Dongyang designer reimagines horse-faced skirt for modern daily life

Ritual girls wear creatively designed horse-faced dresses at the 15th National Games. [Photo/jinhua.com.cn]

The 15th National Games are underway in Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao. Off the field, an innovatively designed horse-faced dress for the medal ceremony has captivated audiences.

Created by designer Lin Qi (born Shan Yufang) — from Dongyang county-level city in Jinhua, Zhejiang province — and her team, the design blends the classic form of the traditional horse-faced skirt, or Mamianqun, with modern aesthetics.

Her team boldly updated the structure and fabric, transforming the traditional half-skirt Mamianqun into a dress. By adjusting the density and width of the pleats and using modern fabrics, the design ensures the hem appears elegant when stationary, yet dynamic when in motion, making it suitable for both the solemnity of the award ceremony and the grace of athletic competition.

Lin wears a horse-faced skirt. [Photo/jinhua.com.cn]

Lin, born in 1979, is China's first representative inheritor of the intangible cultural heritage — the crafting techniques of horse-faced skirts.

In 2020, she launched an ICH traditional handicraft resort village project named "Lin Qi 36 Yards" in her hometown, promoting traditional heritage to drive rural vitalization. To date, nearly 20 workshops, two exhibition halls and museums, and 20 ICH-themed homestays have been established.

Lin said "being alive" is most important for intangible cultural heritages, and that living traditions must evolve to resonate with contemporary life.

To make more people like to wear horse-faced skirts in daily life, Lin's team will launch more lightweight and everyday designs. They also plan to expand into accessories and home decor, bringing Eastern aesthetics into every aspect of life.