Chinese fashion struts on global stage

Designers parade their expertise and heritage to audiences in Paris, Wang Qian reports.

Fashion inspired by traditional Chinese culture is experiencing a renaissance on the global stage with designers and their collections increasingly fascinating runway audiences.

At the recently concluded Sino-French Fashion Week at the China Cultural Center in Paris, designers showed 30 outfits, jewelry and hat elements, depicting the cultural legacy of Quanzhou, a coastal city in East China's Fujian province, which became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2021.

As the highlight of the Sino-French Fashion Week, the closing show on Oct 3 was dedicated to Quanzhou, which was the starting point of the Maritime Silk Road, and showcased its fusion of rich historical heritage and modern fashion through references to the Song (960-1279) and Yuan (1271-1368) dynasties and the maritime theme. During the two dynasties, Quanzhou was one of the largest and busiest seaports in the world.

"The event initiated a dialogue between tradition and modernity, Eastern and Western aesthetics," says designer Meng Yueming, 33, who was responsible for the outfits.

Meng adds that he hopes the event will foster cultural exchange between Quanzhou and Paris, as a symbol of the once-again flourishing friendship, which dates back centuries.

Borrowing aspects of the city's heritage, including zanhua (a floral headdress), the traditional dress of Hui'an women, local tea culture, and Dehua porcelain, Meng blended traditional and modern elements into his designs.