Booming China-France cultural ties vital for the future of fashion

The 6th China-France Cultural Forum is to be held from Nov. 12 to 14 in Deauville, France. Livia Stoianova and Yassen Samouilov, French avant-garde designers, shared their story with China and expectations for a greater Sino-French fashion partnership in an exclusive interview with China News Network.

“The cultural cooperation between China and France can be in all fields. And in terms of fashion, China and France are very complementary. We hope to see more cross-cultural and cross-industrial collaboration in the future featuring both Chinese and French craftsmanship,” they said.

(Photo: courtesy of the interviewee)

Back in 2014, Stoianova and Samouilov first came to China to attend a fashion event held by the Asian Couture Federation in Shanghai. Since then, they have been very active in China’s fashion world, with their co-founded haute couture brand - On Aura Tout Vu.

Drawing inspiration from rich Chinese culture

Paul Poiret, a legendary French couturier, began utilizing Eastern aesthetics in the early 20th century. He was highly influenced by Chinese fashion, as seen in his famous “lampshade” dress and embroidered Chinese-inspired robe from 1912.

Like Poiret, Stoianova and Samouilov often introduce elements of legends, traditions and craftsmanship from different countries in Asia, including China. “China boasts a very long history and rich cultural heritage. We are always inspired coming here and will certainly keep working on that in the future,” said Stoianova.

Samouilov recalled that they used a Chinese element in their very first show in 2002. At that time, they were traveling in Beijing and the show was about travel. So they designed a coat inspired by traditional Chinese embroidery from the Peking Opera.

(Photo: courtesy of the interviewee)

During this year's Haute-Couture Spring-Summer Fashion Week in Paris, On Aura Tout Vu collaborated with two textile companies from Keqiao District, Shaoxing, east China’s Zhejiang Province. “It was an amazing collaboration because we had the chance to visit some of the factories first. We also saw some very interesting craftsmanship. So we decided to include some of the fabrics coming from China in our collection,” said Samouilov.

The unique beauty of Chinese fabrics was fully revitalized through their bold, avant-garde, and glamorous design style. Keqiao District is known as a global textile hub. Nearly one quarter of the world's textile products are traded here every year.

“Some craftsmanship in China is a little bit forgotten by the general public. And this is why we would love to establish more collaboration with our brand in the future,” he added.

Seeking high-quality exchange beyond fashion industry

This year also marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and France. Cultural exchange has always been an important part of Sino-French cooperation.

“60 years ago, it was really difficult to exchange even just the information. But now with the huge technological advancement, everything is so quick and easy. The key now is how to exchange better,” said Stoianova.

(Photo: courtesy of the interviewee)

During their stay in China, they perceived that there are more and more young designers who are becoming more creative, faithful to themselves and to the local culture. “In China, technology is developing so fast. Everything is going so quickly. And there is a kind of energy that you can’t find in another country,” they said.

Data show that China is the world’s largest garment exporter, with a 31.6 percent market share and annual export revenues of $165 billion in 2023.

In recent years, China’s fashion trends have been characterized by diversification, technological advancement, sustainability, and personalized customization. From their perspective, the future of fashion is integrating sustainability with technology.

“We need to continue the cultural exchange across all areas, including the music, theatre, cinema and more. I think some of these are already underway, but more still can be achieved,” Samouilov added.