A Century of Qipao: From Shanghai Elegance to Global Icon 🧵✨

A century of qipao under one roof.

‘Qipao: Glamour and Modernity Beyond Shanghai’ at @theshanghaimuseum is the institution’s first large-scale fashion exhibition, bringing together 306 pieces from the 1910s to today. The collection spans silk cheongsams of the 1920s, streamlined wartime cuts of the 1940s, the hourglass silhouettes that made the qipao a global icon in the 1950s, and later pieces that absorbed the influence of Parisian haute couture and New York ready-to-wear.

Much of the exhibition is built on heirloom garments donated by Patricia Pei, whose mother, Shanghai socialite Aileen, wore many of the pieces on display. Singer Jeff Chang also contributed from his personal collection. Archival works from Christian Dior, Chanel, and Gucci round out the show’s global perspective.

Free entry, though reservations may be required during peak periods. Open daily except Mondays until 5 May at the Shanghai Museum, People’s Square.

Photos: China Daily, The Shanghai Museum, beads_parlor  

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