Traditional Chinese garment makes stylish comeback(2)

A painting from the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) features people in the royal palace dressed in mamianqun. (Photo provided to China Daily)

"Although people's lifestyles and dress habits have changed dramatically with the development of society, the mamianqun still exudes a unique charm. It is not only loved by traditional dress enthusiasts but also valued and sought after by Western fashion brands and designers," Jia Xizeng adds.

At the exhibition, several relic mamianqun, as well as new designs by Lin Xi, are on display.

As an inheritor of the craftsmanship for making mamianqun and the founder of a clothing brand, Lin has been making efforts to bring this traditional Chinese garment to the global stage with her modern modifications. Notably, Lin launched a show featuring mamianqun during the Paris Fashion Week last September.

"Clothing is a premier bridge for cultural exchanges," says Jia Yiliang, highlighting a donated piece of mamianqun on display. At the request of an American in China back in the Qing Dynasty, the garment was remodeled from the traditional Chinese skirt, brought to the United States, kept generation to generation, and finally found its way back home to the Shanghai Textiles Museum.

Witnessing the success of the exhibition, both Ma and Jia Yiliang are confident and ready for their plans to dig deeper into this sector.

"Through mamianqun, we expect to draw more attention to the clothing and traditional Chinese culture. We will continue to work to promote the culture to a wider audience, and I believe more young people will join us," says Ma firmly.

If You Go

Splendid Mamianqun

Through to July 18

F3, Shanghai Textiles Museum, 150 Aomen Road, Putuo district, Shanghai