Seminar on "Costume in Light and Shadow" Successfully Held by Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology
On April 29, the 15th Beijing International Film Festival's Film & Fashion Section - the Seminar on “Costume in Light and Shadow”, hosted by Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology (BIFT) and organized by BIFT's School of Materials Design and Engineering, was held at the permanent venue of Beijing Design Week.
With the theme “Digital Fashion and New Horizons of Light and Shadow”, the seminar brought together leading figures from the film and fashion industries to explore new pathways for cross-disciplinary integration. Attendees included Zou You, Vice President of BIFT; Zheng Yang, President of Popular Cinema magazine; as well as industry representatives, scholars, and faculty-student delegates. The event was hosted by Guo Ruiliang, Dean of BIFT's School of Art and Design.
Guo Ruiliang Hosts the Session
In his speech, Zou You noted that 2024 marks the 130th anniversary of world cinema, the 120th anniversary of Chinese cinema, and China's “Film Consumption Year”. The seminar aims to bridge film and fashion through interdisciplinary dialogue. “Film costumes serve as both a 'second language' for character development and a dynamic carrier of fashion culture,” he stated. “We must build academic and practical innovation platforms in this field to achieve mutual empowerment - conveying philosophy through costumes and emotions through films.”
Zou You Delivers a Speech
As a representative of the supporter for this event, Zheng Yang stated that it is imperative to further explore the profound connection between film and fashion, leverage the Beijing International Film Festival platform to promote deep two-way industrial integration, actively explore collaborative models and future technological development pathways for innovation in costume and film, and advance the transformation of artistic achievements into high-value-added industrial outcomes.
Zheng Yang Delivers a Speech
During the academic exchange session, Hou Yong, winner of the Best Cinematography at the 7th China Golden Rooster Awards, shared how he skillfully employed lighting techniques during filming to accentuate the texture and characteristics of costumes, achieving seamless synergy between light and garments. Chen Tongxun, winner of the Asian Film Award for Best Costume Design, drew from his work on films like The Volunteers to emphasize that costume design must be deeply rooted in the script's core. He proposed the creative philosophy: “Costumes are an extension of a character's personality and a mirror reflecting the spirit of the era.”
Hou Yong Shares Insight
Chen Tongxun Shares Insights
Xiong Ying, founder of Heaven Gaia, interpreted “symbiosis of film and fashion” from an industry perspective, calling cinema a "mobile showcase of fashion" where haute couture inspires filmmaking. Yan Danchen, Outstanding New Actress at the 4th China Huabiao Film Awards and national first-level actress, shared the empowering role of costumes in character-building from an actor's perspective, remarking: “Putting on a costume completes the psychological construction from 'self' to 'character'.” Professor Sun Xuefei from BIFT systematically introduced the industry-academia-research-application integrated education system, showcasing cutting-edge achievements such as virtual costume design and transformation of intangible cultural heritage (ICH) elements.
Xiong Ying Shares Insights
Yan Danchen Shares Insights
Sun Xuefei Shares Insights
This seminar provided theoretical frameworks and practical case studies for cross-industry convergence between film and fashion. As remarked by a guest speaker at the event: “The best costume design allows audiences to remember the character, not just the costume; the highest form of fashion expression enables cultures to reach the world through the silver screen.” This cross-disciplinary dialogue, blending aesthetic philosophy and industrial foresight, has created a dynamic chapter of mutual empowerment for China's film and fashion industries.
Group Photo of Participants
