When Yang Tao and his teammates took to the stage on September 19 to accept the top honor at the 2026 French Design Award ceremony in Paris, he described the honor as not only recognition for Taobao Instant Commerce’s City Rider Suits, but also of the compassion that inspired it.

The Gold Award, announced in July, marked the first time the French Design Award had presented its top prize to a uniform created for frontline workers, resonating with more than one million Chinese riders who now wear it daily.

“We think the design would transform delivery workwear into a recognizable professional uniform, helping reshape how society views this essential profession. Couriers are now seen as City Riders: skilled urban service professionals with a clear identity, whose work deserves respect,” said Dario Olivero, Chair of the French Design Award Organizing Committee. “Design, art, and humanity still move the world.”

The honor came as a surprise to the unconventional team behind the Rider Suits. Wu Guoping runs restaurants in China, J Ma remained closely involved throughout the design process. OJO manages a bar and Wang Dongwei is a former dancer. Yang, who amongst the team had the closest connection to the fashion industry, was chosen to lead the design.

None of them had expected to design a uniform, much less be at on the mainstage in Paris to receive the top honor. Yang said the team came together around a simple question: chefs and flight attendants have uniforms that convey a clear professional identity, so why had no one designed one specifically for delivery riders?

“Clothing is a language unique to humanity. It tells the world who we are,” said Yang. The team hoped the uniform would provide a clearer professional identity for the riders, making it a visible symbol of respect and pride within the wider community.

Designing Around the Rider

“At first, we doubted we could do it. But our friend said, ‘Compassion is the greatest designer,’” Yang recalled. “Those words united a group of people with little fashion industry experience into an unlikely ‘Dream Team.’”

In the summer of 2025, the team worked late into the night, often debating design choices until two or three in the morning, and interviewed riders on the street to understand their daily experience. Joining those discussions was the “friend,” Alibaba founder Jack Ma, whom Yang described as the project’s initiator and the source of the original idea.

“This design began with his concern and respect for riders and his idea that ignited all of this,” Yang explained. Ma remained actively involved throughout the design process. “He was our project advisor and designer – and also our fit model and fabric tester.”

Color choices were assessed not only for visual impact, but also for safety hazards such as whether riders could stand out traffic or during evening deliveries. Fabrics had to account for sweat during hot days, and sudden rain during long hours on the road. The cut needed to balance a modern appearance with practical considerations, including space for first-aid supplies.

These details reflected the wider criteria behind the award. The jury considered not only visual execution, but also functionality, user experience, the emotional connection between a design and the people it serves, and its wider social value.

“In many ways, this award is less an award for us than an award for the compassion behind the work,” said Yang.

Part of a Wider Commitment

The suits have been distributed free of charge to more than one million riders since August 2025, as part of a broader effort to support City Riders. Over 20 businesses across Alibaba Group and Ant Group have jointly introduced a program focused on rider protections, benefits, and professional growth.

Under the program, the monthly “City Rider Day on 17th” initiative has served riders more than four million times. Approximately 700 riders have been awarded special incentives for kindness, and nearly 500 have received full financial support to attend university.

Together, the uniform and these wider initiatives reflect a commitment to practical support, professional recognition, and pride. For Yang, the suit’s reach made the team’s lack of formal design training all the more remarkable—but the award’s deeper meaning lay in what the uniform had come to represent.

“To receive this award here says something we all believe: respect and warmth are the highest fashion there is,” said Yang.