Against the backdrop of global cultural reconstruction and the disciplinary transformation of design studies, apparel has emerged as a critical medium for identity construction, cultural expression, and technological integration, becoming an increasingly prominent focus of interdisciplinary research. The 2025 First International Conference on  Clothing Heritage and Digital Fashion aims to establish a high-level platform for international academic exchange, with a concentrated focus on the history and theory of clothing, ethnic clothing and cultural integration, fashion design and innovation, as well as intelligent fashion and technology. The conference seeks to bridge the gap between scholarly research and design practice, advancing both the systematization and internationalization of clothing studies.

Jointly organized by more than ten academic institutions and organizations, including Asia Design Week, the School of Art at Soochow University, the School of Digital Technology & Innovation Design, at Jiangnan University, and the Sponge LAB, the Conference warmly invites scholars and practitioners from design, art, anthropology, sociology, philosophy, textile science, and related fields to engage in dialogue around emerging paradigms in clothing theory, innovative practices in fashion, and the contemporary reinterpretation of cultural traditions.

Culture in Clothing · Vision in Design

The conference approaches the study of clothing from the intersection of diverse disciplines—including clothing history, intercultural dynamics, fashion innovation, and digital technologies—aiming to critically re-examine the tensions between tradition and futurity, locality and globalization. It seeks to foster the reconstruction, translation, and reactivation of clothing culture within contemporary contexts, in an era marked by the interplay of global cultural flows and the resurgence of local traditions, clothing functions as a vital cultural node that connects individual lived experiences with broader historical narratives. Accordingly, its study must move beyond the formal analysis of material style to embrace a more theoretically informed and practice-oriented interdisciplinary inquiry.

By drawing upon insights from cultural theory, technological studies, body politics, gender epistemologies, and ecological ethics, the conference aims to critically reassess the tensions between tradition and futurity, indigeneity and globalization. It seeks to catalyze new methodologies and vocabularies capable of adorning the evolving place of clothing within intersecting regimes of meaning and value. At a historical juncture marked by transnational flows and local cultural resurgence, clothing emerges as a vital interface between personal narrative and civilizational discourse, demanding an analytical lens that transcends typological or stylistic inquiry in favor of a deeper, interdisciplinary synthesis.

The conference places underscores the bidirectional coupling of theory and practice, aiming to construct a knowledge community and action network for dress and fashion culture studies through systematic and structured academic dialogue. It seeks to respond to the pressing questions of our time by facilitating a shift from traditional cultural resources to contemporary modes of expression. Within the broader context of global fashion discourse, the conference aspires to establish a subject-conscious and culturally distinctive narrative system, thereby fostering a renewed cultural self-awareness, aesthetic praxis, and academic foundation in the new era.

1.Histories and Theories of Clothing and Fashion

2.Ethnic Clothing and Cultural Interfusion

3.Fashion Design and Creative Innovation

4.Digital Fashion and Technological Futures

1. Initial Review Process

The conference adopts a double-blind peer review system. Abstracts (in Chinese or English) will be evaluated based on academic quality and relevance to the panel themes. Selected submissions will be invited for oral presentation at the corresponding sub-forums.

2. Eligibility for Submission

The conference welcomes submissions from university early-career faculty members, postdoctoral researchers, doctoral and master's students, intangible cultural heritage (ICH) inheritors, designers, and independent scholars from both domestic and international institutions.

3. Submission Requirements

（1）Abstract: The abstract should be between 300 and 500 words in either Chinese or English. It must clearly state the research topic, methodology, and key conclusions, highlighting the paper’s academic value and originality.

（2）Full Paper: The manuscript should be written in either Chinese or English, with a word count between 6,000 and 12,000 words. The paper must present a clear argument, logical structure, and rigorous analysis, demonstrating solid academic quality.

（3）Author Information: Please include a brief author biography (within 200 words), institutional affiliation, email address, and phone number to ensure effective communication.

（4）Formatting Guidelines: Submissions must adhere to the conventions of academic writing, including proper citation styles, footnote formats, and reference lists. The manuscript should be submitted in Word format with clean and consistent formatting.

4. Submission Deadline

The call for papers officially opens upon the release of this notice. The deadline for abstract submissions is 24:00 on October 30, 2025, and the deadline for full paper submissions is 24:00 on November 30, 2025. All submissions must be sent via email, and the timestamp of the email will be used as the basis for determining the submission time. Late submissions will not be accepted.

5. Submission Method

Please submit your manuscript via email in both Word and PDF formats. Additionally, complete the attached “Registration Form for the 1st International Conference on Clothing Heritage and Digital Fashion” (the form can be downloaded via the QR code at the end of this notice).

Kindly package all files together and send them to the conference email: FashionTheory@163.com. Please indicate in the email subject line: “Conference Submission + Submission Category + Name + Affiliation + Paper Title.”

6. Conference Announcement

The conference organizing committee will issue notifications of accepted papers in the latter half of October and inform contributors via email. Please ensure that the email address and contact information provided in the registration form are accurate and up to date.

7. Participation Instructions

Participants of the conference will receive an official certificate of attendance issued by the organizing institutions upon completion of the event. The conference will conduct a selection of outstanding papers and confer certificates for First Prize, Second Prize, Third Prize, and Honorable Mention.

No registration fee will be charged for participation in this conference.

1. Conference Date

The conference is scheduled for October 2025 (specific dates to be announced).

2. Conference Format

The conference will be conducted online.

1. Organizers

Asia Design Week

School of Art, Soochow University

SPONGE LAB

2. Executing Organizers

Editorial Office of Fashion Theory Studies

China's Excellent Traditional Culture inheritance Base of the Ministry of Education, jiangnan University

Jiangsu Research Center for Intangible Cultural Heritage, Jiangnan University

3.Supporting Partners

National Experimental Teaching Demonstration Center for Textile and Fashion Design, Soochow University

Provincial Experimental Teaching Demonstration Center for Art and Design, Soochow University

4. Public Welfare Supporting Organization

Dragon Design Foundation

5. Academic Supporting Institution

Journal of Clothing Research

Contact: 

We warmly invite early-career scholars from diverse backgrounds to actively participate in this forum. We look forward to your insightful contributions and engaging presentations!