Photo taken on January 16, 2026 shows Zoram Zari (left) helps a customer try on an Atlas silk cheongsam in her studio located in Yuejin Street South Community, Heijiashan Subdistrict, Tianshan District, Urumqi City, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

Shiliuyun-Xinjiang Daily (Reporter Otkur Nijat) news: On January 19, 2026, stepping into the tailor shop run by Zoram Zari in Heijiashan Subdistrict, one is greeted by walls adorned with various styles of Atlas silk dresses and fabrics in diverse patterns. The hum of sewing machines fills the air. Zoram Zari is busy helping customers select fabrics and discuss designs, speaking in a warm, friendly tone as if chatting with old friends. This modest shop not only carries Zoram Zari's entrepreneurial dream of decades but also lights up the path to increased income for dozens of women in the neighborhood.

Photo taken on January 15, 2026 shows Zoram Zari (middle) guides employee in matching fabrics at her studio located in Heijiashan Subdistrict, Tianshan District, Urumqi City, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

Having loved needlework since childhood, Zoram Zari honed her skills to perfection. In 1989, she moved with her husband from Kuqa City to settle in Urumqi. While caring for her young daughter, she supported the family by making and selling handmade embroidered items like doppas and cross-stitch works at the market. In 2011, Zoram Zari received an opportunity to visit Beijing for a study tour. This experience broadened her horizons and changed her outlook on her craft. After returning to Urumqi, she signed up for a tailoring and design training course at the Xinjiang Women's Vocational Training School, where she studied fashion design systematically. After completing the program, she opened this tailor shop.

Photo taken on January 16, 2026 shows Zoram Zari designs clothing in the studio.

The road to entrepreneurship is never smooth sailing. Initially, with a small shop in an inconvenient location, she could only take on scattered tailoring orders from the surrounding neighborhood, and the business barely survived. At its most difficult point, Zoram could barely afford the rent. When her challenges became known, she received timely support from women's federations at all levels and the local community. They provided her with a rent-free storefront, donated six sewing machines, and actively assisted her in applying for startup loans and various preferential policies, giving her venture a vital boost.

Today, the small shop steadily provides employment for six women. Amanisha, who has worked here for seven years, says, “My monthly salary is 4,000 yuan (about 574 U.S. dollars), and I can earn bonuses for good performance. Working with Sister Zoram, life feels more promising with each passing day.” In 2023, Zoram opened another garment workshop in Yuejin Street South Community, Heijiashan Subdistrict. She voluntarily teaches her skills to any woman in the area willing to learn.

Photo taken on January 16, 2026 shows Zoram Zari (left) teaches student the technique of hand-embroidered doppas at her studio located in Yuejin Street South Community, Heijiashan Subdistrict, Tianshan District, Urumqi City, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

Thanks to her exquisite craftsmanship and innovative designs, the small shop has continuously expanded its business. Today, it not only produces a variety of traditional ethnic minority costumes but also offers custom-made evening gowns, suits, stage costumes, and other styles. Using Atlas silk as material, Zoram also designs cheongsams in novel styles, which have become highly popular among customers and a bestseller in the shop. The shop now collaborates with numerous clothing stores across Xinjiang through both offline and online channels, ensuring a steady flow of orders. Featured garments like Atlas silk cheongsams are sold not only to regions such as Hainan and Hubei but also exported to countries like Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.

Photo taken on January 16, 2026 shows the staff introduces cheongsam designed and made by Zoram Zari with Atlas silk through the Douyin platform at Zoram’s studio located in Yuejin Street South Community, Heijiashan Subdistrict, Tianshan District, Urumqi City, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

With her business steadily growing, Zoram has set her sights on a bigger goal: she plans to open a new store in the Xinjiang International Grand Bazaar to further expand her operations.

Photo taken on January 16, 2026 shows a courier picks up custom-made garments from Zoram's tailoring workshop.

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