Rest in style: China expo models don elegant funeral fashion, sparking debate

An unusual fashion show in which the models wear shrouds designed for dead people has aroused interest in China, especially for the sophistication of the items on display.

The event was part of a funeral culture and supplies exhibition in the city of Tianjin in northern China at the end of June, Yantai TV reported.

On the catwalk were models dressed in glamorous funeral attire, which looked a lot like clothes for the living.

The beautifully designed dresses included a blue cheongsam, a crimson bubble skirt and a long turquoise coat, adorned with traditional Chinese elements such as embroidered buckles and Mandarin collars.

“Do you recognise them as funeral attire? I think they are beautiful,” one man in the audience said in a video that has been viewed 500,000 times on Weibo.

In China, funeral clothes are worn by the dead at the ceremony before they are placed in a coffin or cremated.

They are usually designed using vivid colours, following the pattern of traditional Chinese clothes, but loose and flowing.

Certain important details are required, such as sleeves long enough to cover the deceased’s hands, they must not be black and cannot be made of fur.

Customarily, the funeral dress is bought and prepared by the dead person’s daughters because they are considered to be meticulous when it comes to choosing clothes.

Sons are generally responsible for organising the funeral event.

The Tianjin show sparked a heated debate on mainland social media.

“It’s not right for models to walk like that. They should hold their arms flat, close their feet and hop – like zombies,” one online observer joked on Douyin.

“Models are willing to take on this job? This made my jaw drop,” said another.

“Is there a funeral dress in Lolita style? I’d be embarrassed to wear it when I’m alive, but hope to wear it when I pass away,” said a third.

At the beginning of this year, a woman in her 30s who lives in Shandong province, eastern China, shot to fame for live-streaming sales of funeral clothes that she modelled.

Most of her audience were older people who said they had not expected funeral attire could be so varied.

Some people were concerned that it could be bad luck for a young person to wear a shroud.