A special fashion show initiated by the Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology was staged on March 13 at the Guimet Museum – one of Paris's most celebrated museums – showcasing an exceptional display of Chinese costumes.
The innovative costumes on display were inspired by the restoration of frescoes in caves of Dunhuang, northwest China's Gansu Province, where the famous Mogao Grottoes are located. The Beijing institute spent three years designing the outfits.
Curator Zhu Zhang noted that it was a good present to celebrate the 60th anniversary of relations between China and France. Director of the museum, Yannick Lintz, said it was important to showcase contemporary fashion in a place that celebrates the art of the past. She said Guimet Museum was at the heart of bilateral cultural links.
Models from the Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology show costumes inspired by frescoes in the Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang, northwest China's Gansu Province at Guimet Museum in Paris on March 13, 2024. /CGTN
The Guimet Museum is the largest collector of Dunhuang artifacts in Europe. Angelina Gao is a student and also one of the models who took part in the show. "Although this is only modeling work, I think this is totally a role of cultural ambassador because we bring the 2D cave art into 3D and present other art to more people and especially international audiences," she said.
2024 marks the Chinese Year of the Guimet Museum. Meanwhile, throughout 2024, China and France are set to hold a series of events to mark 60 years of diplomatic relations and the China-France Year of Culture and Tourism.