On May 31, the 2026 Graduation Design Fashion Show of School of Textiles & Fashion, SUES, kicked off at the SUES-DIIS Joint Innovation Center. Under the theme Fashion with the Times, the show presented over 80 outstanding graduation works created by students majoring in Fashion & Costume Design.
Lou Yongqi, President of SUES, together with representatives from industry-education cooperation partners including Shanghai Industrial Design Association and Shanghai Textile Research Institute, leaders of sister schools and functional departments both on and off campus, as well as off-campus part-time supervisors, attended the event to witness this grand fashion feast blending creativity and craftsmanship.
The theme Fashion with the Times derives its implication from “Keeping pace with the era while adorning ourselves with beauty”. It weaves humanistic philosophy, fashion trends and social development into every stitch and thread. The character Time stands for the tides of an era marked by the passage of years, technological iteration, cultural renewal and sustainable development. The character Garment, representing clothing, expression and inheritance, serves as a tender response to the world. Using apparel as a medium, the over 80 works strike a chord with the times. The designers adopted diverse design techniques, integrating the innovative wisdom of artificial intelligence and human-machine collaboration into textile production. They revitalized traditional crafts with modern technologies while adhering to the philosophy of sustainability. In fabric selection, pattern cutting and color matching, the works balance ecology and aesthetics, embodying refined taste in simplicity and a sense of responsibility in heritage inheritance.
As a showcase of the School’s teaching achievements, this fashion show is not only a visual feast, but also a practical demonstration of collaborative innovation among industry, academia and research sectors. The performance team was jointly formed by students majoring in Fashion Design and Performance. The show featured Harmony, an intelligent musical instrument installation designed and created by Chen Junkai, associate professor and artist from SUES, as well as the latest research outcomes from the robotic arm team of Tongji University. From creative planning to stage presentation, the entire event embodies innovative thinking built on interdisciplinary collaboration.
The SUES-DIIS Joint Innovation Center is located at the former site of the Lester Technical Institute. The century-old brick walls set against modern design works create a dialogue across time and space, echoing the theme Fashion with the Times and embodying the School’s educational philosophy of rooting itself in Shanghai while pursuing inheritance and innovation. This fashion gala blending historical heritage and youthful vitality marks not only a perfect conclusion to the graduates’ college years, but also a brand-new starting point for their journey into the fashion industry. It is reported that the show was featured in China College Student Fashion Week and streamed live via CCTV Video, allowing industry experts, enterprise representatives and audiences nationwide to witness the potential of the new generation of designers.
