Works by designers of the Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology were exhibited at an art show and seminar titled “La Lumiere de Dunhuang” held in Paris on Oct 27.

Hosted by the Centre Culturel de Chine à Paris and the Academy of Arts and Design of Tsinghua University, the event was an important part of the Festival Mode et Culture Sino-Français.

Dunhuang, an oasis located at a religious and cultural crossroads on the Silk Road, is home to the Mogao Caves, a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage, which contain some of the finest examples of Buddhist art spanning a period of 1,000 years starting from the 4th century.

The exhibiting BIFT designers were from the Dunhuang Clothing Culture Research and Innovation Design Center of the institute. The exhibition focused on the representative achievements made by BIFT Dunhuang center in the theoretical research and practical transformation of Dunhuang costumes over the years, covering the understanding of Dunhuang art. The copying, organizing and design innovations demonstrate rich and diverse creative languages and methods.

Among the exhibits was a series of monographs Illustrated Dictionary of Dunhuang Costume Culture (early and mid Tang Dynasty volumes) emphasizing the research on interpreting Dunhuang costumes from a modern perspective, using clothing as a medium to interpret the images in the murals, and vividly reproduce Dunhuang’s artistic appearance and the unique charm of clothing in terms of shape, pattern and color.

In addition, based on in-depth research on Dunhuang costumes, the BIFT Dunhuang center focuses on innovative design transformation, cleverly combining the typical costume styles and patterns in the murals with actual design needs, and using contemporary costume design language to give them new forms of expression.

Through their exhibits in Paris, the designers of the BIFT Dunhuang center tried to tell the story of Chinese costume culture and show the style of Chinese costumes through this exhibition, so that the French people can deepen their understanding of Chinese culture by appreciating Dunhuang costume cultural works, and promote the exchanges and mutual learning between China and France in the fashion field.

A picture drawn by Liu Yuanfeng showing Bodhisattva costumes in Cave 57 of the Early Tang Dynasty in the Mogao Grottoes of Dunhuang.

A picture drawn by Liu Yuanfeng showing Bodhisattva costumes in Cave 217 of the Early Tang Dynasty in the Mogao Grottoes of Dunhuang.

A picture drawn by Li Yingjun showing costumes of the Eastern Heavenly Kings in Cave 146 of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period in the Mogao Grottoes of Dunhuang.

A picture drawn by Wu Bo showing costumes of Prince Shanyou and the Princess of Mahajanapada during the Late Tang Dynasty in the Sutra of Repaying Gratitude Cave 85 in the Mogao Grottoes of Dunhuang.

A picture drawn by Cui Yan showing costume patterns of the Mid-Tang Dynasty in Cave 130 of the Mogao Grottoes of Dunhuang.

Dunhuang Impression designed by Liu Yuanfeng

A Deer of Nine Colors designed by Zhang Chunjia

Displays of the inner pages of  Illustrated Dictionary of Dunhuang Costume Culture (Early and Mid Tang Dynasty volumes) Edited by Liu Yuanfeng and Zhao Shengliang

BIFT has long been committed to the research and innovative interpretation of Dunhuang costume culture. Since the establishment of the Dunhuang center in 2018, under the leadership of Professor Liu Yuanfeng, the faculty of the center have focused on the research of Dunhuang costumes’ historical materials, innovative design, talent training and social promotion, striving to reinterpret the external shape of Dunhuang costumes and their profound cultural connotations and spiritual realm with contemporary clothing design language.

Over the past few years, the Dunhuang center has published more than 10 works, including Dunhuang Costume Culture Atlas, held six forums on Dunhuang costume culture for six consecutive years, and undertaken a number of research projects sponsored by the China National Arts Fund and National Social Science Fund of China. The Dunhuang Center has successfully held many Dunhuang art exhibitions in Beijing, Hong Kong, Dunhuang and other places, and held dozens of special academic lectures.

The Dunhuang center focuses on cooperation with the government and cultural and museum institutions to further expand the social value of Dunhuang art, and complete the design of primary and secondary school uniforms in Dunhuang and uniforms for Gansu Jiandu Museum (jiandu refers to bamboo and wooden slips), letting Dunhuang costume culture enter people's daily life.

In the future, BIFT will continue to promote the inheritance and development of Dunhuang costume culture through theoretical research and innovative design, participate in international cultural exchanges and cooperation, and take the initiative to spread Chinese culture.

(Text and Photos provided by Dyeing and Weaving Clothing Art Design Department of the Academy of Arts and Design of Tsinghua University.)