Now Shenzhen | April 17, 2023
WORKS that embody futuristic elements always appeal to human beings, from sci-fi to garments showcasing the future trend.
“Future” is also the theme of the A/W 2023 Shenzhen Fashion Week, which officially kicked off at the UpperHills Mall in Futian District on Friday.
“Combining fashion with science and technology is a unique feature of Shenzhen’s fashion weeks. In the past three years, we launched online shows using the cloud technology and presented new collections through augmented reality (AR) photography and 5G livestreaming. We also held a metaverse fashion week and the world’s first fashion show focusing on carbon neutrality,” said Pan Ming, head of the Shenzhen Garment Industry Association, while explaining why the fashion festival is themed “Future X Above Future.”
“Science and technology can provide the fashion industry with innovations, and the industry is a platform for the application of science and technology,” Pan said.
Although this fashion week’s highlight is the relationship between fashion and advanced technologies, the event still cares about the utilization of China’s intangible cultural heritage.
At the opening runway show, designers Gao Yang, Gong Lin, Zheng Tao and others brought their collaborations to the audience, inspired by Guangdong’s lion dance, a State-level intangible cultural heritage item, and lion patterns dating back to the Southern and Northern Dynasties (420-589). Additionally, two forums focusing on the connection between traditional culture and fashion were held yesterday.
To further help Shenzhen’s fashion industry go global, the fashion week invited avant-garde brands and designers from over 10 countries and regions, such as Germany, Italy, France, the U.K., the U.S. and Sweden, to present their latest collections. Also, more experts, buyers, KOLs, designers, media outlets and institutes will participate in the creating and designing process, forums and information-sharing meetings during the fashion event.
Additionally, haute couture will debut in the fashion week for the first time, along with official showrooms including Showboom Showroom, And Showroom and CMYK LAB.
As one of the pillar industries of Shenzhen’s economy, the city’s garment industry has ranked first in the country in terms of the number of local fashion brands and the number of listed fashion companies and their market values. Shenzhen is home to over 2,500 fashion brands, 90% of which are privately held. In 2021, Shenzhen’s garment industry contributed to 10% of the country’s total sales and took 60% of the high-end market share.
The first Shenzhen Fashion Week was held in 2015, and from 2020, it adopted an international schedule to include two sessions each year, specifically Spring/Summer and Autumn/Winter.
Hosted by the Shenzhen government and organized by the Shenzhen Garment Industry Association, the fashion week runs from Friday through April 22. The main venue of the event is at OCT Harbor, with parallel venues in Futian, Nanshan and Luohu districts where new collection presentations, static exhibitions and forums will also be held.
ARTICLE FROM: Shenzhen Daily