Rock art is the inspiration for Chinese fashion show in Paris

Models on the runway usually showcase modern fashion but not often designs influenced by cave statues and rock art. These innovative costumes were inspired by the restoration of the frescoes in caves and the cliffs in the Chinese city of Dunhuang.

The fashion show was put on by the Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology, who spent three years designing the outfits.

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Throughout 2024, France and China have been holding a series of events to mark the year of Franco-Chinese tourism and 60 years of diplomatic relations.

"I think it's a very nice present to celebrate the 60th anniversary of relations between China and France," said Zhu Zhang, one of the curators.

The director of the museum that hosted the event, Yannick Lintz, said it was important to show off contemporary fashion in a place that celebrates the art of the past. She said her museum was at the heart of bilateral cultural links.

"2024 is 'China in the Guimet museum' and next year and the few years to come at least will be 'the Guimet Museum in China'," she said. Dunhuang is an ancient Silk Road city on the edge of the Taklamakan Desert in north-west China and the Guimet Museum is the largest collector of Dunhuang artifacts in Europe.

Angelina Gao is a student in Beijing and one of the models who took part in the show.

"Although this is only modelling work, I think this is totally a role of cultural ambassador I would say because we bring the 2D cave art into 3D and present other art to more people and especially international audiences," she said.

Culture and people-to-people exchange is instrumental to this year of tourism between the two countries. The two countries have been enjoying closer ties recently, since French President Emmanuel Macron's visit to China last year, and this year of tourism allows Paris and Beijing to deepen their cultural exchanges.

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