Chinese Fashion Exhibits at Edinburgh Festival

An exhibition that channels the look of the orient with a stunning collection of garments, images and objects which examine the changes in Chinese Fashion during three distinct periods of the 20th Century will be exhibited at Summerhall in Edinburgh as part of the Edinburgh Festival from the 3 – 27 August 2012.

Fashion Revolution China, which is curated by Anthony Bednall, Head of the School of Design at the Arts University College at Bournemouth (AUCB) opened in January 2012 at TheGallery, AUCB as part of its text + work programme.

Many of the exhibits were archived by Anthony over a ten year period when he lived and worked in Beijing. The exhibition focuses on the narrative of the clothing; each section within the exhibition has its own unique beauty and includes hand-crafted embroidery, evidenced in the early and modern pieces, functional conformity and contemporary fashion brand development.

Anthony commented ‘This exhibition is embedded within my own experiences of working and living in Beijing where my fashion-design background was challenged through many creative projects that I undertook in an ever-revolving fashion arena where tradition and culture are as firmly rooted in the Chinese fashion world as innovation and change.’ Interwoven amongst the clothing and visuals are personal stories that not only give background information and individuality to the garments but reflect the tremendous changes that took place in China both socially, economically and politically.

The exhibition is accompanied by a publication which illustrates the background and narrative to the garments that will be exhibited. Summerhall, was formerly the University of Edinburgh’s Royal Dick Veterinary School campus. It is now an emerging arts venue which participates in Edinburgh’s festivals.

[SummerHall]