Precautions for making qipao

The first step is measurement. How to reach qipao and body shape fit, tailoring fit, depends on brilliant measurement techniques. What are the key points of measurement and which parts need to be payed attention to? The tailor need to observe the body shape of the person being measured first, and prepares a scale record and a soft ruler. The person being measured stands naturally with your arms at the sides and keeps your back straight. The tailor stands on the right hand side of a person being measured. Using a soft ruler to measure from right shoulder, passed the chest to the center of the hem to form a vertical line. Holding a soft ruler can’t be loose, tight, and swaying; then recording twenty three basic parts one by one: body, collar length, front neck height, back neck height, upper chest width, bust width, small waist circumference, middle waist circumference, small waist length, middle waist length, hip width, hip length, hip circumference, leg circumference, leg shape, high slit, hem, shoulder slop, shoulder, shoulder width, lower back, long sleeves, three quarter length sleeves, cuffs.

▲Illustration: Measurement is the most important task for making qipao. The above picture shows 15 places that must be measured.

To learn qipao cutting, you need to be concentrated, bold and cautious. First, confirm face side, stack the front of the cloth inside, and draw the chalk lines on the reverse side. Do not use dark chalk on light cloth. Then make sure the fold line of the cloth; determine the direction of the cloth pattern: the pattern directions of the garment piece, sleeve piece and collar piece are consistent. When cutting velvet fabric, pay attention to keep the plush of each garment piece consistent to avoid color difference. The cutting order are ten steps: (1) Cropped placket: Including fabric folding: double-width (four-fold), single-fold (half-fold) (2) Step of cutting qipao. (3) Use a one-sixth scale to open the wrist and collar. (4) Make a fold at bust. (5) Open sleeves. (6) Attach sleeves. (7) Iron the wrist part. (8) Side seam and placket stick with bias strips. (9) Open collar. (10) Cut the collar.

To learn how to make a qipao, you must learn how to sew first: flat stitch, back stitch, mixed stitch with back stitch, oblique stitch, and hidden stitch. When cutting, add appropriate seam allowances and welts to the outline. Ordinary zip with 1.5cm stop. Hidden zipper with 1cm stop. Packaging and hem stops are also different.

▲A slip stitch	▲A running stitch
▲A couch stitch	▲A back stitch
	▲Above chart: sewing quilts made by qipao

qipao master - Chen Zhongxin's qipao manufacturing process

● tailoring steps

1.Whole cloth: Immerse the cloth in water and then iron it to prevent the cloth from shrinking.	2.Pattern making: Draw the pattern on a large sheet of wrapping paper and cut it.	3.Configuration: Arrange the cut paper pattern on the cloth and choose the appropriate pattern.
4.Cutting the cloth: Use the dressmaking scissors to cut the cloth along the paper type.	5.Making a mark: Cut a small triangular holes on the paper and cloth edge, and use it as an alignment mark when sewing.	6.Cutting and adhesive the lining: Cut the lining with a paper type, and then glue the lining and the fabric with a thin paste for tailoring.
7.Trimming: Cut off the excess lining and iron the cloth.	8.Temporary fixation: Fix the center line and pleats temporarily with stitches first to avoid slanting when sewing.	9.Overlock cloth selvedge: Use three-line overlock machine to sew the cloth edge to avoid coming off a thread when the work is done.

● Stitch steps

10.Reserving seam allowance: Apply cloth chalk to the area to be stitched, and draw a line according to the size then reserve the seam allowance.	11.Collar lining: Add nylon lining to the collar to increase the hardness.	12.Seam sewing: stitch the qipao front and back, sleeve, collar pieces and other parts.
13.Make piping strips: Use a color matching cloth that matches the fabric, cut the long strips and fold the u shape inside, and iron it.	14.Sewing piping: Use a sewing machine to sew the piping strips unilaterally on the collar, cuffs, and slits of qipao.	15.Hand-sewn piping: The other side of the piping strip must be completed by hand-sewing.
16. Try-on for adjustment: The customer will try it on the spot, and use the beading needle as a mark to adjust the fit.	17.Choose a flower button: At the front of the qipao, choose color and style of the flower button or don’t use it according to the customer's preference.	18.You're done: Modify the qipao according to the adjustment, plus the flower button, qipao is completed.

Qipao’s features

There are three features in qipao: First, top and skirt become one-piece style of the clothes, which is fully revealed the curves of the female body, shapes and beauty, showing the graceful and luxurious charisma. Second, the material of qipao is mostly satin. The fabric is soft, easy to bend, laborious in sewing, but it can express a sense of graceful. Third, the pattern of qipao decorated with flowers, including plum blossom, orchid, bamboo and chrysanthemum, Ruyi, dragon, phoenix, peacock and all kinds of lace which are very artistic. Therefore, the Chinese qipao is a handcrafted artwork made to enhance the beautiful shape of women. Let’s talk about the features of qipao with colors, fabrics, and patterns.

Color

Qipao is a traditional costume for our Chinese race, which is our hundred-year culture, and the most gorgeous phenomenon in Chinese costume culture. Nowadays, there are more and more styles of qipao, and very colorful. Slowly, it starts to become popular and fashionable, and everyone can show their own charisma by wearing it.
Different colors of qipao bring out different charisma; today let’s take a look at the meaning of various colors in qipao.

1.Red qipao

Red in China represents auspicious, festive, warm, passionate, energetic feeling, bright colors are very eye-catching. Red is the most color in qipao styles, because red is passionate, positive and the cut with the slim fit of the qipao, which shows sexy and charming of a woman's shape.

2.Blue Qipao

Blue, like the sea or the sky, is quiet and mysterious. It represents the meaning of calmness, and rationality. The woman who likes blue qipao is emotional stability and has an elegant charisma. Combining classic qipao with blue revealing the beauty and exquisiteness of a woman, is very aristocratic.

3.Light green qipao

A touch of light green can show fair-skinned, especially the beautiful light green, light and pale, which can make people feel happy at a glance. Just like the one that Liu Tao wore, it can show the outstanding elegant charisma.

4. Purple qipao

Purple is a mysterious and noble color associated with romance, wealth, and aristocracy. In our Chinese tradition, purple represents saints, emperor, and purple is a distinguished color. Wearing purple qipao shows elegant, noble, and attractive.

5. White qipao

White qipao is only suitable for some certain women. Because white is very simple and elegant, only women with good-looking, charisma can reveal the charming of refinement in white qipao.

6. Black qipao

The black qipao fits Dilraba, and reveals the curves of the whole body, which only shows that she really has good shape. Dilraba’s skinis fair, so she wears black which shows her face is very fair, plus her good-looking, she looks a bit like a wealthy lady in the Republic of China, with a unique sense of nobility.

7. Yellow qipao

Yellow qipao is the brightest and the most elegant for women. Some people say, "Fashionable women should be beautiful like flowers, have good voice like birds, behave like willows, have bones like jade, have skin like snow, have posture like autumn water, and heart like poetry." Later, after seeing the women in qipao, I realize what elegant woman was like, very knowledgeable and educated, in figure flattering yellow qipao, with good-looking, graceful behavior, fair skin, which perfectly shows the woman's elegant.

Fabric

The main fabrics to make qipao are below:

Jacquard cotton
I. Jacquard cotton, also called cotton jacquard, which is a woven fabric composed of embossed patterns with cotton threads. Unlike printed cotton, the jacquard cotton is woven out, not embroidered or printed. Jacquard cotton has contrast of bright and dark by original cloth and the pattern with the same fabric. The colors of original cloth and the pattern can be the same or different. The fabrics of jacquard are generally chemical and cotton. The fabric of Jacquard cotton is suitable for most people because it’s easy to clean and for casual wear. Jacquard cotton will fade and lose its elasticity. People should be aware of cleaning methods, and avoid excessive exposure under the sun.

Silk qipao
1、 Silk is composed of sericin and silk fibroin which consist of different proportion and space of eighteen kinds of amino acids. It is a kind of protein fiber. With sericin outside and silk fibroin inside, these two are connected tightly. Sericin’s structure is loose, and very rough so it needs to be degummed. The silk fibroin’s structure is firm, soft luster like pearls.
2、soft, smooth, thick, plump in texture, and extreme flexibility
3、good moisture absorption, good breathing, skin care, and health care. Silk is a protein fiber, Silk carpet made of silk has good UV absorption. Silk is a porous fiber, so it has good thermal, hygroscopic, dissipating, and breathable feature, and has a certain protection on skin.
4、Silk is delicate, and need to be carefully treated and avoid rubbing, twisting, or dragging on rough places which results in damage to protein fiber.

Stretch cotton qipao

Advantage: good texture, good flexibility, easy to take care, much more flexibility. And it fits the needs of bending at many parts of the body. Not easy to wrinkle or crease.
Disadvantage: easy to fall apart and deform over time.

Lace qipao
Lace fabrics are stretched and non-stretched lace which is so-called lace cloth. Stretched lace fabric is composed of 10% spandex and 90% nylon. Non-stretched lace fabric is 100% nylon or cotton. Lace fabric is thin and transparent with elegant and mysterious artistic effects, and widely used in woman’s underwear.

Velvet qipao
Velvet fabric symbolizes elegance and “blue blood” noble charm. When it gradually applied to formal occasions, velvet becomes one of the most “favorite” fabric in fashion industry. Its soft material gives people a comfortable and intimate feeling.

Qipao of other fabrics are rare, so we’ll talk about it later.

Qipao pattern

The pattern with most political significance in Qing dynasty is dragon and phoenix which is also from the distant past, and ordinary people can’t use the pattern. The pattern of qipao in Qing dynasty take auspicious meaning like phoenixes, cranes, various birds, eight immortals eight immortals’ vessels, Fulu Shouxi, plum blossoms, orchids, bamboos and chrysanthemums. Deling, the chief female officer of Empress Dowager Cixi said: There are also rules for the floral patterns of four seasons. Peony means wealth for spring, plum blossom for winter. Breaking branches of osmanthus and orchid means “compliments for offspring”, gourd and vine means “many descendants”, double-happiness symbol and hundreds of butterflies means “having double happiness”, narcissus and longevity word means “gathering of immortals to bless longevity”, melons and butterflies means “many descendants and prosperity”, etc. Modern common qipao pattern is flowers by Chinese ink brush painting techniques.

Introduction of some common patterns:

1.Plum blossom	Its language of flower is strong, elegant and loyal. It also symbolizes auspiciousness and happiness that means joyful, happy, long-lived, smooth. Plum blossoms symbolize integrity, perseverance, strong will, good virtue. People wearing qipao with plum blossom pattern are definitely the symbol of beauty.
2.Orchid	It symbolizes “noble person in flower”, “fragrance of the king.” For Chinese, there is a further meaning in our race. Orchid symbolizes simple and elegant with good temperament. Take orchid as a decoration on qipao can reveal women’s quality.
3.Bamboo	There is different Chinese traditional cultural meaning. Bamboo is evergreen that symbolizes a strong vitality, and stay young forever; bamboo is hollow symbolizes humble character. A woman wearing bamboo pattern qipao reveals free, righteous.
4.Chrysanthemum	It symbolizes pure, elegant, graceful, charming; it’s a kind of flower that ancient and modern people with all ages like most. Chrysanthemum blooms in snow weather that reveal Chinese people’s integrity and never giving up.
5.Mandarin duck	Qipao with this pattern usually takes as a wedding dress. Because in ancient times, people usually take mandarin ducks as a couple in harmony. Modern people take it as a symbol of love.
6.Peony	It is our Chinese national flower. It symbolizes noble, elegant person. Qipao with peony is a symbol of wealth, auspicious, happy, and prosperous. Complete, affectionate, wealthy, elegant is the language of peony.

The styles of qipao are according to the shapes of plackets: round placket, square placket, lute-shape placket, beveled placket, two plackets, etc. The collars are: high collars, low collars, and collarless. The styles of sleeves are: wide sleeves, narrow sleeves, long sleeves, three-quarter sleeves, short sleeves or sleeveless. The styles of slit: high slit, low slit. Long qipao, short qipao, double-layered qipao, single-layered qipao, etc. The changes of qipao’s styles are mainly of sleeves and plackets. Chiang Shuilin introduced 47 kinds of styles that Madan Chiang Soong Meiling designed in the book “Chinese qipao”:

1. Types of beveled placket: small round-shaped placket, double arc placket, big round-shaped placket, beveled breasted placket. The style of small round-shaped placket is conservative, and suitable for the elders or people with oblong faces. The style of medium round-shaped placket is suitable for mid-aged women; big round-shaped placket is suitable for young women, except for people with round faces and short necks. The biggest round-shaped placket is suitable for young girls and young-married women.
2. The style of variation in beveled placket: rectangle placket, curved angle-shaped placket, flying geese-shaped placket.
3. The style of variation in big placket: big placket with sheer, big placket with lace, big placket with two butterflies. The curved from collar to cuff is called big placket.
4. The style of inverted-V placket: two big round placket, two "人” shaped placket, two squared placket, two I-shaped placket.
5. The style of Ruyi-shaped placket: Rectangle-ruyi, Jishin lianhuan ruyi, Three Jishin lianhuan ruyi, Half ruyi, Inverted-V lianhuan ruyi, Ruyi, Floral and leaved-shaped ruyi, One shoulder-shaped ruyi, Yunjian jishin ruyi, Yunjian ruyi, two shoulder-shaped ruyi, Wave-shaped ruyi, Butterfly-shaped ruyi, Half right and half left ruyi, I and wave shaped ruyi, Half dueijin ruyi, Horn-shaped ruy;I, Diagonal-shaped ruyi, up and down shaped ruyi, two sleeve-shaped ruyi.

6. The style of half lute-shaped placket: Styles of lianhuan ruyi. Form a straight line from collars and pass big plackets, the waist to the hem. Along the line decorated with lianhuan ruyi. The style of half lute-shaped placket is from collars to the waist to form a bit curved.
7. The style of half plackets: Half jishin ruyi placket, Half floral sewing placket. The rest of the plackets are mainly used short sleeves to change the style, such as: Short-sleeved half placket. Short-sleeved placket with holes, short-sleeved with I-shaped breasted placket, and short-sleeved off-shoulder neck breasted, etc.

Cultural Innovation

"Qipao" is no longer a dress in daily life, but must be combined with Taiwan's cultural industry. So the traditional spirit of Chinese culture can create different sparks through the cooperation of different industries. The most famous combination of qipao and cultural industry is the movie "The Assassin". However, with the persistence and innovation of the qipao tailors, the life of the qipao can continue and pass down.

1.The tailor of ``The Assassin'', hiding in an alley of Dadaocheng

Sep.23rd, 2015

Interview by Kao Chienlun, Chang Yuanting

[New Tang Dynasty, September 23rd , 2015] Hou Hsiaohsien’s movie "The Assassin" was affirmed by Cannes Film Festival, and foreign media commented "Nie Yinniang resurrected the Tang Dynasty." The beautiful costumes are amazing, whether it is exquisite ornate court dresses, or Nie Yinniang, the assassin, dressed up in black. In fact, all of the dresses were from the hands of Master Chen Zhongxin in Dadaocheng.

Exquisite and gorgeous court dresses, or a black assassin’s costume The movie "The Assassin", back to the ancient Tang Dynasty, each beautiful costume in the movie comes from Master Chen Zhongxin the tailor in Dadaocheng.

Qipao master Chen Zhongxin in Dadaocheng: "In ancient times, there was no sewing machine, and qipao is used a very thick thread. Fix the thick thread on the collar then stitches by hand. That’s the design.”

Back to ancient times, creating Tang style by stitches. Chen Zhongxin started to make the movie costumes “The Assassin” five years ago. A thick of costume design book with the size and measurement information of main characters. Chen Zhongxin said that what impressed him most was assassin dress of Nie Yinniang.

Qipao master Chen Zhongxin in Dadaocheng: "The piece of genuine leather is very hard when you use a needle to sew. The needle is clamped by it (leather), and each stitch has to be pulled out with a clip. That is, it’s very difficult.”

Chen Zhongxin, 63 years old, is a native person from Dadaocheng. His parents are both qipao masters. After Chen recharged from military service, he learn the techniques from parents, and Huang Wenying, a movie production designer, came to him. They cooperated and were in sync since the movie "Flowers of Shanghai” in 1998.

Qipao master Chen Zhongxin in Dadaocheng: "Hemming, the inner hemming is double-colored, and then piping, all above needs to be concerned. The height of collars, the collar I made fits the neck.

The notes in the book are records of discussions with the production designer Huang Wenying. The costume of the assassin Nie Yinniang, Huang Wenying deliberately designed multiple layers, and when the assassin jumped down, there was a sense of flying.

Qipao master Chen Zhongxin in Dadaocheng: "When fighting, her (Nie Yinniang) clothes will reveal a sense of floating, which is especially widening. Now the cloth is very soft, and has floating lines, then the feeling will come out layer by layer."

In the small workshop, the poster of "The Assassin" was on the wall, and the newspaper cutting about Director Hou awarded the best director of Cannes Film Festival. The movie costumes he made leapt onto the big screen and won international praise. Let Chen Zhongxin feels very honored.

Qipao master Chen Zhongxin in Dadaocheng: “He won the prize, and I won it too. In my age, this is life. It seemed like Director Hou had been to Cannes seven times. I won the prize when I’m old."

" Old-honored brand " The Life of the Drama, expert in Yufeng qipao

Nov.18th, 2015

The best director of Taiwanese movie “The Assassin” in Cannes Film Festival this year made a world of beautiful and fascinating martial arts. And 90% of delicate and fine movie costumes are from “Yufeng Qipao Expert” founded 60 years in Taiwan Dihua Street.

The old store passes down the craftsmanship of two generations of Chen Xiaonuan and Chen Zhongxin. Whether a newly-wed woman or a bar girl, qipao can reveal their slim figures and sexy waists ; Li Baozhu, the third wife from Formosa Plastics Group, worked at the Black Beauty Restaurant At that time, she had been here to make a qipao.

When the ready-to-wear industry rose and qipao workshops declined, in addition to the second-generation Chen Zhongxin's made customized movie costumes, he also had to take the neighbor's odd jobs to make a living; he did not want the next generation to be the successor; the sound of sewing machine wakes up from the beautiful dream of qipao, the realistic is heartrending. After seeing the movie "The Assassin" and waiting for the credit title running to the end, suddenly a line of small characters "Yufeng Qipao Expert" appeared. This is interesting; the background of the whole story is in Tang Dynasty, Then what is the relationship with qipao in Qing Dynasty? After several visits, when I came to Dihua Street, there are stories even in the air. I can smell Chinese herb medicine and tobacco whiling entering the alley across from Xiahai City God Temple in Taipei. Yufeng was hiding in it.

Chen Zhongxin, the second generation of Yufeng Qipao, silently completes the orders from guests. At the age of sixty-two, he has a beer belly and uses tailor’s chalk to draw curves on the fabric, as if he wanted to seal all the sexy elements in it. When I came back to myself, I went straight to the point: "What is the relationship between Master Chen and “The Assassin?”

Nie Yinniang polished the signboard

"I made 90% costumes of Nie Yinniang!" Chen Zhongxin said. It turned out that Chen Zhongxin cooperated with Huang Wenying for a long time. Who is Huang Wenying? Since 1994, she is Hou Xiaoxian's the chief production and costume designer. She had won the Golden Horse Award in 1999, the Taipei Film Festival, and the Asia Pacific Film Festival's best art director at the same time with the film "Flowers of Shanghai"; She nominated for Best Art Direction and Best Design of the Golden Horse Awards. through “The Assassin"

When asking the process of cooperating with Huang Wenying, Chen Zhongxin smiled bitterly: "I put all efforts and spent three years to make the movie costumes of The Assassin. When she was afraid that I would go out for dinner and delay the time, she asked the assistant to bring me every meal directly. The more I got tired, the more my feet become numb and my body is in bad health conditions... "

Huang Wenying took a telephone interview from the magazine and revealed that many years ago, she wanted to repair her antique dress. Passing the window of Yufeng workshop, she liked the qipao here at the first sight, and asked Yufeng to make one or two movie costumes “Flowers in Shanghai.”, whether piping or hemming techniques are very meticulous and price are reasonable. For The Assassin, Chen Zhongxin sew at least hundreds of movie costumes ...

▲The split of skirt in qipao shows the master's delicate work of "piping" which is like new shoots with green and red edges.

▲Put a metal thimble on the middle finger for sewing easily.

▲Traditional qipao is mostly right lapel, and with a Y-shaped on chest.

2. Qipao craftsman Chen Zhongxin in Dadaocheng continues qipao’s life by stitches

Nov.6th, 2017

Report by Chen Yingyu

Qipao is the traditional clothing of Han women in modern times. It’s a rolled model of oriental aesthetics and elegance. However, like other traditional techniques, the skills and spirit of handmade qipao are gradually lost. In order to preserve this important culture, the General Association of Chinese Culture (GACC) invited the director Huang Lingyuan to shoot a film of "the soul of a craftsman soul" # 04 Yufeng Qipao workshop, and will hold a film sharing today (6) inviting the main character of qipao master Chen Zhongxin from Yufeng Qipao workshop in Dadaocheng, many loyal customers of master Chen, and qipao lovers. They wore qipaos and saw the film in Lok Hue Hng Bar & Café in Dadaocheng.

Dadaocheng area used to be the development center of Taipei City. Although the prosperity disappeared with time, it still contains deep historical and cultural heritage. The film's main character, Yufeng Qipao workshop of Master Chen Zhongxin is located in Dadaocheng across from the Xiahai City God Temple. Master Chen Zhongxin, a 65-year-old person, was born in Dadaocheng where businessmen gathered in 1950s. He has made qipao by hand for more than 50 years. He is a craftsman who witnessed the rise and fall of the cultures of qipao and bar in Taiwan. Despite the impact of modernization and the development of garment industry, he still insists on sewing and stitches to keep the temperature of handmade qipao.

Chen Zhongxin met Director Hou’s chief production designer Huang Wenying in destiny, and changed to be the tailor made the delicate Tan costumes in the movie “The Assassin” behind the scene. He is also a very important person who help to win Best Design of the Golden Horse Awards. Although most modern people no longer wear qipao, Chen Zhongxin still keeps the mind of a craftsman. He insists on manufacturing by hand from measuring clothes, opening plackets, cutting to extend the life of qipao.

Chen Zhongxin said, "It takes a day to make a qipao, but there are two qipaos are totally the same." The unique design is Master Chen ’s expectations for himself, and also the respect for customers as a handmade qipao master. In the film sharing, what Master Chen said also quietly shows his philosophy of a craftsman. “People think that the figure is weird, and they come to find tailors. If we didn’t do well, that means we were in poor techniques, not because of her bad shape. Our profession is other people can’t make it but you can."

The vice president of GACC Chiang chunnan said qipao was originally a robe of the Banner people (Qing dynasty) and later it became Han people’s dress, but the qipao in Taiwan is different from the qipao in Shanghai. From 1930s, Dadaocheng was a prosperous place full of culture and prosperity. From 1950s to 1970s, the textile industry gradually replaced agriculture as a new industry in Taiwan. Many textile industries started from Dihua Street. There were full of women wearing qipao at that time. Even though the glory is no longer, many young people are still actively reviving Dadaocheng and the glory of the past. Just like Handmade qipao by Master Chen, he constantly innovates, because he hopes to inherit and let more young people know qipao culture.

Owing to the film is mostly shot in Dadaocheng, today ’s film sharing is especially held at the scene in Dadaocheng “Lok Hue Hng Bar & Café.” Director Huang Lingyuan especially shared the last scene of the movie; when Master Chen stood by an open staircase, a bar woman passed by with the music of "Youth Nocturne" by Ji Luxia. Through brilliant picture design to convey the corridor of time between Master Chen and Yufeng Qipao workshop, we can recall the prosperity and decline of qipao culture for more than 50 years, and the reappearance of Dadaocheng.

3.Introducing of the movie costumes in the movie “The Assassin”

“The Assassin” is a movie directed by Director Hou Hsiaohsien. It is a martial arts movie based on a legend of Tang dynasty “Nie Yinniang” which awarded 5 prizes: best movie, best director, best cinematography, best makeup and costume design, best sound effects in Golden Horse Awards. It displays the costumes in the movie in this special exhibition. Because in the parts of costumes and accessories, production designer Huang Wenying especially invited qipao master Chen Zhongxin in Dadaocheng to cooperate. So the location of this special exhibition is in each traditional tailor’s workshop in Dadaocheng. We can exhibit movie costumes and promote the textile industry in Dadaocheng at the same time. The displayed costumes are below:

▲The role Little TIan Jian’s costume in the movie.	▲The role Yuanyi’s costume in the movie.	▲The role Tian Jian’s costume in the movie.	▲The role Tian Jian’s armor in the movie
▲The role Kong Konger’s costume in the movie	▲The role Hu Ji’s costume in the movie	▲The role Xia Jing’s costume in the movie	▲The role Princess Jia Cheng’s costume in the movie
▲The role Princess Jia Cheng’s armor in the movie	▲The role Jing Jinger’s costume in the movie	▲ The role Nie Feng’s costume in the movie	▲The role Nie Yinniang’s costume in the movie
▲The role Nie Yinniang’s costume in the movie

The fusion of Chinese and western and luminous again

Except for some qipao masters, the continuation and development of Taiwanese qipao rely on the inheritance and innovation of designer’s brands for culture. After the qipao’s market declined, the designers persisted and turned into an advantage of cultural industry. Shiatzy Chen has leaped onto an international stage and become a shining star of the fashion industry.

Shiatzy Chen combined Chinese and Western cultures to create a new and improved qipao:

1.Shiatzt Chen ``Ever-changing Lotus” through the beauty of time and space

2019/10/08 Oct. 8th, 2019

Reported by Wu Shiauhan

The Taipei Fashion Week is the second this year. With the theme of “NOWism modernism”, it connects the past, present and the future of Taiwan ’s fashion development. It focuses on the creativeness of Taiwan ’s local culture and is in line with international standards to make Taipei into another Asia's iconic fashion city. The brand Shiatzy Chen was born in 1978; Chen SHIATZY CHEN, as the most representative fashion brand from Taiwan, has many years of experience in Paris Fashion Week. Of course it can’t miss this grand event; yesterday with 2020 early spring series show got the theme show of Taipei Fashion Week this year started.
People including James Wen, Best Supporting Actor in the Golden Bell Award, idol drama actor Melvin Sia, actresses Joanne Tseng, Patricia Lin, Liya Wang, and creative talent David Tao, etc. all came to the show. James Wen who was “A happy face means a glad heart.” chose a pink jacket with a white T-shirt with Shiatzy Chen’s theme of lotus this early spring, and the outfit was joyful and casual. Joanne Tseng in a dress with qipao collar expressed about attending the show of Shiatzy Chen in Taiwan that: "I feel like a dream come true. Because I’ve attended the show of Shiatzy Chen twice in Paris, and I always wanted to wear clothes with qipao style. I’m finally in it."
We can say the show of Shiatzy Chen in 2020 spring and summer merge the beauty of Chinese and Western. Ms. Wang Chen Tsaihsia, the chief designer, led the design team has inspiration from the classic cultural relics like lotus, dragonfly, flowers and birds collected by the National History Museum—the oriental wash painter Bada Shanren’s idea, echoing this "Museum Inspiration" breaks through the theme of time and space, and combines the image of the impressionist master Monet's water lily pond to create a dream-like, new and modern style outfit. The overall tones are mainly white, blue, black, gray, and then embellished with peach and pink. The shape of the lotus is ever-changing on cotton, linen, and organza. It sometimes abstracts and sometimes doesn’t. It shows the ever-changing beauty through embroidery, printing, and rendering. Ms. Wang Chen Tsaihsia used the details of the jacquard to present the sparkling feeling of the lotus pond. Glitter, lace elements and Art Nouveau Art Nouveau decorative fonts also added details to the highlight.

reference: UDN news

https://udn.com/news/story/11319/4091982

2.Shiatzy Chen ‘s Early Spring Poetic Deconstruction of Western Aesthetics　

2019/10/08

report by Li Shiwen

In this season's Shiatzy Chen, design director Ms. Wang Chen Tsaihsia shared her inspiration from lotus, dragonflies, flowers and birds painted by the Asian ink painter Bada Shanren collected by the National History Museum, combined with Western Impressionists Monet's water lily pond the light and shadow in the image represent an elegant and freehand early spring mood.
Disassembling a set of clothing, in a luxurious and elegant holiday style, is very practical and matching. For example, men's and women's shirts, pants, long blouses, etc. can be mixed & matched in the early spring style. The design director also said that this season's women's clothing takes the narrow and long silhouette of the 1930s as the main axis, bringing into the innovative collar structure inspired by antique clothing. Men's clothing values the importance as a whole to the layered stacking vision, using the difference in clothing length, two layers of collar-type multi-level matching.

3.Shiatzy Chen, spring and summer Art Tour Fantasy

2018/12/12 Dec.12th, 2018

Shiatzy Chen held a preview of 2019spring and summer men and women's clothing in the brand's in Zhongshan flagship store yesterday (11th). The series named "Ningli" started a paragraph existed only with gorgeous adventure in a virtual story, using its brushwork full of oriental colors.

The people in the brand, under the direction of chief designer Wang Chen Tsaihsia with her clever techniques, turned into a lost Jade Rabbit, crossed the arch totem laid by the national mahjong, and passed through the series. The pomegranate tree with rich fruits and the graceful winding ten thousand years Ganoderma lucidum growing on the ground, under the background of rose bushes, have become the most beautiful scenery along the way. The blue-bellied Pheasant, the red-crowned crane, and the Beijing dog have become the best travel companions in the journey.

With a playful theme, this season is also becoming more vital and lighter in silhouette. The graceful begonia powder, Miyazaki purple, inky black and quiet white, echoing the shiny fabric, organza and lace, reveal a youthful breath. The exclusive developed printing and the details of stitching of different materials also echo the current fashion trend. On the accessories, it also releases the spirit of mix and match. The brand’s abbreviated Logo belt and sneakers and mesh boots with contrast colors on the model ’s feet, embellished with sparkling Swarovski crystals, all extend the magnificent territory that incorporates the brand spirit this season.