In April 2026, Hong Kong intangible cultural heritage fashion brand ISABELLE.C made its first appearance at the 6th China International Consumer Products Expo, held in Haikou, Hainan (hereinafter referred to as the “CDF”), and simultaneously took to the fashion stage of Hainan Youth International Fashion Week (Funteen Fashion Week), completing an important milestone in the brand’s development journey.
This was not only a fashion presentation, but also a practice in the deep integration of China’s intangible cultural heritage and contemporary design language, marking an important stage in which the brand officially began a new layout in the mainland market and expanded its local cultural influence. Prior to this, the brand had already appeared on international stages such as Hong Kong CENTRESTAGE, The Longines Hong Kong International Horse Show, and Thailand Fashion Week. This trip to Hainan continued to promote the brand’s in-depth presence in the mainland market and formed a development path with greater regional synergy.
The haute couture fabrics used in this runway show and exhibition represent a peak dialogue between traditional intangible cultural heritage and modern aesthetics. Among them, the Gambiered Canton silk print-dyeing series drew inspiration from award-winning works by Hong Kong young artists, using free brushstrokes and high-saturation contrasting colors to unleash pure artistic tension between the garments. There were also exquisitely crafted hand-painted qipao, in which the painter used a brush in place of a needle and improvised directly onto silk qipao. Each hand-painted qipao is a unique piece of craftsmanship. In addition, there were several unique kesi silk pieces revered as the “holy grail of weaving.” Every inch of fabric is an irreplaceable artistic medium, interpreting the rarity and nobility that belong solely to haute couture, while intangible cultural heritage craftsmanship shines with a distinctive artistic vitality in the contemporary era. This is not a simple borrowing of art by fashion, but art becoming fashion itself.
Art is Fashion.
ISABELLE.C has collectible-level craftsmanship as well as a quiet soul; it is not confined to grand halls or limited to exhibition displays. It inherits the millennia-old cultural lineage of intangible cultural heritage and blends in the spirit of contemporary art; it is substantial in its foundation, light in its texture, gentle and approachable, and composed for everyday life. It does not seek to be an artistic object for distant appreciation only, but is able to move through the myriad scenes of human life and the routines of daily existence, allowing every step and every turn to be elegantly worn.
Original Gambiered Canton silk print-dyed haute couture series by the brand
Bites of Hong Kong By Isabelle Chen
Graffiti By Isaac Chen
Flower of Hope By Isabelle Chen
A Tale of 9+2 Cities By Isabelle Chen
Spirits of Nature By Isaac Chen
In the First Light By Isabelle Chen(Left) / In the Lone Starlight By Isaac Chen(Right)
These two works by the Hong Kong young artists—In the First Light and In the Lone Starlight—are from the series Layers of Interwoven Realms. Together with their original print-dyed Gambiered Canton silk, they are about to cross mountains and seas and have been invited to the 61st Venice Biennale, the international temple of art.
Dual Show Collaboration, Building a New Space for the Brand’s Fashion Narrative
On April 12, ISABELLE.C presented its first runway show of this Hainan Youth International Fashion Week at the century-old arcades of Hainan. In a space where history and the present intersect, the brand redefined the contemporary expression of Eastern aesthetics through the fusion of intangible cultural heritage fabrics and modern tailoring.
On April 17, the brand brought its second fashion presentation to the coast of Ziza Bay, which was also the closing show of this Hainan Fashion Week. Against the backdrop of an endless coastline, it brought together natural atmosphere and a romantic intangible cultural heritage context, further expanding the boundaries of the brand’s visual storytelling and building a more distinctive style language.
Using top-level craftsmanship known as “one inch of kesi, one inch of gold,” the flowing galaxy of Starry Sky was woven into silk. The unique texture of handwoven kesi cannot be replicated; every strand of color and every line of stitching is the distinctive imprint of months of labor by artisans, making it a one-of-a-kind “flowing starry sky” in the world.
Chinese frog buttons and asymmetrical tailoring are intertwined, concealing Eastern elegance and artistic tension within the details, making it a collectible contemporary craft artwork. Entirely completed by artisans by hand, it requires time and care, serving as a dual tribute to craftsmanship and art, and as a heartfelt dialogue by “ISABELLE.C” between Eastern aesthetics and world art. This is not only a garment, but also a collectible contemporary artwork, bearing witness to the weight of craftsmanship and time.
Exhibition Setup
Beyond the runway, ISABELLE.C simultaneously built a “dual-space” exhibition system: one space in the main pavilion of the Hainan International Consumer Products Expo, where the brand’s intangible cultural heritage series and design language were presented through a systematic display; the other located inside the Hainan Qilou Old Street Intangible Cultural Heritage Museum, exhibited together with intangible cultural heritage Xinhui tangerine peel. Within the historical atmosphere of the ancient arcades, the warp and weft of intangible heritage fabrics echoed playfully with the time marks of tangerine peel, presenting in a three-dimensional way the diverse possibilities of intangible cultural heritage entering contemporary life.
Exhibition booth display
Media And Livestreams
During the CDF, ISABELLE.C also entered livestream rooms, bringing intangible cultural heritage fashion from the runway and exhibition hall into the public eye, making culture perceivable, discussable, and choosable. The brand insists on activating intangible cultural heritage craftsmanship through contemporary design, staying true to its original mission of inheritance and supporting young artists. Through original award-winning painted-dye creations on fabrics such as Gambiered Canton silk and red Yun silk, it interprets the perfect fusion of Eastern aesthetics and modern clothing. In the future, the brand will continue to present intangible cultural heritage in more diverse forms, allowing traditional craftsmanship to truly integrate into contemporary life.
Free Trade Port Opportunities
As a participating brand from Hong Kong, ISABELLE.C not only showcased its intangible cultural heritage series during the CDF, but also attended the Haikou Longhua District Global Fashion Consumption Industry Investment Promotion and Brand First-Store Signing Ceremony, where it signed a strategic cooperation agreement with the Longhua District Commerce Bureau, opening a new chapter in the brand’s layout.
Deputy Director Wu Xingkui of the Haikou Municipal Bureau of Commerce (back row, left), Deputy District Mayor Liu Xin of Longhua District, Haikou (back row, right), and Director Liu Mingwan of the Longhua District Commerce Bureau, Haikou (front row, third from right), attended and witnessed the signing ceremony.
ISABELLE.C founder Camille was interviewed by the media.
After the signing, the Longhua special investment salon themed “Using Fashion IP to Activate Consumer Industry Clusters” was successfully held, with department heads and corporate representatives from Longhua District in attendance. At present, the Hainan Free Trade Port is accelerating the construction of an international tourism consumption center, and Haikou, with the development goal of becoming a “city of fashion consumption vitality,” is actively cultivating the first-launch economy and gathering high-quality global resources.
Director Liu Mingwan of the Longhua District Commerce Bureau, Haikou, gave a sharing speech.
ISABELLE.C founder Camille (Middle)
Group photo of guests.
ISABELLE.C founder Camille (left) exchanged views with guests on the inheritance and innovation of Shunde intangible cultural heritage Gambiered Canton silk.
The Hainan Free Trade Port is accelerating the construction of an international tourism consumption center with global influence, dedicated to becoming a gathering place and showcase for high-quality global consumer resources. As the provincial capital, Haikou aims to become a “city of fashion consumption vitality,” advancing the first-launch economy and gathering high-quality consumer resources from around the world through first stores, first launches, and first exhibitions, gradually rising as an international consumption destination.
This strategic cooperation is an important milestone for the brand in expanding its horizon and building a global layout. Leveraging the gateway advantages of the Hainan Free Trade Port, the brand will continue to convey the beauty of Chinese intangible cultural heritage through design, integrate art and intangible heritage fashion, and ensure that Eastern culture is seen, understood, and cherished.
In the future, we will continue to deepen innovation and research in traditional craftsmanship, connect with international art resources and global fashion platforms, and continue to produce original New Chinese aesthetics; bring haute couture craftsmanship into everyday settings, transcend regional boundaries through cultural power, and step by step move onto the international stage, allowing Chinese intangible cultural heritage fashion to truly go global and take root worldwide.
