The launch event for Hainan province's Sanya island shirt design and promotional project — the Prof Jimmy Choo OBE & Sanya City Collaboration Island Shirt — took place on Thursday in Sanya. Centered on the concept of Oriental resort aesthetics, the project aims to create "the story of Sanya you can wear".
Prof Jimmy Choo OBE, the Malaysian Chinese fashion designer who founded the luxury shoe brand that bears his name, has been appointed Sanya city's "Island Wear Designer" and is exploring Sanya's local culture. From the early vibrant "floral shirts" to the understated "linen series", and now Choo's own "Oriental resort aesthetics", the evolution of the Sanya island shirt reflects the city's tourism shift from sightseeing to quality vacationing, signaling a move from "viewing scenery" to "enjoying lifestyle", according to the Sanya Tourism Board.
Sanya is advancing the development of an international tourism consumption center. The crossover collaboration with Choo represents a key step in using international design to empower the cultural tourism industry. Choo's involvement brings "haute couture" and "luxury" to Sanya's tourism, aiming to raise the city's profile in international fashion and helping upgrade its cultural tourism from exporting natural scenery to exporting fashion culture.
YEW, a design representative for Jimmy Choo, attended the event and shared the design philosophy. He described Sanya as an epitome of Oriental tropical charm, with stunning natural landscapes and a warm local culture that serve as creative inspiration. In designing the island shirt, he said the goal is to break down geographic and cultural boundaries, allowing global travelers not only to see Sanya's beauty, but also to feel its warmth and elegance — bringing Sanya's fashion appeal worldwide.
The launch event marks a key step in merging Sanya's cultural tourism industry with international high-end fashion. Going forward, Sanya plans to build on this collaboration by bringing in global design resources, deepening cultural tourism and fashion integration, promoting the city's collaboration island shirt series, and exploring pop-up stores and fashion exhibitions, according to the board. The goal is to make the Sanya island shirt a new fashion calling card for the Hainan Free Trade Port, presenting Sanya as a refined, stylish, and cosmopolitan international tourist destination.
Contact the writer at chenbowen@chinadaily.com.cn
