Promoting the look

As the director of the Shanghai Qipao Culture Promotion Association, Shen has been in charge of promoting the charm of this iconic dress to the world since 2014.Among the association's major achievements is showcasing the dress at major events including the 2015 Milan Expo, the United Nations and the annual China International Import Expo.

Under her leadership, the association has also held a Shanghai-style cheongsam culture festival every year since 2014 to allow more people to learn about the outfit.

Supported by the Shanghai Women's Federation, the festival features a variety of events in which performers are dressed in cheongsams. Despite being held online this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the festival attracted an audience of more than 2 million, a sign that the enthusiasm for this classic dress is hardly waning.

To raise awareness of the cheongsam among the younger generation, the association has cooperated with 15 middle schools and colleges, including Donghua University and Shanghai No 3 Girls' High School, to hold exhibitions and lectures.

It has also set up a Shanghai-style cheongsam research and development base in several universities and got talented college students to design three cheongsams that could be featured at the Shanghai Fashion Week next year.

"I'm looking forward to holding a Shanghai-style cheongsam competition in the Yangtze River Delta during Spring Festival next year. This event would allow more young people to learn about the dress and encourage them to join us on this journey of promoting this piece of heritage," she adds.