The latest fashion trend gripping young Chinese isn’t actually new, but it’s proving lucrative

CNN —

What’s old is new again. This time it’s a centuries-old skirt design that’s proving popular in China. The “mamianqun” or “horse face skirt” is being worn in cities like Shanghai, Beijing and Chengdu as young people in China are giving the attire a modern twist, with unconventional pairings and choice of fabrics.

While once the sole purview of “hanfu” enthusiasts (a renaissance of the ancient clothing traditionally worn by ethnic-majority Han Chinese before the Qing dynasty) and reserved for special occasions, the pleated often brocade skirts have become a part of everyday wear.

The popularity of the skirt has been wrapped into a broader trend being dubbed “xinzhongshi,” or “new Chinese style” — which merges all manner of contemporary design with traditional Chinese aesthetics, applied to everything from clothing to furniture.

Cao county in Shandong province is one of China's major hanfu production and sales hubs. There are varying theories on where the mamianqun or «horse face skirt» gets its name – with one suggesting that the front panel resembles a long horse face. With pleated sides and openings, the garment was well-suited for horseback riding.

Whilethe idea isn’t new, and was once considered old-fashioned, the wide-ranging term is being used as a marketing tool on China’s lucrative e-commerce platforms, with retailers quick to turn Gen Z’s patriotic, and at times, nationalistic sentiments, for profit.

On Chinese social media platforms Weibo and Xiaohongshu, searches for “new Chinese style” and “new Chinese style outfits” hashtags exceeded 100 million in early April,according to state news agency Xinhua. Besides fashion, the posts show everything from stuffed leather armchairs with the curves of