Aunties at the Edinburgh Art Festival cannot tell that they are about to retire and fly to the UK to show off their Chinese cheongsam. Fashion sisters replace foreign models in cheongsam | Women | China
In two series of Shanghai style qipao performances, Bai Lu not only wore a pink qipao as a connecting piece, but also exchanged lotus fans and shawl scarves with her teammates on the field, and gracefully showcased several fan dance moves... This retired teacher from East China Normal University joined the Nishang Fenghua New Era Women's Fashion Club and formed a fashionable and elderly women's cultural exchange group with 22 other "sisters" from all over the country, flying to the British Isles to showcase Chinese qipao.
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On August 20th, Beijing time, they were invited to perform at one of the oldest and largest international comprehensive art festivals - the Edinburgh Art Festival runway, featuring the "Nishang Fenghua | Shanghai style Qipao Show". Unlike previous art festival collaborations between China, the UK, and Shanghai Love, these aunties with an average age of 59 have completely replaced foreign models, making it difficult for overseas artists to see that they are almost retiring in their qipao attire
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Photo by Xu Ruizhe
![Aunties at the Edinburgh Art Festival cannot tell that they are about to retire and fly to the UK to show off their Chinese cheongsam. Fashion sisters replace foreign models in cheongsam | Women | China](https://a5qu.com/upload/images/a55975b16417a5270d3b8c2e50bdf73a.jpg)
The Edinburgh Art Festival, which began in 1947, resumed as scheduled in August this year after being suspended for three years due to the pandemic. The festival's participants include music, drama, dance, visual arts, and more, and is recognized as one of the most dynamic and innovative art festivals in the world. This special performance has been included in the official performance list of the Edinburgh Art Festival. Not only is the performance information published on the official website, but a rose red poster has also been posted on Prince Street in Edinburgh.
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Representing Shanghai, China to showcase its fashion image is not just a formality. The Jiefang Daily Shangguan News reporter learned that this team selected by the Shanghai Fashion City Promotion Center comes from various industries, including retired teachers like Bai Lu, doctors, accountants, and female entrepreneurs. Despite having different backgrounds, their love for qipao brought them together, with the main models coming from the Shanghai Pudong Haipai Qipao Cultural Association and the Qipao Art Professional Committee of the Shanghai Sino foreign Cultural and Art Exchange Association.
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"I have been retired for 11 years, and I have formed this cheongsam cultural group with my sisters for 10 years." As the president of the "Banner Art Association" of Shanghai Sino foreign Culture and Art Exchange Association, Liu Peizhu was engaged in corporate culture work at the head office of BOCOM in Shanghai before retirement, and only "made friends" with cheongsam art when she participated in social activities in her spare time in 2012. After retirement, she teamed up with other like-minded professional women to join the Shanghai Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection Association and developed into the first Qipao Director Unit, the only one in Shanghai.
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In Liu Peizhu, a cheongsam enthusiast organization, there are women in their sixties, from those born in the 1990s to those like her. There are currently more than 70 members in the plenary session, with 95% having a higher education background. A total of 10 candidates have joined the UK fashion show this time, half of whom have previously served as corporate executives. "It's not enough to just love and know how to wear qipao. Each of us members has 14 courses related to 'clothing culture' to choose from." She told the Liberation Daily Shangguan News reporter, these courses cover 'qin, qi, calligraphy and painting', among which vocal music and body shape are compulsory courses. "For the runway show at this international art festival, we have been holding small training sessions since June. If we want to leave, we must step out of the confidence of Chinese women."
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During the 10 day art and cultural exchange trip, the organizers tailored and selected clothes for them from the designer clothing library of Donghua University, and organized a 2-day Shanghai style qipao special salon and a 3-day pre departure training. The participating models were allowed to fully appreciate qipao culture and performance etiquette from the history and development of qipao, and were fully prepared for the formal performance. They also conducted a domestic preview of the Shanghai style qipao show at Donghua University, showcasing the innovative design of high-end customization of Shanghai style qipao today and the classic qipao styles of Shanghai in the first half of the 20th century.
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For "over age" runway shows, they enjoy it. "If you have poetry in your heart, time will never defeat beauty." Ni Yunhua, a member of the Yingxiu performance team and president of Shanghai Style Cheongsam Culture Association in Pudong, Shanghai, said, "The person who has a poetic life is the intellectual beauty who can never be defeated by time." Chen Dongmei, a sister of the Leling nationality in the same team, also said, "Women should grow old happily and gracefully..."
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