From 'battle robe' to fashion icon
Haipai qipao culture evolves into modern day with fresh structure and versatile fabrics, making it the perfect wardrobe piece for casual or formal occasions, He Qi reports.
Wang Wenxi, a 90s-born Chinese designer, debuted her brand FayWeaver at the 2025 Fall/Winter New York Fashion Week, stunning the audience with models walking the runway in reimagined Shanghai-style qipao (or cheongsam). Wang's designs feature diagonal plackets with traditional buttons paired with asymmetrical cuts, sleek lines defined by stretchy lycra fabric, and children's designs that swayed gently with each step.
As a young Chinese qipao brand established in 2021, FayWeaver's show raised a critical question: When the elegance of "Oriental Paris" meets the lifestyle philosophy of Generation Z (those born from the mid-1990s to the early 2010s), how can the Shanghai-style qipao emerge from the folds of history to become a dynamic cultural symbol?
