As the latest hit TV show To the Wonder has made Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region a trendy travel destination, Zhou Fangyi, a 23-year-old fashion designer, hopes that beyond enjoying the stunning landscape, the lifestyle and fashion of the Kazak ethnic group can be appreciated by more people.
Also known as Sholpan, the woman born in Beijing wears Kazak traditional clothing, plays the dongbula, or dombra, a Kazak traditional musical instrument, and sings Kazak songs. In her Kazak friend Zayra Ysidwulti's eyes, Zhou is more a Kazak than herself. Zayra is a visual designer and illustrator.
Zhou says, "Every woman has more than one characteristic, more than one identity and more than one possibility. There should be more than one answer to define a person."
Interested in Kazak culture when she was a teenager, Zhou moved to Ili Kazak autonomous prefecture, Xinjiang, and opened her own design studio after graduation last year from University College London's The Bartlett Faculty of the Built Environment.
She is a collector of traditional clothing in Central Asia and her chapan (a traditional Kazak gown) is used as a costume worn by Zhang Fengxia, a character in the TV show To the Wonder.
"As a Han woman, I have been fascinated by the Kazak lifestyle and culture for a long time," Zhou says, adding its geographical location determines that the culture is very inclusive and diverse, allowing locals to learn from the characteristics of the East and absorb the aesthetics of the West.
Meeting Zayra on social media platform Xiaohongshu(Little Red Book), the two set up a studio showcasing and promoting the nomadic fashion and lifestyle in Ili.
Although the young Kazak generation in the city have moved away from the nomadic lifestyle and started wearing trendy outfits, Zhou believes that innovation in Kazak culture brings new opportunities for business to local craftsmen, who can create traditional patterns on modern clothing, which may help to promote the ethnic culture.
"Donning ethnic attire can be a very cool fashion element today, which can make you stand out from the crowd and represent the charm of ethnic culture," Zayra says.
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