SHANGHAI: Zhou Zhuguang surveys his Shanghai workshop and rows of workers meticulously stitching high-collared Chinese dresses known as qipao, some of which sell for nearly $5,000.
“It’s a highly skilled craft,” said Zhou, co-founder of Hanart, one of China’s most well-known qipao makers.
“Some of our tailors spend a lifetime learning to make qipao.”
The price tag also reflects enduring demand for the qipao, known as a cheongsam in Hong Kong and overseas Chinese communities.
Drawing on traditional design elements, the dress was popularised in 1920s Shanghai, its form-fitting cut capturing the glamour of that free-wheeling pre-communist era and the desire of Chinese women to liberate themselves from…
