Why are the best tailors in China mostly in Shanghai?

At a young age, there was a fashion magazine at home. The mother looked at it as it was, measured his own tailoring, and made clothing on the sewing machine. In the mainland towns of the 1980s, wearing such clothes was simply incredibly fashionable. The full name of the magazine is now forgotten, but there must be the word "Shanghai." Moreover, there are more than one clothing magazines from Shanghai. Each one is wrinkled, and the paper is being cooked. Small family's pyrotechnic.

Such a scene is a collective memory of a generation. After the reform and opening up, the monotonous blue-grey can no longer meet people's needs. Shanghai led the earliest clothing fashion, and people in the Mainland who love the beauty rushed to follow suit.

But in fact, this is not the first time that Shanghai has been at the forefront of fashion. Modern peaks appeared at the beginning of the 20th century. Since the 1910s, Chinese society has undergone drastic changes. The dynasties have been overthrown, Western thoughts are pouring in, and clothing is Is the easiest item to reflect people's concept change. Revolutionaries and young people embracing the new society need to wear their own clothes to reflect their beliefs and values. Coupled with Shanghai Huayang, this place has become a breeding ground for Chinese clothing.

Tailors are everywhere, but Shanghai tailors can no longer stick to conventions. Old-fashioned clothes are no longer needed. Shanghai tailors must innovate and make new appearances for guests, and they must do well.

Mr. Sun Yat-sen's tunic was gradually evolved in the hands of Shanghai tailors. There are several versions of the details of the design of the tunic, but the basic process has been recognized: Sun Yat-sen returned between Japan and Shanghai. He took a Japanese student uniform, a railway worker's tooling, or a British hunting outfit. Shanghai's tailors based on these uniforms, coupled with his own design, eventually became the tunic that we later saw.

The transformation of women's clothing is more inseparable from the Shanghai tailors. Today, the representative of Chinese women's wear, the cheongsam, has evolved step by step in various tailor shops on the beach.

Shanghai tailors are the first generation of fashion designers in China. In their hands, costumes have the characteristics of the times, carrying the emotions and pursuits of people at that time. Shanghai tailors not only need to be dexterous, but also clever, understand the trend of the times, understand the minds of people of all colors, and understand that clothes are not just clothing, but also a culture.

Today, Shanghai is still the most important position in the Chinese fashion industry. Every year at Shanghai Fashion Week, local designers will come up with their own works. Shanghai designers continue the tradition of tailoring and innovation in Shanghai tailors and maintain a Chinese-Western fusion of Shanghai. Features.

Only those who do not have the skills will certainly not be Shanghai tailors.

China's first generation of fashion designers

Shanghai is an immigration city. People from different places are taking advantage of their own housekeeping skills to smash the world. Jiangnan people have flexible hands and careful thoughts. They are good at manual work. The seamstresses brought by Ningbo, Yangzhou and Suzhou were especially welcomed by the people of Shanghai. The tailors' shop in Old Shanghai was almost tailored by these three places. Especially in the early 1920s, the number of tailor shops was increasing. More often than not, the apparel industry is prosperous. According to statistics at that time, there were more than 700 Shanghai clothes shops, of which Rongchangxiang, Pelowong, Hongxiang, etc., were well-known brands.

Prior to this, the requirements of Chinese civilians for clothing were limited to functionality, and only special attention was paid to weddings and funerals. Therefore, good tailors in the early days mainly served the court. The court located in the north has recruited many tailors from the Jiangnan generation to make clothes for the families of the imperial family of the imperial court and the capital. After the end of the imperial dynasty, a large number of royal tailors dispersed the people and naturally settled in a metropolis like Shanghai.

In the early days, the tailors on the beach could be simply divided into two categories: one for making couture and the other for making traditional Chinese clothing. The former class of tailors is also known as the "red help tailor." Why is it called "Red Gang"? Shanghai was divided by Western powers. In particular, the early Dutch colonists wore red hair. The Chinese used red hair to refer to foreigners, helped foreigners to make dress tailors, or tailor Western clothes. Called "Red help tailor".

The Red Gang tailors are mainly Ningboers. Many of them left their hometowns in Shanghai to defect to their relatives and friends, followed their masters as apprentices, until they became mature tailors. It can be said that the emergence of the Red Gang tailor is the germ of China's modern fashion, and the subsequent national fashion brands such as the Hongxiang fashion company have deep roots with the Red Gang tailor.

In fact, there aren't many red tailors who really make clothes for foreigners because at that time foreigners in Shanghai mostly brought their own tailors from abroad. However, foreign tailors generally employ assistants. Slowly, Western-style cutting can be circulated. The main customers of Hongbang tailors are those who need to deal with foreigners, such as Chinese employees and businessmen of foreign companies.

Of course, there are young Chinese who embrace revolutionary feelings in suits. As early as the end of the 19th century, the reformists represented Kang Youwei and asked Kang Youwei to “break your hair and make it easy to serve”. The young Chinese who went abroad to study abroad quickly put on their suits to show their determination to change zealously.

At the beginning of the 20th century, Sun Yat-sen, who was mobilizing for the revolution, also wanted to use his clothing to promote his revolutionary thinking. He created a clothing that is full of political meaning—Zhongshanzhuang. There are several different arguments about how the tunic was born, but what is certain is that Shanghai tailors participated in the design and production of the tunic. Together with Sun Yat-sen, this work was completed.

Sun Yat-sen gave him his clothes and carried his own political ideals. It can be said that the Chinese-style tunic went far beyond the function of the costume. It was just like a banner full of declarations. The collar of the tunic suit represented national characteristics. It was The biggest difference between suits. The latter is a whole piece, with no cut in the middle, representing the founding ideal of a unified and unified country. The front pockets of the four pockets symbolize the equal employment of the peasants and peasants, and attach importance to courtesy and justice. The five buttons are the ideas of "Republican of Five Nationalities" and "Five-Power Constitution". The three buttons on the cuffs symbolize the Three People's Principles. The front cover of the two pockets of the penholder cover shows the important role of intellectuals in the revolution.

Of course, the six identification features of Chinese tunic suits, which are interspersed with other people's interpretations, may not be entirely the design of Mr. Sun Yat-sen. However, it is obvious that both the wearer and the person who sees are not only using the tunic as a simple dress. But a "political dress."

However, the tunic eventually failed to become the style of clothing that ordinary people wear every day. This is not only because its style is more serious and restrained, but also because of the high demands on the fabrics and craftsmanship of the tunic, it is expensive to make a tunic, not most people can Suffered.

Rely on quality to win the foreign tailor

In a sense, Shanghai tailors participated in the most important reform in Chinese society and played a very important role in it. China’s first fashion company was also born in such an era.

Kim Tae-hwan, 83, is the son of the Hongxiang Fashion Company and the son of Jin Yixiang. He is also the last witness of Lao Hongxiang.

In 1917, the two brothers Jin Hongxiang and Jin Yixiang founded Hong Xiang. At the beginning, the scale was very small. They were just two brothers and several apprentices. Hongxiang is a red-tail tailor shop that specializes in suits. Besides men's suits, they also do women's suits. Hongxiang attaches great importance to craftsmanship and quality, and controls the quality of clothing production very strictly.

Mr. Kim Tae-jae recalls that he was very young and helped in the store, and he understood the behavior of the two founding fathers. In general, shopkeepers are afraid of picky customers. Hong Xiang has such a customer. He is very picky. Every time he does his clothes, he must modify it at least two or three times. Kim Tae-young, a young man, told his father that the customer always wanted to change, and he would receive a higher price for him next time. However, Jin Yixiang said that there is a good tailor for the discerning customer. If the customers are all good men, everything says "just fine", and the tailor's technology will not be able to progress.

The pursuit of excellence in apparel production has made Hongxiang a well-known name, with many customers returning and more new customers. By the 1930s, Hongxiang had become China's largest and most well-known national apparel enterprise with more than 300 employees. Hong Xiang not only had his own shop on Nanjing West Road, but also trained a large number of red tailors. These apprentices later opened their own doors and opened Guan Yun, Xing Xia, Hong Xia, Chong Chong, Wan Guo, Zhi Yun, Fei Yun, etc. The clothing stores, together with Hongxiang, were named “A-stores” in the fashion industry, and were called “8 Class A stores on the Nanjing West Road”.

At that time, there were two types of tailors in Shanghai and Western tailors. Western tailors thought that the technique of making suits was brought to Shanghai by them. They often considered themselves very high, but in fact Chinese clever Chinese tailors were already green. The famous celebrities in Shanghai are Hongxiang's customers. The three sisters of the Song Dynasty often make clothes in Hongxiang, and foreigners also make clothes in Hongxiang. Slowly, Chinese tailors have occupied the market of foreign tailors, and as the war has subsided, many foreign tailors have returned home, and the local clothing industry has become increasingly prosperous. At the Chicago World Exposition in Chicago in 1933, Hong Xiang sent 6 sets of cheongsam to attend and won the Silver Award.

In 1944, Mr. Kim Tae-yeon, who was only a dozen years old, formally became an employee of Hongxiang. He first studied design and technology, and later became the person in charge of product design. On Nanjing West Road, Mr. Jin Taiyi has a spacious office, working with a Jewish costume designer and a foreign model. Mr. Kim liked to paint since he was a child. He originally intended to test Shanghai Meizhuan because it was abandoned at the time. After entering the company, he followed the Jewish designers to learn clothing design, followed by the old tailors to learn to produce, plus their own intelligence, quickly mastered the costume design and production skills.

In the fashion capital, Hong Xiang’s clothing must keep up with the latest trends. At that time, the trend in Paris was only three months away from Shanghai, because the journey from Paris to Shanghai was three months. In order to obtain the latest information, Kim Tae-woo subscribed to many fashion magazines like Vogue, Harper's, and Bazaar. His secondary school was Yucai Public School, English teaching, and there was no language barrier. In addition to reading magazines, Kim Tae-young often went to see Hollywood movies, just to see the actors in the movie. Mr. Jin has excellent memory. After watching the movie, he can draw the costumes of the male and female protagonists when he returns home. If he does not remember everything, go and see it again.

Mr. Kim Tae-jung showed a picture-making artwork that he had drawn many years ago. A detailed description of the formula for the various parts of the garment was given. The neatness of the drawing is as if it were drawn by a computer today. Mr. Jin said that if the master of the drawings he draws does not understand, he does not blame the master, but blames himself for not drawing clearly and immediately improves his designs. From this precious hand-painted material, we can see Hongxiang’s original excellence in craftsmanship.

Relying on fashionable style, high quality, and exquisite craftsmanship, Hongxiang has developed rapidly and its brand influence has grown. For the old Shanghainese, Hongxiang represents a fashionable dress. After the liberation, social changes made Hong Xiang’s business encounter difficulties, but at the most difficult time, it was superb craftsmanship that saved Hong Xiang.

In the early 1950s, the former "Nanjing West Road Class-A store" had been operating dismally, and three of them had collapsed. Although Hong Xiang also did some people's wear and cloth shirts, he would soon be unable to open wages for employees, some old employees, because Have feelings for Hong Xiang and stayed. At this time, a large number of Soviet experts came to China. The Soviets quickly discovered that the suits made by tailors in Shanghai were of good quality and cheap, and they ordered large numbers of orders to bring them back to the Soviet Union. The government discovered this phenomenon and handed over the business to some clothing stores. Kim Tae-hwan with a sample to the person in charge of this matter, Hong Xiang's craft is far better than other small stores, Hong Xiang has therefore received orders to support the trough.

Decent workmanship

Today, Hongxiang, Longfeng, First Siberia, Hengsheng and other Shanghai clothing brands that were born in the early part of the last century still exist. After the public-private partnership in the 1950s, they belonged to Kaikai Group.

It is a pity that these old-fashioned clothing brands with nearly a hundred years of history are no longer the scenes of the current year. The reasons for this are the impact of changes in the times. It is also because handmade clothing is no longer a attraction for young people. Career.

But 70 years ago, it was good to be a good tailor, regardless of economic income or social status. According to Mr. Kim Tae-woo's old lady recalled, women's clothing stores at the time were divided into three levels, the tailors in different levels of clothing stores, taking different levels of wages. Also do a woolen coat, Class A shop tailors take 20 yuan, B shop tailors take 16 yuan, followed by a discount of 20%. Every day before opening the store, every garment made by Hongxiang, Jin Yixiang, who is responsible for quality management, must go through the inspections one by one. Well done, the gold boss sent a coupon on the spot. The bonus may be more than the salary for this dress.

If a tailor made 10 clothes a month, the income was about 150 yuan. At that time, the salary of the ordinary staff of the bank was only 100 yuan. Because of this income, families in Ningbo and Suzhou countryside are willing to let youngsters go to Shanghai for apprenticeships. Even though apprentices are hard working and have no income for a few years, as long as they start school and start earning money, the rewards will be considerable. At that time, Shanghai tailors often left their wives and children to work in their hometowns after they were married. They made money in Shanghai, and the salary of a single person was enough for a household.

The busy season of the clothing industry is very obvious. It is known as “Three Springs rely on one winter, and the winter is open for night work”. In the summer, the clothing store has a light business. However, good tailors are the foundation of the clothing store. Mr. Kim Tae-soo says that in order to retain the tailors, Hong Xiang guarantees that the tailors will start the seasons, make a spot in the summer and sell it slowly. In this way, the tailor’s income is guaranteed and will not flow often.

Although it belongs to the service industry, the tailors at that time, especially the tailors who custom-made clothing for the upper class, were generally respected by customers and society. The people who pay attention to it are even inseparable from these tailors.

On the eve of 1949, a large number of Shanghainese emigrated to Hong Kong, and some Shanghai tailors followed the guests to Hong Kong to continue business. The story of the movie "In the Mood for Love" is based on this background. Zhang Manyu's more than 20 exquisite cheongsams have a realistic basis. Mr. Hongsheng Wang, known as the "Shanghai's last old tailor," is 98 years old this year. He mentioned that his short-lived life in Hong Kong was as if he were close at hand. Hongsheng's hometown was in Wujiang, Suzhou. At the age of 16, he was apprenticed to Shanghai Zhu Shunxing's tailor shop. Zhu Shunxing's tailor shop later went through a public-private partnership and was reorganized into the current dragon and phoenix cheongsam. "It's too hard and too hard. I don't want to. I'll be back." Mr. Hongsheng Wang said with a hand.

Hong Kong was originally a small town in South China. The degree of openness and fashion was far less than that of Shanghai. After tailors arrived in Hong Kong, Shanghai brought international fashion to Hong Kong. At that time, Shanghai tailors were more expensive than Hong Kong local tailors, and Indian tailors were cheaper than Hong Kong tailors.

At the age of 80, this former cheongsam for the movie star Hu Die and Mr. Qi Hongsheng, who had entered the Du Yue’s family size, took part in the creation of the Qiyi cheongsam brand. In April of this year, on the 22nd of the Bund, Yuyi’s catwalk shows at the first Shanghai Haute Couture Week. Mr. Qi Hongsheng debuted in a white Chinese dress and linked the memories of two eras.

According to Mr. Zhou Zhuguang, artistic director of Yi Art, Shanghai became a fashion capital in the 1930s, and Shanghai tailors contributed to it. Good tailors and good customers complement each other. “If there is demand, there will be good tailoring. At that time, China’s wealthy class and intellectual elite were all in Shanghai.” Zhou Zhuguang worked with the old tailors and found an interesting phenomenon – these old tailors said that they never Will not give their own family clothes, the customer must understand the clothes, clothes do it well.

It can be said that China's tailors who performed the best suits were all in Shanghai. After the founding of the country in 1949, Premier Zhou Enlai invited a group of Shanghai tailors to Beijing to customize suits for diplomats. In 1956, Shanghai's Powell, Chong, Blue Sky, Raymond, Hongxia, Wanguo and Jintai moved to Beijing, and merged with the Central Processing Office's affiliated processing plant to form Beijing Hongdu Fashion Company. In the production of clothing, the early tailors of Red Capital were almost all Shanghai tailors.

The new era of tailors

Nowadays, the clothes that people wear every day have been produced industrially. The tailor's craftsmanship is only preserved in the relatively small commercial form of custom-made clothing. In the garment production room of Yanyi, the reporter saw the tailors who still insist on handcrafting today. Although they have used many modern tools, this custom tailor still retains the spirit of a craftsman.

What kind of tailor is a good tailor? Zhou Zhuguang said that good tailors are thinking about this matter every day. He can report casually about the size of the guests a few months ago. "To do clothes is like practicing, you need to concentrate."

In the production room of the arts and crafts, on the ground floor of a residential building on Anhua Road in Jing'an, Shanghai, the facade is small, but it is very open to walk in. This is not a busy city, but there is a guest who does not fear the setbacks. It is a fitting and delicate dress.

In recent years, tailor-made clothing has become a fashion. In addition to brands like the Handicraft that inherited the spirit of the old Shanghai custom clothing tradesman, there are also many young custom designers who incorporate modern elements in the clothing, and even customize the clothing and personal image. Management is combined together.

Yang Mingming is an image designer and etiquette education expert. While designing images for clients, she discovered that Chinese dresses with cheongsam elements often give Chinese women a special sense of beauty. Yang Mingming said that modern Chinese women need to play different social roles. On different occasions, they need different personal images and they naturally need different clothes. To this end, Yang Mingming created the “Yang Mingming Cheongsam” brand, which is custom-made for customers.

In terms of design, Yang Mingming drew on the elements of a large number of Western dresses, so that clothing not only retains the connotation of Chinese dress, but also embodies modern flavor, and is easy to wear. In Yang Mingming's view, modern people's cheongsam should be modern. If a person walks on the road and wears a 1930s-style cheongsam, it will make the surrounding people feel out of place. “The sense of crossing is terrible.” Yang Mingming’s custom clothing boldly uses Western-imported fabrics. The grafting of eastern and western clothing elements often surprises customers who understand fabrics.

Another owner who is hiding in the Taiyuan Road house is the owner of the Shanghai girl Ye Qing. The generation of Ye Qing’s great-grandfather was also considered to be the rich family of old Shanghai. He also used to live in the grandparents and still retains the habits of large families. When Ye Qing was young, every Chinese New Year, there were tailors who came to the house to make clothes for a small and large body. Grandmother and grandmother's beautiful cheongsam left an indelible impression on Ye Qing’s heart.

Yeh Ching studied finance at the university and entered the world’s top 500 companies after graduating. Within a few years, he had achieved the position of a financial executive. However, the financial work did not make Ye Qing happy. After working for several years, she resigned and wanted to learn something and change her existing lifestyle.

In a circle, Ye Qing picks up the brush that the young clock loves and finds that his favorite is design and clothing. In 2013, Ye Qing went to Italy's Marangoni International Design Institute to study fashion buyer and costume design courses. Buyers are a relatively new profession in China, but they are quite mature in the West. Buyers must not only master fashion information, understand costume design, but also understand the market. Fashion buyers need to be able to predict prevailing trends and have the ability to guide designers' designs.

At this time, Ye Qing created the “Sui” brand and produced Chinese style cheongsams and dresses. Ye Qing first saw the market for custom clothing from her own needs. As a professional woman and a metropolitan woman, Ye Ching hopes to have a piece of clothing that not only embodies his own aesthetic taste, but also has a strong Chinese style, but also exquisite workmanship, but also suitable for everyday wear. In the market, there are not many products that can really meet these needs.

Ye Qing's judgment was correct. Soon, the scent-like customers found her. The guests passed word-of-mouth and let the brand that had not done advertising find their own consumption target. A new generation of Shanghai tailors like Ye Qing has actually surpassed the concept of craftsmen. They combine design, production, fashion research, and even psychological integration to provide customers with personalized clothing.

Craftsmen are the product of the times, and good tailors are the product of the times. Now is another good time for good tailors; good tailors, and people who understand their skills.

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