Guangdong Fashion Week Autumn Session 2026 is taking place in Guangzhou from September 15 to September 23, with garments featuring traditional Yao embroidery from Ruyuan Yao Autonomous County among the designs on the runway.

Yao embroidery is distinguished by its vivid five-color palette and intricate patterns, which are traditionally stitched from memory rather than drawn out beforehand. The patterns are sometimes described as a form of "living script," carrying stories and cultural memories from one generation to the next.

The craft is now finding new forms beyond traditional clothing. Its motifs have been adapted for handbags, bracelets, jewelry, sachets and other contemporary products, giving the centuries-old embroidery a place in modern wardrobes and everyday objects.

More than 1,000 women embroiderers now practice the craft across Shaoguan's Ruyuan, one of Guangdong's three autonomous counties for ethnic minorities. The county is also known as the "Hometown of the Global Mountain-Yao People."

Author | Liu Xiaodi

Photos | IP Guangdong creator Ye Wenhao (叶文浩)