In conversation: How CityUHK redefines cultural impact beyond numbers

Over the past decade, fashion has evolved into a recognised driver of cultural identity, uniting communities through shared aesthetics and storytelling. 

Bringing this vision to life, College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences (CLASS) at City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK) officially launched FASHION TO RECONNECT: A Tale of Two Style Capitals last November with a ceremony and month-long exhibition at ArtisTree, Taikoo Place. 

Curated by eco-conscious designer Tiziano Guardini, the exhibition pairs nine Hong Kong designers with 16 Italian designers and brands. It features local talent such as Vivienne Tam, Dorian Ho, Tiger Chung, and Mandy Fong, alongside iconic Italian labels such as Giorgio Armani and emerging designers such as Piero D’Angelo and Marco Rambaldi. Centred on themes of care, transformation, connection, and responsibility, the showcased works invite visitors to reconsider fashion’s footprint in a changing world. 

Speaking on Marketing Connected’s “In Conversation” podcast series, Esterina Nervino, associate professor at CityUHK and project coordinator for FASHION TO RECONNECT, discussed how the project utilised a cultural index to evaluate the broader influence of creative initiatives. 

"The cultural index is essentially a structured way to measure the social impact of cultural events," Nervino explained. "It goes beyond asking how many people attended or how much revenue was generated to examine what meaningful changes that culture creates in people's lives and in the city as a whole.” 

“Traditionally, we have been very good at counting outputs such as ticket sales, visitor numbers, and tourism spending. But culture does much more than that. It shapes identity, strengthens community bonds, improves well-being, and contributes to how a city sees itself and how it's seen globally." 

Nervino noted that the index aligned all participating stakeholders around public value, immediate delivery, and long-term societal goals rather than isolated targets. 

By blending Hong Kong and Italian creative heritages, the programming achieved a balanced cultural dialogue. Survey data collected through the index revealed that attendees reported learning about Hong Kong and Italian heritage in virtually equal measure. Furthermore, over 70% of respondents reported an improved perception of Hong Kong as a global, innovative creative hub. 

"That evidence demonstrates that genuine dialogue, rather than one culture dominating the other, was the driver of success," Nervino said. "It directly supports goals around inclusion and diversity, reinforcing Hong Kong's role as an East-meets-West exchange hub. It moves the conversation from 'Was the exhibition well-received?' to 'Did it strengthen Hong Kong's cultural brand?'" 

The launch event drew a mix of international and local figures, including fashion designer Vivienne Tam, Emily in Paris actor Eugenio Franceschini, and local artists Panther Chan and Natalie Hsu, alongside a performance by the Hong Kong Ballet. 

Working with a local agency, the team selected Hong Kong figures Panther Chan and Natalie Hsu because both embodied sustainable lifestyles alongside a passion for arts and culture. Internationally, the initiative engaged Italian actor Eugenio Franceschini—who played Marcello in Emily in Paris—to connect with Hong Kong’s youth audience ahead of the show's season release. 

Reflecting on how the framework applies to broader commercial strategies, Nervino highlighted its potential to reshape marketing and advertising by shifting the focus from mere visibility to tangible value creation. 

"In a saturated media environment, audiences—particularly younger generations—expect authenticity, accountability, and a measurable contribution to society," she noted. "The index provides a benchmark that allows companies to ground their storytelling in evidence rather than rhetoric. Relevance will depend less on amplification and more on resonance. Projects need to generate measurable cultural, social, and environmental value to become powerful communication assets rather than basic promotional tools." 

Nervino added that from a linguistics and communications perspective, data serves to validate brand narrative. "Every story needs to be supported by evidence. We now have a tool to measure that impact and use data to substantiate a great story—something particularly significant as companies actively rethink their societal role." 

This article is done in collaboration with College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences (CLASS) at City University Hong Kong.