French fashion label Givenchy showed its haute couture collection exclusively on Asian models, demonstrating to what extent Asia has moved to fashion’s forefront.

Inspired by Japanese Butoh dancer Kazuo Ohn, the lightweight dresses featured clear Asian style elements such as structural shapes, warrior-inspired headgear by Philip Treacy, and folding techniques.

Declared “works of art” by the likes of fashion journalist Suzy Menkes, the dresses took an accumulated 6,000 hours to create.

Asia, and especially China, is fashion’s current main focus, with luxury labels staging their fashion shows there and US Vogue’s Anna Wintour reportedly working on establishing a Vogue Fashion Fund designer scheme in the country.

The Givenchy show also means a considerable career boost for the cast of Asian models that included Shu Pei, Ming Xi, Tao Okamoto, Hye Rim Park, Fei Fei Sun, Liu Wen, Jiang Xiao Yi, Ai Tominaga, So Young Kang and Du Juan.