On Feb 14, Valentine's Day, which fell on the fifth day of the first lunar month as the Chinese were celebrating Spring Festival, Shanghai-based showroom interior designer Huang Weilai found himself unable to sleep after receiving a message from the Milan headquarters of women's fashion brand, Miu Miu.

The Italian brand wanted to invite Huang's mother Qin Huilan, who turned 71 in December, to walk their runway show at the Paris Fashion Week for its Fall and Winter 2024 collection show.

"I was so excited and I couldn't believe it," says the 34-year-old. "I've been following fashion news for years and I know that selecting models for runway shows is very important. I am so proud that my mother, a woman in her 70s, was invited."

Qin shared her son's excitement. Born and raised in Liuzhou in the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, she is a retired physician. After accepting the invitation, she left for Paris on March 2.

"The 70-year-old wore a long gray coat with silver embellishments, a pair of oversized metallic gloves, a black scarf, a small brown leather bag and a pair of pointy-toe Mary Janes. … Huilan had plenty of eyes on her while she walked the runway, as the fashion house had a stacked front row. ... But she walked like a pro and brought her love of the house to the forefront," an article on the website of American magazine People said on March 5 after the show.