Chinese fashion – a dialogue with the world and history

Zhao Xu, China Daily Bilingual News

At 3 p.m. on October 1, 1949, Chairman Mao Zedong proclaimed the founding of the People's Republic of China from the tower of Tiananmen Square in Beijing, along with many leading members of New China. More than 300,000 people gathered in Tiananmen Square to witness this historic moment.

At 3 pm on Oct 1, 1949, Chairman Mao Zedong declared the founding of the People's Republic of China from the Tian'anmen Rostrum, joined by other prominent figures who would form the core of the country's leadership. More than 300,000 people filled Tian'anmen Square to watch the announcement.

The Chinese Communist Party's History Exhibition Hall displays Mao Zedong's Mao tunic suit worn at the founding ceremony of the People's Republic of China

"For 75 years, this moment has been regarded by generations of Chinese as a milestone in the history of contemporary China. What many people don't know, however, is that almost everyone who showed up on the tower that day, including Chairman Mao himself, was wearing a special uniform known in China as a tunic suit," said Liu Wei, a professor at the Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology. This school is currently one of the top fashion schools in China.

"For 75 years, this moment has been viewed by generations of Chinese as a deeply emotional milestone in contemporary Chinese history. Yet not many are aware of the fact that almost all who had turned up at the rostrum that day, including Chairman Mao himself, were wearing a special type of formal suit known in China as the Zhongshan suit," says Liu Wei, a professor from the Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology, one of China's top fashion colleges.

"Sun Yat-sen" is the name of Dr. Sun Yat-sen (1866-1925), the great pioneer of China's democratic revolution. He was the first to raise the banner of anti-imperialism and anti-feudalism, "starting the republic and ending the feudal monarchy for 2,000 years", and was elected as the provisional president of the Republic of China after the victory of the Xinhai Revolution that broke out on October 10, 1911.

For those unfamiliar with the history, Zhongshan is the name of Sun Zhongshan, more commonly known as Sun Yat-sen (1866-1925), a Chinese revolutionary widely revered for his instrumental role in the 1911 Revolution, which overthrew the rule of China's last feudal dynasty — Qing (1644-1911).

With its stand collar and symmetrical buttons in the center of the placket, the tunic combines traditional Chinese aesthetics with Western tailoring, and was loved by Sun Yat-sen and his contemporaries who were progressive thinkers. They are calling for change and are proud to be wearing this new design.

With its stand-up collar and buttoned-up design, the Zhongshan suit (Chinese tunic suit), combining traditional Chinese aesthetics with a Western cut, endeared itself to Sun and his progressively minded countrymen who wore the design proudly, partly as a call for change.

Liu Wei, a teacher at Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology

According to Liu Wei, Chinese clothing in the 50s and 60s of the 20th century was characterized by uniformity and practicality, which was related to the mainstream social ideology and economic conditions at that time. Single dark colors such as "Army Green" and "Police Blue" dominated, with functionality being prioritized, while straight-leg cuts were favored for their material-saving cuts.

According to Liu, Chinese fashion in the 1950s and 60s was characterized by uniformity and practicality, due to the dominant social ideology and the era's economic situation. Somber, muted colors like "army green" and "police officer blue" reigned. Functionality was prioritized; and a straight cut was favored for its minimal use of material.

"At that time, it was very urgent to solve the problem of food and clothing for the people. It was in this context that in 1951 Shanghai established China's first textile college, the East China Institute of Textile Technology," Liu Wei said. Eight years later, Beijing Institute of Textile Technology was established, renamed Beijing Chemical Fiber Institute in 1961, and Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology in 1988.

"The need to feed and clothe everyone was pressing. And it was against this background that the Huadong Institute of Textile Science and Technology, the very first of its kind, was founded in Shanghai in 1951," says Liu. "Huadong" means East China, where Shanghai is located.

This was followed eight years later by the founding of the Beijing Institute of Textile Science and Technology, which changed its name in 1961 to the Beijing Institute of Synthetic Fiber Engineering, and again in 1988 to the Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology, or BIFT.

"These name changes reflect the development trend of the textile industry and society as a whole," Liu Wei pointed out. From the 60s to the 80s of the 20th century, a kind of polyester textile was widely popular in China because of its crisp and smooth, durable and easy to dry, no ironing, bright color, and no fading, and was affectionately called "really good".

"The name changes were reflective of the larger trends both within the industry and across society," says Liu, pointing to a type of polyester fabric whose durability and wrinkle resistance had made it so popular among Chinese between the 1960s and 70s that it was effectively dubbed "di que liang", meaning "really good".

A young man in the early 80's wearing a costume made of good fabrics

The name change in 1988 took place ten years after China's reform and opening up was officially launched. In December 1978, at the Third Plenary Session of the 11th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, China began to implement the policy of internal reform and opening up to the outside world. This major policy readjustment made by the party's second-generation central leadership collective with Deng Xiaoping at the core has brought about a great turning point of far-reaching significance in China's history, and China has entered a new period of reform and opening up.

In the case of the second name change, the decision was made a decade after the official start of China's reform and opening-up in 1978. Spearheaded by Deng Xiaoping, whom many today regards as the "chief architect" of the policies, the reform made the country more connected to the rest of the world and is a crucial move that is shaping China's future.

The message of being in tune with the world was first conveyed by China's state leaders, who began to wear suits to various public occasions. In the previous decade, the suit had completely disappeared from China, which had experienced the turmoil of the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976).

The message was sent out, first and foremost, by top Chinese leaders donning Western suits, which had been absent from view for the previous decade as China weathered the tumultuous "cultural revolution" (1966-76).

Guangzhou was one of the first Chinese cities to feel Deng Xiaoping's reforms. The city has a long history of commerce – it became known in the 18th and 19th centuries by the name "Canton" to the people who traded between China and the West. As a port city adjacent to Hong Kong, Guangzhou has become a bridge between Chinese mainland and the global fashion and textile markets, facilitating exchanges between the two and transforming into China's first fashion center.

One Chinese city to feel the immediate effects of Deng's reform measures was Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong province, whose historical name "Canton" was familiar to those working in trade between China and the West during the 18th and 19th centuries. Adjacent to Hong Kong, the port city became a bridge between the Chinese mainland and the global fashion and textile markets, and in that process transformed itself into China's first fashion hub.

Opening up also means opening up the market, and China's huge market is undoubtedly attractive to Western designers, one of the forerunners of which is France fashion designer Pierre · Cardin (1922-2020). In November 1978, Peel · Cardin visited China, the first Western fashion designer to visit China since 1949. Foreseeing the impending unleashing purchasing power of hundreds of millions of Chinese consumers, Cardin decided to conquer his future customers with a fashion show in Beijing in the spring of 1979.

In November 1978, French fashion designer Pierre Cardin (1922-2020) visited China, the first of any Western fashion designers to do so since 1949. Foreseeing the immense buying power about to be unleashed by hundreds of millions of Chinese consumers, he was also poised to shock audiences with his first-ever fashion show in the chilly spring of 1979.

The show took place on a makeshift stage at the Palace of National Culture in Beijing, with models from France and Japan wearing Cardin's latest designs on the runway, and the audience was filled with journalists, some with cameras in their hands and incredible expressions on their faces.

Held on a makeshift stage inside Beijing's Cultural Palace of Nationalities, the show saw a parade of French and Japanese models in front of a packed audience, which hosted news agencies and reporters holding cameras, all left flabbergasted.

France designer Pierre Cardin at a fashion show in Beijing in the spring of 1979

For Chinese audiences, Cardin's bold and futuristic designs were an eye-opener. The event served as an incentive for China's burgeoning fashion industry: at the end of 1980, the first fashion magazine was published in China and the first model team was formed by the Shanghai Garment Company, with 19 members selected from 30,000 candidates.

For his Chinese viewers, Cardin's bold, futuristic looks were mind-blowing, to say the least, but the event had a motivating effect. By the end of 1980, China published its first fashion magazine and debuted its first modeling team under the publicly-owned Shanghai Municipal Fashion Company, whose 19 members were chosen from 30,000 candidates.

Chinese model in the early days of reform and opening up

"The 1979 show sparked a lot of interest in the Cardin brand, and Cardin cleverly introduced the brand to China through a 'licensing' business model," Liu said. This licensing model means that all Cardin fashion goods sold in Chinese mainland are designed and produced locally under strict quality control.

"The 1979 show generated intense interest for the brand that Cardin introduced to China, ever so cleverly, through licensing," says Liu, referring to an arrangement whereby all Cardin fashion items sold on the Chinese mainland were locally designed and manufactured under strict quality control.

Not only did this approach significantly reduce costs, but it also allowed the brand to adapt to the local aesthetic of the time. At that time, the style of dressing of ordinary people was a far cry from Cardin's design style, which was marked by geometric deconstruction. In a sense, Cardin's business acumen is a huge inspiration for Chinese designers, especially young designers who are just beginning to recognize the power of brands," Liu continued. "That includes me, too."

"Apart from bringing down costs, this practice also allowed the brand to adapt to local preferences, which, at that time, were nowhere near the geometric and structural creations Cardin was known for. In a sense, Cardin's business acumen was even more inspiring for a generation of Chinese designers who were awakening to the power of fashion branding, me included," continues Liu.

Pierre · Cardin visited Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology in the 90s

In the mid-1990s, when Peel · Cardin's brand was in full swing in China, Liu Wei's colleague Yang Jie at the Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology was still in middle school, and the changes brought by the reform and opening up to Chinese society and fashion were already on full display. "Movies, music, dress, hairstyles...... It's all a whole. Yang Jie, 42, recalled. It was a time when Hong Kong's entertainment stars dominated television screens, and for Yang Jie and many of his peers, these stars were undoubtedly fashion icons of the time.

By the time Yang Jie, Liu's colleague at BIFT, was in middle school in the mid-1990s, the cultural impacts of opening up were fully felt. "Film, music, fashion, hairstyles… they were all one package," says the 42-year-old. For him and many of his peers back then, Hong Kong entertainment stars, whose images flooded TV screens, were indisputable fashion icons.

Yang Jie, a teacher at Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology

"Economic reform has significantly improved the living standards of ordinary Chinese, and at the same time, there has been a liberation of the mind. The younger generation craves self-expression, and fashion has become their way of asserting themselves, in a sense, similar to the revolutionaries who wore Mao suits back then. Yang Jie said. Do you know what was the best thing about that era? At that time, the internet had not yet existed, which meant that everyone did not have much to refer to when interpreting fashion, so everyone gave their own unique answers, which were often filled with raw creativity. Yang Jie said.

"The economic reform had led to a substantial improvement in living standards for the average Chinese, which led to an explosion of ideas and a newfound need for self-expression, which the younger generation reveled in. Fashion allowed them to make bold statements, not completely unlike the way the revolutionaries did with the Zhongshan suit."

"And you know what's so great about that moment? The internet had yet to appear, which meant we didn't have many references while trying to interpret fashion. As a result, people came up with their own answers, which sometimes resulted in raw creativity," Yang says.

Chinese model in the early days of reform and opening up

In 1998, the local Chinese brand Bo Tao held a grand fashion show in Beijing's Taimiao, where the models were dressed in long, slim and royal clothes with bold colors. These designs make full use of Western sartorial principles, while also exuding a distinctly Chinese charm. Liu Wei was also working on the brand at the time.

In 1998, Beijing-based fashion brand Botao, where Liu had worked as a young designer, held a grand runway show inside a historical building in Beijing that once served as the imperial ancestral temple between the 15th and early 20th century, with models milling about in heavy makeup, fanciful hairstyles and vibrant, body-conscious designs constructed on Western sartorial principles, yet radiated a clear Chinese stylistic influence.

"The choice of venue and the clothing itself show the brand's efforts to maintain its cultural roots, while the impact of the Western apparel industry is evident," said Liu Wei, who has been to Paris Fashion Week many times.

"The location choice and the clothes themselves hinted at an effort to maintain the brand's cultural roots, yet Western influence was obvious," says Liu, who would travel to Paris during its iconic fashion weeks.

John · Galliano is the creative director of Dior

Not being able to go to the fashion capital of France to watch the show is a pity for many fashion lovers and practitioners, and this regret has even given birth to a business. "During fashion week, there were people who bought pictures and videos from journalists and fashion photographers who had access to the runway, and then resold them at an expensive price to people who were eager to get their hands on the material," Liu Wei recalled.

For those who couldn't behold the spectacles in the French fashion capital, there was a hunger for the images, which spawned a business. "There were 'image-vendors' in those days who were able to buy show pictures from fashion photographers before selling them to us, at a price that was anything but cheap," recalls Liu.

In response to this strong demand for information, in 1995, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, together with the Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology and the China Fashion Designers Association, set up a fashion library on the Beifu campus. The China Fashion Designers Association was established two years ago in 1993.

Partly to fulfill that longing for information, in 1995, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, which had been promoting Hong Kong designers on the Chinese mainland through fashion shows and other events, set up a fashion library inside the Beijing institute in partnership with the college and the China Fashion Association, the latter founded in 1993.

In 1997, the association held the first China International Fashion Week in Beijing. Six years later, Shanghai also has its own fashion week, Shanghai Fashion Week. They are currently the most important exhibition platforms for Chinese designers.

In 1997, the association hosted the first China International Fashion Week in Beijing, followed by the first edition of Shanghai Fashion Week six years later, which have become major platforms for Chinese designers.

Photo by Zhu Xingxin at China International Fashion Week in Beijing in September 2023

China's fashion industry is undergoing rapid change. Yang Jie entered Beifu in 2000 as an undergraduate student, and shortly thereafter, on December 11, 2001, China joined the World Trade Organization, which helped Chinese fashion and textile products break into the international market. At the same time, the influx of global fashion brands also means that there is greater competition between local Chinese fashion brands and foreign brands already established in China.

Change was in the air. A little more than a year after Yang entered the institute as an undergraduate in 2000, China joined the World Trade Organization on Dec 11, 2001. The accession opened international markets for Chinese fashion and textile products. At the same time, the influx of global fashion brands meant more exposure to international trends and more competition for both domestic fashion companies and foreign brands already established, including Pierre Cardin.

"Since the early 2000s, Cardin's appeal to Chinese consumers has been declining for one simple reason: they are no longer satisfied with buying licensed designs after seeing the world's top fashion brands," Liu said.

"Since the early 2000s, the Cardin brand continued to lose its cachet with Chinese customers who, having seen for themselves the world's top fashion brands, were no longer content with buying licensed designs," says Liu.

In 2001, Shanghai, China's emerging fashion capital, hosted the ninth APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting, which was attended by participants dressed in tailored Tang costumes. In Chinese history, the Tang Dynasty (618-907) was a strong and open dynasty, and for a long time, many overseas Chinese also referred to themselves as "Tang people", which is why overseas "Chinatown" is also called "Chinatown". APEC's Tang costumes, made of fine silk and accentuated by traditional Chinese costumes with stand-up collars and buckles, are widely seen as a successful attempt at cultural diplomacy.

In 2001, Shanghai, the rising fashion hub, hosted the 9th APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting. Participants of the event, which signaled the country's increasing prominence on the global stage, were required to wear a tailor-made Tang suit, named for the Tang Dynasty (618-907), a period of social prosperity and inclusivity. Made of fine silk and characterized by its distinctive standing collar and knotted buttons, the suit was widely seen as a symbol of cultural diplomacy — China's way to showcase its rich fashion heritage.

On October 21, 2001, leaders attending the Ninth APEC Economic Leaders' Informal Meeting in Shanghai, China, dressed in Tang costumes

"Over the next two decades, traditional Chinese costumes, including those worn by previous dynasties, managed to capture the hearts of the younger generation, sparking a wave of 'Hanfu fever' and 'new Chinese style' among them," Liu said. "The ancient costumes of the robes, which were layered with wide sleeves, gave them a taste of flowing clothes."

"For the next two decades, that heritage has managed to capture the imagination of China's younger generation who entertain themselves with historical attire that often includes multilayered flowing robes with wide sleeves," says Liu.

"Behind this phenomenon is a fascination with beauty and a growing cultural self-confidence, as well as a completely different mindset from their parents and grandparents: these young people want to be different, not to be different." He continued.

"Behind the phenomenon, there's a fascination with beauty and a growing cultural confidence, as well as a desire to stand out rather than blend in as their parents and grandparents often preferred to do," he continues.

The "Hanfu craze" rising among young Chinese

Yang Jie has just participated in the Milan Spring/Summer 2025 Fashion Week, which will be held in Milan from September 17 to 23. "About 50 kilometers north of Milan is a small city called Como, known for its stunning lake and mountains, historic buildings and silk production since the 15th century," he said. "The archives of many local silk brands and workshops hold ancient silk samples, some of which came from China via the ancient Silk Road. This trade artery connecting the East and West began in the 2nd century BC and reached its peak during the Tang Dynasty. ”

Yang recently flew to Milan Fashion Week for the spring/summer 2025 season held from Sept 17 to 23. "Approximately 50 kilometers north of Milan there is a small city called Como, well-known among international travelers for its stunning lake views, historical architecture and silk production, which can be traced back to the 15th century," he says. "Many of the workshops and archives in Como hold historical collections, which include samples of ancient silk fabrics. Some of the samples came from China via the Ancient Silk Road, which was first established in the 2nd century BC and reached its height during the Tang Dynasty," he continues.

"Vision and history – this is the reason behind the world-famous ancient Chinese silk, and these two things are essential if today's Chinese fashion is to go global and achieve breakthroughs."

"Vision and history — what's behind the success story of Chinese silk is what's needed today for Chinese fashion to really emerge and thrive globally."

Reporter: Zhao Xu