Threading culture and skill into garments of beauty

Since 1988, when the museum was still being prepared, the faculty members of the Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology have championed the study and conservation of ethnic costumes, leading to the establishment of the museum. Faculty and students have committed themselves to hands-on research.

Tian Hui, head of the museum, recounts the early days of their mission. "Our teachers, understanding the urgency of preserving these priceless ethnic costumes, took students on targeted expeditions to different regions," he says.

Tian recounts a memorable episode from 2000 involving You Cuiyu, a female fisher-farmer from the Hezhe ethnic group, who was the last maker of fish-skin clothing in Heilongjiang province at the time, and the museum's then director, Yang Yuan.

Yang ordered a set of fish-skin clothes from You for the collection, but You forgot it, because she had so much fishing and farming to do, and was only able to make fish-skin clothes during her spare time. Yang used this as a chance to meet You in her village in Northeast China, to record the process of fish-skin craftsmanship. Her determination led to the filming of a documentary about You's skills that subsequently received national acclaim, Tian says.

"The endeavor was more than mere collecting. It was a mission to protect and document traditional craftsmanship," he adds.