In order to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the twin cities (also known as sister cities or partner towns) of Milan and Shanghai, the Italian fashion capital has opened an exhibition that showcases the evolution of the Chinese traditional dress 'Qipao', at the Pallazzo Morando in the city.
Titled ‘La’affascinante Shanghai’, meaning ‘Fascinating Shanghai’, the exhibition is divided into two segments, one dedicated to the story of the Chinese traditional dress Qipao, a body-fitting female dress that originated from the Chinese indigenous tribe Manchus and later on modernized in Shanghai, and the other being the ‘Expo: From Shanghai to Milan’ which showcases the changes in the Chinese city after the international exhibition held in 2010.
The ‘Qipao’ section of the exhibition features ancient images of the making of the dress as well as few dresses that aim to tell the story of the evolution of the Chinese traditional dress over the centuries and its modern adaptations.
The dress is considered to be an emblem of the modern Shanghai women, earlier worn by women of the Manchus tribe during the Qing dynasty in China. Since then, the dress has undergone several transformations, partly due to the changes in the role of women in the Chinese society over the years and partly because of the influences of other cultures such as of Western Europe.
To be open to the public till March 30, 2014, the exhibition emphasizes the strategic importance and cultural exchanges between the two countries over the years.