Belle Fashion-owned Chinese shoe brand Tata has partnered local university Donghua in Shanghai to launch several new trainer and loafer styles inspired by southwestern Miao culture in the run-up to next month’s Lunar New Year celebrations.

The designs are rooted in Donghua researchers’ in-depth field explorations of Miao intangible cultural heritage like traditional embroidery, silversmithing and other art forms in the country’s Guizhou province.

Silver, jewelled embellishments thus feature on shoelaces and buckles, for example, with stylised, 'auspicious' dragon emblems printed on loafer insoles, plus more.