Editor’s note

While China has long been known as the “factory of the world,” the Made-in-China label is often associated with cheap, low-quality products. However, this perception is changing. Driven by increasing investment in research and development and evolving consumer spending patterns, many Chinese manufacturers are advancing up the value chain and gaining ground in the high-end market.

We hereby present a series of stories that examine these changes in the country’s manufacturing sector. The following explores how the apparel sector is evolving by incorporating digital tools and traditional aesthetics.

SHI DAQING, a 47-year-old apparel industry veteran, was astounded by how quickly he could match a fabric sample using a lunchbox-sized fabric-sourcing robot.

With a swift scan, the device’s screen lights up and displays a high-resolution image of every thread and weave of the fabric in striking detail. Within two minutes, a list of verified suppliers appears, complete with real-time pricing and availability.

“For years, sourcing fabrics meant carrying around swatches and running around fabric markets, stall by stall,” Shi said. “What once took two or three days can now be done in just two minutes. It’s like a scene straight out of a sci-fi flick.”

The increasing use of digital technology, from material sourcing to AI-powered design and intelligent production, is propelling China’s garment industry up the value chain by transforming it from low-cost manufacturing to innovation-driven, high-value development — a process that mirrors the country’s broader economic transition.

From loom to lab

Developed by Zhijing Technology, the fabric-sourcing robot uses AI-powered optics to extract and analyze information like fabric texture, color, material type, density, and craftsmanship, runs that data through a fabric database, and finds a match.

“It can retrieve quotations and manufacturer information in just a few minutes, helping garment manufacturers overcome the challenges of fabric sourcing,” explained Li Yaping, senior vice president of Zhijing Technology.

In addition to the fabric-sourcing robot, several other AI-powered tools have been launched in China to modernize its apparel industry. Intelligent design software can assist fashion professionals with creating a wide variety of styles based on basic sketches or keyword prompts. AI-driven dyeing systems leverage big data to automate color formulation, significantly increasing the success rate of first-time dyeing.

“Technological progress in 5G, big data, and the Internet of Things has helped shift the textile sector from labor-intensive production to a digitally connected industry built on the industrial internet,” said Hu Qimu, deputy director of the Research Center for Strategic Emerging Industries at Tsinghua University.

The digital transformation drive in China’s apparel industry has also received continued policy support. This year’s government work report emphasized accelerating the digitalization of manufacturing, which has fostered a number of service providers with both industry expertise and digital know-how and bolstered support for the digital transformation of small and medium-sized companies.

Cultural heritage in design

The transformation that is sweeping through China’s apparel industry is not only technological but also deeply cultural. An increasing number of domestic brands are incorporating Chinese cultural identity and traditional aesthetics into their designs, sparking a wave of high-end homegrown labels that resonate both locally and globally.

ICICLE, a premium fashion label, uses natural materials such as cashmere, wool, and silk to produce comfortable, eco-conscious clothing for urban professionals. The brand also integrates traditional fabrics and craftsmanship — such as gambiered Guangdong gauze, a plant-dyed silk, and Suzhou embroidery, known for its intricate patterns — with contemporary minimalist design.

Some of its recent bestsellers, a collaboration with the Shanghai Museum, are garments inspired by the traditional Chinese silk scroll painting “Paradise Flycatcher Duo Amidst Peach Blossoms,” part of the museum’s collection, and crafted from Chinese textiles like silk and ramie.

With around 240 stores across China, ICICLE’s annual sales exceed 3 billion yuan (US$416 million). In a major step toward global expansion, the company debuted on the official calendar of Paris Fashion Week in March of this year, joining other high-end international brands at the event.

ICICLE founder Ye Shouzeng said he aims to increase the company’s international sales in the coming years, and the brand is preparing to open its fourth store in Paris this year.

China’s rich cultural heritage also serves as a wellspring of inspiration for Life on Left, a domestic brand known for reviving the mamianqun — traditional Chinese long pleated skirts. Its annual sales of the skirt have reached nearly 100,000 units.

“The market has changed dramatically,” said founder Lin Qi, who is also an inheritor of the intangible cultural heritage of mamianqun-making. “Once popular among a small group of traditional clothing enthusiasts, the skirt now appeals to a wider audience, including a growing number of younger buyers.”

The mamianqun is a typical example of guochao apparel — trendy fashion inspired by traditional Chinese culture — which has experienced a spectacular surge in the market in recent years. Industrial data show that the market size of guochao apparel soared beyond 220 billion yuan last year and is anticipated to hit 250 billion yuan in 2025.

“China’s cultural heritage is reshaping its manufacturing sector, with traditional craftsmanship and artistic elements increasing brand value,” said He Yingkun, director of the Industrial Culture Development Center of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.

As China shifts from mass production to smart, high-end manufacturing, the fusion of aesthetics and craftsmanship is driving the country’s manufacturing sector up the global value chain, He added.(Xinhua)