20161223 CNDY omPrintsite BSECT CHN-BRO LIF 006 018 ... · The women’s collection ... including a...
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LIFE CHINA DAILY » CHINADAILY.COM.CN/LIFE 18 Friday, December 23, 2016 Ethnic art gets designer boost Chinese fashion brand Eve takes inspiration from the Miao group to add a rare touch to its products. This, in turn, is helping an old tradition survive. Sun Yuanqing reports. EMBROIDERY Models for Eve show off the brand’s new collections with embroidery patterns inspired from ethnic Miao works in Jidao village, Guizhou province. PHOTOS PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY T ucked away in the mountains, Jidao village is a three- hour drive from Gui- yang, the provincial capital of Guizhou province. Here, the ethnic Miao people maintain their traditional lifestyle. They live in wooden houses, preserve meat in early winter and hold gatherings at the riverside to remember their ancestors every year. On the face of it, all this might seem to have no connec- tion with high fashion, but the community has been a source of inspiration for many designers and fashion houses, including fashion brand Eve. The Chinese brand recently made a trip to the village to make an advertising cam- paign for its 2017 spring/sum- mer collection, which features Miao embroidery. Inspired by the sea, the collec- tion features shades of blue on its suits, sweaters and coats. A smattering of embroidery adorns the classic suit silhouette. The women’s collection includes sleek qipao (tradi- tional Chinese women’s dress) and dresses that highlight nature-inspired embroidery. While traditional Miao embroidery is intricate, Wu Cha- ohui, creative director of Eve’s menswear line, says the brand has simplified it to cater to cus- tomers’ modern-day needs. “Traditional Miao embroi- dery is usually very rich and exaggerated, while modern menswear is understated. So we try to use it (the embroi- dery) in a selective, moderated way,” he says. “We want to revive this heri- tage by offering it to an urban clientele, and we hope this tra- dition will live on.” Eve has been working on a project to preserve Miao embroidery over the past 15 years with a dedicated team that documents the tradition- al craftsmanship. It has established a network of craftspeople and their work, and this has been used exten- sively in their collections and shown at exhibitions and run- way shows in Milan, London and Paris in recent years. Separately, Eve has also formed an alliance with local brands, so that all its members can make use of the database. In a related development, it has also helped build a muse- um in Guizhou to exhibit the works of the embroiderers. Xia Hua, founder and chair- woman of the Eve Group, says: “These people are preserving their heritage with their hands. I want to share their craftsmanship with the world, and to let it see the beauty of our country.” Xia was a teacher at the Chi- na University of Political Sci- ence and Law before founding the Eve Group in 1994. Eve is best known for mak- ing men’s suits, and it has dressed Chinese magnates Jack Ma and Liu Chuanzhi. The company now has five brands — Eve de Uomo, Not- ting Hill, Kevin Kelly, Jaques Pritt and Eve Cina. The prices of its outfits range from a few hundred to more than 10,000 yuan ($1400). The group currently has more than 500 stores in China, including a designer space in Beijing’s Parkview Green mall that showcases its collabora- tions with international and local designers. The growing interest in Miao ethnic culture is also changing the lives of villagers. In Jidao village, embroider- ers now hold workshops to teach children the craft. There are about 50 embroid- erers in the village, with the oldest being more than 80 years old. With regard to overseas exposure, the embroiderers were taken by Chinese designer Xie Feng to Paris Fashion Week in 2012 to exhibit their skills. As their craftsmanship has gained more exposure over the years, orders have flooded in. Now, looking to secure their future, the embroiderers have formed a foundation, and they contribute 3 percent of their revenues to it. The foundation now has a fund of around 6,000 yuan, which they intend to use to pro- mote their art, says Chen Qin, an embroiderer and one of those behind the foundation. “It (the foundation) is like a seed. We will use it to spread our heritage,” she says. Contact the writer at sunyuanqing@ chinadaily.com.cn BOOK Entertaining romp through a century of perfumes By ASSOCIATED PRESS Fragrance has always been wrapped in social and eco- nomic issues, controversy, memories and history as Lizz- ie Ostrom so persuasively shows in the lively Perfume: A Century of Scents. The 10 chapters — each devoted to a single decade — examine 10 different perfumes that influenced that decade. A sharply focused introduc- tion to each chapter further puts the decade — and its fragrance fashion — in perspective. While Perfume is by no means an encyclopedia about scents, it is a solid pop culture guide that incorporates fra- grance fashion into the shift- ing tides of society. Many of the perfumes men- tioned through the decades have disappeared — a mere whiff of a memory — no mat- ter how popular at the time. This is true not just of those from the 1920s but also those manufactured in the 1990s. Others such as Chanel No. 5 have been classics from the first day and remain favorites of all generations. Advertising fragrances is not a new idea. In 1908, the British firm Gos- nell’s launched a hot air balloon shaped like the bottle of its Cherry Blossom to fling out fly- ers over crowds — an idea that seems modest next to perfume fountains that threw fragrance into the air during the Victori- an era in England. What has changed is the rise of the inter- net and certain sites that curate myriad scents in one-stop shop- ping, making exotic perfumes even more accessible. Celebrities’ influence on fra- grance also goes back decades. Compare the Gibson Girls of the 1900s mentioning the “utterly obscure” Poinsettia with the avalanche of current pop stars such as Taylor Swift or Justin Bieber hawking their scents. Technology and chemistry gave companies new ways to produce scents, taking it away from the rich and elite of socie- ty and making it available to the masses. Ostrom shows that each decade had certain scents that define it. During the global depres- sion of the 1930s, Joy by Jean Patou, “the most expensive scent ever released”, was intro- duced and is still available today. World War II brought a new challenge as many perfumer- ies urged their customers to “treasure your last pinch” of fragrance as advertisers urged against buying until after the war. As a result, France ceased being the epicenter of fra- grance production as more began to be manufactured in America. The return of fragrance dur- ing the 1940s was seen as a symbol of hope. That’s a far cry from the “big, bad, loud-and- proud perfumes of the 1980s” when many restaurants put up signs banning Giorgio Bev- erly Hills, along with smoking. Perfume: A Century of Scents, by Lizzie Ostrom, examines influences of perfumes. AP Tencent party for Victoria’s Secret Tencent held a party in Bei- jing to mark its live broad- cast of the Victoria’s Secret fashion show earlier this month. This is the second year that the platform has broadcast the Victoria’s Secret show live. More than 10 million people viewed the show on Ten- cent this year. Supermodel Xi Mengyao, who walked the ramp for the show joined the afterparty. French store’s festive flare Galeries Lafayette Beijing unveiled its Christmas dec- orations recently. They tell a story of how polar bears are leaving their melting homes in the North Pole. It also features an installa- tion that shows polar bears climbing a replica of the Louvre Museum. Rolex puts out new models Rolex has unveiled two new models for the festive season. The Oyster Perpet- ual Pearlmaster 39 high- lights its use of rose gold and diamonds, while the Oyster Perpetual Cosmo- graph Daytona uses its pat- ented Cerachrom bezel. Larusmiani’s first China store Italian luxury brand Lar- usmiani opened its first China store at Beijing SKP mall recently. The store has a complete ready-to- wear lifestyle collection, which is handmade in Tus- cany, in Italy. It also has men’s accessories like grooming kits, smoking accessories, collector knives and other special items. Bottega Veneta’s 2017 collection Bottega Veneta introduced its 2017 spring/summer collection recently. The new collection features innovative fabrics and reinterprets the brand’s signature butterfly decora- tion. The brand also intro- duced 15 handbags for the new season. CHINA DAILY Briefly These people are preserving their heritage with their hands. I want to share their craftsmanship with the world.” Xia Hua, founder, Eve Group
Transcript of 20161223 CNDY omPrintsite BSECT CHN-BRO LIF 006 018 ... · The women’s collection ... including a...
LIFECHINA DAILY » CHINADAILY.COM.CN/LIFE
18 Friday, December 23, 2016
Ethnic art gets designer boostChinese fashion brand Eve takes inspiration from the Miao group to add a rare touch to itsproducts. This, in turn, is helping an old tradition survive. Sun Yuanqing reports.
EMBROIDERY
Models for Eve show off the brand’s new collections with embroidery patterns inspired from ethnic Miao works in Jidao village,Guizhou province. PHOTOS PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY
T ucked away in themountains, Jidaovillage is a threehour drive from Gui
yang, the provincial capital ofGuizhou province. Here, theethnic Miao people maintaintheir traditional lifestyle.They live in wooden houses,preserve meat in early winterand hold gatherings at theriverside to remember theirancestors every year.
On the face of it, all thismight seemtohavenoconnection with high fashion, but thecommunity has been a sourceof inspiration for manydesigners and fashion houses,including fashion brand Eve.
The Chinese brand recentlymade a trip to the village tomake an advertising campaign for its 2017 spring/summer collection, which featuresMiao embroidery.
Inspired by the sea, the collection features shades of blue onits suits, sweaters and coats. Asmattering of embroideryadornstheclassicsuitsilhouette.
The women’s collectionincludes sleek qipao (traditional Chinese women’s dress)and dresses that highlightnatureinspired embroidery.
While traditional Miaoembroideryisintricate,WuChaohui, creative director of Eve’smenswear line, says the brandhas simplified it to cater to customers’moderndayneeds.
“Traditional Miao embroidery is usually very rich andexaggerated, while modernmenswear is understated. Sowe try to use it (the embroidery) in a selective, moderatedway,” he says.
“We want to revive this heritage by offering it to an urbanclientele, and we hope this tradition will live on.”
Eve has been working on aproject to preserve Miaoembroidery over the past 15years with a dedicated teamthat documents the traditional craftsmanship.
It has established a networkof craftspeople and their work,and this has been used extensively in their collections andshown at exhibitions and runway shows in Milan, Londonand Paris in recent years.
Separately, Eve has alsoformed an alliance with localbrands, so that all its memberscan make use of the database.
In a related development, ithas also helped build a museum in Guizhou to exhibit theworks of the embroiderers.
Xia Hua, founder and chairwoman of the Eve Group, says:“These people are preservingtheir heritage with theirhands. I want to share theircraftsmanship with the world,
and to let it see the beauty ofour country.”
Xia was a teacher at the China University of Political Science and Law before foundingthe Eve Group in 1994.
Eve is best known for making men’s suits, and it hasdressed Chinese magnatesJack Ma and Liu Chuanzhi.The company now has fivebrands — Eve de Uomo, Notting Hill, Kevin Kelly, JaquesPritt and Eve Cina.
The prices of its outfits rangefrom a few hundred to morethan 10,000 yuan ($1400).
The group currently hasmore than 500 stores in China,including a designer space inBeijing’s Parkview Green mallthat showcases its collaborations with international andlocal designers.
The growing interest inMiao ethnic culture is alsochanging the lives of villagers.
In Jidao village, embroiderers now hold workshops toteach children the craft.
There are about 50 embroiderers in the village, with theoldest being more than 80years old.
With regard to overseasexposure, the embroiderersweretakenbyChinesedesignerXie Feng to Paris Fashion Weekin 2012 to exhibit their skills.
As their craftsmanship hasgained more exposure over theyears, orders have flooded in.
Now, looking to secure theirfuture, the embroiderers have formed a foundation, and theycontribute 3 percent of theirrevenues to it.
The foundation now has afund of around 6,000 yuan,whichthey intendtousetopromote their art, says Chen Qin,an embroiderer and one ofthose behind the foundation.
“It (the foundation) is like aseed. We will use it to spreadour heritage,” she says.
Contact the writer [email protected]
BOOK
Entertaining romp through a century of perfumesBy ASSOCIATED PRESS
Fragrance has always beenwrapped in social and economic issues, controversy,memories and history as Lizzie Ostrom so persuasivelyshows in the lively Perfume: ACentury of Scents.
The 10 chapters — eachdevoted to a single decade —examine 10 different perfumesthat influenced that decade.
A sharply focused introductiontoeachchapterfurtherputsthe decade — and its fragrancefashion — in perspective.
While Perfume is by nomeans an encyclopedia about
scents, it is a solid pop cultureguide that incorporates fragrance fashion into the shifting tides of society.
Many of the perfumes mentioned through the decadeshave disappeared — a merewhiff of a memory — no matter how popular at the time.This is true not just of thosefrom the 1920s but also thosemanufactured in the 1990s.Others such as Chanel No. 5have been classics from thefirst day and remain favoritesof all generations.
Advertising fragrances isnot a new idea.
In 1908, the British firm Gos
nell’s launchedahotairballoonshaped like the bottle of itsCherry Blossom to fling out flyers over crowds — an idea thatseems modest next to perfumefountains that threw fragranceinto the air during the Victorian era in England. What haschanged is the rise of the internetandcertainsites that curatemyriadscents inonestopshopping, making exotic perfumeseven more accessible.
Celebrities’ influence on fragrance also goes back decades.Compare the Gibson Girls ofthe 1900s mentioning the“utterly obscure” Poinsettiawith the avalanche of current
pop stars such as Taylor Swiftor Justin Bieber hawking theirscents.
Technology and chemistrygave companies new ways toproduce scents, taking it awayfromtherichandeliteof society and making it available tothe masses.
Ostrom shows that eachdecade had certain scents thatdefine it.
During the global depression of the 1930s, Joy by JeanPatou, “the most expensivescent ever released”, was introduced and is still availabletoday.
World War II brought a new
challenge as many perfumeries urged their customers to“treasure your last pinch” offragrance as advertisers urgedagainst buying until after thewar.
As a result, France ceasedbeing the epicenter of fragrance production as morebegan to be manufactured inAmerica.
The return of fragrance during the 1940s was seen as asymbol of hope. That’s a far cryfrom the “big, bad, loudandproud perfumes of the 1980s”when many restaurants putup signs banning Giorgio Beverly Hills, along with smoking.
Perfume: A Century of Scents,by Lizzie Ostrom, examinesinfluences of perfumes. AP
Tencent party forVictoria’s Secret
Tencent held a party in Beijing to mark its live broadcast of the Victoria’s Secretfashion show earlier thismonth. This is the secondyear that the platform hasbroadcast the Victoria’sSecret show live. Morethan 10 million peopleviewed the show on Tencent this year. SupermodelXi Mengyao, who walkedthe ramp for the showjoined the afterparty.
French store’sfestive flare
Galeries Lafayette Beijingunveiled its Christmas decorations recently. They tella story of how polar bearsare leaving their meltinghomes in the North Pole. Italso features an installation that shows polar bearsclimbing a replica of theLouvre Museum.
Rolex puts outnew models
Rolex has unveiled twonew models for the festiveseason. The Oyster Perpetual Pearlmaster 39 highlights its use of rose goldand diamonds, while theOyster Perpetual Cosmograph Daytona uses its patented Cerachrom bezel.
Larusmiani’sfirst China storeItalian luxury brand Larusmiani opened its firstChina store at Beijing SKPmall recently. The storehas a complete readytowear lifestyle collection,which is handmade in Tuscany, in Italy. It also hasmen’s accessories likegrooming kits, smokingaccessories, collectorknives and other specialitems.
Bottega Veneta’s2017 collectionBottega Veneta introducedits 2017 spring/summercollection recently. Thenew collection featuresinnovative fabrics andreinterprets the brand’ssignature butterfly decoration. The brand also introduced 15 handbags for thenew season.
CHINA DAILY
Briefly
These people arepreserving theirheritage with theirhands. I want toshare theircraftsmanshipwith the world.”Xia Hua, founder, Eve Group
