BEIJING--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The “My China Story” International Short Video Competition, which started in 2018, is an annual event sponsored by China International Communications Group (CICG). The competition encourages international content creation teams to produce short videos in various languages based on Chinese stories happening globally, sharing foreigners’ experiences in China and their unique perspectives.
Ms. Kathrin von Rechenberg, a German fashion designer, graduated from the Parisian Federation of Haute Couture Schools. She has worked for world-renowned haute couture fashion houses such as Dior and Chanel. Despite working with countless superior fabrics, she has developed a particular fondness for the traditional Chinese silk fabric – Xiang Yun Sha.
Click the link: https://youtu.be/bU2kTyP5fKg
Xiang Yun Sha boasts a history spanning hundreds of years and is one of the few silk fabrics in the world dyed with pure plant-based dyes. Due to the significant influence of weather on the dyeing and finishing processes and its limited production, it is known as the “soft gold” of the textile industry.
In 2000, Kathrin specifically traveled to China to search for Xiang Yun Sha and settled in Beijing, where she founded a fashion brand named after herself, specializing in high-end customized fashion with Xiang Yun Sha as the primary fabric. For the past 24 years, she has been dedicated to expressing Xiang Yun Sha in innovative ways, allowing more people to appreciate its unique charm.
Xiang Yun Sha is primarily produced in Shunde, Guangdong Province, China. Kathrin visits Shunde twice a year to personally engage in the process of harvesting the tuber used for dyeing, known in Chinese as Shu Liang. She oversees the dyeing, washing, and sun drying processes. She believes that the promotion of tradition is not about improving or modernizing but about refining the original methods to their utmost precision.
Inspired by the natural dyeing process of Xiang Yun Sha, Kathrin has also begun experimenting with creating her own natural dyes using plants such as pomegranate peel and isatis root. She employs the Chinese dyeing methods to achieve yellow and purple hues while imparting a unique texture to the fabric. Additionally, she boldly explores creative combinations of Xiang Yun Sha with other materials such as silk, cotton, and linen. Through these cross-disciplinary endeavors, she aims to expand the application of Xiang Yun Sha while honoring the integrity of nature and fabrics, utilizing creativity to foster a seamless integration of traditional textiles with modern trends, thus allowing more people to experience the distinctive charm of Xiang Yun Sha.
In 2020, she was honored with the title of “Friendship Ambassador for Promoting Chinese Textile Intangible Cultural Heritage” by the China Textile Association. In 2024, she was invited to participate in events commemorating the 60th anniversary of Chinese-French diplomatic relations in Paris as a representative figure in the field of Chinese Xiang Yun Sha.