Collaborations between Older Women of Chinese Ethnic Minority and Fashion Designers: The "Momhandworks" Project

The “Momhandworks” project connected fashion designers with older women in Chinese ethnic groups and created an interactive space for “heritage-innovation” by establishing cooperatives. This project positively impacted the mental wellbeing and lives of these women, in addition to effectively protecting their own precious and intangible cultural heritage. At the tie-dye cooperative of the Bai ethnic group, the collaborative tie-dye designs, which included the preservation of conventional natural dyeing, changes to traditional patterns, and innovation of design themes by designer Zhang Zhaoda and Bai older women, have enriched the development of tie-dye and presented a contemporary visual aesthetic style.