Shanghai's first eco-art fest puts spotlight on recycled fashion

Credit: Ti Gong

Caption: Fashion costumes created by WJX designer Ye Qing to inspire public participation in ocean environment protection.

The inaugural Shanghai Eco-friendly Art Festival showcases exhibitions and art displays aimed at inspiring public participation in environmental initiatives.

The festival includes eco-fashion shows, masterminded by local young designers, to honor Shanghai's strides in ecological conservation.

Activities like a workshop crafting heritage buttons will promote ocean appreciation through recycled marine-themed art.

Ye Qing, founder and designer of the customization brand WJX, unveiled art installations and fashion collections during the opening ceremony of the festival at the West Bund Art Center. The exhibits are centered on the theme of "harmonious coexistence between humans and nature."

Credit: Ti Gong

Caption: A fashion show to inspire public participation in environmental initiatives at the Shanghai Eco-friendly Art Festival

She has also transformed discarded fabrics in a testament to sustainable fashion, addressing China's yearly 26-million-ton clothing waste.

These artworks champion a more eco-conscious lifestyle through art, fostering environmental awareness, Ye pointed out.

Additionally, Shanghai's traditional skills like crochet and wool-knitting shine through certain pieces on display.

Collaborating with Lin Hua, a practitioner of Xinzhuang crochet, a heritage skill from Shanghai's Minhang District, Ye knitted historical weaving methods dating back to the late Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) into the new WJX collection.

China designates August 15 as National Ecology Day, echoing President Xi Jinping's call that "Clear waters and green mountains are as good as mountains of gold and silver."