< Back to all entries & Profiles
User XinNing profile image

XinNing Zhang

Jiangxi Institute of Fashion Technology

I am a female junior student majoring in Fashion Design at Jiangxi Institute of Fashion Technology, situated in Nanchang, the capital city of Jiangxi Province, China. During the past three years of my college study, I have received systematic and comprehensive training covering every key link of fashion creation, including creative inspiration development, fabric research and selection, structural pattern design, tailoring technology as well as finished garment production. I have laid a solid professional foundation and gradually formed my own unique design thinking in constant sketching, sample making and design practice. Genuine leather has always been my favorite creative material. Its natural grain, soft yet tough texture perfectly echoes the competition theme “Genuine Leather, True Self”. In my design practice, I devote myself to integrating traditional oriental aesthetic temperament with modern minimalist silhouettes. I refuse superficial flashy decorations, and instead take advantage of leather’s natural texture to convey the independent, confident and unrestrained inner personality of contemporary young women. Each piece of leather carries unique natural marks, just like every individual who should bravely show their real self without disguise. I am extremely honored to take part in this leather design competition. I hope to present my original design concepts and craftsmanship through my works. Meanwhile, I am eager to communicate and exchange creative ideas with outstanding young designers from all over the country. I intend to absorb diverse design perspectives to enrich my own creation, and demonstrate the fresh creative vitality of young fashion students from Chinese professional fashion colleges on this competition platform.

革钿流光 Leather & Iridescent Shell

Category: Apparel

Competitions: China Mainland

本系列为“真皮真自我”皮革设计赛事创作,以天然植鞣棕色牛皮为核心载体,将东方非遗螺钿工艺与现代先锋剪裁相融,打造兼具本土文化底蕴与国际视野的可持续女装系列。 创作溯源中国传统螺钿器物美学,提取古屏风、木匣、古典漆木家具上经典花鸟纹样,把天然贝壳打磨而成的螺钿嵌片,与哑光暗粉垂感面料、牛皮进行解构式拼接重组。牛皮天然柔韧、耐用可循环,螺钿取材天然贝类、可自然降解,两类原生材质相辅相成,紧扣可持续时尚内核,践行取材自然、循环共生的环保设计主张。 色彩体系以深棕牛皮奠定沉稳复古基调,低饱和暗粉柔化皮革硬朗厚重的质感,冷暖材质碰撞平衡视觉层次。廓形采用西式立体解构设计,夸张大放量、不对称分割、缠绕绑带等造型贴合当代国际时装审美;同时暗藏交领、层叠垂坠、中式斜裁等东方结构细节,不露刻意国风堆砌,实现中式精神内核与西式先锋版型的自然共生。 系列摒弃传统国风服饰的复古刻板表达,以螺钿独有的虹彩流光纹样作为视觉记忆点,牛皮质朴哑光肌理与贝壳细碎珠光形成强烈材质反差。让沉淀千年的螺钿非遗工艺,依托天然真皮载体以现代成衣语言走向国际,传递忠于原生材质、敬畏自然、可持续共生的“真皮真自我”设计态度。 Created for the leather design competition "Real Leather, Real Self", this collection takes natural vegetable-tanned brown cowhide as the core material, integrating China’s intangible mother-of-pearl craft with avant-garde modern tailoring to deliver sustainable womenswear with profound oriental heritage and global aesthetics. Drawing inspiration from antique Chinese mother-of-pearl lacquer screens, wooden caskets and furniture, the design extracts classic floral and avian inlay patterns. Hand-polished natural shell nacre, matte dusty pink drape fabric and cowhide are reconstructed through deconstructed splicing. Flexible, durable and recyclable cowhide paired with biodegradable natural shell inlays perfectly interprets sustainable fashion, embodying the eco-design philosophy of drawing from nature and coexisting in circulation. Deep brown cowhide builds a calm retro tone, while muted dusty pink softens leather’s tough texture, creating balanced visual layers via contrasting textures. The silhouettes adopt Western three-dimensional deconstruction, featuring exaggerated volume, asymmetrical cuts and wrap straps that align with global contemporary fashion trends. Hidden oriental details including cross-collar and layered draping infuse subtle Chinese charm without redundant retro elements, harmonizing oriental spirit and avant-garde Western tailoring. Breaking rigid stereotypes of traditional Chinese style, the collection highlights iridescent mother-of-pearl patterns as core visual focus. The matte rustic grain of leather contrasts sharply with the shimmering luster of shells. It reinterprets the thousand-year-old intangible heritage craft with modern ready-to-wear on genuine leather, conveying the core competition spirit of staying true to natural materials, respecting nature and pursuing circular sustainable fashion.

Working with our partners at Arts Thread to develop lifelong learning and career opportunities for students of fashion and design. Our partnership provides the opportunity to compete on a world stage, participate in industry led workshops, set up an outstanding portfolio and gain access to the resources that will kickstart careers in fashion and design.