Ancient Tea Horse Road inspires designer Ma Yanli

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On day six of China Fashion Week, model-turned-designer Ma Yanli presented her haute couture collection for 2019 Autumn-Winter at the Beijing Hotel's Golden Hall.

China's rich tradition and culture never cease to inspire fashion designers. This time, it's the ancient Tea Horse Road, an important trade link between Yunnan Province -- one of the major tea producing areas -- and Tibet and Central Asia, via Sichuan Province.

Inspired by the ancient trade route and the culture along the way, Ma created more than 50 pieces for her 2019 Autumn-Winter haute couture collection.

Silk gowns, capes and suits are adorned with gold and silver decorations. Exquisite embroideries and typical patterns from ethnic costumes give them an authentic feel.

Models walk the runway at the Ma Yanli haute couture collection for 2019 Autumn-Winter show at the Beijing Hotel's Golden Hall, March 30, 2019. /VCG Photo

"I stayed in Yunnan Province for months to collect local fabrics and patterns, learn the embroidery and dyeing craft, and experience the customs and lifestyle there," said Ma, "The costumes of local ethnic groups also impressed me a lot, they are just as beautiful as their culture."

Ma was a successful model in the 1990s and became a fashion designer in 1998. Since then, she has been incorporating traditional elements in her designs. And Yunnan Province is one of the inexhaustible sources of ideas for her.

"Yunnan is an inspiration source for me in recent years. In 2016, I visited Chuxiong, the landscape and culture there became the inspiration for my collections that year. Last year, it's Shangri-La that gave me ideas, and now it's the ancient Tea Horse Road. I'm very grateful to Yunnan, it's such a beautiful place," said Ma.

Ma's model friends Hu Bing and Pu Bajia also took to the runway show on Saturday night, giving the audience a surprise.

The show was attended by many of the designer's celebrity friends, including Sun Qian, Guan Yue and Li Dongtian.

(Top image: Model Hu Bing leads the Ma Yanli haute couture collection for 2019 Autumn-Winter show at the Beijing Hotel's Golden Hall, March 30, 2019. /VCG Photo)