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Thread: the kung fu of clothing.

  1. #61
    lots of wear and tear


  2. #62
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    Mukzin

    Chinese fashion brand Mukzin has found a fan in Gigi Hadid with modern take on traditional styles
    Kate Han, the British-educated, Hangzhou-based designer behind the label says her irreverent twist on classic Chinese designs is what makes her clothes popular among both Asian and Western consumers
    BY FRANCESCA FEARON
    18 OCT 2018



    What is the concept behind Mukzin? “Young Chinese people don’t understand their cultural heritage, perhaps because until a few years ago traditional Chinese design was styled in an old-fashioned way, but I use traditional Chinese imagery and craft in a modern, irreverent way. For example, I’d give a qipao sportswear detailing and a diagonal zip that can be opened to reveal shorts or leggings.

    “I launched the label with my husband, George Feng, in 2014. The name, Mukzin, is the Cantonese pronunciation for Mi Shan or ‘secret fan’. ‘Secret’ refers to China’s 5,000-year history while ‘fan’ is a typical Chinese cultural symbol. I am from Dalian and it is a way for the brand to connect the two regional dialects.”


    Kate Han, designer and co-founder of Muzkin.

    Hangzhou has a history of silk and textiles. Is that why you are based there? “No, it is because it is the most connected city in China, with big internet firms based there. I was so impressed when I visited a friend there. We were sitting by West Lake when she ordered a Starbucks by phone and it was delivered five minutes later. Nobody uses cash; it’s all done by mobile and it opened up a new world to me. You can sit by West Lake in a classic qipao and use a mobile to order things. It is the merging of two worlds, old and modern, that I like.”

    What is the concept behind the spring/summer 2019 collection? “I was inspired by the packaging of traditional Chinese medicines like Tiger Balm. In the mid-19th to 20th-century, Western hospitals were being built in Hong Kong and pharmaceuticals imported and so the Chinese were learning about packaging design and were influenced by Japanese graphics. I have used these as prints in the collection [above], although they may require some sense of humour to wear if you under*stand what they say, as I have played with the characters.”

    What are your feelings about cultural appropriation? “It is great to see brands like Gucci using Chinese and Japanese paint*ings and dragons in their collections. Everyone knows these influences are from Asia but Western designers use them differ*ently. I, however, deconstruct elements that Chinese people don’t necessarily realise come from their culture, so the inter*pret*ation is unexpected and different.”


    A look from the spring/summer 2019 collection.

    How is the Western consumer reacting to your aesthetic? “At first, I wasn’t sure if Western people would under*stand my brand because of my use of Chinese characters and culture. However, the pan-Asian style is becoming more popular and New Yorkers want to try something fresh. Maybe half the store’s customers are Asian but models like Gigi Hadid have bought my dresses.”
    If a competitor rocked this level of fashion at a Kung Fu tournament that I was judging, I'd give her extra points...which is one reason why I don't serve as a judge.
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
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  3. #63
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    Sure the clothing we wear reflects a lot of our self. And I wear clothing mainly on its functions. That is it needs to fit the functions of my activity on the occasion.



    Regards,

    KC
    Hong Kong

  4. #64
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    The Mao suit

    If someone walked into one of our tournament rings in this, I would score them high just on the bold fashion statement.

    Uniqlo says its new spring jacket was not inspired by Mao Zedong
    Is 2019 the year that the Mao suit makes a comeback!?
    by Alex Linder February 20, 2019 in News



    Searching for a new look for this spring that’s light, simple, and proletarian? Well, Uniqlo has just the thing!

    The Japanese fashion brand has introduced a new “military jacket” for its spring collection that appears taken straight out of Mao Zedong’s old wardrobe with khaki coloring and four front pockets.



    In this jacket’s defense, it also comes in both black and navy blue and the pants are sold separately, also in different colors, so a different combination might not make it look quite so much like your classic Mao suit.

    Additionally, the jacket was designed not by an old revolutionary but French designer Christophe Lemaire and his team in Paris. A Uniqlo representative told the South China Morning Post that any resemblance to the dress of Communist dictators brought up by net users is “purely coincidental,” adding “that was never in our minds when we designed the item.”



    Once known as the “Sun Yat-sen suit” for the Chinese revolutionary father who first popularized it, the “Mao suit” became omnipresent in China for decades after the Communist Party took power. Nowadays, it’s really only worn by the diehards, but you can help bring that fashion back to the mainstream for a mere $63 plus tax.
    I confess I would wear this. Anyone who knows me knows I wore an M65 for years, and this is similar (I only stopped wearing my M65 when it get too tattered and I couldn't find a U.S. made replacement). Only I'd probably opt for the black version instead of the khaki. Plus it doesn't look that tough. I'm not sure Uniqlo makes its clothing to have the kind of durability I require.
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
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  5. #65
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    I would totally rock a hanfu

    More on the Hanfu resurgence.

    Wearing pride: Centuries-old Chinese fashion is making a comeback
    Updated 12th October 2019
    Written by
    Jessie Yeung
    Lily Lee, CNN
    Beijing, China
    Contributors
    Natalie Thomas, CNN

    This feature is part of a wider CNN Style series on how culture in China is evolving in the Xi Jinping era.

    When Zhang Lingshan was a child, she would watch the Chinese period drama "Palace" on television, entranced by the characters' ancient clothing. The costumes were colorful and regal, long gowns embroidered with lotus flowers and dragons, topped with intricate headpieces.
    She didn't know what these beautiful clothes were called -- only that they were from some distant past.
    "When I saw it, I really liked it," she said. "They looked fairy-like, dreamy. I was completely drawn by the beauty of these clothes, and then eventually came to understand the culture of Hanfu, and I liked it more and more."
    Now aged 19 and living in Beijing, Zhang is a member of China's growing "Hanfu" movement -- a renaissance of the ancient clothing traditionally worn by ethnic-majority Han Chinese before the Qing dynasty. The movement, which started in the early 2000s as a fringe subculture on online forums and websites, has now stepped out onto the streets.
    Though it's still not mainstream, if you walk through major cities you may see a fan dressed in the sweeping robes, crossed collars and wide sleeves of Hanfu, which literally translates to "Han clothing."
    There are Hanfu shops, designers and researchers, and even photography studios that rent out accessories and outfits.
    Hanfu outfits cost anywhere from $30 to a few thousand dollars, depending on the quality. Sales have soared in recent years -- the Hanfu industry's total market value is estimated to be worth 1.09 billion yuan (about $154 million), according to state-run media China Daily.
    Tight-knit Hanfu communities and university clubs often meet up for themed activities like folk games or costume showings. Zhang and her friends sometimes visit places with ancient architecture, like Beijing's Forbidden City, where emperors once resided, to take photos in costume and post them on social media.


    "Hanfu" refers to ancient clothing worn before the Qing dynasty. Young Hanfu fans model the fashion's characteristic wide sleeves and sweeping robes in highly stylized photo shoots. Credit: Chengdu Linxi Photography Room
    Chen Zhenbing, chairman of the China Hanfu Association, fell in love with the clothing when he was 16 and handmade his first Hanfu suit back when it was still a niche interest. He recalled holding a 2005 Hanfu event that only attracted about 50 attendees -- five years later, a similar event drew up to 500 people, he said.
    Nowadays, Hanfu events around the country can draw upwards of a thousand attendees.
    He and many others see Hanfu as a way to celebrate Chinese culture and improve national self-esteem. For years, Chinese professionals looked to the West for their wardrobes, wearing dress shirts and suits as the country's economy raced to catch up. Now, "we don't think China is underdeveloped," said Christine Tsui, a fashion columnist and researcher based in Shanghai. "So it's the confidence of the younger people, the confidence of the country."
    And yet, there are others who take a more critical view of Hanfu's popularity, seeing it as a reflection of a monoethnic nationalist surge under President Xi Jinping, who has repeatedly promoted "traditional virtues" and patriotism.
    China officially recognizes 56 ethnic groups, of which 55 are minorities. Han, the majority group, makes up about 92% of the country's population.
    Critics of the movement like Kevin Carrico, a senior research fellow in Chinese Studies at Melbourne's Monash University, argue that the popularization of Hanfu only reinforces Han cultural dominance, to the detriment of the millions of people making up China's ethnic minorities.
    In this context, he and other academics say Hanfu is no longer just an innocent fashion trend -- but something to be weaponized in promoting a nationalistic political agenda.

    A contested history

    Some enthusiasts have developed guidelines to define "authentic" Hanfu. For instance, while many may consider the tight-fitting, high-necked "qipao" as an example of typical Chinese period clothing, in the Hanfu community, it's not considered Han clothing because it originated from the ethnic Manchu people.
    It can be a touchy topic -- some Hanfu sites claim that Manchu leaders forcibly erased Hanfu during the Qing dynasty. "They forced the Han people to drop their costumes, and so this piece of China's cultural identity almost died out in the 20th century," reads one article in state-run media.
    So for some Hanfu fans, wearing Han clothing becomes an act of cultural and historical reclamation.
    continued next post
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
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  6. #66
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    Continued from previous post


    A fan takes a break outside a gathering of Hanfu devotees at a park in Beijing. Credit: GREG BAKER/AFP/AFP/Getty Images

    But this narrative of Han suppression may not be entirely accurate, and determining "authentic" Hanfu is difficult, said Carrico, who studied and wrote about the phenomenon in his book "The Great Han: Race, Nationalism, and Tradition in China Today."
    "There wasn't any singular style of clothing prior to the Qing (dynasty) that was designated specifically for people of Han ethnicity," he said in a phone interview.
    Carrico argued that Han Chinese wore all types of clothing styles through the dynasties -- so there isn't one Hanfu style but dozens depending on the time period, geographic region and socioeconomic class.


    Photography studios that specialize in Hanfu photo shoots are becoming more popular. Credit: Chengdu Linxi Photography Room

    Some Hanfu enthusiasts acknowledge this historical diversity. For instance, Chen said round-collar robes were preferred in the Tang dynasty, while layered wrap dresses were more popular in the Ming dynasty. Still, he said there are a few common design features that characterize Hanfu -- a cross collar, no buttons and typically three layers of inner garments and an overcoat. Motifs that are frequently used include embroidered cranes, dragons, swirling clouds and delicate flowers.
    This fluidity between the different styles is why 23-year-old Lu Yao, who lives in Beijing, prefers to use the term "Huafu," which refers to Chinese clothing more generally without the ethnic connotations.
    Hanfu was too narrow a term, she said, pointing out that Chinese culture was full of "fusion and integration" between diverse ethnic groups.
    However, many fans take pride in the Han distinction of "Hanfu."
    "To some extent, the revival of Hanfu is the revival of Han culture, and the revival of Han culture is also the revival of Chinese culture," said Chen, who now owns a Hanfu store and helps organize events. "I think the Han nationality is the most powerful and unified nationality in the world, with the most sacred and noble culture. No nationality can compare with the Han nationality."

    'Ethnic flattening'

    Chen echoes the kind of nationalist surge that has swept through China in recent years. Much of this rhetoric harks back to a supposed golden era in China's history, centuries ago.
    When Xi Jinping took power in 2012, he promised "a great revival of the Chinese nation," and regularly quotes the ancient philosopher-teacher Confucius. Schools are seeing an increased emphasis on Chinese culture, literature and history, which "teaches the youth to see things through the China lens," said Wessie Ling, an associate professor in fashion studies at the UK's Northumbria University.
    But academics like Carrico and Ling fear an emphasis on Hanfu and Han culture could further edge out minority groups and flatten China's ethnic diversity.
    Ethnic marginalization and suppression is a particularly prominent concern in today's China. For the last two-and-a-half-years, China has been detaining hundreds of thousands of Uyghurs and other predominantly Muslim ethnic minorities in the far western region of Xinjiang. Beijing describes the measures as "voluntary de-radicalization camps" and "vocational training centers." Critics call them "re-education camps." Critics and former detainees say they are actually forced political "re-education camps" and compare them to internment camps.
    Some Uyghurs claim the camps are part of a wider and systemic program of "cultural genocide" by Beijing, intended to eliminate their religion and culture and bring them closer to China's majority Han population.
    In recent years, Chinese media has showcased numerous examples of Uyghur schoolchildren and adults dressed in Hanfu during celebrations and public performances.
    "While Uyghur clothing is being discouraged in schools, or only allowed under strict parameters set by the authorities, Chinese clothing is being increasingly pushed on Uyghurs students," said non-profit organization Uyghur Human Rights Project in a 2018 report.
    According to the report, "assimilative policies" carried out by the government include "pressuring Uyghurs to publicly perform modern dances, sing Communist 'Red Songs,'" and "wear pseudo-traditional Chinese Hanfu robes."
    The Xinjiang government has not responded to CNN's request for comment.
    Carrico says this is more evidence of forced assimilation -- of "erasing groups' culture and heritage, and imaginarily making them Han."
    Matthew Chew, a Hong Kong Baptist University professor who studied the sociology of Chinese national dress takes a different view -- Hanfu still isn't mainstream enough to be worn by most Han people in daily life, let alone prevalent enough to be forced onto ethnic minorities, he said.
    "It's still a minority subculture," Chew said in a phone interview. "The risk (of ethnic suppression) is really low."
    Besides, he added, "there are nationalists who are not ethnonationalists. Some who don't base their love of the country on ethnic criteria." There are more harmless forms of nationalism, he argued.


    Women rehearsing for a performance at a gathering of Hanfu fans in Beijing. Credit: GREG BAKER/AFP/AFP/Getty Images

    Other Hanfu fans like the Beijing teenager Zhang take issue with the politicization of Hanfu. "I simply like this clothing, it's beautiful," she said, adding that it was "nonsense" to link Hanfu with nationalism.
    "We should have a more relaxed attitude towards Hanfu," she said. "Don't make something that you like so exhausting."
    Tsui, the fashion columnist, echoed this sentiment -- people just wear Hanfu "for their own dreams," she said. Besides, she added, Han people make up more than 90% of the Chinese population, so "it's not weird" that Hanfu is so popular.
    "It's part of globalization," she said. "We all wear T-shirts, but can you say we are all Americanized?"
    Whether or not Hanfu is inherently political and racialized, the ongoing debate reflects the complexity of fashion and trends. Fashion doesn't exist in a vacuum -- it shapes and is shaped by social, economic, and political events. And the crucial question here, experts argue, is whether Han dominance in the popular imagination of what being "Chinese" means, comes at the expense of other ethnic narratives.
    "This country is not opening up any more, it's closing down -- so the emphasis of the dominant culture is once again reinforced," said Ling. "We hear a lot about representation of ethnicities... but the people in power in China are the Han Chinese."
    If this trend continues, perhaps we'll need a hanfu thread.
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  7. #67
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    Kung-fu-sion

    KAPITAL SS20 Elevates Kung-Fu Inspiration
    “KUNG-FU-SION” continues fusing traditional craft and silhouettes with contemporary design.
    Fashion
    21 Hrs ago
    By Jake Silbert



    KAPITAL employs a global viewpoint of clothing, drawing from a wealth of inspirations for each immense collection, though some — like Spring/Summer 2019’s Bob Marley range — focus on a singular traceable source. The Japanese brand’s Spring/Summer 2020 range, dubbed “KUNG-FU-SION” wears its influences on its sleeve, offering a bevy of goods indebted to famous martial artists.

    Key pieces include jackets and shirts done up in the Kung-Fu style, with button closure indebted to traditional Chinese garments. Loose sarouel-style drop crotch pants, folding fans and nylon headgear inspired by pointed bamboo dǒulì reinforce this motif, accented by familiar KAPITAL touches like Aloha shirts, heavily patched denim layers and an array of tie-dyed garments.

    Rich patterns accent the various Western shirts, distressed knits, oversized T-shirts, washed-out sweatpants, and pleated shorts, with imagery ranging from bananas to diamonds to skeletons to abstract cloud shapes, all in the spirit of KAPITAL’s worldly stylistic references. Of course, the militaristic coats and baggy jackets are complemented by a rich assortment of jewelry, scarves, caps and socks, all done up with bold patterns and hues to match the garments.

    View the entire Spring/Summer 2020 lookbook in detail on KAPITAL’s website and expect the new goods to arrive online early next year.

    Recent KAPITAL deliveries have included a skeleton-emblazoned Western Mexican tuxedo, stylized varsity jackets and a set of bandanna-covered chelsea boots.

    Source Glltn
    Follow this Source or website links if you want to see more.
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
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  8. #68
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    The Hanfu Resurgence

    ‘Cultural power not a suit and tie’: hanfu traditional fashion revival strengthens, even as China’s economy slows
    Young Chinese people are increasingly favouring hanfu, clothes once worn by ancient Han Chinese, as an expression of cultural identity and fashion
    Sales of hanfu clothing leapt more than 50-fold from 2015 to 2021, when they were worth over US$1.45 billion, with sales of US$1.8 billion predicted this year

    Mandy Zuo in Shanghai

    Published: 2:00pm, 27 Aug, 2022


    The popularity of hanfu, traditional Chinese dress, has boomed in recent years, particuarly among younger generations who are embracing Chinese culture and identity. Photo: Weibo
    Decades ago as a young boy, Zhao Bo loved travelling with his tailor father on visits to ancient towns and villages across China collecting traditional clothes once worn by their Han Chinese ancestors.
    The 35-year-old comes from a family of tailors in northern China and has continued his father’s passion as an adult, collecting more than 2,000 pieces of ancient clothing, and reproduced dozens more by studying antiquities and ancient books.
    Zhao now heads a museum in Yongqing, Hebei province, northern China, showcasing antique garments, some more than 500 years old, and handmade replicas of outfits dating back to more than 2,000 years ago,
    An intangible cultural inheritor appointed by the Hebei provincial government to promote Chinese culture, Zhao is a part of a growing movement among younger Chinese that has helped revive hanfu, the name given to clothing once worn by ancient Han Chinese.


    Zhao Bo, 35, has spent the past decade reproducing dozens of traditional Chinese clothing patterns used as early as the Han dynasty (202BC-220AD). Photo: Zhao Bo
    Annual sales of hanfu clothing have leapt from around 190 million yuan in 2015 to more than 10 billion yuan (US$1.45 billion) last year, according to Chinese data analysis firm iiMedia Research.
    The firm forecasts the hanfu market will grow to 12.5 billion yuan this year – up 65 times since 2015, despite an overall economic slowdown in China.
    “People barely talked about hanfu when I opened my museum in 2014,” said Zhao. “They didn’t even know whether it meant clothes worn by the Han Chinese throughout history, or clothes specifically worn during the Han dynasty.”
    “But about three years ago I started feeling a craze, especially among the youth, unlike before when hanfu fans were often older people,” he said.
    People wearing hanfu-style dress has become a common sight on the streets of major Chinese cities in recent years as increasing numbers of teenagers and young adults turn to the outfits as both a statement of fashion and cultural identity.

    The market for hanfu clothing is forecast to be worth US$1.8 billion this year. Photo: Weibo
    Hanfu covers clothes worn during a number of China’s historical periods. The most popular styles are from the Tang, Song, and Ming dynasties. The Ming was the last native Han Chinese dynasty to rule China before the Manchu seized power in 1636 and formed the Qing dynasty that lasted until 1911.
    Hanfu often consists of a flowing robe in beautiful shades of colour and a skirt with intricate embroidery.
    Zhao said the in-vogue hanfu attire seen on the streets of China today is not exactly what ancient Han people once wore. However, he said it remains a positive promotion of the more authentic hanfu clothing displayed at places like his museum.
    “Only when there’s great interest from the public will there be people who bother to learn more about hanfu and make it historically accurate,” he said.
    As China’s leaders have pushed for a stronger sense of national Chinese identity and renewed cultural confidence in recent years, hanfu has become a visual symbol of China’s renaissance.
    Fashion-conscious youth in mainland China have enjoyed the official promotion and turned hanfu cosplay into a way to express themselves and to connect with history and tradition.
    Lisa Zhou, a 17-year-old high school student from Shanghai, said she was fascinated by hanfu after seeing videos on social media where girls “look like fairies” in historical attire.
    She was also influenced by enthusiasts from her school who formed a hanfu club, something no school had several years ago, she said.
    wears hanfu garments, said she likes them because they are ‘pretty’, but is quick to point out that she is also keenly aware she is wearing a piece of China’s cultural heritage. Photo: Weibo
    But the teenager pointed out that she doesn’t just like the clothing because it looks pretty, but it also represents China’s cultural heritage.
    “As science and technology develop quickly, we should not forget our traditional culture. As a member of the new generation, I hope we can revitalise our traditional culture in our daily lives,” she said.
    It was for this reason that she wore a hanfu outfit to a recent family gathering, she said.
    Such attitudes are common among Zhou’s peers, according to the iiMedia report. Nearly 70 per cent of hanfu enthusiasts surveyed said the top reason they wore the garments was to “promote Chinese culture”, with “looking good” listed as a secondary concern by many.

    Zhao believes that as awareness of the history and cultural significance of hanfu garments increases, its relevance to contemporary China will only continue to grow. Photo: Zhao Bo
    Despite its rising popularity, most hanfu fans tend to only wear the outfits for photo shoots with friends and at traditional festivals, the report said. Only about 20 per cent of them have worn hanfu in their daily lives.
    Zhao, who wears adapted hanfu on a daily basis, said the best way to preserve tradition was to adapt it to modern life.
    “The government has vowed to build China into a major cultural power by 2035. There are still more than 10 years to go, and I believe during this period we’ll see a continuous surge in traditional clothing,” he said.
    “We won’t call ourselves a cultural power while wearing a suit and tie, will we?” he said.

    I'm splitting the Hanfu Resurgence off into its own indie thread from the-kung-fu-of-clothing/
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

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