Hainan entering a golden era for the fashion industry

Hu Bing, a Chinese model and fashion ambassador, said in an interview on Saturday that Hainan province is entering a golden era for the fashion industry, and he is committed to using his resources to help turn the island into a global fashion week destination.

Hu noted that fashion is closely tied to economic openness and trade growth, and that the construction of the Hainan Free Trade Port has boosted the duty-free market, expanded international trade, and attracted global brands, visibly raising the fashion profile of the island.

On the topic of Chinese designs going global, Hu compared it to the difference between Peking Opera and Western opera. He said local designers must preserve their cultural roots while mastering an international fashion language that global audiences can understand and embrace.

The 2026 Hainan Funteen Fashion Week kicked off Sunday at Haikou's Qilou Old Street, a heritage site that Hu praised as a rare and high-quality venue. He said top international fashion weeks often use historic architecture, and Qilou offers unique textures, lighting and spatial flow that blend historical depth with a global look.

Hu said the opening show's setting evokes the winds of Hainan and the spirit of openness. The free trade port, he said, provides a major platform for the fashion industry, enabling young Chinese designers to reach the world and international talent to enter China more smoothly.

As an ambassador for the British Fashion Council, a 10-year ambassador for London Fashion Week, an ambassador for China International Fashion Week, as well as the fashion lifestyle officer for this year's China International Consumer Products Expo, which starts on Monday, Hu said he will use his networks to help young Chinese designers use Hainan as a springboard to enter London Fashion Week while bringing outstanding global designers to Hainan.

Hu emphasized that fashion is not just about clothing but about being attuned to the spirit of the times. He said Hainan, as a dynamic region of global interest, has unique advantages to host an international fashion week and should build on its partnership with China International Fashion Week to create a platform for young designers worldwide.

Asked to define Hainan's international fashion experience in one word, Hu chose "nurturing" and "regeneration". He praised Hainan's commitment to sustainable fashion, aligning with major global trends. After nearly four decades in the industry, Hu said, he is ready to push for a high-quality Hainan International Fashion Week that could one day join Paris, New York, London and Milan as a global fashion landmark.

When walking around the expo's venues on Saturday evening, Hu said he valued all the products' aesthetics very much.