Silk Road theme brings lots of design talent to Beijing fashion show

"Humans are always traveling, trading and exchanging thoughts," says a voice in the background as a fashion show called the Night of Fashion Beijing starts at the Beijing Exhibition Center.

At the recent event based on the Silk Road, clothes from brands such Heaven Gaia, Zeng Fengfei, Nuoyi, Chu Yan, Hu Sheguang and Irakli Nasidze are showcased.

Nasidze, the Georgian fashion designer, is showing his clothes in Beijing for the first time.

Gaia Heaven, which was created by designer Xiong Ying, starts the show with a collection inspired by the four famous beauties of ancient China - Xishi, Diaochan, Yang Yuhuan and Wang Zhaojun.

Qin Wanyu, the creator of the brand Nuoyi, has been designing knitwear for around 15 years. For the show, she has a collection Dream Back to Rome that emphasizes the beauty of different types of lines.

Qin says that her brand is for independent women who are both simple and gracious, soft and full of energy, and who long for freedom.

Nasidze, the only designer from the West at the show, says he is drawn to Chinese culture, and is very influenced by the Chinese woman he has married to.

His collection called Butterfly Lover, a show of batik clothes that combine modern design and traditional craft are a highlight of the event.

It was specially developed for the event within 10 days. And 25 of his employees in 3 workshops worked on it.

For his clothes, Nasidze pays attention to the lining, as he fuses field gray jackets with orange or black lining.

He's also into oversize cutting and light clothing.

Nasidze was born in Georgia, a country between Europe and Asia, and smack in the middle of the Silk Road.

He remembers that when he was younger he witnessed the birth of a butterfly from a cocoon while visiting his grandmother.

Speaking about his source of inspiration, Nasidze says: "A lot of designers create using themes, but I design with feelings. Without feelings, there's no fashion."

In his opinion, the Silk Road is a major node of communication between cultures and business.

"Every culture has a unique story to tell. I believe in China because of its heritage and long history," he says.

Commenting on the show, the vice-president of the Fashion Beijing committee, Wang Chunlei, says that it was planned to support young designers, and also allow the creators to make money through turning batik artwork into commercial products.