Diego Occhino, A Teacher Of Italian Marangoni College, Makes Hainan Lijin More Fashionable

"The elements of design should have an emotional connection with the source of inspiration" "We should have brand stories and portraits for customers"... For several days, Diego Occhino, a teacher of Italian Marangoni College, has been busy teaching in Wuzhishan City, Hainan Province, sharing cutting-edge design concepts and skills with 30 Lijin technical talents who are known as "weavers".

On November 22, Diego Occhino, a teacher of Italian Marangoni College who taught for Li Jin's skilled talents, communicated with students during the break in Wuzhishan, Hainan Province. Photographed by Zhang Qianyi, a reporter of China News Service

Li brocade is a kind of characteristic cloth made by Li people using natural fibers such as cotton and hemp. It integrates spinning, dyeing, weaving and embroidery, and is known as the "living fossil" of China's textile industry. In 2009, the traditional textile, dyeing, weaving and embroidery skills of the Li nationality were included in the first batch of intangible cultural heritage list in urgent need of protection by UNESCO.

Since last year, Wuzhishan City has cooperated with Italian Marangoni College to select Lijin technical talents for training in Hainan, helping Lijin go global better. The four-day training ended on November 25 in Wuzhishan City.

"The first task is to keep their interest in the course, so that students of different ages can play their strengths," Ocino said.

In the training class, the age range of trainees is large, and their educational backgrounds are different. "In each group, young students are good at making PPTs and making speeches on the stage; while older students are skilled in handicrafts, and the final work effect is often amazing." Italian fashion instructors, including Ocino, teach students in accordance with their aptitude, and divide students into different groups for teaching guidance.

Ocino told China News Service that they taught students advanced design concepts, popular elements and the operation mode of the international fashion market, and encouraged students to integrate popular color matching, pattern innovation and other design elements into Li brocade creation.

"Foreign teachers" bring new fashion, and "weavers" are busy learning skills. In the practice class, the students' works were quite innovative, including clothes with gothic style and Li brocade elements, Chinese ceremonial skirts with roses and ethnic elements, and various fashionable women's clothes with ethnic characteristics.

On November 22, Diego Occhino, a teacher of Italian Marangoni College, commented on the students' works in the training class in Wuzhishan, Hainan Province. Photographed by Zhang Qianyi, a reporter of China News Service

"The Italian teacher led the students to break their thinking limitations and re-examine the design, color, material use and other aspects of Li brocade from the perspective of international fashion trends, which opened up a design idea for me." In the class, Chen Lingyu, a Hainan girl who returned from studying in Italy, kept taking notes. At present, she is creating her own clothing brand.

Inspiration source, emotional expression, commercial version and creative version design... In the training class, these novel concepts inspired Liu Xianglan, the inheritor of the traditional textile, dyeing, weaving and embroidery skills of the Li nationality. "In the innovation of Li brocade, brand stories are very important. As small as an earring, a pendant, you can tell the national story."

Ocino felt the same way. "I come from Sicily, Italy, where there is a strong national traditional culture and has bred the internationally famous brand Dolce Gabbana." He believed that this is a good model for the international development of Lijin.

How does the ancient Li brocade combine with fashion? In Ocino's view, product transformation needs the participation of new generation designers to design products more suitable for young people and the mass market. In addition to traditional clothing, Li brocade can also be "simplified design", such as Li brocade printing and buttons, to make it more suitable for the actual needs of daily or contemporary life.

Having worked and lived in China for many years, Ocino is well aware of China's efforts to inherit and protect intangible cultural heritage. "I see that the Nu people in Yunnan use ethnic elements to make vamps, which is very exquisite; Sichuan uses Shu brocade to design new cheongsam and high-grade customized clothes, some of which are even reflected on a small button."

"This is the national DNA, which is very important and must be passed on." Ocino was moved that not only the government, but also the people are spontaneously protecting the national culture.

With simple patterns and bright colors, Li brocade records the lifestyle and cultural accumulation of the Li nationality for thousands of years. Ocino suggested that Lijin, a cultural brand, be promoted to the international stage through modern marketing means such as celebrity endorsement and fashion show. (Reporter Zhang Qiyi)

(Source: China News Network)