qipao Archives

July 8, 2020

Lifestyle

Teacher in China Wears a Qipao to Destress Students During Grueling College Entrance Exams

A high school teacher in Dandong, Liaoning province, China has gone viral for the wholesome way of showing support for his students taking the Gaokao or the National College Entrance Examination (NCEE).

The teacher appeared in front of his class wearing a qipao on Tuesday before his cram school students take the test that will determine their future, according to Shanghaiist.

Little Mix and PrettyLittleThing Accused of Culturally Appropriating the Traditional Chinese Dress

Social media users are accusing British girl group Little Mix of culturally appropriating a traditional Chinese dress in their first fashion collection launched with U.K. brand PrettyLittleThing.

Prior to the collection’s launch on Thursday, both Little Mix and PrettyLittleThing posted teaser photos in their Instagram pages, one of which showcased members Jesy, Perrie, Jade and Leigh-Anne in pieces the resemble the traditional Chinese cheongsam.

This Backless Qi Pao Puts the Pao in Qi Pao

Womenswear designer Kim Shu has said that she doesn’t want her creations to be “limited,” and her bold and vibrant designs can attest to such pursuit of creative boundlessness.

Her unconventional works of art first made their impression at the VFiles Runway for Autumn/Winter NYFW back in 2016. It did not take long for the rest of the fashion world to take notice.

8 Traditional Asian Gowns Reimagined As Modern Prom Dresses

Year after year, the same old, generic yet popular dress styles circulate the internet during prom dress-shopping season. But last year, a Filipino-American teen turned heads at her senior prom in a Filipiniana complete with a pamaypay (fan) and we all took notes.

For Asian women who want to change things up and embrace their roots for upcoming formal events, here are 8 modern takes on traditional gowns from Asian designers for some inspiration.

Instagram Designer Draws Backlash Over Bikini That ‘fetishizes Asian women’

A small NYC design company based in Manhattan has found itself in the center of another debate on cultural appropriation after releasing a Qipao print bikini that many believed was promoting the fetishization of Asian women.

Palais Du Dèsir, owned by Fashion Institute of Technology student Vanessa Danelle, posted a photo of the “Chinoiserie” on the shop’s Instagram page with the caption:

Hey Fashion Retailers, That Design You’re Stealing is Called a ‘Qipao’

The beautiful qipao, or cheongsam, originates from 1920s China, and is still widely popular today, however, fashion retailers won’t call it by it’s name.

Rich in history, the qipao emerged in the 1920s after China’s New Culture Movement. Women were now allowed to education and adopted the qipao as an outfit. Gradually, the dress began to become hip-hugging and fitted to accentuate the female body and the image of the urban Chinese woman.