On April 3rd, German designer Kathrin von Rechenberg presented her collection of tea silk garments in the show titled "Sculpting Textile" at Rong Bao Zhai Guangzhou. This year marks the twenty-fourth anniversary of her arrival in China and the special bond with tea silk.
Originally known as "Gambiered Guangdong silk",tea silk hails from the Pearl River Delta, and stands out as the sole silk fabric worldwide dyed solely with plant-based dyes, which are extracted from Dioscorea cirrhosa Lour. The fabric is acclaimed as the "soft gold" of the textile industry.
To this day, Kathrin still vividly remembers her excitement when she first encountered tea silk, worn by the designer Sophie Hong from Taiwan Province in 1995. The diaphanous and luminous fabric left a lasting impression on her. "Tea silk is soft yet resilient, with different hues on each side, and when fashioned into clothing, it retains a natural sculptural quality. I was completely captivated by it."
In pursuit of tea silk, Kathrin ventured to China alone in 2000. Settling in Beijing, she designed clothing while seeking information about tea silk. Hindered by the language barrier, her first year yielded no results until a staff of the century-old shop named "Qianxiangyi" provided a crucial lead about the silk that originated from Shunde, Guangdong. In 2002, after much effort, Kathrin and her then-boyfriend, later husband, Zhang Xiangyun, who is from Hubei Province, found a Shai Liang factory specializing in the sun-drying and dyeing process using dyes extracted from Dioscorea cirrhosa Lour. in Lunjiao, Shunde, Guangdong Province.
With the issue of fabric sourcing resolved, Kathrin established a design team in Beijing, creating clothing to the standards of Parisian haute couture. To ensure color fastness, she insisted on using tea silk aged for at least two years, avoiding freshly made fabric. "They gained richness and depth over time." She believes that the promotion of tradition is not about innovation or updates, but about refining existing methods to perfection.
Subsequently, Kathrin founded the clothing brand "Rechenberg".Spending most of her time studying dyeing techniques and creating tea silk garments in her studio, she remains indifferent to production speed and quantity, showcasing her creations through art exhibitions or fashion shows.
"The inherent drape and natural beauty of tea silk are unparalleled," Kathrin remarks. "The pursuit of beauty knows no borders. Easternaestheticsare not merely about superficial phenomena or forms but intrinsic spirits and culture." In 2020, at the fourth China Textile Intangible Cultural Heritage Conference, she was honored with the title of "Ambassador of Friendship for Chinese Textile Intangible Cultural Heritage".
In the spring of 2024, Kathrin brought her creations to Guangdong, presenting the fabric's characteristics and charm through an artistic performance. From silk to linen to tea silk, the fabrics swayed with models' movements, gleaming with a dark and metallic sheen. "They are so beautiful!" In Kathrin's eyes, these fabrics, born from nature, possess life, with silk threads weaving spaces as they flow. She themed this fashion show "Sculpting Textile",as she perceives the fabric as having the strength of sculpture, and its texture often reminds her of her father's pottery.
Source | Yangcheng Evening News
