Contemporary Designers: Tong Xue Tao

Tong Xue Tao

童雪涛

The Qipao is now globally recognised as the classic Chinese garment for women. Individual crafted versions in silk with embroidery are still sought after by celebrities and government agencies as representing national identity.

As a garment the Qipao is suitable for women across different sizing’s and ages. Although initially this seems like a simple garment it is full of details, including specific fit lines, hand piping and the individual construction of knotted button fastenings called Pankou.

The Pankou contain both symbolic and decorative motifs and are the product of thousands of years of knotting craft

Tong Xue Tao has been teaching the art of the Qipao in Fashion Schools across Beijing and training students to understand the subtleties of the fit and the traditional techniques required to fully understand the complexities of the garment. As a designer she not only creates designs for a range of clients but has also produced Qipao for exhibitions and prestigious events. The modern version of the Qipao on display in this exhibition was created for Miss China to wear in the 2011 Miss World contest.

旗袍在全世界范围内，被公认为是经典的中式女装，在各种重要场合，节日庆典上代表着中国的形象。旗袍适合各种身材和年龄的女性穿着，看似形式简单，却在细微之处有着丰富的内容。如那繁复精巧的盘滚和巧夺天工的盘扣。童雪涛在北京的服装院校从事旗袍艺术的一线教学。作为设计师，她尤其在传统手工制作上有着精湛的造诣。本次展出的她的作品，是童雪涛为参加2011年世界小姐大赛的中国选手专门设计定制的。