2024 Paris Show: Revival of fashion and Chinese tradition

The 2024 Prince Kung's Palace Museum Fashion Show took place at the Salle Wagram in Paris on Saturday. More than 300 guests from both Chinese and international institutions were present at the event, including Lu Shaye, Chinese Ambassador to France, Minister Chen Li, and other representatives from UNESCO, the General Directorate for International Relations and Strategy, the French National Research Agency, the French National Academy of Fine Arts and Château de Chantilly.

The show was organized as a key element of the China-France Year of Culture and Tourism, celebrating the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Co-organized by the Culture Center of China in Paris (Centre Culturel de Chine à Paris), the event received support from the Academy of Arts & Design, Tsinghua University.

Internationally acclaimed fashion designer Laurence Xu, along with a group of rising designers, led the show, presenting 48 haute couture outfits.

The designs drew inspiration from cultural symbols associated with Prince Kung's Palace, such as the "Fu" (blessings) character written by Kangxi Emperor (r. 1662-1722), the lattice window adorned with bat, fish and qing (stone chime) motifs, and crabapple blossoms. These elements were harmoniously integrated with traditional Chinese colors and crafts such as embroidery, mother-of-pearl inlay and cloud brocade (yunjin). Grounded in academic research, the collection seamlessly blended traditional Eastern aesthetics with contemporary fashion trends.

For many years, Prince Kung's Palace Museum has focused on the rich historical and cultural wealth of its ancient architecture and collections, exploring 200 years of history to distill the essence of traditional Chinese culture and its values. 

In September 2023, amid a resurgence of cultural exchanges between China and France, the inaugural Prince Kung's Palace Museum Fashion Show took place in Paris, presenting contemporary interpretations of Chinese cultural heritage and forging new paths for its innovative development.

The Paris Fashion Show symbolizes harmony between Eastern and Western civilizations, while Prince Kung's Palace Museum views itself as a platform for deepening cultural exchanges and amplifying the global influence of Chinese narratives and voices.