Gen Z puts traditional Tibetan costumes to the forefront of fashion

LANZHOU－Yangkyi Zhoima often shares her outfits, which combine traditional Tibetan clothing with casual wear, with her 4,000-strong followers on Chinese microblogging site Sina Weibo.

"I love the traditional elements of Tibetan costumes, and also leisure wear, which is very convenient," the 23-year-old says, displaying on camera her Tibetan clothing embroidered with green thread, styled with a pair of jeans and boots.

For younger people, traditional Tibetan costumes are no longer simply festival attire, but a new fashion trend.

Yangkyi Zhoima is from the Gannan Tibetan autonomous prefecture in Northwest China's Gansu province. There, the number of newly established Tibetan costume brands have mushroomed, gaining popularity among young people.

Gannan Nuri Original Clothing Sales Co Ltd, which was established by four Tibetan women born after 1995, is one of the most influential companies. Its account on the short-video platform Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, has about 50,000 followers.

Chimchim, 25, is one of the brand's founders. She says their products have not only been selling like hotcakes in their prefecture, but have also gained popularity in Chengdu, Sichuan province, and Hangzhou, Zhejiang province.

"Traditional Tibetan costumes are very particular when it comes to color matching and workmanship, which provides continuous inspiration for my design work," she says.

The company's highest daily turnover was 20,000 yuan ($3,140).

She says that her clothes are made using traditional materials, such as cashmere and leather, but the designs are more fashionable and personalized. "The price of each piece of clothing does not exceed 500 yuan, which is good for young consumers."

Tobjor Drolma, 38, has been promoting traditional Tibetan costumes and culture for many years.

"My company has seen an increasing number of designers and models born after 1995 in recent years," she says. And each year, the company holds themed fashion shows, which have become important platforms upon which Tibetan costumes and culture are popularized.

In the eyes of Tobjor Drolma, Gen Z has a passion for tradition, and for fashion as well.

"They dress according to their own wishes, they make tradition more fashionable, and they're turning the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau into a fashion highland," she says.

Xinhua