As FASHION TO RECONNECT spreads across Hong Kong, featuring exhibitions, digital installations, performances, and participatory events, we continue the story we began with the first article on the project.

This second part offers the perspective of Esterina Nervino, Assistant Professor at City University of Hong Kong and project coordinator, who has been involved in research on fashion, luxury, and sustainability communication for years.

In our interview, Nervino discusses the cultural dialogue underlying the project, the role of Italian and local designers, and the symbolic power of the trinamic symbol in the Chinese city.

Fashion to Reconnect was born as a bridge between Italy and Hong Kong. What significance does this cultural dialogue have today?

It's a project that brings together two geographically distant entities united by common themes such as fashion and sustainability. The Italian Consulate presented it to me as an opportunity to bring Italian companies and institutions into dialogue with the local context, as part of the Hong Kong Fashion Fest.
For me, it also has personal significance: I've lived here for almost 14 years and work on these topics academically. Hong Kong is a place where East and West meet, a perfect hub for opening conversations about sustainability and emerging technologies. Connecting my hometown with my current one is something I find deeply meaningful.

How are innovation, vision, and social responsibility expressed in the exhibition and in collaboration with the brands?

The Italian partners have selected brands that combine design, innovation, and sustainability. I'm deeply committed to the topic of social responsibility, which is often less discussed than environmental responsibility but is fundamental to a comprehensive vision of sustainability.
In Hong Kong, we've added a section dedicated to local designers, selected by a joint committee. We're also working with them to raise awareness of materials, processes, and transparency. This is what I call evidence-based storytelling: communicating sustainability must be based on verifiable data, not empty narratives.

How is the vision of the Third Paradise translated into the language of fashion and the exhibition?

Fashion, art, and society are already interconnected in the language of fashion. Creativity represents art, materials refer to nature, and the use of garments belongs to society.
The Third Paradise offers us an ideal framework to narrate this interdependence. Our goal is to raise awareness: to offer tools to better understand what we consume and how it impacts the world.

In Hong Kong, the Third Paradise manifests itself in many forms. What is the common thread?

The Third Paradise carries with it a message of unity, and this project amplifies it through a truly immersive journey throughout the city. For a month, Hong Kong hosts perhaps the largest reproduction of the symbol, in various languages ​​and contexts: physical and digital installations, performances, and artistic collaborations.
Some examples: the Third Paradise within the exhibition, created with sustainable materials; a large-scale musical flash mob; an artistic projection in our innovation tunnel; two digital installations created with Vivienne Tam, among the first of this scale; a sports-themed installation on the waterfront during the National Games; an upcycled work created with ballet slippers for the Hong Kong Ballet; and a large crochet work on the façade of a historic building.
Each intervention interprets the symbol with a different language, but the message remains the same: connection.

What was your role in the project, and which part do you feel most connected to?

I am the project coordinator, so I oversee the entire development: programming, texts, communication, and reviewing the sustainability-related language. I work closely with Cittadellarte and Tiziano Guardini, and it was interesting to compare the Italian and Hong Kong perspectives.
On a personal level, this project unites my two homes, Italy and Hong Kong, and puts my academic research into practice in a real-world context with broad public impact. I also found collaborators with whom I immediately connected: this too is a gift from the project.

What was the response from the designers and brands involved?

There was great enthusiasm, especially from the Chinese designers, who saw the project as recognition of their creativity and an opportunity for international discussion.
The dialogue with the Italian partners allowed them to delve deeper into the topic of transparency and reflect more deeply on their production choices. I believe this experience will have a concrete impact on their future work.

What legacy will this edition leave for Hong Kong and internationally?

For Hong Kong, it provides new tools for local designers and a greater awareness of European sustainability standards.
For the public, it shows that Hong Kong can be a global cultural center. The project is entirely supported by the government and private sponsors who believe in the value of art and sustainability. This is an important signal.
At the international level, I hope it fosters a more open dialogue with distant cultures, recognizing the richness of these exchanges.

The interview with Professor Nervino illustrates a project that transcends disciplinary and geographical boundaries to create a shared platform for dialogue between fashion, art, and sustainability. The Hong Kong edition of FASHION TO RECONNECT emerges as a major, widespread cultural device, capable of making the message of the Third Paradise a collective and participatory experience.