Jessica Chan joined TAL in January this year as BU Sustainability Implementation Director of Concept2, one of the business units of TAL Apparel. Concept2 specialises in Casual and Lifestyle apparel, working with many well-known brands and retailers across the USA and Europe. Jessica is responsible for setting the strategic direction and driving the sustainability agenda within the business unit.  Jessica is a qualified solicitor with nearly 15 years of experience managing and leading brand protection efforts across the Asia-Pacific region for a global luxury fashion brand.

A man of passion, Olivier Segura only came across the world of jewelry after a few years devoted to advertising and communication.

On completing his initial training, scientific studies in biology and geology with a diploma in gemology, he moved to Bangkok where he created his gem trading company. Thanks to this, he discovered the fascinating world of jewelry and craftsmanship.

Returning to Paris to take over the management of the LFG (French Gemological Laboratory), a position he held for ten years, he joined L’ÉCOLE, School of Jewelry Arts’ Scientific Council.

In 2018, Olivier Segura took the plunge and joined the institution as Scientific Director. He has been responsible for new courses, such as “Pearl: History, Science and Legends”, exhibitions, such as “Garden of Emeralds” which will be unveiled at the opening of the new Dubai campus, and several books, the latest to date, “Precious Gemstones”, written jointly with François Farges, Professor at the National Museum of Natural History in Paris.

As the Managing Director of L’ÉCOLE Asia Pacific since August 2023, School of Jewelry Arts, Olivier Segura will continue the mission to transmit the jewelry culture to a large, varied audience via the three pillars: Savoir-Faire, the Art History of Jewelry, and the World of Gemstones.

Professor (Level 3) at the College of Arts, South China Agricultural University, Master’s Supervisor; Top Ten Fashion Designer in China, Ambassador for the Promotion of Chinese Textile Intangible Cultural Heritage. Member of the Fashion Art Committee of the China Fashion Designers Association, Director of the Asian Fashion Federation in China, Vice President of the Guangdong Province Fashion Designers Association. Director of the Guangdong Provincial Engineering Research Center for Fashion Innovation and Design.

He has led several major projects, including the official uniform design for the 16th Asian Games, research on the development strategy of professional textile and apparel towns in Guangdong Province, the specialized programs in clothing design and engineering at Guangdong higher education institutions, the Guangdong Provincial Fashion Innovation and Design Engineering R&D project, the National Art Fund project “破茧成蝶-非遗香云纱时尚化巡展(Fashioning the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Xiangyun Fabric)” exhibition, the construction project for a national first-class undergraduate animation program, the construction project for a first-class undergraduate clothing and accessories design program in Guangdong Province, and various significant projects related to the Ministry of Education’s industry-academia cooperation and collaborative education.

Zoie Lam is an artist based in Hong Kong . As the creator of the imaginary planet Zlism, she details a world with all its residents and happenings. Positive energy oozes out from the kind-hearted characters as they

come alive under her pen, all with fascinating stories unfolding in one painting after another. “ZL”is the initial of Zoie Lam while “LISM” stands for her philosophy and ideas. Through her drawings, Zoie would like to express her ideas towards different social phenomena.

Most of the artworks by Zoie Lam appear as a dense and intricate tapestry of patterns juxtaposed with vivid colours — a remarkable visual contrast for a signature style that sets Lam apart from the rest. Choosing acrylic paint and wool yarn, and occasionally oil-base marker and technical drawing pen for black-and- white effect, Lam always fills her stylistic paintings in brilliant hues and especially with florescent colours. All details are completed with refined brushstrokes and delicate lines under the fine pen tip. The canvas is then topped with hand-knitted finishing touches. Her another favorite art form is mural painting, which includes walls of shops and impromptu painting alongside real-time animation and performance.

KAWAkEY is a genderless label founded by an art collective based in London and Helsinki, led by fashion and textile designer Key Chow and artist-photographer Jarno Leppänen. Since 2016, their collective has been creating fashion, textiles, photography, films, and performances – showcased worldwide at fashion weeks, film festivals, performance venues, and galleries. Rooted in Scandinavian and Asian heritage, KAWAkEY reimagines everyday wardrobe staples through bespoke fabrics and hand-drawn prints that evoke emotions and ideas.

Key graduated from the Royal College of Art in London with a Master’s degree in Fashion Menswear (Knitwear). He was nominated as one of the Vogue Talents by Vogue Italia and was a finalist at the H&M Design Award for his graduate collection, which was also selected for exhibitions at Palais de Tokyo in Paris and Kensington Palace in London. Afterward, he worked for J.W. Anderson before founding KAWAkEY. He is a recipient of Hong Kong Young Design Talent Award.

Prof. Joanne Yip is a distinguished researcher with a focus on medical and functional clothing design. She holds a BSc (Hons) in Textile Technology and a PhD from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Prof. Yip’s research has been recognized globally, with her being ranked among the world’s top 2% scientists by Stanford University. She has successfully secured over HK$30 million in research grants as the Principal Investigator and has collaborated with other researchers on projects with funding exceeding HK$35.2 million.

Her major contributions are in the fields of medical textiles, healthcare products, and intimate apparel and activewear. She has conducted several research projects aimed at improving the quality of life for people and enhancing patient care. These include developing functional clothing for patients with spinal deformities and an AI-assisted training gear to monitor and enhance exercise performance.

Prof. Yip’s societal impact is evident in her work with adolescents with idiopathic scoliosis. She has been instrumental in designing alternative non-invasive methods to control posture and reduce spinal curve progression. Her work has been recognized by professionals in the medical field, leading to further collaborations and research grants.

In 2019, Prof. Yip founded Active Biotechnology (HK) Ltd, a start-up aimed at improving spinal conditions and posture. She has filed 13 US, China and Hong Kong patents.

Alan See is the late-cofounder of the Menswear shop the Armoury, which championed craftsmanship, quality, and tailoring.  Alan is currently the chairman of the Hong Kong Sartorial Association, which aims to champion Hong Kong as a global tailoring hub.

Jennifer Droguett Espinosa is a Colombian and Chilean Sustainable Fashion Designer and Creative Director with a decade of experience in luxury fashion, specialising in sustainable, circular, and regenerative design and culture. She earned a BA in Fashion Design and Technology from AMFI in Amsterdam in 2015 and began her career at the renowned Viktor & Rolf atelier. After relocating to London, she worked for House of Holland and with emerging talents including Richard Malone, Supriya Lele, and Phoebe English. In 2019, she founded her circular label Anciela to pay homage to her cultural heritage. Anciela gets its name from her grandparents, ANgel and GraCIELA.

As the founding deputy director, Dr. Daisy Yiyou Wang leads the Hong Kong Palace Museum (HKPM)’s award-winning programmes in curation and research, exhibition management, collection, conservation, publication, exhibition design, multimedia, and learning. Prior to her tenure at the HKPM, Dr. Wang has served as Chinese Art Specialist at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art, Curator of Chinese and East Asian Art at the Peabody Essex Museum in Boston, and Getty Museum Leadership Fellow at the Asia Society Museum in New York. A specialist of the history of art collecting, Ming lacquer, and Qing court portraiture and textile, Dr. Wang has published in China and internationally and received a number of awards, including a National Endowment for the Humanities grant, a Smithsonian Postdoctoral Fellowship, and a Smithsonian Scholarly Studies Award. Dr. Wang co-curated the ground-breaking exhibition Empresses of China’s Forbidden City, which was named the “Most Influential International Exhibition from Chinese Museums” in 2019 and the “Best Thematic/Historical Show” in 2018 by the Boston Globe. She co-edited this exhibition’s catalogue, which received the Smithsonian Secretary’s Research Prize. A leader in international museum professional exchange, she has served as the founding Chair of the American Alliance of Museum’s China Program.

Currently serving as an Assistant Professor at the City University of Hong Kong, Esterina is also the Associate Director of the Institute of Global Governance and Innovation for a Shared Future, Co-director of the New Frontiers in Professional Communication Lab (NFPC), and the Associate Director of the Sales and Marketing Consulting Unit (SMCU).

Esterina is a Junior Adjunct Professor of Intercultural Communication and Language Variation at the Università degli Studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia in Italy, an International Research Fellow at SEGi University in Malaysia, and an invited External Member of the Research Centre for Professional Communication in English at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Her PhD in Applied Linguistics from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, which focused on digital transformation in the luxury sector, underscores her expertise in this field.

Her industry experience is equally impressive, having taught media and business communication at the university level and worked for Italian fashion and tourism companies. Currently, she is also involved in contract research and consulting projects which highlight her commitment to advancing the luxury sector’s social responsibility. Esterina is frequently invited to share her expertise on luxury, fashion, sustainability, and discourse studies by institutions across Asia and Europe. Her notable contributions include a Tatler feature as an expert in digital and luxury, a study with KPMG China on luxury consumption, and a feature in KPMG France’s first luxury report.

Since 2014, Esterina has collaborated with the Consulate General of Italy in Hong Kong and the Italian Institute of Culture in Hong Kong, supporting events related to academic research, fashion, sustainability, and culture. Her recent engagements include speaking at the Fashion Summit, hosting fashion and communication series, and presenting at the Fashion Film Festival Milano event in Hong Kong.

Jonathan Ly, leads the Global Fragrance Business and Corporate Projects Department at Qeelin, fine jewellery house part of Kering Group. Besides, he also designed the overall House ESG strategy and is implementing a decarbonization roadmap to reach Kering’s commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 40% in the next decade.

Passionate about Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Jonathan is also an Executive Board Member of Inspiring Girls Hong Kong (IGHK), a charity that empowers girls in their career development, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds and marginalized communities. IGHK connects students with diverse female role models directly in schools to address gender stereotypes and unlock the girls’ full potential.

French citizen, born and raised in Paris, with Chinese Teochew, Vietnamese and Reunion island origins, educated between Paris (ESSEC Business School) and Beijing (Peking University), Jonathan strives in bridging different cultures and generations altogether. He is President of ESSEC Alumni Hong Kong Chapter  since 2019 and is also a Program Contributor of Les Lumieres de Paris International Institute Hong Kong Chapter, a club promoting the cultural exchange between France and Hong Kong.

Outside these commitments, Jonathan also swims competitively for Outswimmers HK, caters French-Vietnamese fusion cuisine and is an avid languages learner.

Ruwanthi Gajadeera is a Sri Lankan-British designer and material artivist whose work is grounded in sustainability and cultural storytelling. Her academic path weaves together a BA in Fashion & Textiles from Northumbria University, an MSc in Sustainable Management from the University of Bedfordshire, and an MA in Design Innovation from De Montfort University prior to expanding her practice through an MA in Fashion at the Royal College of Art.

Her interdisciplinary project, S.O.S – Save Our Seas , transforms scientific data on ocean degradation into participatory, multi-sensory experiences through sustainable fashion, scent design, and hands-on community workshops. Centering public engagement, she works closely with marine biologists like Dr.Asha De Vos   and environmental institutions to co-create inclusive platforms where people of all backgrounds can creatively engage with ecological challenges. As a material artivist, Ruwanthi uses reclaimed textiles, natural dyes, and heritage crafts to foster dialogue between science, culture, and activism. She has exhibited internationally, including at the UN Ocean Conference in Nice, France ,conducted mass community activism events at the European Parliament and champions fashion as a tool for ecological storytelling and behavioural change.

Raymond Wong is the Founder and Managing Director of C&R Wise AI Limited. As a passionate software developer, he leads his team in developing innovative software solutions to solve complex business challenges. He is a sought-after speaker on AI topics, sharing insights into emerging technologies and their applications. Mr. Wong holds an Executive Certificate in Artificial Intelligence from the MIT Sloan School of Management, a Master of Philosophy in Computer Science, and a Bachelor of Engineering (First Class Honors) in Computer Engineering from the University of Hong Kong.

Rachel founded The Sustainable Sequin Company in 2018 to supply the fashion industry with sustainable embellishments, provide design and sampling services, and offer sustainable textile consultancy. Since then, she has created sequins for a large variety of global brands, independent designers, students and artists.

Rachel has always loved textiles; studying for a degree in embroidery before working as a print and embroidery swatch designer, embroidery technician and sustainable fashion tutor. Her interest in sequins blossomed whilst studying for an MA in Fashion and the Environment at London College of Fashion in 2012.

More recently, Rachel has worked with University partners to pioneer the development of biodegradable, commercially viable, washable sequins made from natural materials. Having successfully produced biobased, biodegradable sequins at a laboratory scale, The Sustainable Sequin Company is now embarking on the scaling-up process. This breakthrough in creating sequin film from renewable, biodegradable resources signifies a significant reduction in fossil fuel consumption and the associated greenhouse gas emissions, helping to achieve maximum sparkle with minimal environmental impact.

Jack Wong joined Intertek in 2025 and is heading Hong Kong Softlines. Prior to joining Intertek, he was the Director of Quality Assurance at Tech-Five, where he oversaw a team of experts offering quality assurance, sustainability and business assurance solutions to companies across industries.

With over 17 years of experience in the quality assurance industry, including leadership roles at TÜV Rheinland Greater China, Jack has a proven track record of providing strategic product assurance guidance to international and domestic brands. His expertise spans compliance, sustainability, and circular economy practices, with a focus on driving measurable benefits for corporations.

Jack is a frequent speaker at workshops, where he can showcase how innovation, sustainability, circular economy, backboned by compliance, can bring benefits to corporations and sectors. Thanks to his excellent stewardship and entrepreneurial spirits, active engagement with trade unions such as Hong Kong Intimate Apparel Industries’ Association.

His recent innovative study covers how apparel innovation is shaping and advancing silver economy, benefiting senior adults and their caretakers; as well as assessing high performance garment using science-based initiatives.