CI hold the 9th Lunchtime Forum

On January 18th, 2023, CI hosted its ninth lunchtime webinar, titled "Hanfu Hangout: Traditional Dress by Contemporary Chinese Designers in the Metaverse." The webinar was given by Gemma A. Williams, a globally-focused writer and curator with expertise in the China market and contemporary Chinese designers. The forum was hosted by Ms. Ying Fu, CI's core teachers.

After introducing herself, Gemma discussed the renewed interest in traditional Chinese Hanfu clothing, largely due to the influence of digital technology, such as social platforms and Web3. She also explored the merging of ancient costumes with the dematerialized world of the metaverse, a development that has generated significant interest. Gemma then introduced her new program, which aims to curate a dynamic metagallery of works by contemporary Chinese artists on the metaverse platform Dragon City. The program provides new ways to engage with and consider Chinese youth and Hanfu culture in the 2020s, and examines how emerging local names reinterpret traditional culture in these new technological realities. Janice Wu, an event planner at DragonCity, also gave a presentation during the talk.

The lecture provided insight into popular culture trends in contemporary Chinese society, while also exploring traditional Chinese clothing culture. For those interested in the Hanfu virtual community "Dragon City," please visit the following link for more information: https://fantasticland.com/#hanfu.