On the evening of September 15 local time, Lyon, France witnessed the closing ceremony of the 47th WorldSkills Competition (WSC). Shanghai, as the 2026 host of this event, took over the WSC flag on the spot. During the “Shanghai Session” of the closing ceremony, the unique “paper” apparels of “DHU style” were particularly eye-catching when it debuted on a show, soon gaining popularity among the audience and people from all over the world.
Paper, as light as feathers, carries the delicate accumulation of thousand-year civilization, serving as an important symbol of cultural exchange between the East and the West. By choosing paper as a carrier and clothing design as a means of expression, the teachers and students from Donghua University (DHU) meticulously blended the essence of tradition with the charm of modernity, interweaving profound Eastern appeal with elegant Western style. Zhang Zufang, a professor from the College of Fashion and Design, DHU, told the reporters that there is no material more suitable than paper to produce this performance costume. In the end, they selected 20 sets of “paper series” costumes and 10 sets of “future-oriented series” costumes from nearly a hundred designs and brought ，them from Shanghai to Lyon.
It’s worth mentioning that in producing the costumes, “needle”, “thread” and “glue” were not the main material. In the overall styling of the apparels, the exquisitely ancient mortise-and-tenon structures were applied by the team for linking and shaping. From the apparels designed, you could sense the soft nobility of magnolia and the pure friendship symbolized by iris; you could also see harmonious delicacy of Eastern architectures and majestic sacredness of Western buildings, tripping beauty of dancing butterflies and vibrant spectacle of soaring dragons. Every detail could reveal the perfect integration of traditional culture with fashion aesthetics, manifest the vigor of Chinese technical talents, and embody the elements of new- quality productive forces. Moreover, the event theme “Skills Creates a Better Future” could also be highlighted by the clever design.
As Zhang Zufang introduced, “The new-material paper we applied, with great lightness and durability, is also our commitment to environmental protection and sustainability. Meanwhile, when supplemented with other materials and processes, such as laser fabrics, photosensitive fabrics, AI mapping, 3D printing technology, and laser cutting, the paper can transcend the limitations of traditional clothing production completely, making it possible to achieve complex structures and fine patterns. In this way, every work is likely to be a perfect integration of technology and art.
To complete the task successfully, DHU has given great attention and support to this event. Nearly 50 teachers and students from the College of Fashion and Design made up the teams of design, production and performance, with the group members ranging from freshmen to senior professors in their seventies. Despite the long heatwave of Shanghai, they gave up their summer vacation to make constant improvement in details and overcome various challenges. In the end, they completed the established task with great success, and displayed the extraordinary perseverance and teamwork spirit.
Li Jun, the Dean of the College of Fashion and Design, DHU, mentioned that DHU has a faculty with interdisciplinary backgrounds, and they can provide students with all-round guidance, helping them achieve a perfect combination of art and technology. Associate Professor Yu Jihong, the dean of Product Design Department, DHU and “Excellent Teacher Shanghai”, also came to Lyon and led the Chinese team to win the gold medal in the fine woodworking project. According to what he said in the WeChat Moments, he has served as the head coach of the Chinese national team on this project for four sessions since he first learnt about WSC in 2016, and he truly felt that Chinese players are making constant progress through every competition.
Shanghai presented a 10-minute performance themed “Skills Create a Better Future” to the audiences around the world. Before all the people on the spot, this modern, diversified metropolis declared to the world with a vibrant posture: 2026, Shanghai is ready!
