Arts Thread

Canwen Zhao
Fashion Design MA

RMIT University Melbourne

Graduates: 2022

Specialisms: Textiles for Fashion / Costume Design - Stage Screen Dance / Illustration

My location: Melbourne, Australia

canwen-zhao ArtsThread Profile
RMIT University Melbourne

Canwen Zhao

canwen-zhao ArtsThread Profile

First Name: Canwen

Last Name: Zhao

University / College: RMIT University Melbourne

Course / Program: Fashion Design MA

Graduates: 2022

Specialisms: Textiles for Fashion / Costume Design - Stage Screen Dance / Illustration

My Location: Melbourne, Australia

Website: Click To See Website

About

Canwen Zhao is a multidisciplinary fashion designer currently based in Melbourne, Australia.With a background in Chinese painting and further studies in fashion and art, Canwen brings a unique aesthetic vision to her work.She has worked in various fields ranging from fashion and film costume to IP design and commercial illustration, and her designs often address cultural, religious, and environmental issues.For Canwen, sustainability is the most important thing in her design practice.During her studies in 2017, she visited a recycling depot and experienced garment sorting, which made her aware of the waste of resources in the fashion industry. As a fashion designer, Canwen desires to contribute to the field of sustainable design in the fashion industry. 35 Life, represents her sustainable design practice, which aims to reduce waste in the fashion industry while bringing a relaxed and pleasant experience to the urban population.

35 LIFE 35 Life is a sustainable fashion project, with upcycled second-hand clothing in an urban outdoor style with highlighted colour design elements always to look ‘new’. Products can quickly transform into a pretty bag for daily carry and home storage. The concept comes from the traditional Chinese cultural trigram ‘Fire Feng Ding’, which means ‘change the old to the new’. For groups that cannot expose skin to the sun for long periods, designs are more functional with the changes in urban living scenarios. 35 Life brings a relaxed, pleasant visual and wearing experience to the highly stressed urban population. SOCIALS: canwen.zhao or canwen35.fashion IMAGE CREDIT: Photographer: Ray Zhang, Michelle Li Model:Jolin Wang, Jason Wang, Kristina Li