The opening of the exhibition “FASHION TO RECONNECT: A Tale of Two Style Capitals” in Hong Kong marks the start of a major international initiative dedicated to Italian sustainable fashion in dialogue with Hong Kong’s creative industries. The event is organised by the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences (CLASS) of City University of Hong Kong, in collaboration with Fondazione Pistoletto Cittadellarte and the Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana (The National Chamber for Italian Fashion), with the support of the Consulate General of Italy and funding from the Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency (CCIDA) of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, as part of the Hong Kong Fashion Fest.
Curated by Italian fashion designer Tiziano Guardini, the exhibition features works by 16 iconic Italian brands, including Armani, Etro, Missoni and Ferragamo, presented alongside creations by nine Hong Kong designers. The exhibition, open to the public until 24 December, elevates fashion to an art form capable of driving social change and highlights the cultural exchange between the two communities.
The opening ceremony was attended by the Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Miss Rosanna Law, and representatives of CCIDA. In his remarks, Consul General Carmelo Ficarra thanked institutions and partners, stressing that Fashion to Reconnect is an extraordinary achievement born of extensive joint efforts, and that the project opens new avenues for collaboration, creating lasting synergies and opportunities that strengthen dialogue between Italy and Hong Kong. Among guests of honour was Italian actor Eugenio Franceschini, known for his role in the series Emily in Paris.
The exhibition forms part of the broader Fashion to Reconnect programme, which is also bringing to Hong Kong, for the first time, six installations of Michelangelo Pistoletto’s Third Paradise, reinterpreted by local artists and displayed in various locations across the city. The events will be accompanied by a two-day symposium, Sino-Overseas Exchange: The Tale of Two Style Cities, bringing together leading figures in Italian fashion, design and art—including Paolo Naldini, Sara Sozzani Maino and Guardini himself—alongside experts and artists from Hong Kong.
