The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) announced that KIT WAN STUDIOS, a multidisciplinary design and visual art studio led by Hong Kong-born creative director Kit Wan, will headline the CENTRESTAGE ELITES runway show on September 2, 2026, at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. The show, part of the third edition of “Hong Kong Fashion Fest,” will feature the studio’s forthcoming collection that fuses sci-fi inspirations with mechanical aesthetics, blurring the boundaries between collectable and wearable fashion.
This year’s CENTRESTAGE ELITES is noted for merging manga and mythology with bespoke metalwork, multimedia installations, and cinematic garment design. The studio’s unique “abstract reality” approach spans from costume design to museum exhibits. As a performative costume designer and scenographer, Kit Wan has designed “stage armour” for artists at the Grammy Awards and Eurovision, showcasing Hong Kong design on global stages while remaining rooted in Cantopop, injecting vitality into Hong Kong’s entertainment industry.
The studio’s collaborations include local superstars such as Aaron Kwok, Hins Cheung, MC Cheung, Miriam Yeung, Nicholas Tse, and Panther Chan, as well as international artists like Alan Cumming, Cherry Vanilla, Teddy Swims, and numerous Scandinavian pop stars. Kit Wan’s work consistently employs a precise visual language to erase boundaries between clothing, performance, and art, creating cultural value.
Headlining CENTRESTAGE ELITES marks a homecoming for the studio. Kit Wan stated, “It feels like ‘THE’ moment for my work to come from my clearest voice… This collection is from my heart, my voice – so completely – and I am excited to share that with my hometown of Hong Kong.” The artist studied knitwear design at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University before working in London and Amsterdam, and later completed an MA in fashion design in Oslo, Norway. He is the first fashion designer to receive the “Young Artist Award” from the Norwegian government, and his creations are in the permanent collection of the National Museum of Norway. In 2025, the studio was selected by Fashion Asia Hong Kong as the sole Hong Kong representative among its “2025 10 Asian Designers to Watch.”
Kit Wan will lead a sharing session during CENTRESTAGE, offering insights from his creative journey. The fair, marking its 11th edition, reinforces Hong Kong’s position as Asia’s fashion hub and a gateway connecting global design talent. It will feature thematic zones, fashion parades, and industry seminars on sustainable fashion and artificial intelligence in fashion design. Further details will be announced at a press conference on August 20. Photos of KIT WAN STUDIOS are available at https://bit.ly/3R834Of and photos of CENTRESTAGE 2025 at https://bit.ly/3T9gKZP. More information is available on the HKTDC newsroom at http://mediaroom.hktdc.com/en.
