Ethnic art inspires high fashion

Chinese brands draw inspiration from Miao ethnic traditions, adding flair to products while helping the old ways to survive

Tucked away in the mountains, Jidao village is a three-hour drive from Guiyang, capital of Guizhou province. Here, the ethnic Miao people maintain their traditional lifestyle, living in wooden houses, preserving meat in early winter and holding gatherings at the riverside to remember their ancestors.

All this might seem to have no connection with high fashion, but the community has been a source of inspiration for many designers and fashion houses, including fashion brand Eve.

Eve models show off the brand's new collections, which use embroidery patterns inspired by the ethnic Miao in Jidao village, Guizhou province. Photos Provided to China Daily

The Chinese brand recently made a trip to the village for an advertising campaign for its 2017 spring and summer collection, which features Miao-style embroidery.

Inspired by the sea, the collection features shades of blue on suits, sweaters and coats. A smattering of embroidery adorns the classic suit silhouette.

The women's collection includes sleek qipao - a traditional Chinese women's dress - along with dresses that highlight nature-inspired embroidery.

While traditional Miao embroidery is intricate, Wu Chaohui, creative director of Eve's menswear line, says the brand has simplified it to cater to customers' modern-day needs.

"Traditional Miao embroidery is usually very rich and ornate, while modern menswear is understated. So we try to use it in a selective, moderate way," he says. "We want to revive this heritage by offering it to an urban clientele, and we hope this tradition 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 traditional crafts.

It has established a network of craftspeople and their work, which has been used extensively in their collections and shown at exhibitions and in runway 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 helped build a museum in Guizhou to exhibit the works of the embroiderers.

Xia Hua, founder and chairwoman of the Eve Group, says, "These people are preserving their heritage with their hands. I want to share their craftsmanship with the world and let it see the beauty of our country."

Xia was a teacher at China University of Political Science and Law before founding the Eve Group in 1994.

Eve is best known for making men's suits, and has dressed such Chinese magnates as Jack Ma and Liu Chuanzhi. The company now has five brands - Eve de Uomo, Notting Hill, Kevin Kelly, Jaques Pritt and Eve Cina.

The prices of its outfits range from a few hundred to more than 10,000 yuan ($1,440; 1,380 euros; 51,175).

The group currently has more than 500 stores in China, including a designer space in Beijing's Parkview Green mall that showcases its collaborations with international and local designers.

The growing interest in Miao ethnic culture is also changing the lives of villagers. In Jidao village, embroiderers now hold workshops to teach children the craft. There are about 50 embroiderers in the village, with the oldest more than 80.

For 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 created a foundation to which they contribute 3 percent of their revenues. Its assets now total around 6,000 yuan, which they intend to use to promote their art, says Chen Qin, an embroiderer and a foundation organizer.

"It is like a seed. We will use it to spread our heritage."

Contact the writer at sunyuanqing@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily Africa Weekly 12/30/2016 page18)