ARTS / CULTURE & LEISURE
Chinese cultural treasures from Dunhuang inspire fashion designs
Published: Jun 05, 2023 10:05 PM
The show Photo: Courtesy of Chen Caini

The show Photo: Courtesy of Chen Caini

Flying Apsaras, dragon patterns, auspicious elements… the latest collection from Chinese fashion house CHENEY CHAN lit up Mingshashan, Dunhuang in Northwest China's Gansu Province, with Chinese style and the country's rich cultural heritage. 

The Loong&Rose show included a total of 35 new looks that display independent designer Chen Caini's new exploration and innovative application of Chinese elements. 

One of the highlights comes from a shawl decorated with an entire dragon dotted with auspicious symbols such as roses, chrysanthemums, bats, butterflies, and the Eight Immortals, creating an exclusive artistic style. 

Dunhuang is known to the world for the precious murals and statues at the Mogao Caves. One of the most well-known of these is a statue of Flying Apsaras, which inspired Chen's designs. 

Blue and white porcelain popular during the Yuan (1279-1368), Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties also inspired Chen and Chinese artist Lu Ying to make wild use of layered rose patterns and ancient dragon patterns.