HCB Chapter 122 International Cultural Costume Design Competition (7)
Chapter 122 International Cultural Costume Design Competition (7)
Lan Qin picked up the microphone again.
Instead of walking onto that unlucky catwalk, she went to Shen Wancheng's side and spoke to her right next to the catwalk.
"I'm so glad to see everyone's love for this wedding dress. However, this wedding dress isn't really my design. I'm just a tailor, not a fashion designer. I only know how to make a garment well so that the customer likes it."
"The design highlights of this wedding dress all come from Ms. Shen Wancheng, who is sitting next to me."
"It was Ms. Shen Wancheng who encouraged me to pick up the needle and thread again and continue doing Suzhou embroidery and making clothes."
“Li Gang learned the essence of our family’s Suzhou embroidery skills, but he accepted a job in Japan and served Japan. This matter has had a great impact on me. I haven’t made clothes for five years.”
"It was Shen Wancheng who reminded me that the most important thing is to pass on traditional craftsmanship. She was also the one who told me about this competition."
"Although there were many unexpected events in this competition, I think it also has its own significance. It allowed everyone to see the traditional aesthetics of China and made me understand the importance of this inheritance."
Lan Qin smiled and said finally.
"We've talked so much, but we haven't gotten to the design concept that everyone's been asking about. Let's have Ms. Shen Wancheng, the actual designer of this dress, explain it to us."
Shen Wancheng has never been a coy person.
Lan Qin pushed her forward, and she planned to make good use of this opportunity for exposure.
Shen Wancheng took the microphone.
"The design idea for this wedding dress is very simple: it combines Chinese and Western styles, as well as ancient and modern elements."
“When I presented my design ideas, I was worried that Ms. Lan would not accept them, after all, the changes to the style of this dress can be described as radical. It is very similar to a cheongsam, but it is different from any other cheongsam style.”
“I worry that traditional craftspeople and scholars like Ms. Lan and Professor Zhou will criticize such changes as incongruous and a desecration of traditional culture.”
"However, these worries disappeared after Ms. Lan immediately decided to adopt the design and repeatedly affirmed it. And with everyone's love and support for it today, and Professor Zhou's strong endorsement, I realized that my worries were unnecessary."
"At the same time, I feel incredibly fortunate to be in this open and free Hong Kong Island."
"I wish every resident of Hong Kong Island all the best, and I wish Hong Kong Island prosperity and strength."
Shen Wancheng recalled how Li Gang had deliberately stirred up trouble and intentionally steered today's events toward politics.
To prevent people from stirring up trouble from this angle in tonight's and tomorrow's periodicals.
At the end of her speech, Shen Wancheng went straight to the point, praising Hong Kong Island extensively.
Everyone living on Hong Kong Island feels a sense of pride when they hear this.
As the person who said these words, Shen Wancheng herself would also gain the favor of everyone present because of this sense of pride.
This leads to acceptance and love for today's wedding dress.
After a round of enthusiastic applause, someone in the audience suddenly asked a question.
"Is this wedding dress for sale?"
After that first sound, several other people repeated the question.
It seems that quite a few people really want to buy this wedding dress.
Shen Wancheng looked in the direction from which the first sound came from. Everyone was standing, so it was impossible to tell who had asked the question.
But Shen Wancheng saw Meng Nan. Because she had spoken to Meng Nan before and remembered Meng Nan's voice, Shen Wancheng guessed that Meng Nan had asked this question on purpose.
Shen Wancheng and Meng Nan exchanged a glance and expressed their gratitude.
Her expression remained unchanged as she was about to answer the audience when several foreigners in suits stepped forward and approached Shen Wancheng and Lan Qin.
"Ms. Lan, Ms. Shen, hello. I am the Executive Director of the Asia region for a certain Hermès company. We really like your design and would like to purchase this wedding dress. We would also like to invite you both to become designers for our new collection."
Shen Wancheng had anticipated that Hermes would extend an invitation to them.
But she didn't expect that Hermès would be so stingy, only inviting Lan Qin to be the designer of the new collection.
It's important to know that a single series of designers in a large company is usually part of a design team, consisting of at least five designers.
With more designers, there will naturally be a chief designer, or design director.
If Shen Wancheng and Lan Qin had no intention of starting their own company and creating their own brand, and only wanted to be ordinary designers, they would have accepted these people's invitations.
Then we'll just have to wait to be treated like slaves by these people.
The design ideas were proposed by them, but if the customer approves, the credit goes to the entire team, or rather, the design director.
If customers don't buy it and sales are poor, then the blame definitely falls on these two newly hired designers.
Shen Wancheng's impression of the Asian management of this Hermès company worsened.
Shen Wancheng refused to answer directly.
"I'm sorry, although this wedding dress was an entry for an competition, it was also the first custom-made dress our company ever produced. It has already been reserved."
The Asian executive director of a certain Hermès company frowned slightly and pressed, "Your company?"
"Yes, Ms. Lan is the first custom dress designer of Oriental Elegance, and also the design director of Oriental Elegance."
"Dongfang Yasong? I've never heard of that company."
"It doesn't matter if you haven't heard of it before, now you know."
The director gave up trying to persuade Shen Wancheng, since Shen Wancheng had already said that this was her company, so the possibility of her switching jobs was almost zero.
Besides, he could tell that Shen Wancheng had only given Lan Qin inspiration, and Shen Wancheng herself wasn't really a designer, so he wasn't willing to invest a lot of money to win her over.
The director said to Lan Qin.
"Ms. Lan, would you consider joining our Hermès brand? Our company highly values this new collection, and we are confident that your abilities will be fully demonstrated in it."
A man next to the director added, “Our Hermès is a top-tier luxury brand, incomparable to any small workshop. You should think carefully.”
Lan Qin, who had originally intended to politely decline, instantly stopped smiling after hearing the last sentence.
He said in a cold voice.
"I'm sorry, I'm already a designer at Dongfang Yasong and have no intention of going to any other company. Your company is too big to waste its time on me."
Liang Muchao suddenly interjected.
"What are you pretending for? Isn't that overseas Chinese one of your people? Don't you support Li Gang? Why don't you go and invite his 'big shot' instead?"
The director of a certain Hermes company completely changed his expression.
Wherever he goes in Asia, everyone greets him with a smile.
They actually lost face on Hong Kong Island, a colony.
He looked at Lan Qin and Shen Wancheng and said.
"You'd better not regret the choice you made today."
After saying that, without waiting for Lan Qin and Shen Wancheng to speak again, he left with his men.
Shen Yao chirped softly beside Liang Muchao.
"Are they afraid that if any of us dare to disrespect him or say something to him, they'll just make a threat and run away?"
Liang Muchao nodded. "You're right."
Shen Wancheng glanced at the two of them sideways.
But his eyes were full of smiles.
I really should thank Liang Muchao today.
However, we should take this opportunity to promote her song "Oriental Song" and not waste such a good chance.