Recently, an exhibition named “Great changes—A celebration of Forty Years’ of Opening and Reform” kicked off. A high-tech Qipao, designed by Donghua University Fashion and Scientific Innovation team, was showcased at this exhibition.

The secret behind this smart garment is the energy-saving nano luminescent materials jointly developed by Donghua University and an enterprise it collaborates with. The luminous threads are delicately wired to resemble a sky strewn with clouds and stars. This unique pattern on Shanghai style Qipao sparks our imaginations about the universe while reflecting oriental wisdom.

The electrochromic (the ability to reversibly change color thanks to an electric charge) material with a wide color-gamut and high intensity has been quite a challenge to develop for the area of wearable displays and invisible wearables. The electrochromic design system developed by the Scientific Research Department led by Professor Wang Hongzhi at Donghua University allows for multi-color, smooth and even electrochromic displays in various forms.

In the 2.0 version of the “high-tech Qipao”, foldable electrochromic lenses as thin as a piece of A-4 paper can be integrated onto the fabrics to make it possible for a Qipao to change color or even become invisible.

Wang Hongzhi believes that this smart garment design is not only a fashion trend but also part of a great blueprint and that “smart wearables” have turned from a concept to reality. Today, some garment and clothing manufacturers have already introduced the smart wearable technology into their products.