In the bridal market, qipaos are underrepresented. This company wishes to change that.
Apart from honoring their history, it's easy to see why Chinese brides in the Western world wear a qipao for at least part of their wedding day: It's difficult not to look good in one.
The qipao, also known as the cheongsam, features a body-hugging design, a sleek mandarin collar, and silk embroidered with anything from a gold dragon and phoenix emblems to tiny flowers and butterflies. (To get a feel of how beautiful the sheath dress can be in motion, check Maggie Cheung in Wong Kar Wai's classic "In The Mood For Love.")
Many Chinese American brides wear qipaos for their tea ceremony, a ritual in which the bride and groom serve tea to their respective families, especially the elders, to demonstrate appreciation. Almost typically, the outfit is a bright red. (In Chinese tradition, the color red represents happiness, prosperity, and good fortune.)
As beloved as this wedding ritual is, it's not always simple to find a qipao that ticks all the boxes for modern brides in the United States.
Jenn Qiao's wedding was in 2017, and she had direct experience with the difficulty of finding the proper outfit.
"While there were countless options for a modern Chinese qipao when shopping for my white wedding dress, I was shocked at the lack of options for a modern Chinese qipao," Qiao, who lives in Southern California, told HuffPost.
"I started in Chinatown, where the selection was very traditional and limited, and language barriers made it even more difficult to describe what I was looking for," she stated. "When I searched online, the only websites that offered wedding qipaos had questionable quality and no customer service."
Dissatisfied with their experience, Qiao and her best friend (and maid of honor) Vivian Chan decided to create their own brand, East Meets Dress, for brides looking for their fantasy qipao. (They also sell modern Vietnamese wedding dresses, known as áo dài, as well as suits for men.)
Their mission is to increase Asian American presence and inclusiveness in the traditional wedding business, while also stressing quality craftsmanship and some modern design options.
East Meets Dress is one of an increasing number of Asian American-owned businesses and designers who are modernizing classic diaspora designs.
Dawang, a Chinese American streetwear company based in New York that sells qipao-inspired crop tops and tiny dresses (among other things), recently informed NBC News that it has increased its sales every year since it debuted in 2019.
Thai Nguyen, a Vietnamese American fashion designer, creates custom-made áo dàis for weddings and red carpets. ("Star Wars" actress Kelly Marie Tran paid tribute to her Vietnamese heritage by wearing one of Nguyen's áo dàis to the Oscars in 2022.)
East Meets Dress's Qiao is thrilled to be a part of the trend.
"Growing up in the United States, we were constantly straddling two cultures and wanted to create something that helped bridge the gap between these two identities," Qiao explained.
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Brides can select from a variety of flowy qipao-inspired jumpsuits:
Alternatively, go for extra-dramatic qipaos with sheer, seductive lace backs:
There are also many classic sheath qipaos available:
Customers can customize their dresses with the brand's Bespoke Collection. Qiao stated that it was extremely important to her and her co-founder that brides of various sizes could find the perfect qipao size.
"Traditionally, qipaos are very restricting and often made for a specific, petite body type, but when we started East Meets Dress, we felt strongly from the beginning that all brides should have the opportunity to wear and feel comfortable in a qipao dress," Qiao explained.
Qiao and Chan recently collaborated with plus-size model Catherine Li on a new line of more inclusive dress designs, allowing the business to offer a wider representation of body types on their website. (At her own Chinese Filipino wedding, Li wore a lace mini.)
So far, the small business has sold over 10,000 dresses to brides both inside and outside of the United States. The next step is to broaden their collection to include other Asian cultures, a casual cheongsam line, Lunar New Year designs, and children's clothes.
Qiao stated that clients, particularly teens who proudly wear the dresses to prom, have written in to express their appreciation for the brand's missions and designs.
"We love how we've been able to help not just brides celebrate their culture in their own style, but also high school students and adoptees find a qipao to wear for their prom, birthday, or special occasion," she said. "I believe it reflects the growing pride that younger generations have in their identity and heritage."
Summary
Qipaos, also known as cheongsam, is a traditional Chinese wedding dress that is often underrepresented in the Bridal Market. Many Chinese American brides wear a qipao for their tea ceremony, and it is always a vibrant red. Jenn Qiao and her best friend Vivian Chan decided to launch their own brand?East Meets Dress for brides looking for their dream qipao. They aim to bring more Asian American representation and inclusion to the traditional wedding industry while also emphasizing quality craftsmanship and some modern design offerings. East Meets Dress is part of a growing number of Asian American-owned businesses and designers modernizing traditional designs for diaspora communities.
East Meets Dress is a Chinese American streetwear company that sells qipao-inspired crop tops and mini dresses. The brand has doubled its sales every year since it launched in 2019 and is now partnered with plus-size model Catherine Li on a new collection of dress designs. So far, the business has sold over 10,000 dresses to brides in and outside the U.S. The next goal is to expand their collection further to include more Asian cultures, a casual cheongsam line, designs for Lunar New Year, and kids’ clothing. Clients have written in, sharing what the brand’s missions and designs have meant to them.