From November 28 to December 3, 2017, local time, alumni Lin Mingjing from the Textile and Fashion Design Department of Tsinghua Academy of Arts, along with his Ph.D. classmate Huang Caijun from the Royal College of Art, showcased their 3D-printed clothing featuring traditional origami elements at the Royal College of Art in the UK. On the evening of December 1, Peking Opera actors wore these 3D-printed, pleated designs while performing excerpts from "Farewell My Concubine" at the Hockey Gallery.

The project by Lin Mingjing and Huang Caijun is titled "Fold the Interfashionality - First 3D-printed, Pleated Beijing Opera Costume." Throughout the week-long exhibition, the project attracted many faculty and students from the Royal College of Art, who highly appreciated the minimalist space and oriental texture expressed in the design. Dr. Catherine Dormer, the Director of Ph.D. Studies at the Royal College of Art, commented that the exhibition and the garments resonated well with the exhibition space, with clean black lines establishing a strong spatial implication that aligned with the concept the garments aimed to convey.

The evening performance on December 1 drew over a hundred spectators into the small exhibition space, including professors from Imperial College and the Royal College of Art, 3D printing industry experts, and media from BBC and Xinhua News Agency.

New Technology - New Form
This research project reinterprets traditional culture by combining advanced 3D printing technology with the art of handmade origami, drawing inspiration from the rich traditions of Peking Opera and craftsmanship to explore new technology and techniques. Although an academic project, it received strong support and sponsorship from the Polish 3D printing company Sinterit. Unlike conventional desktop-level SLS (Selective Laser Sintering) technology, Sinterit’s materials have a finer structure and a rubber-like texture. Through digital parametric design and the incorporation of traditional origami folding structures, the materials exhibit shapes and effects difficult to achieve with traditional textiles and craftsmanship. Konrad, the founder of Sinterit, specifically traveled to London for the performance, expressing surprise and admiration at how cold technology could be so emotionally moving through art.

New Combination - New Form
While retaining the essence of traditional Peking Opera singing and movements, the team made new attempts in costume, theater design, and music and sound effects. The costumes and scenes maintained the symbolic and iconic designs of traditional Peking Opera, such as overall costume shapes, facial makeup, and styling, but favored simple black, white, and gray designs in color and detail treatment.

Gaining full acceptance from traditional Peking Opera artists for the design transformation was not easy. A traditional saying in Peking Opera training goes, "It's better to wear a torn costume than the wrong one." Initially, the actors could not fully understand the concept of 3D printing and the overall aesthetic changes to Peking Opera before seeing the designs and communicating with the creators. However, after the first dress rehearsal, the creative team unanimously agreed on the innovative and bold idea, clarifying that the collaboration aimed not to reject, subvert, or attack traditional culture but to incorporate new, contemporary understandings into it, enriching and inspiring new designs through the profound heritage of traditional culture.