Jianqing Zhao is a recent graduated from BA Womenswear in Fashion Design in Polimoda, Italy. Her dream was always to let the world know about her ethnic heritage “Bai” people from Dali located in China. Now her dream came true.

The inspiration for this collection comes from the place which she calls home. She grew up in Yunnan, a province in the southwestern part of China, where 25 ethnic groups live together. There, each ethnic group has its own culture, language, and clothing.

Many of them do not have writing, so they use embroidery on their clothing to record their culture. The meaning of these embroideries is about the relationship between people, nature, and the galaxy.

These cultures and traditions have been passed down from generation to generation. Now, with the impact of modern life, their minority cultures are disappearing fast. She feels heartbroken to see that these cultures, which are part of her life, have become alien to the world.

Because their way of life seems so out of touch with the modern world, she added surrealistic elements in her collection. She wanted to create a new perspective to pass on these minority cultures in a new way. So that more and more people can understand them, and see their hidden beauty.

Her ethnic group is called “Bai”, which means white and has a Polar Star as a symbol. Because “When you follow the Polar Star, you always find your way home”.