Young students from Maodun Experimental Primary School in Puyuan town, Jiaxing, Zhejiang province, are encouraged to unleash their creativity on basic traditional garments and showcase their designs themselves on the runway of this year's Puyuan Fashion Week on Sunday. CHINA DAILY

Over the past month, students were encouraged to unleash their creativity on basic traditional garments, gradually bringing their imagined designs to life during art and craft classes. Most of the participants were third- to fifth-graders.

The children made bold attempts, such as reinventing traditional qipao fabrics by incorporating wool knitwear elements or decorating hanfu dresses with rainbow-colored plush toys and cotton-made clouds.

"This program broke the conventional 'adult-dominated' framework of traditional fashion shows by giving full creative control to children," Wang explains. "This child-centered approach not only sparked their interest in clothing design but also cultivated their creativity, hands-on skills, and awareness in aesthetics through practical experience.

"Their concentration and enthusiasm throughout the program exceeded my expectations," she adds.

"Some kids played around with different yarns and sheer fabrics until they got that perfect 'flowing like clouds' Chinese style, while others made cool eco clothing from recycled stuff."