Ne Tiger presents modern works of ancient arts

Ne Tiger dresses featuring figures from Andersen's fairy tales are on show.

Zhang Zhifeng's dream is to capture 5,000 years of Chinese history in the designs of his Ne Tiger fashion label. So it was no surprise that the label was chosen to open International Museum Day in Nanjing on May 18, with a runway show featuring some of its most popular dresses from previous collections.

A mix of rare handicrafts and modern tailoring, it can be difficult to tell if Ne Tiger clothes are fashion items or cultural relics.

"We have thousands of years of cultural heritage to tap into, but we always try to innovate by combining it with Western elements," says Zhang, founder and art director of Ne Tiger.

In late April, the label was asked to design a gift for Danish Queen Margrethe II during her official visit to China. Embroidered with peonies and bamboo, the scarf for the queen represents prosperity and peace in Chinese culture.

Margrethe II, together with Peng Liyuan, wife of Chinese President Xi Jinping, also visited the exhibition in celebration of Andersen's Fairy Tales in China, which consisted of five Ne Tiger dresses inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's stories.

The fairy tales were turned into images realized by ancient Chinese handicrafts. The dress inspired by the Ugly Duckling, for example, was adorned with the pattern of ducklings on the bottom and swans on the upper part.

Kesi, a type of tapestry woven with silk and gold that has a history of more than 4,000 years, and a type of brocade that goes back more than 1,500 years and could only be enjoyed by the royals in imperial times, were revived on the dresses. The ancient crafts sit alongside Western elements like lace and diamonds.