Liwen Liang is a ceramic worker and fashion designer. Liang was born in a small city called Jingdezhen, but it’s the world-famous porcelain capital with a ceramic history of thousands of years. His family and friends are all ceramic workers. Liang’s grandfather was a ceramic kiln worker at the National Porcelain Factory in the 1950s, and his descendants are also engaged in the ceramic business. Liang finished master of womenswear design from the London College of Fashion in 2023. Liang has been thinking about how to express his understanding of the culture of his hometown from an international perspective.

Liang grew up in his family ceramic workshop, and his creative style comes from the environment in which he grew up. The muddy working environment, the smell of the mud, the broken ceramic fragments, and the way the ceramic workers dress are all the sources of his inspiration. Liang realized there is no aesthetic in fashion that presents the ceramic craftsman. He wants to bring the aesthetics of his community into fashion.

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.

Natacha Van is a distinguished fashion designer and the founder of her eponymous brand, established in 2015. Born in Hong Kong, and with a multicultural heritage that blends Cambodian, French, and Chinese influences, Natacha’s background has significantly shaped the identity and aesthetic of her designs.

Natacha discovered her creative talents at a young age, exploring various artistic disciplines such as ceramics, oil painting, textiles, and photography during her studies in the UK. She further honed her skills in fashion styling, photography, and fashion design, graduating from the prestigious Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London. Within just two years of launching her brand, she showcased her collections at the major fashion weeks in London, New York, Milan, and Paris.

A recurring theme in Natacha’s work is the concept of fairy tales. Drawing inspiration from diverse myths and stories, she aims to educate and inspire the next generation, encouraging them to engage with contemporary societal issues. Each collection is imbued with a narrative that reflects both Natacha’s personal experiences and her artistic vision.

Currently based in Hong Kong, Natacha continues to embark on an evolving creative journey, both for herself and her brand.

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.