Queen Máxima opens The Future of Fashion is Now in Shanghai

On 28 October, Queen Máxima of the Netherlands will officially open an exhibition of the work of some 25 International fashion designers during Her Majesty’s state visit to China.

The Future of Fashion is Now, originally shown in Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen in the autumn of 2014, presents the fashion of the future as seen by the newest generation of fashion designers. More than 25 young fashion talents from across the world, including eight from China, were invited to submit work. The exhibition also includes designs by respected Dutch innovators like Viktor & Rolf, Iris van Herpen and Pauline van Dongen.

At the invitation of DutchCulture, Elisa van Joolen, Pauline van Dongen, Imme van der Haak and Antoine Peters are also traveling to China to share their expertise. These designers are actively seeking innovation in the fashion world. Futuristic technologies, sustainable clothing and new manufacturing processes for recycling materials and products are their starting points for designing the fashion of tomorrow. In conjunction with the exhibition, an intercultural programme has been organised, for various fashion schools and designers from the Netherlands and China have been invited to exchange their expertise.

Chinese designers and the manufacturing industry
The Future of Fashion is Now will be held from 28 October 2015 through 28 February 2016 at the OCT Contemporary Art Terminal in Shanghai. After 28 February, the exhibition is moving on to the OCT Art & Design Gallery in Shenzhen, where it will be shown from 26 March through 31 July 2016. The chosen locations are well suited for the exhibition’s subject matter. From time immemorial, Shanghai has been the fashion city where designers conduct their business. Around Shenzhen, there are many manufacturing plants that experiment with new technologies.

Unique Dutch-Chinese collaboration
This exhibition came about thanks to the several years’ relation between OCT and DutchCulture. OCT is the market leader in the amusement industry and one of China’s top five project developers. This private corporation has its own museums and an art collection. DutchCulture brought Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen and OCT in contact with each other and advised both parties on this collaboration.

The presentation of the exhibition The Future of Fashion is Now in China has been partly made possible through the generous support of OCT, the Creative Industries Fund NL and the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science. Other parties that have contributed to the realisation of The Future of Fashion is Now in China are: Control Union Shanghai, Han Nefkens Fashion on the Edge Foundation (NL), Next Fashion, Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts (CN), The Pin Projects (CN) and the Dutch Embassy in Beijing.

UPDATE 27 October
Queen Maxima is cutting short her state visit to China and will return to the Netherlands to be hospitalized for a kidney infection, the Dutch government announced today.