The 2021 Ningbo Fashion Festival & 25th Ningbo International Fashion Fair opens in Ningbo, East China's Zhejiang province on Oct 21. [Photo/cnnb.com.cn]

The 2021 Ningbo Fashion Festival & 25th Ningbo International Fashion Fair opened in Ningbo, East China's Zhejiang province on Oct 21.

Peng Jiaxue, Party chief of Ningbo, announced the opening of the festival.

Mayor Qiu Dongyao said at the opening ceremony that Ningbo is the largest textile and garment industry base in China, expressing hope that attendees would sustain their support for the city's drive to become a renowned fashion hub.

Other dignitaries who attended the opening ceremony included Liu Pingjun, chairman of the China Council for Brand Development, Chen Dapeng, deputy director of the China National Textile and Apparel Council, and Cao Lisheng, deputy head of the China General Chamber of Commerce.

Scheduled to run until Oct 24, the event, which is held in both online and offline venues, consists of 20 activities, including exhibitions, forums, contests and fashion shows.

A total of 265 brands will participate in the offline exhibitions, which primarily focuses on fabrics and smart equipment, at Ningbo International Conference & Exhibition Center.

Special zones have also been erected in the center for shoppers and exhibitors to promote goods via livestreams.

A number of fashion brands, including Hazzys, Only, and Veromoda, will debut their new products during the festival.

In addition, an online exhibition will be held simultaneously, through which buyers from home and abroad who are unable to attend the expo in person can conduct business negotiations with exhibitors.