Drawing on traditional design elements, the qipao was popularised in 1920s Shanghai, its form-fitting cut capturing the glamour of that free-wheeling pre-communist era and the desire of Chinese women to liberate themselves from traditionally subservient roles. The high-collared Chinese dresses disappeared after the Communist Party -- which considered it decadent and bourgeois -- took power in 1949. The dress's comeback is due in part to producers like Zhou Zhuguang who is co-founder of Hanart, one of China's most well-known qipao makers. “We focus on the high-end market because it has a higher difficulty. Our tailors dedicate maybe their whole lives to making clothes, to be able to make a high-quality qipao,” he says. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES ARRANGED IN SEQUENCES