Chinese aesthetics abound at Washington summit, from Mao suits to peony trousers
Throughout President Xi Jinping’s state visit to Washington, Chinese aesthetics were not confined to first lady Peng Liyuan, long an ambassador of Chinese fashion, but also appeared in the outfits of other senior Chinese officials and even members of the US delegation. At the state dinner in the White House on Thursday, Xi and other senior Chinese officials – including his chief of staff Cai Qi…
During President Xi Jinping's state visit to Washington, Chinese fashion made a prominent appearance beyond first lady Peng Liyuan. Senior Chinese officials, such as chief of staff Cai Qi and foreign minister Wang Yi, donned black Mao suits at the state dinner at the White House. This distinctive attire, known as a Zhongshan suit in China, was popularised by revolutionary Sun Yat-sen and was notably worn by Mao Zedong when he declared the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949.
Deng Xiaoping also donned the suit during his historic 1979 visit to Washington. Meanwhile, First Lady Peng Liyuan embraced a different Chinese aesthetic, wearing a dove-grey dress inspired by traditional Chinese tailoring and a red V-neck gown during the state dinner, symbolizing good fortune in Chinese culture. On the US delegation, First Lady Melania Trump opted for black Dolce & Gabbana trousers adorned with a peony-motif brocade, while her daughter Ivanka Trump wore a blue dress by Chinese designer Guo Pei at the White House welcome ceremony.
Written by urgent.news from Reuters Business via SCMP's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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