Established in 1954, Nan Fung Cotton Mills witnessed the heyday of the Hong Kong textile industry, but with the changes of the times, its mission has run its course. In 2014, Nan Fung Group announced that it will revitalise its cotton mills (Mill no. 4, 5 and 6) in Tsuen Wan to create a single coherent complex that is “The Mills”.
“The Mills” is due to open on December 6 this year. Vanessa Cheung, founder of “The Mills” and Managing Director of Nan Fung Development Limited, believes preserving the old mills carries a special significance: “This is not only how we safeguard our shared cultural heritage, but also an important step towards a future of creativity and innovation. ”
Old mills empowered with new significance
In Cheung’s view, “The Mills” is a project filled with memories and emotions: “I often recall fond memories of visiting these mills with my grandfather (Chen Din-hwa, the founder of Nan Fung Group). When I think about how many families these mills have helped make a living, I’d think of retaining these buildings of great historical significance and also want to reshape the future of the textile industry.”
The booming era of textile manufacturing has become increasingly unfamiliar to young people. Cheung wants to rejuvenate the old mills to commemorate the golden age of the local manufacturing industry and the history of Nan Fung and its textile factory. She also hopes to inspire the leadership and creative potential of the younger generation, giving back to the local community while empowering the old mills with new significance, just like how Nan Fung improved the lives of many Hong Kong people through its cotton spinning business in the past.
Connecting the past, present and future
“The Mills” is composed of three pillars, i.e. the Centre for Heritage, Arts and Textile (CHAT), The Mills Shopfloor and “The Mills” Fabrica. Cheung wants to use it to help reshape Hong Kong’s future from the inside out. “The Mills is an evolutionary process, and these three pillars complement each other. They connect the past, present and future.”
CHAT exemplifies the “past”: history of Hong Kong and Tsuen Wan. Through its own curated multi-faceted projects, including exhibitions and co-learning programmes, CHAT invites visitors to experience the Hong Kong textile industry’s innovative legacy and generates public interest in the industry.
The Mills Shopfloor is an emerging experiential retail space where brands showcasing Hong Kong’s evolving character come together to offer a new retail and shopping experience for today’s society; it represents the “now”. The Mills Fabrica is a business incubator and springboard for startups that enable the sustainability of the textile industry; it represents the “future”. “We strive to integrate tradition and innovation, transforming from textile into techstyle to support the development of local start-ups and craft culture.”
From textile to techstyle
Explaining the revitalization concept of “The Mills”, Cheung stressed that the goal of the project is to trigger inspirations for reshaping Hong Kong’s future, commemorating our history while building the future. In her view, “The Mills” reflects the roots of her family and inherits the history of Hong Kong. Therefore, techstyle is used as a theme to revitalize the cotton mills and focus on technological innovation.
“The Mills” deliberately retains many of the cotton mills’ old stuff. Cheung cited an example: “Because we want the old and the new to have a coherent look, we deliberately retain the iron gate at the entrance, the red signboard on the façade, the old machines on the production lines, the mottled green paint of the stairwell in the factory buildings, etc, all of which are not only the evidence of the industry’s past, but also indispensable elements in the mills’ transformation from the past to the present.”
With regard to technological innovation, Cheung used The Mills Fabrica as an example. As Fabrica aims to nurture future leaders, when it comes to investing in startups, “The Mills” looks for those that can innovate the techstyle industry and redefine the textile industry through innovation of materials, improvement of production processes, creation of new retail models, and manufacture of wearable products that integrate technology and design.
On the other hand, Fabrica Space and Fabrica Lab provide work spaces and labs with necessary instruments and equipment for startups, facilitating strategic partners and creative professionals to work, learn, collaborate and explore potential synergies. “Through The Mills Fabrica, we want to help our talents go global, paying great attention to sustainable development while giving back to the society to build a future that can inherit history and be full of creativity and innovation.”
