Zhuen Cai

Chinese Garden Journey

Through his clothes Zhuen Cai describes and celebrates a visit to Yuyuan Garden, a traditional Chinese garden built in Shanghai during the Ming Dynasty. The clear goal here was to use fashion as a poetic canvas, to prove that clothing can go beyond being just a product: it can express emotions and memories. The distinctive natural colours of the fabrics were obtained using persimmon dyes. Natural colours were applied also to the cotton and linen fabrics, to turn them into scenery and provide them with texture. Instead of cutting the fabric, Zhuen explores the relationship between the garment and the body to mimic his own personal relationship with the garden and, at the same time, also as a way to save excess fabric. Sustainability is thus combined with Eastern philosophy and with modern fashion, creating a profoundly Chinese aesthetic.

ITS Creative Excellence Award 10x10x10

All finalists will receive:

€10K bursary
a 10 days creative Residency held between Trieste and signature locations of the Friuli Venezia Giulia region in Italy
10 months feature in the “Borderless” Exhibition at ITS Arcademy – Museum of Art in Fashion

Rewarding Honours powered by OTB

The OTB Group will offer a training day visit of the headquarters of OTB and Staff International will be offered to the young designers who will be able to see first-hand the production stages of the garments and accessories of the Group’s brands.

Motivation

It's wonderful to have fresh, creative minds driven by passion, curiosity, and dedication. They listened attentively, engaged thoughtfully, and asked intelligent, professional questions that inspired us even more as we shared the details of our daily work. We would love to have more opportunities for exchanges like this within the company.

Rewarding Honours powered by Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana

Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana offers a scholarship worth €5,000 awarded based on the designer’s creativity with particular attention to the theme of sustainability, in its broadest meanings of product sustainability, respect for the environment and social sustainability.

Motivation

He narrates and celebrates tradition through a responsible process, exploring eastern philosophy and moderni fashion, deeply rooted in Chinese culture. His vision and aim to spotlight artisanal techniques, grounded in emotional stories through clothing, give life to a powerful collection that raises awareness of regional cultural identities.

Project selection motivation

The identification of a theme rooted in local tradition, approached with a perspective both contemporary and coherent, free from commercial compromises, makes this collection a powerful vehicle for conveying original identity-driven messages. The apparent adherence to shapes and references typical of Chinese rural culture, combined with the evocation of theatrical costume codes, imbues the designer’s work with a striking allure of singularity, uniqueness, and integrity.

the project

project presentation

meet the designer

Photogallery