Sun He

School of Business, Zibo Polytechnic University

Abstract：

While the preceding companion paper established the cultural-theoretical foundations for challenging Western fashion hegemony through cultural confidence and the creative reinterpretation of Chinese heritage, this paper turns to the practical dimensions of industrial transformation. Drawing on global value chain theory, industrial cluster analysis, and the emerging literature on digital fashion, it examines the specific upgrading pathways available to China's traditional silk and garment industries under the policy framework of "creative transformation and innovative development." Using the city of Zibo in Shandong Province as a case, the paper analyzes the industrial ecosystem, cluster advantages, and competitive liabilities of a representative Chinese textile manufacturing base, and proposes a comprehensive transformation strategy encompassing digital-intelligent integration across the production chain, brand matrix construction, cross-industry convergence, and scenario-based market cultivation. The analysis demonstrates that high-quality development in culturally embedded manufacturing sectors requires the simultaneous pursuit of technological upgrading, cultural value creation, and institutional innovation, coordinated through a place-based brand identity—the "Qi-Style Chinese Fashion" concept—that aligns diverse stakeholders around a shared strategic vision. The paper concludes by examining the policy instruments needed to support this transformation at both municipal and provincial levels, and by reflecting on the broader implications for China's transition from manufacturing-driven to culture-and-innovation-driven industrial competitiveness.

Key Words：

 industrial upgrading; global value chain; digital transformation; industrial cluster; Qi-style Chinese fashion; silk industry; brand matrix; high-quality development