DesignInspire 2025 Opens in Hong Kong, Fostering Global Creative Exchange and Economic Opportunities

DesignInspire 2025 opened today at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, running until December 6, with free admission for industry professionals and the public from tomorrow. Sponsored by the Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency and organized by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council with co-organization by the Hong Kong Design Centre, the event features over 260 exhibitors from 14 countries and regions. This gathering demonstrates Hong Kong's position as an east-meets-west centre for international cultural exchange, providing a platform where design connects culture, industry, and everyday life through exhibitions, dialogues, and workshops.

A significant highlight is the return of French design authority Maison&Objet under the upgraded banner Maison&Objet Intérieurs Hong Kong 2025, which nearly doubles in scale from last year's showcase. Centered on the concept of "Crossroads," this presentation brings together 16 internationally renowned designers and artisans with more than 200 brands, exploring cross-cultural design language through dialogue, sustainable innovation, and avant-garde craft. The Design Factory section, curated by four international curators, features over 200 pieces envisioning future living through materials and narrative, while Design Showcase connects seven design capitals including Dubai, Milan, Paris, Seoul, and Shanghai, each interpreting diverse lifestyles through distinctive urban contexts.

The event features international pavilions from places including the Chinese Mainland, Belgium, Czechia, France, India, Italy, and South Korea, presenting diverse design viewpoints and cultural dialogues. The Czech Pavilion gathers Prague-based brands Artisème, Braasi Industry, and Pigmentarium, showcasing Bohemian crystal and porcelain craftsmanship alongside handcrafted urban backpacks and artistic fragrances. Several first-time exhibitors appear this year, including the Hefei Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism, Ikatan Arsitek Indonesia, and the Macao Product Design Association, showcasing creative works that highlight local characteristics.

Renowned designer Alan Chan and emerging artist Chilai Howard anchor the show's cross-cultural narrative through two distinctive presentations. BOTTEGA HONG KONG, with Alan Chan as Creative Director along with UNVEIL LIMITED and Su Chang Design Research Office, reimagines everyday aesthetics through an "open carton" inspired by Italy's alimentari and Hong Kong's neighborhood stores. The pavilion showcases Hong Kong and Italian talent including anothermountainman, Didi Ng (the first Hong Kong finalist of the LOEWE Foundation Craft Prize), Italian fashion brand FERRAGAMO, furniture design powerhouse Moroso, glass artist Lucia Massari, Alessandro Stabile Design Studio, and photographer David Leung. Curated by rising artist Chilai Howard, TINY STUDIO takes inspiration from Hong Kong's street stall culture to shape 12 studio pavilions with unique designs, bringing together creators from both Hong Kong and Italy working across digital art, sound, scent, sculpture, and hands-on workshops.

DesignInspire 2025 hosts 13 InnoTalks sessions and 20 creative workshops covering sustainable design, retro aesthetics, and craftsmanship. Highlights include "Time Warp – When Nostalgia Meets the Future," where local studios Nopaperstudio and Hoopla unpack how retro elements evolve into contemporary visual languages, and "Future development potential of Art Toy IP," where international designer Winson Ma analyses industry trends and explores how designer toys forge unique value chains across art, collecting, and commerce. The event website at https://designinspire.hktdc.com provides additional details about programming and registration.

This year's event partners with Tatler to present "The A.I. Atelier," an experience zone that blends design and technology, supported by Gen.T and powered by Preface. This zone explores creativity through artificial intelligence, analyzing visitors' unique design styles and generating personalized visual creations on the spot, demonstrating how AI is reshaping design language. Local exhibitors also unveil new designs, including GERI, an intelligent textile technology company that collaborates with graphic design master Kan Tai-keung to debut a new series of smart handbags as a fusion of innovation and craftsmanship.

To connect local and international cultural and creative design communities and foster collaboration, DesignInspire hosted an exclusive VIP preview today, bringing together leading creative organizations from Hong Kong and overseas, major institutions across various sectors, international enterprises, and design service users and buyers. Participating companies span department stores, retail and residential development, hospitality and lifestyle brands, interior design practices, and food and beverage groups, including Yves Saint Laurent Beauty from France, L'Oreal Luxe, Thai retail leaders The Mall Group and Central Retail, India's Indian Institute of Interior Designers, and Bombay Shirt Company. Buyers from the Chinese Mainland, Hong Kong, and Taiwan include Eslite Spectrum Corporation, CHECK Hospitality Management, Haiguihai Group, and Xiaochuniang Fast Food Co., Ltd., all looking to leverage DesignInspire as a platform to explore cross-border collaboration opportunities reflecting the continued growth of cross-disciplinary design in the Asian market.

DesignInspire also collaborates with St. James' Creation under St. James' Settlement to promote artistic development for people in rehabilitation through "MusicCLAY – Noided Music Making Experience Workshop," a hands-on experience combining clay art with electronic noise music. The Hong Kong YMCA's the DOOOR arts space joins the exhibition to integrate art into the community. Running concurrently with DesignInspire are three important HKTDC-led events – Business of IP Asia Forum, Entrepreneur Day, and Start-up Express: International Edition 2025 – taking place from December 4 to 5 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, creating further synergies and business opportunities through one-on-one business matching connecting participants with design service firms and innovation companies worldwide.