China's Miao embroidery dresses shine at Milan Fashion Week

A Chinese Miao art exhibition, showcasing Miao embroidery clothing from Southwest China's Guizhou province, was held on Sunday during Milan Fashion Week in Italy.

Co-hosted by the Chinese Consulate General in Milan and the Guizhou Provincial Government, the exhibition displayed traditional pieces from local cultural centers, Miao embroidery inheritors and private collectors in Milan's historic Clerici Palace, where other international brands also presented their 2024 spring/summer collections.

Miao embroidery is a national intangible cultural heritage in China. The Miao ethnic people, who live mainly in Guizhou province, are well-known for the exquisite embroidery on their costumes. Working with needle and thread, embroiderers adorn clothes with designs of mythical animals such as dragons and phoenixes, and insects like fish and flowers, all of which reflect the world views, values and aesthetics of Miao people. Therefore, Miao embroidery is often known as "the Miao epic worn on the body".