Sino-Italian fashion event focuses on unity, resilience
A model on the runway in a limited-edition protective mask
The "Italia, We Are With You: Art & Fashion for Health" event was held recently at Shanghai Tower. It was initiated by Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana (CNMI) and co-organized by Chic Group and the Rong Family's WING's Culture and Art Fund of the Shanghai Cultural Development Foundation.
The event showcased a number of unique creative designs for facial masks, done by Chinese contemporary artists such as Ding Yi, Li Lei and Zhou Chunya.
Through their designs, they portrayed in these masks the inspiring human resilience shown during the pandemic. The colorful, bold and innovative limited-edition masks are intended to inspire people to dissipate the present difficulty and call for a brighter future after the epidemic.
Each artist approached the theme — protective mask design — in their own way. The artworks were presented and auctioned at the event to raise funds for WING's Culture and Art Fund’s upcoming cultural activities.
In 2020 — the year that marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Italy, and the China-Italy Culture and Tourism Year — the outbreak of COVID-19 has imposed great challenges to the cultural, social and economic exchanges between the two countries. The "Italia We Are With You" initiative by CNMI is to convey the support of its members and international partners for the Italian government's efforts to fight the health emergency.
The support was mutual. Earlier in February, CNMI, the official organizer of the Milan Fashion Week, launched the solidarity project "China, We Are With You" with the support of Chic Group to give an opportunity to Chinese designers, media, buyers and fashionistas to digitally participate in the Milanese fashion show.
Three months later, as the pandemic took a hard toll on a large number of Italian small enterprises in the fashion industry, Chic Group, a Chinese investment firm with its own branch office in Milan and a long-term partner of CNMI for the Fashion Hub of MFW, and Rong Family's WING's Culture and Art Fund announced to donate 120,000 euros (US$131,380) to the project "Italia, We Are With You.”
Carlo Capasa, chairman of CNMI, sent a video message to express gratitude for the support: “We not only represent the Italian fashion industry but also embrace global values of unity, resilience and solidarity. CNMI is very grateful to China that it has acted without hesitation to support our initiative. It’s demonstrating how important it is to be united in moments of extreme adversity.”
A face mask designed by artist Fang Lijun
