DHU X TATA, A New Trend Underscored by Intangible Cultural Heritage

Date:2024-01-22

The fashion shoes for the Year of the Loong collection – for spiritual connection with all things, a collaborative work between Donghua University’s College of Fashion and Design and TATA, was officially launched on January 15th.

The collaborative creation that gathered academia, industry, and research has developed four series of products with the theme “Miao Ethnicity and Artistic Appeals”. These designs, skillfully blending traditional Miao culture with modern trends, will be launched during four significant festivals of the Year of the Loong, to create a sense of ceremony for blessing aplenty. And driven by passion, we are committed to illuminating life with fashion.

Under the support of the national top-level course “Footwear Design and Craft”, this collaborative design initiative was led by Professor Tian Yujing from the Department of Product Design. For over six months, the research team from the Fashion Product Innovation Studio embarked on afield investigation and cultural research journey that focus on the national intangible cultural heritage of Miao embroidery and Miao silver craftsmanship together with the brand TATA. The team paid visits to inheritors of intangible cultural heritage and museums in various places of Guizhou, and studied literature and interviews with heritage bearers. And they have deconstructed the stories and cultural connotations behind the traditional motifs by reviewing the literature and communicating with the inheritors.