FASHION and creative industries will cluster around Donghua University in a strategic plan to build cosmopolitan Changning District into a fashion center and promote the Shanghai brand worldwide. Fei Lai reports.

Donghua University, formerly the China Textile University, plays an important role in China's fashion industry, nurturing talents in apparel design and textile production and innovation.

And it will play an even larger role as the center of a cluster of creative and fashion industries planned by Changning District. The cluster is part of a strategic plan to build Shanghai into an internationally recognized city of design and an engine of the fashion trade.

The cluster area is already on the drawing board and initial basic construction is expected from 2013 to 2015.

Located west of Shanghai's downtown area, it will cover almost 15 square kilometers, bounded by Jiangsu and Huashan roads in the east, Weining and Beihong roads in the west, Suzhou Creek in the north, and Guyang Road and Huaihai Road W. in the south.

At its heart will be Donghua University on Yan'an Road W. adjacent to the Hongqiao area. The university celebrates its 60th anniversary this year by working with the government and enterprises to develop this plan. To help make this creative cluster a reality, the university will draw on its "brand" influence, academic resources and talents, promoting finance, trade, science and technology, creativity and culture.

"The fashion industry is one of the emerging industries with the highest potential," says Ge Lizhong, an official of the Changning Development and Reform Commission. "The fashion industry is vital to Shanghai in becoming a city of design and Changning will definitely be part of it."

The fashion industry, says Ge, will become "an innovative power driving Changning and the city to new heights."

He describes the cluster as a base nurturing fashion, creative talents and creative brands, a magnet for fashion headquarters, a public service platform for fashion enterprises nationwide, a platform for the launch of fashion products and a trade platform.

Cluster area plan

Transport is convenient by Metro lines 2, 3, 4, 10, 11. When it is completed, Metro line 15 will cover the entire Donghua University.

The area already has major fashion features and a solid foundation.

It contains ShanghaiMart, Hongqiao Donghua Textile and Apparel Hi-tech Park, Shanghai Fashion Hub, Hongqiao Foreign Trade Center, a silk research institute and the Shanghai Garment Trade Association.

From 2013 to 2015, the area will witness launch of a high fashion event, three R&D centers for fashion design, three international masters' workshops and an international fashion management training program. From 2016 to 2020, the area will further develop fashion-related industries such as branding, media, strategic consulting, modeling agencies, public relations, education and training, logistics, financial services and MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions).

By 2021, the area is expected to feature high-end fashion brands, top fashion associations, international trade institutions and world-class fashion events.

Compared with existing creative parks in Changning, such as Red Town (formerly a steel factory), the fashion cluster area is more open, with more cooperation among industries, government and universities.

The area already attracts big names in China's fashion world, such as makeup artist Mao Geping and local designers such as Qi Gang, Zhang Yichao, Yang Liuqing and Wang Yiyang.

At the same time, Donghua University injects fresh blood to the system every year.

"The modernization of the world's cosmopolitan cities is always linked with the fashion industry, which is clean and consumes less energy than other industry," says Ge. "It links technology, design, manufacturing, branding, promotion and consumption together by integrating technology, art and marketing."

Consider the Italian city of Milan, a world fashion capital, Ge says. It took fashion design and apparel technology as its pillar industry. Later, it developed quickly in textiles, craftsmanship, shoes, jewelry, leather products, ceramic tiles and toys. It also developed a service industry centered on tourism and design. Today Milan's economy emphasizes high technology, high added value and high efficiency.

Fashion challenge

During China's and Shanghai's 12th Five-Year plan, the city faces a challenge of innovation and transformation. Building a cluster of fashion and creative industries can help the city develop its own Shanghai design, Shanghai brand and Shanghai fashion.

Further, developing fashion and creative industries will help build the city into an international trade center. The development of Paris and Hong Kong proves that the fashion industry is a symbol of cosmopolitan cities and promotes consumption and trade.

The city also needs to transform the concept of creative parts, of which there are many that are not particularly useful or influential in terms of the economy or culture. The fad of creative parks has led to the opening of many parks with vague orientation.

Simply turning old factories into creative parks no longer attracts creative companies.

"It's high time to upgrade the parks by building cluster areas with more resources," says Ge, from the Changning Development and Reform Commission.

Developing the fashion industry also benefits the Yangtze River Delta where many apparel, leather, jewelry, accessories and other industries target Shanghai as their market and gateway to the world. Many fashion enterprises such as Metersbonwe have moved their headquarters, R&D centers and marketing centers to Shanghai.

The Yangtze River Delta is envisioned as a "golden fashion triangle." With high-speed railway, inter-city transport and bridges, the delta region is integrated and "feels" like one city.

Moreover, the "post-Expo effect" has reached the international fashion industry and Shanghai is becoming a magnet for many brands, Ge adds.