Hu Sheguang launched “Power of Time—Dongbei Dahua by the Bund”, an haute couture collection, at the BUND Space, dazzling at the 2024 A/W Shanghai Fashion Week, on March 30.
All made with jacquard fabric with a soft sheen, the new collection is comprised of three-piece suits, windbreakers, cloaks, qipao dresses. Hu said, “Instead of using extravagant fabrics and decorations, I’d like to explore the power and strength of Chinese in a more innovative and diversified way.”
This series is no longer confined to traditional Chinese patterns, but also integrates modern aesthetics, making them a fashion symbol. Integrating Chinese elements and Western culture, Sheguang Hu conducted an in-depth analysis of details and layouts.
The highlight of the show came when Wang Deshun, an 88-year-old model and actor, dressed in a shirtless clean-cut suit with a touch of dongbei dahua decorations, strut the catwalk. Chinese influencer Li Meiyue, sporting his iconic suit on the catwalk, mesmerized the audience and turned the show into a carnival celebrating the enduring power and beauty of dongbei dahua.
Presenting the garments were Yu Weiwei, Miss World China in 2013, and 34 of Hu Sheguang’s Supermodels, a team of fashion enthusiasts with an average age of 55. The designer hopes to break the stereotype that fashion only belongs to young people.
Set up in 2018, the organization called Sheguang Hu’s Supermodels, giving everyone a chance to light up the catwalk, has grown into the world’s leading platform for aesthetic education for women. Known as Sheguang Hu’s Supermodels, it is a nation-wide community of fashion enthusiasts of all ages as well as a platform offering modeling training and promoting a healthy, fashionable lifestyle.
“Fashion is a carrier, not only for the latest trends, but also for dreams. Women should never give up their pursuit of beauty as they grow older, they can still be stunning on the fashion stage, I hope I can present the beauty of all Chinese women through diversified and innovative ways. The initial purpose for me to create Sheguang Hu’s Fashion Women’s Army was to build a platform for Chinese women who entertain fashion dreams and make fashion no longer a synonym of luxury, Chinese women are self-motivated and confident. They are telling their stories in a variety of ways,” said designer Sheguang Hu.
The fashion show is a cultural gift – to show the world the beauty of traditional Chinese culture, but also highlight the style of Chinese women in the modern world.
“What appeals to me most about Mr. Hu’s work is his commitment to promoting ethnic traditions around the world,” one of the models presenting the Shanghai show added.
The Shanghai fashion show reminded many of the history of dongbei dahua.
According to Hu, the origin of the floral print can be found in the traditional Chinese pattern yi nian jing, literally meaning “the scenery of a year”, featuring representative flowers of the four seasons including the peach blossom, the lotus flower, the chrysanthemum, the peony and the plum blossom. Used in fabrics, lacquerware, ceramics and jewelry, the print flourished during the Song dynasty (960-1279).
In the 1950s and 60s, designers at the East China Textile Management Bureau in Shanghai borrowed inspiration from the traditional pattern and created the dongbei dahua prototype featuring blossoming peonies and the phoenix. Cotton cloth with the floral print has since become a popular choice for blanket covers and bed sheets in Northern China, especially in rural areas.
Experts say that dongbei dahua designs have found increasing resonance with modern urbanites because they could easily evoke collective memories in which the print was popular in large swaths of China. The popularity of dongbei dahua has also coincided with the rise of guochao, a consumption trend wherein younger consumers prefer products with Chinese cultural elements. The print is viewed as one of the visual symbols from China’s recent history.
“The fashion industry is a microcosm of social development. I hope to show the prosperity and rise of China through this show. “said designer Sheguang Hu.
Some people commended the designer for promoting Chinese aesthetics on a global stage. Designer Sheguang Hu is skilled in translating Chinese cultural history into fashion elements.
“I held the show in Shanghai because dongbei dahua was born here and I want to re-define it as a classical pattern in fashion,” Hu told reporters during an interview after the release.
“As many brands are characterized by a certain color or style, I think dongbei dahua is the same to me,” said the designer, adding that he aspires to influence a generation of people with this pattern and help it go global as a culture.
“I’ve been given a lot of labels by a lot of people, but labels don’t define me. Fashion, for me, is for self-innovation.” Hu said. 2024 marks the 12th year of Hu’s return to China, where he, a native of North China’s Inner Mongolia autonomous region, grew up before moving to the Netherlands to pursue fashion design at the age of 16. Committed to incorporating Chinese cultural elements into the fashion context, Hu has developed his distinctive style over the last decade.Designer Hu Sheguang hopes to create fashion legends again.
Hu has been studying traditional Chinese patterns. “The royal patterns housed in the Palace Museum, and those in paper cuts, Batik, shadow plays and ancient architecture, are all our precious cultural heritage worth researching and revitalizing through fashion,” he remarked.
“Heritage can only be truly passed down when it becomes a part of people’s daily lives. This is not only the goal of cultural inheritance efforts but also a mission of mine as a fashion designer.”
Hu wants Chinese design to enter the global stage. Hu is offering “voice” to China’s creative power.
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