As a traditional Chinese dress, qipao is a wonderful blossom in Chinese fashion trends and enjoys great popularity among women to show their special grace although these dresses have changed over the years to fit the times.
Shanghai, as the home of qipao, has some trends in qipao designs and new technology is playing a bigger role.
Qipao show performed in the Spring Festival Gala / Photo from jiangsu.china.com
The Spring Festival Gala on Chinese New Year’s Eve shined a spotlight on qipao and the designer from Shanghai, Zuo Liyun, who says her team only had 10 days to finish all the dresses for nearly 60 performers. Although the time was limited, no step could be skipped.
Zuo Liyun, qipao designer, from Shanghai /CGTN Photo
Zuo told CGTN they have two design teams to meet the different need of customers, one is to keep the traditional design of the qipao and the other is to design with trendy elements to attract young people.
The qipao showed in the Spring Festival Gala embodied the theme of peony and phoenix, which represents luck and wealth in Chinese tradition.
3D measurement machine to scan customer's body /CGTN Photo
Besides the new fashion trends, Zuo’s team is using a 3D measurement machine to measure a customer’s body in 5 seconds instead of using a ruler. Customers just need to enter a room, and the scanner would get the figures and transfer onto the computer directly.
However, qipao as one of China’s classic fashions, embroidered with thick lace trim at the collar, sleeves and edges mostly, still would take a month's time to finish. And for a high-end qipao, it would take longer, even half a year to make.
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