When Gong Hangyu established her cheongsam(旗袍)brand in 2012,she never expected that this traditional Chinese dress would eventually become such a massive hit in the younger generation.

Her goal then was simple: combining her keen understanding of traditional Chinese culture with the latest fashion concepts from abroad to create a unique cheongsam never seen before in the market.

“I started innovating as soon as the brand was established.I realized that women are now more independent and have more diverse fashion demands.If they want to wear a cheongsam for different occasions,this traditional outfit must keep up with the times,”says Gong.

The result was a wide range of modern cheongsams,including Shanghai-style cheongsams,orqipao,which could be used in business,formal and casual settings.

In its first year,the brand generated about 300,000 yuan ($44,880) in sales per month.In 2019,this figure rose to 10 million yuan.

“More and more young people are buying cheongsams today.The cheongsam used to be an outfit reserved for older women and for special occasions,but the younger generation today wear this dress to display their sense of style,”says Gong.

Expanding the target audience to include fashionable young customers meant having to make the cheongsam more affordable.While the price of traditional cheongsams usually starts around 5,000 yuan,Gong introduced variations that could be bought for as little as several hundred yuan.Her brand also offers other options that cost as much as traditional cheongsams.

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Why doesqipaobecome more and more popular today according to the text?

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