XINHUA – If you ask Generation Z – those born after 1995 and in the 2000s – what the current fashion craze in China is, “new Chinese style” will likely be the answer.

After gaining immense popularity during this year’s Spring Festival in February, the organic blend of traditional Chinese aesthetics and modern style continues to charm hearts during spring and summer, becoming a buzzword in the domestic consumer market.

New Chinese-style clothing is typically defined as seamlessly integrating traditional Chinese elements with contemporary styles. It not only encapsulates traditional aesthetics and cultural heritage but also fuses materials, techniques and technologies stemming from modern science.

On social media platforms like Douyin and Xiaohongshu, the “new Chinese style” remains a fervent topic. E-commerce data from short video platform Kuaishou showed that in the first quarter of this year, orders for products of “new Chinese style “increased by 700 per cent compared to the same period last year, while orders for hanfu, the traditional attire of the Han ethnic group, increased by nearly 300 per cent.

“Our orders are booked six months in advance, with a compound annual growth rate of over 100 per cent in revenue,” said Lin Qi, inheritor of the craftsmanship for making mamianqun, horse-face skirts, and the founder of a clothing brand. The horse-face skirt is a type of hanfu, featuring a high, flat front and pleated sides that originated in the Song Dynasty (960-1279) and prevailed in the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties.

In 2016, Lin started creating unique horse-face skirts, initially selling only a dozen pieces in a year. In just a few years, the annual sales volume of horse-face skirts her company made has soared to an impressive 100,000 pieces. Reflecting on this remarkable growth, Lin said, “The market has undergone notable changes.” Currently, a significant portion of her clientele is from the younger generation.

Many of those born post-95 say the inherent beauty of the new Chinese-style fashion touches their cultural genes when asked about its appeal. In addition, what excites young people are the stunning designs that exude a stronger sense of style and contemporary vibes.

A closer look at the prevailing trends of the “new Chinese style “reveals a captivating blend of trendiness and refinement. Whether it’s the exquisitely crafted button designs or the artistry in the embroidery embodying intangible cultural heritage, this fusion always perfectly captures young individuals’ aesthetic preferences when seamlessly integrating with contemporary clothing styles and silhouettes.

For example, the horse-face skirt has evolved into a more diverse fashion item and has thus gained even greater versatility. To cater to different occasions, it now comes in various lengths, from full-length to midi- and knee-length.

To meet the demands of various seasons, the fabric has also seen improvements, transitioning from thick wool knits to lightweight cotton, linen and silk.

From the qipao – a traditional Chinese dress for women – to hanfu, almost every popular fashion item is a reinterpretation of tradition.

“We have invested a significant amount of time and money in collecting hundreds of traditional Song brocade patterns, studying weaving techniques and innovating to make them more in line with the modern aesthetics,” said president of a silk research and development company in Suzhou Wu Jianhua.

Wu’s company also researched and developed elastic Song brocade, aiming to enhance the fabric’s wrinkle resistance, colour vibrancy and comfort to make it more suitable for modern wear.

Xue Yadi, born in 2000, praises the “new Chinese style” clothing as “not merely visually appealing but also lightweight”. She added: “Wearing these clothes fills me with a sense of pride.”

“The popularity of tradi-tional clothing is closely related to the growing interest in traditional culture. Consumers not only pay for the clothing itself but also appreciate the aesthetic significance and cultural value it carries. This phenomenon reflects a strong cultural confidence among the public,” said vice-president of the China National Garment Association Yang Xiaodong.

PARIS (AP) – In a luxurious hotel room on the 16th floor, overlooking the heart of Paris and the iconic Seine River, Thomas Jolly prepares for the grand spectacle that will inaugurate the Paris 2024 Olympics.

“I was overwhelmed at first. I wondered how I could create a show where everyone can feel represented as part of this great union,” admitted Jolly, the actor and stage director who was tapped two years ago to helm the artistic direction of the opening and closing ceremonies. “This responsibility was ambitious, complex, but magnificent for an artiste.”

More than a billion people are expected to watch the July 26 opening ceremony. But Jolly, 42, is no stranger to outsized projects in France, producing a 24-hour-long Shakespearean tetralogy in 2022 and reviving the favourite musical Starmania. He has earned three

Molière prizes, France’s highest theatre award.

Now, he is tasked with sharing France with the rest of the world in a parade that’s expected to last nearly four hours.

“France is a story that never stops being constructed, deconstructed, and reconstructed. It’s alive, it remains alive,” Jolly passionately explained in an interview last week. This dynamism, he believes, fuels the country’s reputation for protests and strikes – manifestations of France’s constant reexamination of its identity and values.

Behind Jolly, the scene is a hive of activity, with construction workers toiling on the settings for the upcoming ceremony on the riverbanks of the Seine, sealed to the public. At one point, Tony Estanguet, the head of the Paris 2024 organising committee who is also giving interviews in the hotel, joins Jolly on the balcony, away from the media frenzy. Jolly gestures animatedly towards the Seine as they discuss final details, Estanguet nodding in agreement.

Last year, France hosted the Rugby World Cup. The opening ceremony imagined by Oscar-winning actor Jean Dujardin, who portrayed a beret-wearing baker in a 1950s rendition of France, received criticism for being too stereotypical and outdated. While acknowledging the cliches, Jolly is determined to both play with and subvert these stereotypes, believing that opening ceremonies often tell the story of a country.

“When we watch Emily in Paris or Amélie Poulain, we know it’s not quite the real Paris.

We’re going to play with all those cliches, but we’re also going to challenge them,” said Jolly, who is also directing the Paralympics ceremonies. “Paris is also a vibrant youth. Different cultures rubbing shoulders in the streets.”

The opening ceremony will be attended by approximately 300,000 people, most of whom have been invited, with the organisers intent on celebrating inclusion and diversity. The original plan was to have a 100 per cent free ceremony, with millions watching the parade from the riverbanks. Those ambitions were dialed down by the French government, who feared security threats in a city that has had major extremist attacks as recently as 2015.

“An opening ceremony has never been held outside of a stadium. There is no model; it’s absolute creation,” Jolly said, acknowledging the challenges of such a feat.

He envisioned a giant ballet in 12 acts with hundreds of dancers stationed on the many bridges that span the Seine, as boats floats down the river carrying the Olympic athletes to the Eiffel Tower.

Jolly is extremely tight-lipped about what will eventually transpire at the ceremony. Rehearsals are being held in secret locations scattered throughout France, but there will be no full rehearsal before the actual date.

The mystery has prompted much speculation, with some of the most audacious theories positing the use of submarines in the Seine and performances by pop stars such as Celine Dion, Lady Gaga and French-Malian singer Aya Nakamura.

“I’ll be fired if I tell you anything,” Jolly says with a cheeky laugh. “All I can tell you is that it will be very meaningful for the artistes that will perform.”

PARIS (AP) – Paris is a popular destination for vacations, of course. The food and drink. The art and history. The landmarks. And so on.

The city itself will be one of the protagonists of the 2024 Olympic Games – which is why the Eiffel Tower and Seine River are featured just as prominently as gymnast Simone Biles or swimmer Katie Ledecky in NBC’s ads promoting its TV coverage – and the athletes heading to France, not to mention their friends and family, have been drawing up lengthy to-do lists of the various tastes they want to try and the sights they want to see.

“I’m excited to just explore and just take in everything Paris has to offer, because me and my friends, we look at things and we get inspired,” said breaker Jeffrey Louis, aka b-boy Jeffro.

“We’re looking at the structure of buildings and we’re like, ‘Oh, that’s tight! We could do this; we could do that with this.’ We look at fashion and we’re like, ‘OK, what can we pull from and what can we add to our crew?’ So there’s a lot of things that we want to try and just explore.”

Some are eager to ride to the top of Gustave Eiffel’s creation from the 1880s, maybe even dine at its restaurant. The Louvre Museum, with its Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo and so much more, is high on many lists. Alas, so is Notre Dame Cathedral, but its restoration after a 2019 fire will not be completed until well after the Summer Games, which open tomorrow.

“Such a big city. A beautiful city,” diver Andrew Capobianco said.

Can’t forget all of the stuff to sample and sip.

The crepes. (“Eat as many crepes as you can if you’re in Paris,” track and field Paralympian Noelle Malkamaki said.) The espressos. (“I’m a big coffee guy; a coffee connoisseur,” 3×3 basketball player Dylan Travis said.) The croissants, baguettes and other baked goods (“Looking forward to macaroons, pastries, bread,” sitting volleyball Paralympian Nicky Nieves said.)

The cheese, or, “fromages” – from Comte to Camembert, Roquefort to Brie. The escargots (“It kind of tastes like chicken,” artistic swimmer Daniella Ramirez said.) The steaks. The mousse. The crème brûlée. There are those, such as breaker Sunny Choi (“After the Games,” she said with a smile, “I will be eating everything”) or rower Michelle Sechser, who know they’ll need to set those sorts of culinary delights aside until the last part of their stay.

Can’t load up on all of that fun stuff too early.

“We do have weight-class restrictions; we have to weigh in two hours before a race,” Sechser said. “So after racing’s done, I’m most excited to get out and explore the Parisian food and really enjoy some French meals.”

Canoe/kayak star Evy Leibfarth, the first American woman to qualify in three whitewater events at an Olympics, looks at the situation from a different perspective.

She makes sure to fill herself with foods conducive to peak performance. But she also does not want to deny herself too much.

“If I’m going to be thinking about my croissant the whole time I’m paddling, I may as well just eat it, you know? So it’s all about balance,” said Leibfarth, a 20-year-old from North Carolina.

“It’s just making sure that I’m getting the right amount of protein and the right amount of carbs before a race, while also balancing in the things that I want to eat, because it brings me so much joy.” As she looked forward to her fifth trip to Paris, Leibfarth offered some words of wisdom to Olympians headed to the City of Light for the first time.

“Probably the best piece of advice I’d give is: See all of the touristy things you can – and then move on to the smaller things.

“Some of the little art galleries that you just run into, walking down the street, are some of the best that I’ve ever been in,” Leibfarth said.

“So don’t be afraid to just drop the recommendations and everything and just walk around and find things to do, because that’s the best I’ve done. And the same with thrift shops and other cutesy little places.”

AP – Even though United States (US) President Joe Biden won’t be on the ballot this November, voters still will be weighing his legacy.

As Vice President Kamala Harris moves to take his place as the Democratic standard-bearer, Biden’s accomplishments remain very much at risk should Republican Donald Trump prevail.

How Biden’s single term – and his decision to step aside – are remembered will be intertwined with Harris’ electoral success in November, particularly as the vice president runs tightly on the achievements of the Biden administration.

Biden had an opportunity to make a case for his legacy – sweeping domestic legislation, renewal of alliances abroad, defense of democracy – yesterday when he delivered an Oval Office address about his decision to bow out of the race and “what lies ahead”.

And no matter how frustrated Biden is at being pushed aside by his party – and he’s plenty upset – he has too much at stake simply to wash his hands of this election.

Biden endorsed Harris shortly after he announced on Sunday that he would end his candidacy, effectively giving her a head start over would-be challengers and helping to jumpstart a candidacy focused largely on continuing his own agenda.

“If she wins, then it will be confirmation that he did the right thing to fight against the threat that is Trump, and he will be seen as a legend on behalf of democracy,” said executive director of the George Washington Presidential Library at Mount Vernon presidential historian Lindsay Chervinsky.

“If she loses, I think there will be questions about, did he step down too late? Would the Democratic Party have been more effective if he had said he was not going to run?”
Similar what-ifs play out at the end of every presidency. But Biden’s defiance in the face of questions about his fitness for office and then his late submission to his party’s crisis of confidence heighten the stakes. The last vice president to run for the top job was Democrat Al Gore, who sought to distance himself from President Bill Clinton during the 2000 campaign after the president’s affair with a White House intern and subsequent impeachment.

Harris, in contrast, has spent the better part of the last three years praising Biden’s doings – meaning any attempt to now distance herself would be difficult to explain. And she has to rely on the Biden political operation she inherited to win the election with just over 100 days to go before polls close.

Speaking to campaign staff on Monday, Harris said Biden’s legacy of accomplishment “just over the last three and a half years is unmatched in modern history”. Trump and his allies, for their part, were eager to tie Harris to Biden’s record even before the president left the race – and not in a good way.

One campaign email to supporters declared “Kamala Haris is Joe Biden 2.0 – Kamala Harris owns Joe Biden’s terrible record because it is her record as well”, calling out high inflation and border policies, among other things.

Biden this week promised the staffers of his former campaign that he was still “going to be on the road” as he handed off the reins of the organisation to Harris, adding, “I’m not going anywhere”.

His advisers said he intends to hold campaign events and fundraisers benefiting Harris, albeit at a far slower pace than had he remained on the ballot himself.

Harris advisers will ultimately have to decide how to deploy the president, whose popularity sagged as voters on both sides of the aisle questioned his fitness for office.

The president’s allies insist that no matter what, Biden’s place in the history books is intact.