Guizhou's ethnic culture shines on international stage
Guizhou's grassroots models debut at the 2025 China International Fashion Week. [Photo/ddcpc website]
At the 2025 China International Fashion Week recently held in Beijing, two grassroots teams from Guizhou stole the spotlight: "Village Runway" and "Wumeng Village Show".
Village Runway – short for Guizhou Harmonious Village Intangible Cultural Heritage Fashion Show – began as a public welfare event in Kaili city in July 2024. Every weekend since, it has hosted over 400 shows, featuring 30,000 locals and young people from 20 countries.
Meanwhile, deep in the Wumeng Mountains, a designer and a singer, both of the Yi ethnic group, fused Yi geometric patterns with futuristic silhouettes, using 3D-printed accessories to enhance ergonomic comfort.
Their debut Wumeng Village Show on New Year's Day 2025 transformed Panzhou's Xiaoshulin Village into a front-row frenzy.
Guizhou's village events, such as the Village Basketball Association, Village Runway, Village Marathon, have thrived by celebrating raw authenticity. Here, every farmer is a model, every craft a legacy reimagined.
From mountaintops to metropolises, Guizhou's villages aren't just keeping traditions alive, they're rewriting the future of fashion.