China and Italy Deepen Fashion Ties at 2025 Shenzhen (Longhua)–Milan Lifestyle Week Cultural Exchange Session Highlights Fruitful Outcomes

On April 9, the 2025 Shenzhen & Milan Lifestyle Week made a grand debut in Milan, Italy, instantly capturing the world’s attention. During the opening ceremony, Leju Robot from Shenzhen’s Longhua District took the stage at the Basilica of San Vittore al Corpo, delivering a mesmerizing display of China’s technological innovation. Over a hundred products were unveiled simultaneously, offering a comprehensive showcase of Shenzhen’s distinctive prowess in fashion, culture, art, and technology, and leaving a lasting impression on all in attendance.

Against the backdrop of the 55th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Italy, international cooperation and exchanges in the fashion industry once again usher in a new high point. On April 10, the Fashion & Tradition Cultural Sharing Session of the 2025 Shenzhen & Milan Lifestyle Week was hosted at Milano Luiss Hub for makers and students. Supported by the Longhua District People’s Government of Shenzhen and organized by the Shenzhen Industrial Design Profession Association, the event featured meticulously crafted sessions for thematic presentations, industry showcases, strategic partnership signings, and innovative practice sharing. Leading figures from the fashion industry and esteemed scholars from both China and Italy converged to engage in profound discussions on the global innovation, development, and multifaceted integration of the fashion industry, collectively shaping the future of the fashion industry.

Event Venue

Global Investment Campaign Kicks Off, Longhua’s Fashion Prowess Dazzles the International Arena

Shenzhen, the vanguard of China’s reform and opening-up, brims with innovative dynamism and fashion trends. Milan, the cradle of the Renaissance, seamlessly blends the elegance of traditional craftsmanship with the sophistication of modern design. At the 2025 Shenzhen (Longhua) - Milan Lifestyle Week, these two iconic fashion metropolises reunite and co-create a new blueprint for the global fashion industry.

In his keynote address, Huang Limin, the standing committee member and director of the Publicity Department of the CPC Longhua District Committee, stated that the encounter between Shenzhen and Milan represents not only a symphony of fashion and tradition, but also a deep-seated dialogue between Eastern and Western civilizations. This union exemplifies the vibrant principle that “Appreciate the culture of others as one does one’s own, and the world will become a harmonious whole.”

Luisa Bocchietto, the former president of the World Design Organization (WDO) and the Italian Industrial Design Association (Associazione per il Disegno Industriale, ADI), highlighted in her address that this grand gathering not only builds upon the triumphs of its inaugural edition but also marks a significant milestone in the deepening collaboration between China and Italy within the realm of fashion design. Looking ahead, the two cities are poised to further strengthen their synergy in industrial cooperation, technological alignment, and cultural interchange, forging a platform that fosters resource complementarity and the sharing of strengths. Together, they aim to propel the global fashion design industry to new heights of development.

Luisa Bocchietto, former president of the World Design Organization (WDO) and the Italian Industrial Design Association (Associazione per il Disegno Industriale, ADI)

Following that, Wang Lingyan, Deputy Director of the Longhua District Key Area Construction Center, gave a keynote presentation on the “Longhua Business Environment,” fully displaying Longhua’s exceptional strengths in industrial development. The district features a clustered fashion industry, with the Dalang Fashion Town as its core, gathering over 700 leading fashion enterprises such as Marisfrolg, YINGER Fashion, ELLASSAY, and EACHWAY. The annual total output value has surpassed the ten-billion-yuan mark, setting a benchmark for the integrated development of digital fashion. Spatial assurance is robust, with the successful release of 25 square kilometers of development space through land consolidation, truly embodying the principle “where there are good projects, there is good space in Longhua.” International services have been upgraded, with the completion in 2023 of Shenzhen’s largest, most functional, and richest-service district-level international cooperation service and exchange platform, further deepening international economic and trade cooperation. This allows international market entities to develop and thrive in Longhua with peace of mind. With an open attitude, a superior business environment, and strong industrial strength, Longhua warmly invites global fashion enterprises to pursue joint development and share opportunities!

Deepen Strategic Cooperation, Explore New Horizons in the Fashion Industry

This event has facilitated a number of major cooperation projects. China Yong FengYuan Co., Ltd. will work with Stefano Giovannoni Design, HUI MILANO will collaborate with We Manage, and Shenzhen ZanLife Design Co., Ltd. will collaborate with Designtech. Their partnerships will focus on areas such as co-branded IP with China Yongfengyuan masters, the integration of Chinese and Western heritage culture, and product design, among others. Among them, the Chinese brand HUI will cooperate with We Manage on the overseas development and management of Chinese intangible cultural heritage and premium fashion brands combining the East and the West. They aim to explore the fashion potential of Chinese culture, create internationally influential fashion brands, and promote Chinese cultural heritage to shine on the global stage.

In this cultural sharing meeting, Longhua District Key Area Construction Center in Shenzhen signed a strategic cooperation agreement with CISE Academy of Politecnico di Milano and Here Fashion Hub. In the future, they will fully leverage their strengths and deepen their cooperation.

Luisa Bocchietto, the former president of WDO, spoke highly of Longhua District's industrial advantages. She said that Shenzhen, especially Longhua District, stands at the forefront of the fashion design and manufacturing industry, and is playing an increasingly important role in the global industrial chain thanks to its keen market insight and excellent innovation capability.

At the innovative practice sharing session, Liu Hanbin, the Founder of Shenzhen DAMODA Intelligent Control Technology Co., Ltd., and Pierre Foulkas, Deputy General Manager of Honor Italy, successively shared their innovative practices and brand development experiences in the integration of fashion and technology, and expressed their gratitude to Shenzhen and Longhua District for their initiatives in the process of enterprise growth and international expansion. This sharing provided a valuable reference for the enterprises present and further strengthened the confidence and expectations of potential enterprises to invest in Shenzhen, especially in Longhua District.

At the 100% Design London in 2011, Shenzhen achieved a breakthrough by marking China's first participation, initiating its journey into international design. Nowadays, with the continued hosting of the Shenzhen & Milan Lifestyle Week, Shenzhen’s design industry is evolving from the 1.0 to the 2.0 era. This is not only a demonstration of Shenzhen's design strength on the global stage but also actively promotes the deep integration of Chinese and international fashion industries. Meanwhile, the “Sense China” Design Academic Week, also part of the official schedule of Milan Design Week, was held. The event gathered excellent works and quality resources from domestic institutions, injecting fresh energy into the integration and development of cultural creativity and the fashion industry, and highlighting the steady internationalization of China's fashion design industry.

The successful holding of the 2025 Shenzhen & Milan Lifestyle Week "Fashion & Tradition - Cultural Sharing Session" has not only accomplished the signing of multiple industrial cooperation agreements and deeply connected with high-quality international resources, but also laid a solid foundation for the long-term cooperation between Shenzhen (Longhua District) and Milan in the fashion industry. Looking ahead, both sides will continue to work together to promote the continuous innovation and development of the global fashion industry, adding new highlights to the friendly cooperation between China and Italy.