Interview With Shanghai Independent Designer Huang Mengqi

P, a pair of shoes embroidered with cabbage, designed by Huang Mengqi, is collected by the British V&A Museum.

Her works are also displayed in the collection store of BNC designer in Sanlitun, Beijing.

This Shanghai woman, who has gone through 15 years' independent designer's brand venture, brings her grandmother's favorite homemade cloth shoes into the design inspiration with her unique tonality and style.

Whether it's a sports element or a garden series, each pair of shoes has its name and implication.

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< p > a small Suzhou Cobbler < a href= "http://www.91se91.com/news/index_x.asp" > shoes < /a > shop, but on the recommendation list of Shanghai foreign edition magazine.

From the first pair of shoes designed in 1997 to 2003, a small shop in the Bund, Shanghai. Until now, Huang Mengqi is such a small shop in the deep lane -- a small shop near the Bund's old apartment. The guests are very different. Terence Coran jazz, Vivienne Tam, Anne Bass, Joan Chen, Raphael Le Masne de Chermont chairman of Shanghai...

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< p > fashion trend is such a reincarnation. It was once the most favorite cloth shoes of grandma, and the embroidered shoes that were once loved by foreigners and Chinese people did not feel, became the wonderful works of art that Huang Mengqi carried the design inspiration.

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< p > strong > popular regression < /strong > < /p >

< p > "they only wear embroidered shoes. How can it be raining?"

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< p > when the world is attracted by the East, it represents the traditional Chinese elements and makes the market hungry.

Some people went to repair the old courtyard lofts and moved to them. Some people went to take pictures of Ming porcelains or even more antiques, and beat the record.

In the clothing industry, the traditional regression is reflected in two different ways: some young people are keen on the modern interpretation of traditional clothing; some young people like to embellish western style clothing with Chinese elements.

This change in the taste of clothes brings unlimited business opportunities to designers who can make the best use of the past.

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< p > she is one of the earliest advertising designers in Shanghai.

With fingers tied, the crazy act of whimming is enumerated. Once I suddenly want to draw comic strips, I bring a little book every day and I think I will paint it crazily.

Eight years ago, she suddenly fell in love with embroidered shoes, so she plunged into this "embroidered track".

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< p > > a href= "http://www.91se91.com/pioneer/" > Huang Meng Qi < /a > was the first franchised store opened in 2003, when almost all the customers were foreigners.

They like silk slippers, bags and scarves.

Some Chinese walked into the shop and looked around, and then said to her, "these are foreigners' favorite designs."

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< p > in fact, Western clothing brand will also face such a challenge Westerners like, but Chinese do not like it.

For example, in 2003, GUCCI (Gucci) and Armani (Armani) launched the Chinese theme clothing series, which has been widely repercussion worldwide, but has been left in the cold home of China.

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< p > now, half of Huang Mengqi's customers are Chinese, many of whom are lawyers, bankers aged 20, 30 and more than 40.

More and more people think her shoes are very fashionable.

"Some people only wear our shoes. I really don't know what to do with rain."

She laughed mischievously.

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< p > < strong > Another Interpretation of traditional < /strong > < /p >.

< p > "those jokes are good material."

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< p >! --EndFragment-- > the trend of fashion does not mean that there will be lasting life.

"On the other hand, beautiful embroidered shoes have disappeared for a long time in China, and it seems contradictory to shout and cherish tradition."

In Huang Mengqi's opinion, tradition can not be held in mind, and it is more beautiful if new beauty is needed, otherwise it will only be left to be alienated and remembered.

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< p > looking at her design, I do not know whether to say this is a pair of "sports style embroidered shoes" or "embroidered flower sneakers". The bright blue patches are spliced, gorgeous and gentle, which is very similar to her new classicist Style.

Indeed, Huang Mengqi's design is different from traditional Chinese patterns.

Looking closely, you will find something interesting except the classic flowers, butterflies, and the vernacular style of cocks and vegetables.

She said that more than half of the inspiration comes from some jokes in life.

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< p > she saw the water cabbage in the vegetable market. She shouted aloud: "it's so beautiful!" I would like to put it in the vase.

The green and green cabbage was moved onto the satin vamp.

Just like a friend who is a motivated and vegetarian friend, all kinds of tangled experiences make the inspiration continue to grow. This contrast between the vanity and the real will make people laugh.

A pair of shoes, embroidered with cabbage, was born and are now housed in British Museums.

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"P" that year, when he went to a friend's home in the countryside of Philippines, the big rooster in the courtyard suddenly got a thousand favors from his girlfriend. But when it hit the street in the early morning, the women complained.

Huang Mengqi thought it was funny and embroidered it on his shoes.

The humor of female designers may be more easily stimulated by some trivial details, and then associated with witty and interesting.

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< p > < strong > operation rule < /strong > < /p >.

< p > "no business, good design is just a legend."

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Before P has no economic benefits, all design can only be self entertainment.

This makes designers become a group of special literati. On the one hand, they hope to design for more market value. On the other hand, they want to preserve the elegant character as much as possible. Therefore, there are various entanglements in the opening of business, and the process is extremely difficult.

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< p > Huang Mengqi started courageous mail to New York's big name shop a href= "http://www.91se91.com/news/index_c.asp" > Anthropologie < /a > explaining the design concept and attaching embroidered shoes.

The company, which sells top designers, thinks the other side is also a big company, invitations to invite her to join the company reception.

After the official contact of the other marketing department, it was discovered that her brand designer was surnamed Huang, the sales surname Huang and the customs declarations were also surnamed Huang. Is the employee of this company all surnamed Huang? Actually, all of her work is done by herself.

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< p >, so Huang Mengqi began to do business. Over the past decade, she finally realized how to open a shop.

At the beginning of the store, she felt like a dozen of shoes, but the guests walked in and thought that the shop was just an office.

Nowadays, Suzhou Cobbler has new products almost every month, from shoes to clothing, bags, lanterns and other household products.

Many tourists saw her shop in the Bund, and they had a warm feeling of buying five or six pairs of shoes.

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< p > "people are accustomed to grand plans. They always feel that they have to open hundreds of stores when they succeed.

But designers are obviously better suited to self-employed businesses.

The shop, which was once made by hand, is now not only a highlight of "embroidered mother".

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