Embroiderer elevates Hami craft to haute couture

Though Ranagul Sopi started learning embroidery in a small village in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, her craftsmanship has taken a magical leap onto the catwalks of the Paris Haute Couture Week.

A native of Hami, which is in the eastern part of Xinjiang, she learned traditional embroidery from her mother, who was a skilled and prestigious embroiderer in the city.

Traditional Hami embroidery has a history of more than 400 years. When local women get married, their mothers usually make them a set of embroidered bedding including pillows and cushions as dowry, thus keeping the stitching tradition alive.