Brother × HKDI Collaborate on Textile Design Competition:
Inspiring STEAM Thinking to Cultivate Creative Talent for the Industry

Advancements in technology continually enhance human efficiency and quality of life. When cutting-edge tools intersect with emerging talents in fashion design and textiles, they offer transformative benefits—streamlining intricate processes like manual embroidery, freeing designers to focus on fabric selection and overall product vision, and unlocking their full creative potential.

This year, in a groundbreaking collaboration, Brother has partnered with the Hong Kong Design Institute (HKDI) to launch the "Sustainable Textile Design Competition 2024." This initiative aims to promote the intelligent capabilities of embroidery machines while fostering innovation among young designers. Central to the competition is the use of Brother’s latest PR680W professional embroidery machine, which allows students to seamlessly integrate learning with real-world applications. The competition not only encourages participants to explore STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) concepts but also introduces them to industry standards and sustainability practices early in their careers, shaping them into future leaders in design.

Hear firsthand from HKDI instructors and award-winning students as they share their experiences and insights from this exciting collaboration.

Brother × HKDI

Lecturer Chan, Ming Yi Roxana (left) from the Fashion & Image Design of the Hong Kong Design Institute (HKDI), and one of the winners of the "Sustainable Textile Design Competition 2024," Year 1 student Alan Mak (right).

Create More Opportunities for Students

The Hong Kong Design Institute (HKDI) has long been a nurturing ground for local design talent. Roxana Chan Ming Yi, a lecturer from the Fashion & Image Design, shared how her role extends beyond teaching design principles and textile knowledge — she actively collaborates with industry enterprises to create new opportunities for her students. Reflecting on a pivotal moment, she said:

"During the Denim Festival, which highlighted denim fashion and local culture, I was struck by the impressive capabilities of Brother’s PR680W professional embroidery machine. It occurred to me that after my first-year students mastered manual embroidery techniques, they could greatly benefit from learning how to operate state-of-the-art embroidery machines. This exposure to industry-standard technology could give them a solid foundation for their future careers. With that in mind, I contacted Brother and discussed possibly bringing the embroidery machine to our institute."

Roxana continued, "As my conversations with Brother deepened, I discovered they were keen on collaborating further with academic institutions. What stood out to me was their shared commitment to sustainable development, a core value at HKDI. That’s when inspiration struck — I proposed co-hosting the 'Sustainable Textile Design Competition 2024.' This initiative would allow students to apply the automatic embroidery machine skills they learned in class while integrating eco-friendly techniques, such as natural dyeing and digital printing, to create innovative works that reflect the competition’s theme.

Additionally, with the growing emphasis on STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) education in recent years, the competition would provide a platform to stimulate students' STEAM thinking and application skills. This would align with industry trends and inspire the next generation of forward-thinking designers.

Alan has had a passion for drawing and design since childhood and is now gradually realizing his dreams at HKDI. He aspires to create more refined and outstanding works.

Chan Ming Yi Roxana stated that HKDI and Brother are in perfect harmony regarding the concept of "sustainable development.

Sustainable Development Theme: Promoting Students' Humanistic Care

HKDI students enthusiastically responded to the competition centered on sustainable development. The school ultimately entrusted Brother's Hong Kong team with selecting multiple award-winning works based on five key criteria: originality, application of embroidery techniques, sustainable concepts, visual presentation, and overall design. To encourage participants, the top three winners were awarded products from Brother.

Roxana expressed her gratitude for the collaboration, stating: "It is understood that Brother's headquarters in Japan is also aware of and supportive of this event, and their Hong Kong colleagues conducted a collective vote, carefully reviewing each textile design. This has been a valuable experience for young people."

Among the many impressive submissions, Mak Tin Long Alan, a student in the Fashion Design Higher Diploma program at HKDI, stood out as one of the winners with his piece titled "Loss," themed around polar bears. With a lifelong passion for drawing and design, coupled with prior experience in jewelry design and recognition in related competitions, Alan brought a wealth of creativity to his work.

"When I learned that the competition theme was 'sustainable development,' the first image that came to mind was of polar bears losing their homes," Alan shared. "I followed that instinct to create my piece. Using the Brother PR680W professional embroidery machine, I embroidered the centerpiece of my design—two polar bears sitting on a melting iceberg. They appear sorrowful, symbolizing the devastating effects of humanity's excessive burning of fossil fuels, which accelerates the rise in greenhouse gases and the melting of glaciers."

The award-winning piece "Loss" by Mak Tin Long Alan, a student in the Fashion Design Higher Diploma program at HKDI, is centered around the theme of polar bears.

Alan shares his insights into creating his competition piece, "Loss."

The Brother commercial embroidery machine, equipped with various professional application frame modes, enabled Alan to effectively leverage technology to bring his design ideas to life.

The professional embroidery machine operates at a speed of 1,000 stitches per minute, successfully saving Alan a week's worth of hand embroidery time during the competition.

Making Good Use of Automatic Embroidery: Boldly Combining Various Materials

Alan credits the automatic embroidery machine as a key factor in bringing his polar bear design to life:
"The biggest advantage of this embroidery machine is its ability to directly 'understand' my hand-drawn design through the embroidery software and immediately execute the embroidery instructions using its single-head, six-needle free arm. Its 1,000 stitches per minute allowed me to complete the polar bear pattern in about an hour.

Additionally, it can produce high-difficulty, continuous stitch effects across most of the design area while automatically adjusting the direction and density of the stitches in certain places, helping to enhance the visual impact of the polar bears. This saved me significant time—around a week of hand sewing—and gave me more freedom to experiment with different fabric application techniques.

Support Training After the Competition: Cultivating Industry Professionals

The conclusion of the competition marked the continuation of the cross-sector collaboration between Brother and HKDI. Roxana revealed that the partnership extends beyond the event, with both parties remaining committed to education and skill development:
"Recently, Brother sent representatives to the school for a career planning seminar, helping students understand the diverse career paths available and encouraging them to move forward confidently. Additionally, I would like to thank Brother Hong Kong and the Brother Taiwan team for providing students with a two-day training course on embroidery software after the competition. This course enabled students better to understand the operation of the automatic embroidery machine and offered internship opportunities at Brother, providing valuable hands-on experience."

Alan also expressed his gratitude for the training program:
"The follow-up training course helped me realize that embroidery patterns can include more intricate stitching and hidden design options, which broadened my perspective. I hope to refine my work further in my second year, and my ultimate goal is to learn directly from designers active in the local fashion industry."

Looking Ahead: Fostering Creative Talent for the Future

Reflecting on the competition, Roxana noted that both Brother and HKDI were highly satisfied with the outcomes. She emphasized that the initiative successfully promoted young people’s understanding of the concept of sustainable development and broadened their awareness of how innovative technologies can be applied to fashion design and textiles.

Looking to the future, Roxana expressed a desire for more collaborative efforts at various levels, with the shared goal of cultivating creative talent and supporting the growth of the local fashion and textile industry.

In "Loss," Alan skillfully incorporated natural fabrics and crystal beads to create a stunning three-dimensional effect of icebergs and the visual illusion of light reflection, captivating the audience with his innovative design.

Following the competition, Brother Hong Kong and the Brother Taiwan team organized a two-day training course on PE-Design 11 embroidery software for students. This program provided valuable insights into the operation of the automatic embroidery machine. Roxana (left) and Alan (right) expressed their heartfelt gratitude for the opportunity.

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