China Fashion Week: Modern Chinese designs 'shine' on world stage

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Traditional patterns on porcelain, embroideries, bright colors, silver decorations…Those are all typical elements favored by Chinese fashion designers. But for Zhao Huizhou, the inspirations of fashion are beyond that.

Zhao, the winner of this year's Golden Top Award, a top honor during the China Fashion Week, released a total 70 pieces of work for the spring/summer 2019 collection under her brand HUI and EACHWAY in a fashion show at Bird's Nest Cultural Center on Thursday.

The show was part of the China Fashion Week S/S 2019 collection, which ran from October 25 to November 2.

With the rich use of tulles, gauze, and glittering materials, the collection interpreted Chinese fashion in a new way. Instead of traditional solemnness and elegance, they were youthful, lively, and energetic.

Models present Zhao Huizhou's designs at the launch during China Fashion Week, November 1, 2018. /CGTN Photo

"Today's show is really of high class. The music, the designs…all are fabulous. I love them all," Sun Jing, a model who walked for the show, said.

Asked what particular term she would use to describe the show, Wang Yan, a member of the audience, said "shiny."

"As a Chinese designer, the style and elements adopted in your design are indispensable with Chinese culture," Zhao, who frequent Milan Fashion Week in recent years, said. "But if you promote it rigidly to the international community, the audience won't accept."

"So we're trying to combine the international aesthetics with oriental art and strike a balance between the East and the West. We want all to believe that this culture is easy to accept. It can be futuristic, it can also be modern. "

A sign at the Bird's Nest Cultural Center during China Fashion Week in Beijing, November 1, 2018. /CGTN Photo

As Zhao pointed out, the collection released in this show adopted some futuristic materials, decorated with details inspired by the country's intangible cultural heritage, such as embroidery, sewed patterns, accessory and earrings from the Yi ethnic group. It combines tradition with new elements, and presented a sense of modernity.

Actually, Zhao and her brands are not the only entity in the Chinese fashion world to seek creativity and transformation. LI-NING, a sports brand created by Chinese gymnast Li Ning, launched a fashion show on T-mall China Day during the New York Fashion Week in February this year.

The color of red and yellow, the unique logo in four Chinese characters, the multiple uses of pocket and ribbons, stirred debate on social media almost overnight. It soon became a symbol of the "national trend" and some T-walk pieces attracted a thousand buyers in just a few minutes.

A combined photo shows models walk onstage for LI-NING's new collection at New York Fashion Week, in New York City, February 7, 2018. /VCG Photo

Bosideng, a Chinese brand for down jackets and coats, also launched a fashion show at the New York Fashion Week on September 11 (local time) this year. Many celebrities, including American actress Anne Hathaway and actor Jeremy Renner, attended the show. It aroused universal attention and positive feedback toward this 42-year-old brand.

Bosideng also launched its new collection at the China Fashion Week this season.

(L-R) Actors Jeremy Renner, Anne Hathaway, and Adam Shulman attend the Bosideng front row during New York Fashion Week in New York City, September 11, 2018. /VCG Photo

Themed "Born in the Sun," the China Fashion Week this time held 96 launches and 2 contests among about 140 brands and nearly 150 designers from all over the world.

Wang Yutao and Pan Yiliang, designers for women's and men's wear respectively, held the "Best Fashion Designer" under their belt. Zhang Lingyue and Wang Chenming won the "Best Fashion Model" awards.

The event also announced some other awards at its closing ceremony, including "Top Ten Fashion Designers", "Top Ten Fashion Models" and more.