HKDI Gallery Presents a tribute to the beautiful fibre that has long been a renowned Chinese heritage: mulberry silk. Presented by HKDI's Department of Fashion and Image Design, in collaboration with the China National Silk Museum, one of the largest textile museums in the world, this fascinating display provides an insightful journey through the millennia-long evolution of China’s silk culture and its global impact. Exhibits range from ancient Chinese silkwork designs to contemporary fashion, weaving looms, animations, photographs, and more.

絲綢是揚名世界的中華傳統文化瑰寶。是次「HKDI Gallery Presents」展覽向蠶絲致敬，由香港知專設計學院時裝及形象設計學系，與全球最大紡織博物館之一 ─ 中國絲綢博物館合辦，讓觀眾一睹古今中國時裝服飾與絲綢文化的演變，及其對世界的影響。展覽涵蓋中國古代絲織設計到當代時尚服裝，同場展示緙絲織機、動畫裝置、照片等展品。

1978 Open Door Policy – The Design Pioneers
1978年改革開放 ─ 設計先鋒

In 1978, China embarked on its open door policy. After decades of uniforms, fashion shows became trendsetters, together with TV programmes, movies and concerts. The first generation of designers, born around the 1960s and well tested by hardship, had usually held a variety of jobs in addition to design. They often retained strong links to their schools and later returned to teach the next generation. They were knowledgeable about and respected historical Chinese clothing styles. They were also politically aware, patriotic, and active on design-related committees and in industrial and business associations. These designers’ works were often reminiscent of the classic elegance of the era from 1920-1950: pragmatic and beautiful.

中國在1978年實施「改革開放」政策。經歷了二十多年的制服式衣著，這時期出現時裝表演新時尚，加上電視、電影與音樂會，一起帶領潮流。第一代中國時裝設計師大多出生於1960年代前後，他們往往飽受艱苦生活的磨練，在設計以外擔任多種不同工作，與學校有較深的聯繫，不少人畢業後選擇回母校教育下一代。從作品可見，他們對歷史服飾有深厚的認識及尊重。他們政治觸覺敏銳，熱愛民族文化，並活躍於專業及工商團體。這一代設計師的作品，經常帶有復古懷舊氣息，重現 1920 - 1950年代的樸實典雅風格。

1990s – The Design Practitioners
90年代 ─ 實戰經驗

In the 1990s, the Chinese fashion world rapidly advanced. International fashion publications launched Chinese editions and the China Fashion Association (CFA), Brother Cup China International Young Fashion Designers Contest, Chinese model competitions, and China Fashion Week were established. The fashion designer stars of this period were born in the late 1960s and 1970s. They had usually received a good education and many had studied or worked abroad, or had had experience working in state-owned and private companies. As practitioners, they went on to develop diverse styles and approaches in line with the commercial market. After gaining fame through winning contests, many established their own brands and successfully promoted themselves through the media. There was much less of a traditional Chinese element in these designers’ works. Some were influenced by trends in Japan and Europe and adopted spiritual and philosophical ideas – harmony, peace and nature – in their designs.

1990年代，中國時尚界蓬勃發展，國際時尚刊物紛紛推出中文版，開創精美彩圖生活雜誌市場。業界出現多個較具規模的組織及活動，包括中國服裝設計師協會、兄弟杯國際青年服裝設計師作品大賽、中國模特之星大賽，及中國時裝周等。這時期的傑出設計師出生於60年代末至70年代，他們大多曾受良好教育，不少曾在海外留學或工作，並擁有在國企與民企的工作經驗。這是實戰的一代，擅於開拓多元風格，緊扣商業市場。他們往往通過比賽贏得知名度，藉此建立品牌，並善用媒體作自我推廣。他們的作品較少傳統中國元素，部分設計師受到日本和歐洲設計風潮影響，揉合和諧、寧靜、自然的靈性哲學色彩。

The New Millennium – A Flourishing Mix of Ideas
千禧年代 ─ 百花齊放

The rapid growth of information technology fueled China’s fashion industry, from production to promotion to sales. The Beijing Olympics in 2008 set the stage for the country to impress the world with its design and style capabilities and potential. Leading global museums, including London’s Victoria & Albert Museum and New York’s Metropolitan Museum, held major exhibitions on Chinese costumes and fashion, and Chinese faces became familiar in international fashion weeks. At home, rising GDP led to further expansion of the middle class and the birth of a nouveau riche class. Education abroad, opportunities for travel for leisure, innovative museums and an increasingly active art scene all brought fresh ideas. As these influences intertwined and evolved, clothing became a billboard to showcase a person’s identity.

資訊科技的高速發展，為中國時尚界從生產、推廣以至銷售注入新動力。2008年的北京奧運會，成為中國向世界展示其設計風格與時尚潛力的舞台；倫敦的維多利亞和阿爾伯特博物館，及紐約的大都會藝術博物館，都舉辦大型中國服飾展覽。在國際時裝周中，中國臉孔成為台上台下的常客。國內生產總值攀升，社會中產階級擴張，新富戶階層冒起。社會新貴到海外留學及旅遊，加上創新的博物館、日益活躍的藝術氣氛，讓來自四方八面的新思維交錯融合。衣著打扮成為展現自我身份的廣告牌。

Replicas of Historical Costumes
古代服飾復原仿製

The China National Silk Museum is the country’s Key Scientific Research Base for Textile Conservation. The Museum has participated in many excavations and studies of archaeological textiles and costumes. During the conservation process, information on fibres, dye, weave and make of costumes is recorded and studied while the making of a replica becomes a way to learn more about how clothing was originally constructed. Replicas are also useful when the originals are too fragile to be exhibited. Often, full information cannot be located from one source and descriptions from ancient texts and finds from other excavations are used for additional reference. Costumes on display in this exhibition are the result of such studies.

中國絲綢博物館是國家文物局的紡織品文物保護重點科研基地，致力參與紡織品的考古與研究工作。在文物保護、復修和研究的過程中，工作人員會對纖維材料、編織印染技術及衣裝製作進行記錄與分析，通過製作復原仿製品，加深對原件工藝的理解。當原件太珍貴或太脆弱時，向公眾的展示便需以復原仿製品代替。若文物信息資料不完整，復原仿製人員要以文獻資料比較推論，輔以其他來源的考古資料作印證參考。今次展出的服裝，屬上述復原仿製研究的成品。

Animation of Handscroll of Sericulture and Weaving by Lou Shou (1090－1162), Southern Song Dynasty
《蠶織圖》動畫   原圖來自南宋《蠶織圖》，樓璹 (公元1090－1162年)

In imperial China, pictures and other representations of tilling and weaving were an important means for rulers to demonstrate their interest in the welfare of the people as well as highlight ideals related to rural life, social harmony and political order. This 12th-century scroll is the earliest Chinese painting known to show the entire process of sericulture. Originally part of the Chinese imperial collection, it was taken to Northeast China in the 1930s by the last Qing Dynasty ruler, Puyi, when he was installed as Emperor of Manchukuo by the Japanese. The scroll was lost when Puyi was deposed at the end of World War II. It was rediscovered in 1947, purchased by Feng Yixin, a private citizen, and donated to Heilongjiang Museum in 1983.

在中國歷代皇朝，統治者經常使用描繪農耕和紡織情景的耕織圖，塑造理想的農村生活，表達君主對民生的關注，是維護社會和諧與政治秩序的工具。這件展品原作可追溯到十二世紀，是現今所知中國最早期出現描繪整個養蠶造絲過程的畫作，原屬宮廷藏品。1930年代日本在中國東北成立偽滿州國 ，被擁立的清朝末代皇帝溥儀將此畫帶到東北，但隨溥儀在第二次世界大戰結束時退位，畫作一度散失。在1947年，長春商人馮義信在民間街頭購得，1983年他將此畫捐獻給黑龍江省博物館收藏。