Grand opening ceremony of Jinan in Style International Fashion Week

A dialogue between the cultural city of Jinan and international fashion design masters.

By Jinan Municipal Government & the Asian Couture Federation (ACF)

Jinan in Style International Fashion Week, hosted by the Jinan Municipal Government and the Asian Couture Federation (ACF), has officially opened in Jinan International Fashion Creative Center, Shandong, China, the three-day international fashion week started on November 19 and will run until November 21. This is the first couture fashion week hosted by the ACF in China with six couturiers all of whom are world class design masters gathered in Jinan. With a focus on building a platform for global fashion design innovators, the event celebrates the borderless nature of creativity and seeks to promote the revival and flourishing of traditional culture and artisan skills in the contemporary era.

Jinan in Style International Fashion Week focuses on the global trend of integrating traditional culture with contemporary design. Shandong,"hometown of Confucius and Mencius, state of rites", is the centre of Chinese traditional culture. It provides an occasion for international couturiers to have discussions and dialogues in this famous cultural city. It reflects not only the overall positioning of "fashion culture" represented by this international fashion week, but also has important practical significance for Shandong, where the textile and clothing industry is one of its key pillar industries. In doing so, it promotes the local textile and clothing industry in line with the a strong international design ethos and hopes to accelerate the process of industrial upgrading from manufacturing to brand design, to create an open and dynamic position for Jinan on the global fashion market.

This event brings together important members of ACF, whose member designers are all internationally famous couture designers, fashion industry leaders and experts. They will be an integral part of the Jinan in Style International Fashion Week opening ceremony, ACF Awards Gala, Forum with Masters and six top couture fashion shows. The three-day event will present the most authoritative and influential creative and knowledge exchanges in the fashion industry and a sensory feast integrating fashion and culture.

Couture Show Unparalleled artistic charm Six internationally renowned designers, including Ms. Guo Pei, who is currently the only Chinese member and the first Asian member of La Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture in Paris. She is joined by renowned wedding dress couturier from Japan - Yumi Katsura, acclaimed menswear designer from South Korea SONGZIO, and fellow South Korean and extraordinary talent Lie Sang Bong. Finishing the line up is the exceptional creativity of Sebastian Gunawan from Indonesia, the prodigious talent of Paolo Sebastian from Australia. Together, they demonstrate the modern revival of the classic skills of couture and their own traditional heritage and cultures onto a unique and exciting event.

Forum with Masters Global trends in fashion design Jinan in Style International Fashion Week Forum with Masters is moderated by Ms. Casey Hall, the Business of Fashion's (BoF) Asia correspondent. This unique event will discuss the global trends of fashion design, as well as the opportunities and challenges facing Asian fashion designers, couturiers and industry leaders. From the vertical extension of the clothing industry chain to the horizontal coverage of the fashion industry, it explores the integration of traditional design and artisan couture skills in the modern age and the increasing regional and global convergence in the industry.

Dr. Frank Cintamani, Founding President of Asian Couture Federation, said, "The Asian Couture Federation was established to represent and promote the very best couture talent in Asia and on a select basis internationally. Without doubt, China has one of the most important cultural and artistic legacies in the world, and continues to wield an important influence and impact on numerous global industries and fashion in particular. As such, we fully endorse the cooperation this international fashion week represents, and I am delighted that the Jinan in Style International Fashion Week in Shandong Province will play a key role in showcasing the most exceptional couture talent from across Asia Pacific, and also serve as a valuable reminder of China's own unique creative heritage."