In Hangzhou, Zhejiang, a "sewing study room" run by Yang Shuoqing has quietly become a local sensation. Yang, born in the 1990s, transformed her family's clothing repair shop into a self-study studio where customers learn to make their own bags, scarves, pet beds and jackets.
"Most of our students used to be elderly residents from nearby communities who wanted to repair clothes," Yang said. "But now more and more young people come in carrying sketches and patterns, hoping to create their own DIY designs."
On the walls of the studio hang crocheted decorations and handmade fabric works. The courses, once focused on simple sewing techniques, now teach pattern drawing and garment design as younger customers seek increasingly personalized creations.
On Chinese lifestyle platform Xiaohongshu, the number of posts under the topic "sewing beginners" has surpassed 131,000, generating over 30 million views. Knitting-related content overall has attracted nearly 6.4 million posts and 1.9 billion views.
The trend extends far beyond Hangzhou. Similar sewing studios have emerged in cities including Shanghai, Beijing, Wuhan and Yinchuan. Social media posts shared by studio owners reveal a common formula: compact but minimalist spaces, experienced instructors, and a customer base made up largely of retirees and young urban consumers.
Yang originally worried an hourly rate of 80 yuan ($12) would discourage customers. "At first, I thought young people would find it too costly," she said. "But many of them came in with tutorials and pictures they found online and wanted to learn how to make things themselves."
One of the studio's retired sewing instructors, surnamed Xia, said he once spent more than 10 hours a day operating industrial sewing machines and had assumed he would never touch them again after retirement. That perception changed after a college student came to the studio determined to create an embroidered lace bag with raised multicolored patterns.
"I told her it would be troublesome and the visual effect might not even be obvious," Xia said. "But she insisted because she wanted something unique." To Xia, younger customers care less about efficiency or cost and more about individuality and aesthetics. "They only ask whether it looks good, whether it feels personal and whether it reflects their own style."
The emotional economy market in China reached 2.71 trillion yuan in 2025 and is projected to exceed 4.6 trillion yuan by 2029. DIY sewing, analysts say, reflects a broader shift in consumer values — people are no longer buying just for function, but for emotion, identity and experience.
Chen Ru, an office worker and vintage fashion enthusiast, said she became interested in DIY clothing after exploring second-hand fashion and observing independent brands promoting sustainability and natural aesthetics. After discovering sewing studios, she began making scarves, clothes and even pet products such as cat beds and cushions.
"Things you make yourself fit your own aesthetic better," Chen said. "And they feel more meaningful."
Shi Jiajia, director of a psychological counseling center, said activities such as sewing and knitting function as a form of mindfulness practice. "When people focus on textures, colors and details during the creative process, they temporarily step away from the pressures of daily life," Shi said. "Handmade crafts are relatively low-cost, but they stimulate creativity and generate a strong sense of fulfillment and self-worth."
For many young consumers, the appeal also lies in self-expression online. Chen said that DIY clothes are one of a kind. "By understanding my own body and preferences, I can create designs I truly like and share them online. In some ways, it feels like becoming an independent fashion designer."
This enthusiasm has inspired Yang to think bigger. "Maybe one day there will be AI-powered sewing machines that lower the barrier even further," she said. "Perhaps someday I'll even have my own environmentally friendly fashion brand with customers from around the world."