Zhou Dynasty costume show graces Paris

A Zhou Dynasty (c.11th century-256 BC) cultural costume show was staged as part of last month’s 2024 China-France Fashion Week at the China Cultural Center in Paris.

The fashion show was organized by the Industry Development Department of China’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism, with involvement from the Shaanxi Tourism Group, the China Fashion Research Association, the Fashion Tourism Magazine and the cultural center in Paris. Among those who attended were guests from fields of government, fashion, culture and the arts.

Three thousand years ago, the people of the Zhou Dynasty did not have access to cotton or cloth, so they wore garments made of natural raw materials such as animal hides, hemp and silk, and sought to convey beauty through their fashioning of these materials.

The Paris fashion show was based on Shaanxi Tourism Group’s research on historical forms of clothing with a view to integrating the exchange and collision of Eastern aesthetics and modern design. The aim was to interpret the connotations and wisdom of Zhou culture in a fashionable way, allowing people to experience the brilliance of Chinese clothing culture from three thousand years ago, and using modern artistic means to explore ancient Chinese clothing.

Joël Bellassen, general inspector of Chinese Language at the French Ministry of National Education and a renowned sinologist, pointed out that Chinese culture has a long history and once shone brightly on the world stage.

The breakthroughs made by Shaanxi Tourism Group in the fields of culture and tourism reflect their corporate vision, Bellassen said.