September in Beijing means fashion week, with the opening ceremony kicking off on the night of the 15. The overall vibe at the ceremony was like that of many fashion shows, deep house music booming while models strut across the runway staring intensely into the camera at the end of the catwalk. But it began slightly different from most fashion shows, with models dressed in traditional Chinese attire reenacting what would seem like the scenes of everyday life in the streets of Shanghai 100 years ago.
Beijing is doing fashion a little differently this year. New styles are blending with traditional Chinese elements showcasing one-of-a-kind designs in front of historical Beijing landmarks like Qianmen Gate. In this video, American host Jack Klumpp and Evy Pinero attend fashion week for the first time. Jack gets an up-close look at the runway shows themed around the distinctive styles of different ethnic cultures like that of the Ewenkis and Tibetans. He also learns about the highlights and aspirations of Beijing Fashion Week from the event organizer Zhao Zhe.
Meanwhile, Evy heads down to the intangible cultural heritage workshop where she experiences the ancient Chinese design art of paper marbling and new fashion tech like a scanning device that can take one’s body measurements and generate one’s 3D model all in a matter of three seconds.
How is Beijing Fashion Week becoming a platform for hundreds of designers to showcase their creations? What will we see when traditional attire is reborn with elements of modern fashion?