At the 2026 Harper's Bazaar "Super Player · Bazaar Night" red carpet, Qi Wei was unable to walk due to her 16kg 3D-printed water-splash dress and had to be pushed out on a cart by staff throughout the event. This scene inadvertently recreated the iconic moment from Cai Ming's 1996 Spring Festival Gala sketch "Robot Fun Talk," leading netizens to joke that it was a "tribute to Cai Ming."
The gown is 3D-printed from transparent resin, capturing the dynamic moment of water splashing against the body. Visually clear as water, it creates the illusion of being drenched, exuding a strong avant-garde sci-fi aesthetic. The design team first conducted real-life water-splashing experiments to capture the forms, then used AI-assisted modeling after deconstructing the splash structures. Finally, through 3D printing and meticulous hand-polishing, they achieved a clean, translucent, water-like luster.
The entire gown weighs 16 kilograms (32 jin) and is made of rigid, non-foldable material. Once dressed, Qi Wei could neither sit nor walk normally, only able to take small shuffling steps, which necessitated her standing on a small cart pushed by others for the entire red carpet appearance. The dress features a front-and-back panel clasp structure, requiring five staff members to assist with putting it on. It was custom-tailored to Qi Wei's previous measurements, meaning it would be too tight if she gained weight and too loose if she lost weight.
Qi Wei described the gown as a "container." The dress intentionally incorporates cracked dragon patterns, symbolizing the container breaking and water surging forth. This represents the moment vitality breaks free from constraints in the AI era, elevating the look into a digital fashion art piece with a complete creative logic.
