As spring comes, creativity surges. On the square of Shangzhi Building, Nanhu Campus of Wuhan Textile University, the creative market, one of the series of activities of the 2025 “Huan·Hua” Fashion Week, kicked off with the “craftsmanship and innovation” of fashion students in the loud opening sound. 40 student teams from the School of Fashion transformed into “handmade craftsmen”, weaving intangible cultural heritage skills, environmental protection concepts and youthful inspiration into ingenious works, injecting fresh artistic vitality into the campus.
At the opening ceremony, Hou Chang, deputy secretary of the school’s Youth League Committee, Fan Rongrong, deputy dean of the School of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, and Chen Jun, secretary of the Party Branch of the Textile University Community, went to the scene to participate in the market. Du Xinnian, secretary of the Party Committee of the School of Fashion, attended the market and delivered a speech. Hou Chang and Fan Rongrong sounded auspicious gongs for the creative market. Members of the School of Fashion and department heads, administrative staff of the school office, counselors and volunteers of the Textile University Community attended the opening ceremony. The opening ceremony was hosted by Guo Taichen, deputy secretary of the Party Committee of the School of Fashion.
Du Xinnian pointed out in his speech that the creative market is not only a grand event to showcase talents, but also a window to open the future of design. Here, every work carries the ingenuity and ingenuity of fashion students. We see that traditional culture is reborn between needles and threads, and embroidery and tie-dyeing collide with the contemporary language of oriental aesthetics; we touch the pulse of scientific and technological creativity, and smart wearables and virtual reality technology are giving more possibilities to clothing; we feel the profound significance of the concept of sustainability, the rebirth of waste materials, and the innovation of environmental protection technology, which convey the designer’s profound thinking on the relationship between man and nature. He sent a message to young students: At present, the country is at a historical node where two centuries meet, and innovation is the core engine leading national development. In the new journey of realizing Chinese-style modernization, as college students in the new era, we must uphold the truth and innovate, strengthen cultural confidence, be good at promoting excellent traditional culture, and strive to improve innovative thinking and innovation capabilities, actively integrate into the trend of entrepreneurship and innovation, and contribute our own strength to building a cultural power and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
The gong was rung to celebrate the opening of the campus creative market
This creative market collected more than 60 creative projects. After the process of application, defense of results, and polishing of fine products, 40 stall owners were finally selected to display their results, covering multiple categories such as intangible cultural heritage, environmentally friendly handmade, and interactive experience. Nearly 1,000 students and community residents participated on site. More than 120 student designers participated in the exhibition, with nearly 2,000 original designs. The works involved handicrafts, clothing and accessories, intangible cultural heritage flower wrapping, intangible cultural heritage Han embroidery, daily necessities, DIY design services and other fields. The dazzling array of creative products attracted widespread attention from Wuhan universities, enterprises, media and people from all walks of life.
Aesthetic education practice, writing a new chapter of campus culture integration with intangible cultural heritage
The campus market of the School of Fashion is a brand-specific aesthetic education practice activity organized regularly in March every year. It is an in-depth test and professional practice class to promote the creative transformation of excellent traditional culture.
In front of the “Flower Wrapped in Brocade Cluster” stall, Ji Keyi is showing a mother-of-pearl brooch to customers. The shell flakes are iridescent in the sun, and the patterns resemble the auspicious clouds in the Dunhuang murals. “Mother-of-pearl inlay is a thousand-year-old intangible cultural heritage. We make it into earrings and hairpins to make the ancient craft ‘live’ in daily life.” The team spent several months combining traditional flower wrapping with Dunhuang colors, and each work hides the code of symmetrical aesthetics.
The blue-dyed cloth bag of “Spinning University Dyeing Language Intangible Cultural Heritage Printing and Dyeing Cultural Creation” attracted many people to stop. The deep and shallow textures of tie-dyeing are intertwined with the Miao ethnic group’s cross-stitch embroidery. Su Wei, a member of the intangible cultural heritage club, introduced: “Plant dyes are taken from isatis root, which is environmentally friendly and healthy. We want to use the language of young people to let traditional crafts go out of the museum.”
Waste utilization, a two-way rush for sustainable fashion
Behind every product in the creative market is a college student innovation and entrepreneurship project focusing on creative design and exquisite manufacturing. It not only contains the ingenuity and hard work of every literary and artistic designer, but also is full of love for traditional culture and exploration of the future creative cultural field, and also includes the understanding of sustainable fashion by clothing students. Use creative activities to activate students’ innovative thinking and entrepreneurial enthusiasm, and prosper school student cultural activities. The School of Fashion has always advocated an open and inclusive attitude, and mutual exchange to promote academic prosperity and student growth, and fully supports college students’ innovation and entrepreneurship.
At the “Troubled Strips” booth, a bracelet made of scraps of cloth was repeatedly rubbed by customers. “These materials come from the waste bin of the School of Fashion. The remaining cloth scraps are sewn and reorganized into unique accessories.” Team member Lu Anqi said that the transformation of old things is not only creative, but also a responsibility.
Also practicing the concept of sustainability are “baozi” and “tuanzi”. Han Xulan’s plush ball and Feng Xinrou’s playful bag are full of exploration of sustainable fashion. “Environmental protection is not a slogan, but to give waste a second life.” She smiled. At the scene, many students brought old clothes to the “play” booth for transformation, spraying patterns and splicing fabrics, and old clothes instantly turned into trendy products.
From classroom to market: the “first pot of gold” for students to start their own business
Liao Jingwen of “Mountain Man Loves Ropes Hut” shared her “business experience” while weaving colorful knots: “Last year, we sold more than 3,000 yuan, and this year’s goal is to break 5,000!” The stall displays more than 500 hand-woven ropes, with different prices covering different consumer groups. The crochet dolls of the “Knitting Girls Group” are popular for their cute shapes. Li Ying said: “It takes about 7-8 hours from design to repeated crochet experiments for a 13cm custom doll. If you add details, it will take longer to polish, but seeing that everyone likes it, everything is worth it.”
From Chinese style tassels to twisting stick puppies, from blue dyed cloth bags to mother-of-pearl earrings, students from the University of Textiles and Technology have interpreted the infinite possibilities of “craftsmanship” and “innovation” with their own hands. This creative market is not only a cultural display and exchange, growth test and celebration, but also an excellent platform for aesthetic education practice and intangible cultural heritage promotion, carrying forward traditions and praising innovation. In the atmosphere of encouraging, supporting and commending innovation, it continuously enhances the cultural confidence of young people in the new era. In the future, these young craftsmen will continue to use needles and thread as pens and creativity as ink to write the craft legend of Generation Z.