Homegrown Haute

A weekly runway show in a remote Guizhou village has gone viral， drawing tourists from across China and attracting attention from the global fashion world

貴州凱里鄉(xiāng)村T臺，男女老少化身素人模特兒，讓世界看見中國民族時尚

Villagers from Kaili help interested audience try ontraditionalMiao ethnic costumesatthisyear's World Expo in Osaka，Japan

F the mountains of Kaili， Guizhou.Every weekendand on national holidays，a 5O-meter canopied wooden corridor transformsinto a stage—not for supermodels in haute couture， but for villagers of all ages.

From 7 to 9：30 p.m.，participants，mainly residents but occasionally curious tourists， take turnswalking，singing，and dancing underwarmlights.Theywear traditional costumes of Miao and Dong ethnic groups， hand-wovenandembroidered，adorned with silverjewelry that shimmersas they move. Farm tools，looms，musical instruments，food， and other household items become props in this unconventional yet earnest show， which is livestreamed onsocial media.

Known as Guizhou’s “Village Runway Show （村T），\" this small-town event debuted last July inKaili'sMiaoandDong Ethnic CostumesPark.To date，theshowhas featured over 4O，OoO participants， drawn

\"LittleT，\"an embroidery， walkedon the FashionWeek thisMarch

more than 400，000 spectators， garnered millions of online views，and made headlines both domestically and internationally.Kaili's grassroots runwaymodelshaveeventakentheir costumestonationaland international stages，making appearances at theChinaFashionWeek，London Fashion Week，and the World Expo in Osaka，Japan.

Yang Chunlin， the 36-year-old creator and director of the Village Runway Show， recently returned to Kaili with his team from their June Expo tour.Speaking with TWOC about the experience，he shares：“It fills me with pride to see our villagers showcasing the ethnic regalia we designed and made togetherat the ExpoPark.Theaudiencewatched with curiosityand admiration，proving thatsincerity can trulyresonate across cultures.\"

Yang，anativeof theMiao ethnic community， grewup surrounded by traditionalattire.Ajournalismmajor with a passion for fashion，Yang

\"Elements of Miao embroidery are often dismantled to create a so-called ‘mysterious East' vibe-it really unsettles me.\"

noticed that inrecent years，several international luxurybrandshavebeen incorporatingMiao patterns into their designs.“Elements of Miao embroidery areoftendismantledto createa so-called ‘mysterious East’vibe—it really unsettles me，”he says.Yang went on to create hisownbrand，Gu'axin，afterhisMiao ethnicname， featuring traditionalMiao designs.Itnow boasts over 20 stores across the country.

LastMay， whileattending London CraftWeek，Yangaskedhis then62-yearold mother to step in and model the traditional ethnic clothing.To everyone's surprise，herauthenticityand heartfelt smile made her an unexpected hit with the audience，moving people more

deeply thananyprofessional model could.“That moment has stayed with me ever since.Ikept thinking—why can't we let our own villagers be the stars，right here on our land，proudly wearing their ancestral clothing？” says Yang.

Butback home， traditional Miao costumes arelosing theirplacein everyday life.‘Aunties don'thave any occasion to wear their cherished wedding dresses，which have been left in storage for years and eaten by moths，\"Yang recalls.At the same time， young people often see traditional crafts like embroideryasold-fashioned and out of style.All this inspired Yang to start the Village Runway Show.

The show started as small events in his backyard，whichYangnicknamed the“Gu'axin's

Hometown Show.” Yang encouraged the villagers to dig out theirbest clothes，makingitclear thiswas for themselves，not foranaudience. Accompaniedbythe everyday folkinstrument， the lusheng，and folk songs，the show soon caught more attention.The Village Runway Show officially debuted on the big stageas part of the prefecture's anniversary celebration last year on July 23.It featured50 grassrootsmodelsaged16to 78，from localcarpenters，farmers，and embroiderers to seniorvillagers.

Besides boostinglocal tourism， the show's greatest impact， Yang says，has been the growing sense of cultural pride among villagers and a strongersenseof community.Arenewedrespectis growing forlocal embroiderers，silversmiths，folk singers，and other traditional artisans，helping to ensure their legacy is passed on to the next generation.

\"Hundred-bird coat，\"a traditional festive dress，isdubbed\"a Miaoepicwornon the body\"foritselaborateembroideryand imagery depicting the group'smythical originsfrombutterfliesand birds

Kaili is now planning to launch its own ethnic fashion week this autumn， welcoming designers from all 56 of China's ethnic groups to participate.‘Traditional culture isn't somethingto be enshrined onanaltar—it's a wild， living force that can be trampled into the mud and thrown onto the runway..The moreweengagewithit，thelivelierit will become，\" Yang says.