

The College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences (CLASS) at City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK) is a vibrant hub for multi-sectoral collaboration and impactful research, dedicated to advancing knowledge and addressing the challenges of a rapidly changing world. With a focus on fostering intellectual curiosity, innovation and critical thinking, CLASS includes 7 different departments offering diverse programmes in humanities and social sciences and preparing talents for different sectors, including the creative and cultural industries. The College is also committed to helping students become globally-minded leaders and innovators. Through its strong emphasis on interdisciplinary collaboration, international engagement, and experiential learning, CLASS plays a pivotal role in nurturing future leaders in Hong Kong, the Greater Bay Area, and beyond.