Chinese cousins in their 50s redesign, revitalise ethnic fabric, model, sell clothing globally

A pair of Chinese cousins in their 50s have redesigned ethnic brocade and promoted it by cross-dressing in women’s clothing made from the fabric, despite facing objections from their family.Uncle Yang, 56, hails from Fujian province in southeastern China, while his older cousin, Uncle Song, is from Heilongjiang province in northeastern China. Although they grew up separately, they reunited for their shared passion for fashion in the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region.Videos of them wearing women’s attire crafted by Yang from Zhuang Jin, an ethnic brocade unique to Guangxi and one of China’s “Four Famous Brocades”, went viral on social media.Yang’s account has attracted hundreds of thousands of followers across various domestic and international platforms. In addition to numerous orders from China, they have also received requests from customers in Japan and the US.Proudly modelling the designs themselves, the cousins have already captured the Chinese market and are now drawing orders from customers in Japan and the US. Photo: gxnews.com.cnHowever, their fashion career has faced significant challenges.Song, who began selling clothes on the street at the age of 17, invited Yang, who started designing at a factory at the same age, to Guangxi in 2008 to collaborate on their own fashion brand.At their peak, they owned 106 stores in the region, but unfortunately, all were shut down during the COVID-19 pandemic.Following this setback, Yang fell ill and his weight dropped to less than 50kg. Song took on a job as a security guard to make ends meet.Their wives suggested a trip to help alleviate their stress. During this journey, Yang discovered the beauty of Guangxi Zhuang brocade.Zhuang Brocade is a 1,000-year-old traditional textile art from Guangxi, China. Photo: XinhuaIt became clear to them that the Zhuang brocade was less recognised than the other three famous brocades: the Yun brocade from Nanjing, the Shu brocade from Chengdu, and the Song brocade from Suzhou.Determined to incorporate the traditional Zhuang brocade into his neo-Chinese clothing designs, Yang faced challenges in hiring a suitable female model. To promote their brand more effectively, he convinced Song to try on the finished women’s attire he created.Song recalled that Yang initially asked him to wear the clothing “to help me see its effect.”From being hesitant to wear the garments in public to confidently walking the runway on the street, Song garnered admiration from many netizens, who noted that his posture “highlights the grandeur of the Zhuang brocade and Uncle Yang’s design.”Pictured at work, designer Yang infuses neo-Chinese apparel with traditional Zhuang brocade. Photo: gxnews.com.cnAt times, Yang also modelled his own creations. They mentioned that their family still struggles to accept their modelling videos, with one relative criticising them for “not acting your age.” Additionally, Song’s daughter refused to contact him for six months.Despite the challenges, the cousins remain committed to their promotional approach, with the ultimate goal of preserving traditional culture and raising awareness of the beauty of Zhuang brocade.Further ReadingEarlier this year, they were invited by an international luxury brand to an event in Shanghai, which they viewed as a significant achievement in their promotional efforts.“Hats off to the cousins, who are both not from Guangxi but dedicate themselves so fully to the Guangxi brocade,” commented an online observer.