Ne Tiger's gowns are inspired by Chinese prints and Qiang embroidery. Provided to China Daily

The top names in fashion draw inspiration from one of the oldest civilizations in the world, and 2011 will see more and more Chinoiserie on the runways. Gan Tian hits the previews.

Mandarin collars and frog-buttons, qipao-inspired body-hugging shifts - these appeared in Louis Vuitton's spring/summer 2011 collection. Every fashionista worth her brand-name credentials can recognize the eastward inspiration in Marc Jacobs' latest collection, sexed up, refined and touched with his wand of modernity.

Gucci has long woven China into its latest collection of bags.

When the fashion house opened its 28th store in China, it marked the occasion by having Frida Giannini create a limited edition "Gucci Shanghai Dragon Bag".

Take a closer look. The Dragon Bag is based on Gucci's Boston Bag, but in white, with two symmetrical red dragons facing each other with the giant Gucci signature wedged in the middle, and a scarlet stripe underneath underlining the Chinese symbol for luck and prosperity.

This year, style divas will note the diamond fretwork on some Gucci bags, which takes inspiration from traditional Chinese window frames. The weaving is also reminiscent of ethnic handicraft from southwestern China.

"The difference is, leather is used instead of bamboo. They make the bags sexier and more refined," fashion critic Liu Weilei observes.

Chinese ethnic style is leaving its influence on international fashion, and it intends to linger.

It is in everything you see. It is about Chinese jackets, Tang suits and slinky qipaos. It is about striking color combinations of red, jade, purple, orange and, of course, glitter. It is about super light and super cool silks, even shimmering brocades. It is about Chinese knots, vivid orchids and peony patterns.

Some Chinese labels have devoted their styles to reinforcing the trend. Shanghai Tang, founded in 1994 by Hong Kong businessman David Tang, is one of the best examples.

Its latest spring/summer collection is called Metamorphosis, which clearly draws inspiration from the traditional costumes of the Miao ethnic group. The Miao are nature's children with a deep respect for their surrounding habitat, a fact reflected in their brilliant costumes, embellishments and color choices.

Miao tie-dyed textiles are colored by natural indigo, and feature symbols in nature such as butterflies, birds and flowers - all elements in Shanghai Tang's Metamorphosis collection. There is a streamlined, double-pleated dress inspired by the skirts worn by Miao women.

Tang claims the label has a mission to rejuvenate Chinese fashion. In its previous collection, a qipao has a low-cut collar, a Tang suit can go with a mini-skirt, and a Chinese jacket goes beyond the drab browns and grays.

Shanghai Tang's chic Chinese style has caught the attention of Hollywood celebrities, and Nicolas Cage, Angelina Jolie, Keanu Reeves, Naomi Campbell and Kate Moss are all big fans.

When Paris Hilton made her appearance in Shanghai at the 2007 MTV Super Gala, she was wearing a scarlet Shanghai Tang one-piece dress, with qipao collars and a mini-skirt.

"I decided very early on that for the brand to really have legs it was very important to present a collection that had real roots in Chinese culture and history," the label's creative director Joanne Ooi told Good Morning America on ABC News.

There are currently 40 Shanghai Tang boutique stores globally, and it has expanded to London, Miami, New York, Las Vegas and Paris.

Another Chinese label making waves is Ne Tiger.

When it presented its 2011 haute couture collection, fashion columnists sat up.

Qiang embroidery, a traditional craft from the Qiang ethnic group of Sichuan, is artfully incorporated into Ne Tiger's contemporary three-dimensional cutting techniques.

The label's artistic director Zhang Zhifeng says Ne Tiger's designers traveled to Wenchuan in Sichuan province to learn the skill from Qiang women.

"It looks great on costumes. Qiang embroidery is a very good skill for fashion designers to master. The patterns are well-structured, and the colors are stunning and impressive," says Zhang.

It is not the first time that Ne Tiger has enriched its design with the country's ethnic cultural heritage. Past collections used Yun brocade, a Chinese weaving technique from Nanjing, Jiangsu province; K'o-ssu, a style of silk tapestry that dates back to the Tang dynasty (618-907) and ancient Chinese knotting techniques.