Heritage gets a boost

A model shows a creation of fashion brands that demonstrates how they enliven Chinese garments at a recent runway show at Prince Gong's Mansion in Beijing. [Photo by Jiang Dong/China Daily]

The collections showcased traditional handcrafts－Su embroidery, Jing embroidery, Cantonese embroidery and Chinese silk tapestry－to demonstrate how traditional craftsmanship can not only survive but thrive.

At the fashion shows, NE Tiger showed qipao－gowns and wedding dresses featuring Su embroidery. It also showcased replicas of costumes from the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).

Liang Zi's collection featured Chinese silk treated with a special plant juice, while Zhao Yufeng's collection featured clothes for a family, from a grandfather to young children.

Meanwhile, the Eve Group used ethnic Miao embroidery in its clothing for men and women.

In the clothes, traditional Miao embroidery was updated to cater to modern tastes.

Eve, which has been in the business for 23 years, has a team that specializes in discovering and documenting traditional Chinese craftsmanship.

It has a huge database of Chinese craftsmen and women and their works, and has been used extensively in its collections, exhibitions and runway shows in Milan, London and Paris in recent years.