7 September 2026, Organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) and sponsored by the Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency (CCIDA) of the Government of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), CENTRESTAGE, Asia’s annual premier fashion event and a flagship event of the third Hong Kong Fashion Fest concluded successfully on 5 September. The highlight of the closing evening was the grand finale of the Hong Kong Young Fashion Designers’ Contest 2026 (YDC), where 10 up-and-coming local fashion designers unleashed their potential. Drawing from personal experiences and inner emotions, their collections told unique stories through distinctive tailoring and materials. Featuring a diverse range of vivid styles, the designs perfectly echoed this year's YDC promotional theme, "YOU." and featured a high-standard runway show for the audience. The evening welcomed a legion of celebrities and artists including Will Or, elka@Lolly Talk, Kaki Sham, Crystal Cheung, Ah Mui, Rachel Leung, Yatho Wong, Dylan So, Karl Ting, William Chang and Irving Cheung adding glamour and excitement to the competition as they showed their support and cheered on the participating designers.Will Or(wearing MARCCH)
elka@Lolly Talk(wearing gnastiy.com)
Kaki Sham(wearing MARCCH, STUDIO REDEMPTIVE)
Crystal Cheung(wearing elio, KOWLOON CITY BOY)
Rachel Leung(wearing BICY YIP, elio, JACL)
Yatho Wong(wearing MARCCH, YAMA GUEST, KOWLOON CITY BOY)
After careful deliberation, a panel of professional judges selected four major award winners from the 10 finalists’ collections. Tsui Ao Lung emerged as Champion with his outstanding design and received a cash prize of HK$60,000 and an overseas internship sponsored by Fang Brothers Knitting Ltd. Cheang King Tung, Kenneth received the Excellence Award and Best Art Direction Award, securing a cash prize of HK$40,000, an overseas study trip sponsored by MINI HK for the former, and collecting a cash prize of HK$10,000, a five-day course at VOGUE College of Fashion in London and an overseas study trip sponsored by VOGUE Hong Kong, with a total value of HK$30,000, for the latter. The “My Favourite Collection” Award, decided by public voting, went to Lam Chun Ni, Jenny, who was awarded a HK$30,000 Lee Gardens Area e-Gift Certificate sponsored by Hysan.
Champion
Designer: Tsui Ao Lung
Design: The Tide
The design: “In truth, everyone is the same—we are all inside one massive ‘raging tide.’
“The Tide” takes inspiration from a classic Cantopop hit Kuang Chao. Through the four stages of a woman’s life, the collection depicts the ebbs, flows and turbulence of human existence driven by emotion and destiny.
Prizes: Cash prize of HK$60,000, an overseas study trip sponsored by Fang Brothers Knitting Ltd.
The full list of winners from YDC 2026 is as follows:
Champion: Tsui Ao Lung; Design: ”The Tide”
Excellence Award: Cheang King Tung, Kenneth; Design: ”NOSTALGIA”
Best Art Direction Award: Cheang King Tung, Kenneth; Design: ”NOSTALGIA”
My Favourite Collection Award: Lam Chun Ni, Jenny; Design: ”The Old Si-Fut and New Chai”
Tsui Ao Lung, winner of the Champion title, presented a collection titled “The Tide", which takes inspiration from a classic Cantopop hit Kuang Chao. Through the four stages of a woman’s life, the collection depicts the ebbs, flows and turbulence of human existence driven by emotion and destiny. Reflecting on the demanding creative process, Mr Tsui shared:
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