A Splendid Gala of A Hundred Young Fashion Designers | The Inaugural "Fashion 100" Conclusion Exhibition & Series of Shows Grandly Opens at CAFA CAFA Art Museum

A Splendid Gala of A Hundred Young Fashion Designers | The Inaugural "Fashion 100" Conclusion Exhibition & Series of Shows Grandly Opens at CAFA

On March 22, the "Youth Art Talent Program" of the China Artists Association – the inaugural "Fashion 100" conclusion exhibition and fashion shows, guided by the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles and hosted by the China Artists Association, grandly opened at the CAFA Art Museum.

Present at the opening ceremony were: Zhu Di, Member of the Party Leadership Group and Vice Chairman of the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles; Wu Xiangdong, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Economic Daily; Han Zirong, Member of the Party Leadership Group of the Beijing Municipal Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and Chairman of the Beijing Federation of Literary and Art Circles; Ma Xiaolong, Deputy Director General of the Bureau of Literature and Art of the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee; Deng Lijuan, Director General of the Fifth Bureau of the Central Social Work Department; Zhao Cong, Director General of the Art Department of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism; Qu Jian, Secretary of the Leading Party Members' Group and Resident Vice Chairman of the China Artists Association; Jia Ronglin, President of Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology; Wang Xiaolin, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of the Central Academy of Fine Arts; Lü Pinjing, Member of the Standing Committee and Vice President of the Party Committee of the Central Academy of Fine Arts;

Yu Yang, Member of the Standing Committee and Vice President of the Party Committee of the Central Academy of Fine Arts; Xiao Xiangrong, Member of the Standing Committee and Vice President of the Party Committee of Beijing Dance Academy; as well as responsible officials from ministries and commissions including the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, principal persons in charge of functional departments of the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles and the China Artists Association, representatives from universities including the Central Academy of Fine Arts and Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology, and distinguished guests from all sectors of society. Zou You, Director of the Fashion Art Committee of the China Artists Association and Vice President of Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology, officiated as the host.

Speech by Yu Yang

Member of the Standing Committee of the Party Committee and Vice President of the Central Academy of Fine Arts

Yu Yang, Vice President of the Central Academy of Fine Arts, stated that the CAFA Art Museum has welcomed a grand event featuring academic excellence, cultural depth and fashion vitality. Fashion is the aesthetic mirror of the times, and design is the vivid expression of culture. The "Fashion 100" project of the China Artists Association is visionary in conception, elaborate in planning and effective in organization. It is not only a pioneering initiative by the China Artists Association to integrate fashion and apparel design into its core talent development system, but also a national academic platform that leads the reform and innovation of fashion education, unites young design talents, and builds a full-chain support system for Chinese fashion design—from academic cultivation to achievement exhibition, and from cultural inheritance to innovative transformation. The successful implementation of this project will vigorously promote in-depth exchanges between fine arts creation and fashion design, enhance the academic quality and artistic height of Chinese design, and set an important example for building a contemporary fashion discourse system with Chinese characteristics, style and spirit, marking a milestone significance.

Over its 108-year history, the Central Academy of Fine Arts has upheld its motto of “Seek Profound Precision, Strive for Vast Vision”, remained true to its original aspiration of art for the people and scholarship for the times, and consistently advanced the deep integration of fine art and design, tradition and contemporary practice, as well as the local and the international. The School of Design and the School of Urban Design at CAFA have long attached importance to the development of fashion and apparel disciplines. Rooted in fine arts and guided by contemporary design perspectives, they have cultivated expertise in sculptural aesthetics, material innovation, craft research, and cultural translation. We are delighted to see that young design talents from CAFA have also participated and presented their works in this event. As the co-organizer and venue of the exhibition and shows, the CAFA Art Museum is committed to using its artistic space as a carrier to build a diverse, multi-dimensional and three-dimensional presentation field that dynamically integrates runway shows and static exhibitions. This enables fashion cutting, fabric texture and craft innovation to engage in dialogue with the museum’s architectural space and artistic ambience, allowing oriental implication and avant-garde expression to interweave and coexist within the space. We hope this open and inclusive artistic platform will provide young designers with a stage to showcase their talent, exchange ideas and unleash creativity, so that art and fashion may ignite even more brilliant sparks here.

Address by Jia Ronglin

President of Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology

Jia Ronglin, President of the Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology, stated that in the historical process of advancing Chinese-style modernization, fashion and apparel have evolved into an important carrier of the country’s cultural soft power and a direct expression of the national spirit and outlook. The inclusion of “Fashion 100” in the official schedule of China Fashion Week is not only an in-depth practice of implementing the General Secretary’s “important expositions on literary and artistic work”, but also a strategic vision for forging a new force and building a high-level talent matrix for China’s fashion industry. As the host university, he shared three thoughts from the perspective of industry-university-research integration: First, uphold cultural roots and consolidate the innovative foundation of “Created in China”; Second, deepen industrial integration and activate the intellectual productivity of the fashion industry; Third, keep in mind the country’s major priorities and demonstrate the responsibility of youth in serving national strategies. He hoped that everyone would keep in mind the great trust of the times, stitch together history and the future with threads and needles, depict glory and dreams with colors, and create more brilliant chapters worthy of the times.

Xiao Xiangrong

Member of the Standing Committee of the Party Committee and Vice President of Beijing Dance Academy

Xiao Xiangrong, Member of the Standing Committee of the Party Committee and Vice President of Beijing Dance Academy, noted that over the past year, he had accompanied young artists throughout their growth from spring to winter, and was delighted to witness the presentation of their works in the spring of 2026. A director with a dance background, Dean Xiao began teaching at the fashion school because both fashion design and dance take the body as their medium. He encouraged designers to observe the world with their own eyes, break free from stereotypical thinking, and conduct diverse perspectives against the backdrop of the times. In response to the designers’ confusion over style, narrative, materials and color, Dean Xiao shared Martha Graham’s quote, “The body never lies,” to encourage them, pointing out that works never lie either. Trendiness does not equal classics. Young designers should uphold sincerity, demand excellence in details, and avoid perfunctoriness and plagiarism, so that their works are imbued with a genuine perception of the world. May they stay true to themselves, chase the wind and the moon, and find their own artistic mountain of spring.

Address by Jiang Xiaoxi

Trainee Representative

Jiang Xiaoxi, trainee representative and teacher at the School of Fashion Art, Hubei Institute of Fine Arts, noted that the learning experience of "Fashion 100" was both a spiritual journey and a return to her original aspiration. In an era of image overload and fast-changing trends, she rethought the definition of fashion: it is not merely the renewal of forms, but an externalization of cultural stance and perception of the times. Through study and exchange, the trainees expanded the boundaries of art, translated Eastern philosophy into contemporary visual language, and re-examined the relationships between clothing and the human body, art and utility in interdisciplinary collisions, achieving both professional refinement and conceptual reshaping. In their personal creations, they integrated the spirit of guardianship and independence with gentle yet firm expressions, realizing that the vitality of fashion stems from its cultural roots. In the future, they will return to their posts with their achievements, pass on the torch of creation, contribute wisdom to Chinese fashion, and tell compelling stories of China!

Address by Qu Jian

Secretary of the Leading Party Members' Group and Resident Vice Chairman of the China Artists Association

Qu Jian, Secretary of the Leading Party Members’ Group and Resident Vice Chairman of the China Artists Association, stated that apparel and fashion are treasures of Chinese civilization. The “Fashion 100” program is a concrete practice of the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles (CFLAC) and the China Artists Association in implementing Xi Jinping Thought on Culture, and a key component of the Youth Partnership Program in the field of fashion design. This achievements exhibition and runway show is a concentrated presentation of the full-cycle cultivation of the “Fashion 100” program, as well as a comprehensive review of the creative capabilities and growth journeys of 100 young designers. Making a splendid appearance as an official event of China Fashion Week, today’s showcase has allowed everyone to witness the growth and progress of young designers, as well as the in-depth cultural heritage of Chinese local fashion and its creative transformation and innovative development in the new era.

In the future, the continuous implementation of the “Fashion 100” program will help form a long-term talent incubation mechanism and foster a sound environment for talent gathering, innovation and entrepreneurship. Qu expressed his hope that young designers participating in “Fashion 100” will take this event as a new starting point, keep delving deep and striving for excellence, and repay the call of the times with more high-quality works.

Zou You，Director of the Fashion Art Committee of the China Artists Association and Vice President of the Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology

officiated as the host

China Artists Association "Youth Partner Program" – Inaugural "Fashion 100" Concluding Achievements Exhibition & Fashion Show Launch Ceremony

Group photo of the guests

Certificates of "Fashion 100" were presented to the representatives of outstanding trainees.List of trainees:

An Bo, Jiang Xiaoxi, Zhang Yan, Yu Shi, Guo Yong, Su Xing, Yu Qiuyu

Certificates of "Fashion 100" were presented to the representatives of outstanding trainees.List of trainees:

Yu Ying, Zhang Miao, Zhao Jiarong, Yu Hailing, Zhang Yidi, Lyu Shanqi, Wang Yixing

Certificates of "Fashion 100" were presented to the representatives of outstanding trainees.List of trainees:

Li Qianqian, Wei Qinwen, Yu Yimeng, Xie Mengdi, Huang Siyun, Hou Ruoyi, Fu Shaoxiong

The "Fashion 100" program is an important initiative of the China Artists Association, marking the first time that fashion design has been integrated into its core talent development system. Since its official launch in April 2025, the program has brought together 100 young designers from 59 universities and renowned design institutions across the country. A top-tier national mentor team from the industry has devoted themselves to guiding and training the participants.

The concluding achievements are presented through a combination of a dynamic opening gala show and a static exhibition, showcasing the trainees’ learning and creative outcomes over the past year. These works embody the trainees’ reflections on how to revitalize Eastern aesthetics in the present era and how to guide the Chinese fashion industry toward the future. The creations not only demonstrate the trainees’ solid foundation in garment structure, fabric reconstruction and tailoring, but also reflect their innovative vitality in reinterpreting traditions from a contemporary perspective and integrating digital technology and sustainable concepts into their work. This injects vigorous youthful power into the modern expression of Chinese fashion and the transformation and upgrading of the industry.

The exhibition will run until April 19th.

We invite you to visit the CAFA Art Museum

to witness the brilliant blooming

of China's youth fashion design power in the new era.