Fashioning Chinese Women: Empire to Modernity @ LACMA
Los Angeles County Museum of Art’s exhibition, Fashioning Chinese Women: Empire to Modernity, through October 12, 2026.
I recently had the pleasure of visiting LACMA’s newest exhibition, Fashioning Chinese Women: Empire to Modernity. The exhibition examines a pivotal period in Chinese history, beginning with the final decades of the Qing dynasty (1644–1911)—whose fall brought an end to nearly 300 years of Manchu rule and more than two millennia of imperial governance—and continuing through the profound social and political transformations of the early twentieth century.
Fashioning Chinese Women: Empire to Modernity traces the evolution of women’s dress from the late Qing era through the mid-twentieth century, revealing how fashion both reflected and shaped changing ideas about identity, modernity, and everyday life in China.
3D Printed Bespoke Mannequins
Fashion designer Jason Wu’s 3D printed mannequins representing various decades. (Image credit: Los Angeles County Museum of Art).
I was especially captivated by the extraordinary embroideries and the more than seventy made-to-measure garments on view. Equally impressive were the custom 3D-printed mannequins created by fashion designer Jason Wu. Thoughtfully designed to evoke the periods in which the clothing was originally worn, the mannequins enhance the presentation of the garments and visually transport visitors from the 1900s through the 1960s.
Qing Dynasty — Final Decades
Lotus slippers were worn by Chinese women whose feet were bound beginning at age three. (Image credit: Pinterest)
In the early twentieth century, China experienced sweeping social and political transformations that reshaped everyday life. The collapse of the Qing dynasty (1644–1911) brought an end to nearly three centuries of Manchu rule and more than two millennia of imperial government. In 1912, the newly established Republic of China inaugurated a new Republican era.
Before this period, foot binding was widely regarded as an important marker of a woman’s desirability and suitability for marriage. After marriage, a woman’s social standing could also be expressed through dress, including finely pleated skirts worn over trousers. Although the Republic of China officially banned foot binding in 1912, enforcement varied greatly by region. The practice therefore persisted for decades in some rural and geographically isolated communities.
Han-style jacket (Ao) and pleated skirt (Qun) with Lotus slipper footwear circa 1900. (Image credit: Los Angeles Museum of Art)
Silk robe and vest (Jinsen) with silk & gold thread tapestry embroidery (Kesi) circa 1890-1910 worn with Lotus slipper footwear. (Image credit: Los Angeles Museum of Art)
In the final decades of the Qing dynasty, informal Manchu-style robes and Han-style jackets were frequently embellished with elaborate ribbon and appliqué borders and paired with lotus slippers.
Han-style Jacket (Ao) and skirt (Qun) circa 1900. (Image credit: Los Angeles Museum of Art)
The Republican Period
In 1912, the Republic of China emerged as a modern nation-state, though its early decades were marked by political instability and conflict. Civil war, which began in 1927, ultimately led to the establishment of the Communist government on the mainland in 1949 and the Republic of China’s retreat to Taiwan.
Long vest (Majia). Silk jacquard, stencil printed, rayon & cotton ribbon, silk satin binding and knotted buttons (pankou) circa 1925. (Image credit: Los Angeles Museum of Art)
Amid this tumultuous era, women assumed new social and professional roles as their participation in public life expanded. Fashion became a powerful visual expression of these changing identities, reflecting evolving ideals of modern womanhood. Drawn primarily from the recently acquired Lai Mah Collection, the garments presented in this exhibition represent China, Hong Kong, and the global Chinese diaspora.
Bridal Dress
Embroidered wedding jackets (gua) were worn in the 1950s after a wedding and for special occasions. (Image credit: Los Angeles Museum of Art)
Bridal dress in the first half of the twentieth century used embroidered motifs to express long-standing ideals of marital harmony even as changing silhouettes reflected new influences. Pink, white and black replaced the auspicious red of traditional after wedding jackets. Fitted shapes with darts and curved sleeves reflected Western tailoring techniques. 
Wedding Ensemble Jacket and Skirt (Qun Gua) Silk satin and metal-wrapped silk thread embroidery 1965. (Image credit: Los Angeles Museum of Art)
The Cheongsam
Silk & rayon mechanical lace cheongsam and circa 1930 .(Image credit: Los Angeles Museum of Art)
The cheongsam (also called the qipao) has roots in the long, loose robes worn by Manchu women during China’s Qing dynasty. But the fitted, high-collared dress most people recognize today emerged in Shanghai during the 1910s and especially the 1920s. Its popularity steadily increased as China became increasingly connected to the wider world and Western textile advances began to influence Chinese fashion.
The Leavers loom, invented in Europe around1813, made intricate laces faster and cheaper to produce. The process expanded into China with dozens of factories opening in Shanghai by the 1930s.
Variations on the cheongsam 1930-1950. (Image credit: Los Angeles Museum of Art)
New materials and manufacturing methods broadened both the appearance and accessibility of fashionable dress. Synthetic dyes introduced brighter, more colorfast hues, while rayon and other manufactured fibers made silk-like fabrics more affordable and widely available. Mechanized jacquard weaving enabled intricate patterns informed by international design trends. Machine-made lace and dévoré, or burnout, velvet expanded access to decorative textiles, producing dramatic effects of texture, opacity, and transparency that were especially suited to the era’s increasingly fitted silhouettes.
Chinese dress circa 1960s. (Image credit: Los Angeles Museum of Art)
By the mid-twentieth century, Chinese fashion had evolved into a distinctive visual language, blending international innovation with enduring local traditions as China engaged more closely with a globalized world. During the 1960s, cheongsam tailoring responded to the decade’s popular shift-dress silhouette through simplified, knee-length styles that showcased bold, graphic textiles. Today, the cheongsam remains a recurring presence in contemporary designers’ collections and an enduring source of creative inspiration.
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