Day 3 Jinan in Style International Fashion Week - Forum with Masters - Student Series

The ACF has always placed a great emphasis on education. To date it has worked with some of the world's leading fashion colleges and schools from Bunka College of Fashion in Tokyo to St Martins in London. Above all, the importance of sharing craft and knowledge goes to the heart of the ACF's mission. With the presence of so many renowned and experienced couturiers this was a unique opportunity to create a platform for sharing their insights and expertise with students from leading fashion schools in Shandong Province. On Day 3 of the Jinan in Style International Fashion Week, over 100 students from key schools including Shandong University of Art & Design, Shandong University of Arts, Shandong University and Qilu University of Technology gathered for the 'Forum with Masters - Student Series'. This special event provided an in depth platform for providing three leading couturiers to share in detail the process by which they built their respective business and brands, their design strategy and ethos, and the key lessons they had learned throughout their illustrious careers. Kicking off the event was Madam Yumi Katsura from Tokyo, who for over 50 years has been the pre-eminent bridal designer in Japan. With key images and video being presented while she spoke, Madam Yumi gave a detailed overview of her career with a particular focus on her approach to creating the 'western style' wedding, which is now so popular in her home country. However, she has also been a strong proponent of the preservation of traditional Japanese crafts such as the Kimono and provided the students with a fascinating glimpse into the creation of the unique fabrics and construction of these beautiful garments. Moving from Japan to South Korea, Lie Sang Bong gave a passionate and highly interactive and visually stimulating presentation. Lie Sang Bong is one of Korea’s preeminent fashion designers, a master craftsman and artist who is internationally recognized for his architectural collections that celebrate and enhance the body. Mr. Lie continues to blend traditional influences and innovative techniques, allowing his work to resonate with audiences around the world. His presentation provided an in depth overview of both his work and his personal design philosophy and the myriad of inspirations, ideas and creative forces that play a key role in shaping his collections. The final segment of the 'Forum with Masters - Student Series' was presented by China's iconic couturier, Guo Pei. A truly rare experience for Chinese fashion students to engage with Ms. Pei, they were completely enthralled throughout her 1.5 hour presentation. With rich visuals and a passionate discourse, Ms. Pei covered key moments in her career including her groundbreaking presentation at the 'China Through the Looking Glass Exhibition' at the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, to her being invited by La Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture to present at Paris Couture Week. Inevitably, the session ended with an excited and very enthusiastic group photo of all the students with Ms. Pei.