A FEATHER IN THE CAP

Heavenly lakes as blue as the wings of a mythical halcyon bird, the smells of roasting meat penetrating the night air, exuberant embroidery decorating furnishings and hemlines… Welcome to Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

Speaking of hemlines… China’s ethnic fashions are diverse and comprise everything from hard-to-handle fabrics to fantastical embroidery to fantastical earrings.

Traditionally, the textiles, techniques and accessories are used to preserve some of the histories of China’s 56 ethnic groups, some of which never used a written language to document their stories. Today, they are a source of treasured inspiration. And preservation.

Fashion inspired by local culture references can be a starting point for understanding how a wardrobe, as a dynamic part of contemporary life, can represent and maintain local traditions, including those of the Uygur population.

Charting the region

The Uygurs are Xinjiang’s largest ethnic group. More than 11.6 million