Cut from the cloth of another kind
The Chinese fashion designer Yang Jie is well known for his works, such as his design for torch relay bearers’ clothes for the Olympic Games in Beijing in 2008 and the clothes for the pilots of the Chinese Air Force’s August 1st Air Demonstration Team in 2009.
As the founder of two fashion brands, Yang Jie Design and Xi Xiu for menswear, Yang, who has taught at the Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology for more than 10 years, says he has drawn his inspiration largely from the embroidery skills of the Miao ethnic group, one of the oldest Chinese ethnic groups.
During a recent fashion show at Prince Gong’s Mansion (Gong Wang Fu) in Beijing, the former residence of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) prince, Yang displayed more than 40 works involving embroidery skills of Miao ethnic group, which he has designed since 2013.
“Some internationally celebrated fashion designers have looked back on their tradition to get inspiration,” Yang says. “For example, in designs of the Italian-born Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana, Dolce&Gabbana, homage is paid to Sicilian tradition. As a Chinese designer I want to celebrate the heritage from my hometown through my works.”
Yang, 37, grew up in the mountainous areas of Huaihua, a city in the southwest of Hunan province, which is home to many ethnic groups. Yang, a member of the Miao ethnic group, used to spend his holidays in the village, where his grandparents lived.
“My grandmother used to wear traditional Miao ethnic clothes and silver accessories that she handmade herself,” Yang says. “Like many women in her village she did needlework several hours a day.”
The tradition of silver accessories making and embroideries is deeply rooted in Miao ethnic culture, he says.
Traditional Miao embroidery designs use deep and bright colors to flesh out flowers, animals, natural scenery and the daily lives of Miao people.
“The designs for Miao ethnic embroidery, usually made by women, signify good luck and express wishes,” Yang says.
“Those women making embroidery are called and they design the colors and patterns based on their mood at that particular moment while making embroidery. For example, when the uses pink standing out among other darker colors, she is wishing for a baby girl for the family.”
Yang vividly recalls that when his youngest aunt got married, his grandmother carried 10 kg of silver on her head and shoulders to ]the wedding. The bride also wore heavy and elaborate silver headdresses and traditional Miao ethnic dress.
“When I studied in school, which is located in the city of Huaihua, my classmates all wore clothes such as T-shirts and pants. But when I returned to the village, people were wearing traditional Miao ethnic clothes and accessories. I was very impressed and interested in the sharp contrast. My identity as a Miao ethnic member set me apart from when I was born, and I am very proud of it.”
After graduating from the Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology in 2004 he furthered his study in Milan, where he obtained his master’s degree from the Institute of European Design with a full scholarship in 2006.
In Italy he discovered a whole new meaning to the embroidery of the Miao ethnic group. While studying modern design he used elements from Miao embroidery to do his homework and to pass tests, standing out among his Western classmates.
The appreciation for the beauty of traditional Miao crafts from his teachers and classmates motivated Yang to do further research and explore reviving the rich cultural traditions of the Miao ethnic group.
One of the most important design ideas he learned was wearability, he says. Usually Miao people work on the farmland all day and they wear comfortable and wearable clothes.
“Fashion design should serve the people and bring joy to their lives. It’s not something luxury up there. The wonderful techniques of the Miao ethnic people, such as weaving, embroidery and hand-dyeing textiles, have survived through thousands of years. I am not only simply preserving those crafts but also bringing them to the modern world.”
Apart from launching fashion shows in big cities, such as Beijing and Milan, Yang also takes his works back to Miao tribes. In 2013 he unveiled about 50 works in Fenghuang, an ancient town of Hunan province. Yang, who has two children, says he is delighted that his 7-year-old daughter is interested in Miao embroidery and loves to wear traditional Miao ethnic clothes.
To keep himself inspired, Yang often travels back to his hometown and Miao tribes across the country, such as Guizhou and Yunnan provinces. Around the mountains and valleys there are Miao villages one after another, each surrounded by terraced fields.
“It is the colorful nature we live in that enables Miao people to have our unique aesthetics,” Yang says.