The UNESCO-listed Li Brocade from China’s Hainan island makes its captivating debut at Paris Fashion Week.
Fashion shows are all about style. The most cutting-edge innovations in design, the finest fabrics, and the most celebrated and promising brands and models take center stage on runways. Let’s admit it, though, when we hear the word fashion, we don’t exactly associate it with anything indigenous or ethnic.
But New York-based Chinese fashion designer Vivienne Tam wants to change this. By shining the spotlight on the beauty and wonders of ethnic culture, specifically the Li Brocade from Wuzhishan in China’s Hainan, Tam gets to elevate a humble yet remarkable craft to the global stage.
A 3,000-year-old tradition
But first, what exactly is the Li Brocade and what makes it so special? For over 3,000 years, the art of brocade weaving has been deeply rooted in the culture of the Li people who are indigenous to China’s Hainan island. The word “Li” is the catchall term that refers to different groups, such as the Gai, Ji, Bendi, Meifu, and Jiamao. Each group has its own unique textiles, garments, designs and accessories, that reflect each of their own distinct and deep cultural heritage and aesthetic standards.
The Li Brocade encompasses four skills—spinning, dyeing, weaving, and embroidery—with the Li women particularly adept at these techniques. They are able to turn cotton, hemp, and other fibers into an array of clothing items. The Li Brocade then is a reflection of the labor, wisdom, and artistic spirit of these women and holds a significant place in traditional Li culture, explains Chaoying Zhang, founder of Baisha Canran Li Brocade Handicrafts, a cooperative that promotes the art of Li Brocade in China.
So influential and remarkable is the tradition of the Li Brocade, considered a “living fossil” in Chinese textile history, that in 2006, it was officially recognized by the National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of China, and subsequently included in the UNESCO List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding in 2009.
A stunning Paris Fashion Week launch
To honor this rich and ancient tradition, Tam and Wuzhishan City collaborated for the Vivienne Tam x Li Ethnic Group 2025 spring/summer collection for Paris Fashion Week. Called the “La Li — Hainan Breeze” collection, it features “intricate patterns inspired by the Li tribe’s rich iconography, including symbols of strength, nature, and community, such as strongmen, deers, frogs, flowers, and dancing women,” according to the brand.
Tam drew inspiration from Hainan’s tropical rainforests and diverse wildlife, as well as the cosmic energy of the city of Wuzhishan, for the collection’s 10 unique and captivating designs that incorporate Li Brocade elements. This launch, the Li Brocade’s debut in Paris Fashion Week, is seen as a significant step in introducing the age-old technique to a wider, more global market.
Ushering in the collection is one truly global personality—Paris Jackson. The model, actress, and singer walked the runway in two looks. First was a gray suit with a relaxed fit, then she sashayed on the runway with a three-piece look consisting of a brocade jacket and matching wrap skirt paired with a striped button-up shirt and a pair of fringed shoes. Both ensembles feature ornate patterns and ethnic iconographies that are hallmarks of Li Brocade.
Chinese model Lu Kaigang, better known by his stage name Lu Xianren, who also walked the runway, said in a report on China Daily: “For today’s young people, it’s essential to innovate and boldly showcase our heritage, letting the world know about China’s Li Brocade and intangible cultural heritage.”
May we see more ethnic traditions inspire designers and global fashion shows in the future!
Watch Vivienne Tam’s “La Li — Hainan Breeze” show in full:
