From December 15th to 19th, the 2023 Zhuhai Fashion Week was grandly held in Zhuhai. Spanning five days with the themed "Green Fashion, Flourishing Innovation—Inheriting and Innovating to Sketch a Sustainable Future," The Zhuhai Fashion week has presented 16 fashion events, including 13 runway shows, 2 panel discussion sessions, and 1 design industry conference. Faculty and students from Beijing Normal University’s School of Future Design were invited to participate in the Guangdong Universities Fashion Design Award-winning Works runway show and the Roundtable Discussion on "Inheritance, Innovation, and a Sustainable Future."

Guangdong Universities Fashion Design Award-winning Runway Show

On December 17th, the Guangdong Universities Fashion Design Award-winning Runway Show was staged at the Nan Guang Square of Haishan City. Beijing Normal University’s School of Future Design, along with three other Guangdong universities—South China Agricultural University School of Art and Design, Beijing Institute of Technology Zhuhai College, and Guangdong Baiyun University—presented the works of 13 emerging designers at the 2023 Zhuhai Fashion Week.

Under the guidance of teachers Liu An and Xu Dongliang from Beijing Normal University’s School of Future Design, students Song Xinrui, Xu Bishan, Bai Yiyang, An Zha'er, Wu Jiayi, and others explored diverse themes such as surrealism, multifunctionality, neo-Chinese style, punk, and ink art. Their designs integrated sustainable concepts with various design methods, emphasizing the harmonious coexistence of tradition and modernity.

Student Runway Show Presentation

Liu An also explained that the showcased designs in this runway show encompassed speculative themes based on future scenarios, exploring and imagining life in the future. The designs also featured a fusion of traditional elements with modern aesthetics through new Chinese-style design, showcasing a unique beauty that combines Eastern charm with a sense of fashion. Additionally, they integrated the theme of "Green Fashion, Everything Trendy - Inheritance and Innovation, Sketching a Sustainable Future" from Zhuhai Fashion Week. Some of the designs demonstrated a high level of functionality and a concept of transformability with "one garment, multiple styles," providing convenience to people's lives through sustainable design principles.

The guiding teachers and young university designers took the stage to express their gratitude and bid farewell

Beijing Normal University's School of Future Design student Song Xinrui said, "The atmosphere in the field of fashion design in Zhuhai has always been excellent. Many Zhuhai institutions have also increased their investment and promotional efforts in the design aspect. This fashion week event has provided us with a great platform for professional exchange. We can see different styles of fashion designs from other schools, expanding our horizons. At the same time, this opportunity allows us to absorb excellent design concepts, injecting new inspiration and motivation into our own design journey."

Roundtable Discussion on "Inheritance, Innovation, and a Sustainable Future"

On December 17th, as one of the key events of the 2023 Zhuhai Fashion Week, the Roundtable Discussion on "Inheritance, Innovation, and a Sustainable Future" was held in Xiangzhou District, Zhuhai. This roundtable discussion invited university teachers and industry guests to engage in interesting industry knowledge sharing in a relaxed atmosphere, profoundly analyzing the current situation and future of sustainable development in the fashion industry. Liu An, teacher from Beijing Normal University’s School of Future Design, was invited to attend this event.

Liu An delivered a keynote speech

During the discussion, Liu An expressed that slow fashion emphasizes quality over quantity, encouraging designers to use more environmentally friendly materials and design methods to create high-quality, multifunctional, and classic products. This approach can reduce the negative impact of overconsumption on the environment and society. Slow fashion also values fair trade, respecting the inheritance and application of traditional culture and craftsmanship. In addition, slow fashion needs to balance the relationship between the environment, morality, and economic development. There are various ways to achieve slow fashion, such as extending the product usage cycle, upgrading and remanufacturing, traditional craftsmanship, multifunctional design, collaborative design, and shared consumption. These approaches contribute to the sustainable development of the fashion industry, aligning design, production, and different stages of user interaction with the principles of "slow fashion."

Background of the 2023 Zhuhai Fashion Week

The 2023 Zhuhai Fashion Week is guided by the Zhuhai Municipal People's Government and China National Silk Group Co., Ltd., hosted by the Publicity Department of the CPC Zhuhai Municipal Committee and the People's Government of Xiangzhou District, Zhuhai. The event aims to continuously build an influential Zhuhai fashion culture brand, promote the high-quality development of Zhuhai's fashion industry, and enhance Zhuhai's cultural soft power and influence. This effort provides solid cultural support for Zhuhai to build a modern international economic special zone with Chinese characteristics in the new era.

The designer lineup participating in the 2023 Zhuhai Fashion Week is formidable, with Marco, founder and designer of the NOUSE brand, serving as the director of the expert committee. Three recipients of China's highest fashion design honor, the "Golden Summit Award"—Ji Wenbo, Zhang Zhaoda, and Li Xiaoyan—along with five "Top 10 Chinese Fashion Designers," six national/provincial-level ambassadors for the promotion of textile and clothing intangible cultural heritage, and five "Top 10 Guangdong Fashion Designers" and emerging designers took part in the presentations. Through a series of avant-garde runway shows that connect the past and present while envisioning the future, more citizens were able to participate in and feel the charm of Zhuhai's fashion.