Festival gives fashion a sporting chance

The Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology held the opening ceremony of its 18th Science-Art-Fashion Festival on Sunday in Beijing.

As one of the important aspects of the festival, the exploration and achievements of the teachers and students of the institute in sportswear design over many years were highlighted at the fashion show.

This sports fashion show displays the design concept of "fashion, health, technology, function and green" and aims to bring forward-looking and creative works to the market.

More than 90 collections were presented, covering the works of outstanding students from the Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology's School of Fashion, as well as designs by several teachers.

These were rich and diversified, covering various fields including extreme and outdoor sports, as well as indoor fitness. Also included were ball, leisure, and competitive sports, and other activities such as high jump, resistance running and e-sports.

To reflect the fusion of costume, technology and art, the show broke new ground by using 3D virtual technology to create digital models and realize an immersive viewing experience through a 270-degree LED screen.

The visual team from the school implemented the production of the digital virtual models for the show, creating multimedia audio-visual content that fully reflected the beauty of design that blends technology and art.

Established in 2013, the Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology's sportswear major is the first in China to form a professional teaching team, and also the first to create and standardize a teaching system for sportswear design talent training.

Focusing on the design aesthetics and technological functions of sportswear, the major is committed to training innovative talent in the sportswear industry chain.

Over the past nine years, it has trained more than 300 designers who have served at major sportswear brands nationwide, such as Anta, Li Ning, Xtep, 361°, Jordan, Kappa and Particle Fever, among others, laying an essential foundation for the development of China's sports fashion industry.

Jia Ronglin, the principal of the institute, said at the opening ceremony, "The report of the 20th Party Congress points out that we should adhere to the people-centered creation orientation, bring more excellent works that enhance the people's spiritual power, and encourage creative transformation and innovative development of traditional Chinese culture.

"The Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology will carry on exploring how traditional costume culture can be combined with contemporary fashion design and contemporary lifestyle, which is also an important part of our education."

The festival this year is made up of five sections — shows, exhibitions, theory discussions, competitions and gatherings, with 32 diverse activities running until November.