Shanghai Fashion Week is upon us again between 9 and 19 October. Just before the Spring/Summer event descended on the city, the global pharmaceutical giant Pfizer hosted its own fashion show at the Shanghai Postal Museum in Hongkou District in the historical General Post Office Building, built in 1924.
The event, held at the end of September was titled “不适时装秀” in Chinese (ill-timed fashion show, lit. unwell fashion show, but a play on words with “不适时” meaning untimely). The theme of the show was “Make Invisible Visible” since the topic would be making cancer visible through fashion and innovatively raising awareness of earlier detection of the disease.
A collaboration between several designers from universities and Pfizer’s oncology team, the Pfizer fashion show featured 6 looks in total. Each of the six outfits represents the early, mid and late stages of lung cancer and breast cancer, respectively. Combining fashion expression with design and Pfizer’s medical know-how, the garments make visual representations of the invisible changes of the different stages of cancer cells, as well as their psychological impact on the patient to raise awareness of prevention and early detection of the disease.
The fashion show is part of Pfizer’s celebration of its 175th year and its 35th year in China and part of its “outdo yesterday” campaign to also “outdo cancer”. According to audience members of the show, it was also part of the pharmaceutical company’s recruitment process as it showcases its innovative and diversified communication as an “employer brand”. In a recent interview, Wang Yu, the general manager of Pfizer’s oncology business in China shared that Pfizer is aiming to market over 15 new cancer treatments or indications in the country by the year 2030. The fashion show, then, is a showcase for prospective employees to see the drugmaker’s ambitions in China.
