Answer: Hanfu dresses have a rich history of more than 5,000 years old. Fish said that the movement does have “patriotic undertones”, but that “most Hanfu enthusiasts are in it for the fashion and community more than a racial or xenophobic motivation.” In fact, contrary to popular belief, China’s “young people overall are progressively getting less nationalistic, and there have been studies to back that up,” he said. The platform has long been one of China’s most important marketing tools, but until now has struggled to become a sales engine for brands. Last year, video platform Bilibili and the Communist Youth League together declared April 18 China Hanfu Day, an opportunity to dress up not as ghosts or vampires, but in all kinds of traditional-looking Chinese clothing. Is it a dress? Zhishen is a kind of official dress in the Ming Dynasty. It was their attempt to stand up for Han culture after myriad historical foreign invasions, ethnic Manchu rule during the Qing dynasty (1636-1912), and what they see as phoney multiculturalism in contemporary China. “There is a desire to see Chinese brands succeed and be internationally respected, so I think it’s possible that an informal ‘buy made in China’ drive could unfold in the fashion industry as higher quality products meet a desire to express national pride.
“I see it in some sense as a form of fantasy and escapism, like cosplay or role-playing video games are for a lot of people,” said Eric Fish, the author of China’s Millennials: The Want Generation. Hanfu’s current popularity stems, in part, from the Hanfu Movement, started in the early 2000’s when a few members of China’s Han majority began wearing what they imagined as traditional Han clothing. With soaring profits and rapidly expanding store networks, ‘heritage-gold’ jewellery brands like Laopu Gold and Lao Feng Xiang are red-hot in China’s otherwise tepid luxury market. China is the biggest market in the world for major luxury brands, but consumers here have been quick to boycott foreign retailers and brands they perceive as racist – Dolce and Gabbana is one recent example. “Chinese consumers are still avid buyers of foreign brands, but Chinese brands are gaining ground on them,” said Fish. The Chinese character gui《袿》in the term guiyi (袿衣) refers to the shape of its hanging part which is broad at the top region but becomes narrow at the bottom making it look like a daogui, an ancient measuring tool for Chinese medicine, in appearance.
The symbolic design of the butterfly and clouds evokes a sense of freedom and prosperity, making this necklace not just a piece of jewelry, but a meaningful cultural symbol. The revised Song pants are thoughtfully equipped with an elastic band for ease of movement, making them perfectly suited for travel or daily wear. Dongfang Daily (2 July 2012). “海上名媛与海上旗袍的华丽转身”. Leiden: Global Oriental. 2012. pp. Some Chinese fashion fans have already shown how well visuals from Chinese fantasies and historical epics work as ads for the likes of Gucci and Kenzo- though some are equally quick to mock foreign brands for slapping zodiac animals on their designs in the lead up to Spring Festival. “Lots of my designs incorporate Hanfu thinking,” she said. Leading Chinese designers such as Uma Wang and Guo Pei have drawn extensively on traditional Chinese fashion in their designs. Once fashion’s most reliable growth engine, the Chinese market is shifting as consumer spending cools and shoppers with more choice than ever gravitate toward savvy domestic brands.