Home >
Chen Xi, Design Director Of Yaying, Reconstructs Cultural Confidence With Chinese Fashion Language
In the context of the development of China's fashion industry, there is always a question of the times: can we build our own fashion system? It is not a popular follower or a carrier of culture, but a brand story "rooted in Chinese culture" with its own aesthetic language, material language and spiritual language.
Chen Xi is one of the responders to this question.
As the design director of Yaying brand of Yaying Group, since he took charge of the brand creative direction in 2010, he has driven Yaying to complete a 14 year style transition with the firm concept of "building a brand based on Chinese culture". From aesthetics to structure, from fabric to technology, he led the team to build a unique "Oriental high-end women's wear" system, which not only established a benchmark position in the Chinese fashion industry, but also proved by his own practice that Chinese design can also be a loud voice in the world context.
One piece of cloth, one hand, one inheritance enlightenment
Chen Xi's design story does not originate from a fashionable palace, but from a gentle and simple childhood picture.
"When I was a child at home, I often saw my mother like to use the leftover cloth from home to make small animals, small bags, and even make me some fancy clothes. At that time, I didn't know what design was, but I knew that every piece of cloth in her hands seemed to have life." These household rags and old clothes were the most inconspicuous objects in life, but in her hands, They are endowed with emotion and meaning. From pieces of "cloth toys" to pieces of "small clothes", her mother's skillful hand made Chen Xi realize once and again that "clothes" are not cold covers, but the expression of mind and identity.
Chen Xi said, "I remember very clearly that when I was a child, I liked a piece of rag with Chinese patterns. My mother made a pocket for me and I sewed it on my clothes. I felt very proud. Maybe it was at that moment that I had an emotion for 'cloth' that transcended materials."
This kind of design enlightenment "from life" has always become a hidden spiritual foundation in Chen Xi's creation in the future. He emphasized "the temperature of materials" and "the emotion of structure", and this respect and empathy for fabrics had already planted seeds in his childhood.
From EP small series to representatives of China's high-end national brands
Back to the time when Chen Xi arrived at Yaying Group in early 2010, the "China Yaying" brand was only one of several small series under EP, with unclear positioning and shallow style. Under the background of the era when international brands dominate the market and local design discourse is missing, Chen Xi chose to dig deep into the roots. Instead of following the way of imitating or borrowing European and American styles, he firmly proposed that "fashion is not an imported show, but a continuation of cultural consciousness."
With a piece of cloth as the starting point, he made Yaying brand gradually establish a dress system belonging to Chinese women. From style remolding to brand independence, from deep cultivation of craftsmanship to cultural upgrading, after more than ten years of polishing, "China Yaying" is no longer the "secondary series" of EP, but has grown into a very representative pole of China's high-end national brands, becoming a fashion symbol for Oriental women to express self-confidence, elegance and identity.
Honesty and Innovation: Rebuilding the Chinese Fashion Discourse System
Over the past ten years, Director Chen Xi has constantly led his team to conduct in-depth research on traditional crafts in various parts of China, visit the inheritors of intangible cultural heritage skills, find the source of inspiration in traditional skills such as cut silk, Suzhou embroidery, cloud brocade, and Song brocade, and at the same time integrate modern fashion structures and international advanced ready to wear standards to transform them into wearable, sensible, and expressive contemporary women's clothing. His design works are not simple stacking of classical elements, but inject the texture of time into the fabric texture, and import the temperature of oriental philosophy into the tailoring logic. The introduction of the Kesi dress "Phoenix and Phoenix Dwelling on Peony" into the Capital Museum is a model of his integration of intangible cultural heritage technology and modern design language. Chen Xi's persistence and exploration have also won wide recognition in the industry. He was awarded the "Outstanding Craft Inheritance Award" at China International Fashion Week, to commend his outstanding contributions in promoting the integration of intangible cultural heritage techniques and modern fashion; In 2024, he was selected as the "Top Ten Designer" by China Industrial Design Association. This honor not only represents his high achievement in design, but also affirms his foresight and responsibility in leading the construction of Chinese fashion language.
Cultural expression: clothes are the externalization of oriental spirit
From Chen Xi's perspective, clothing is not just a functional item, but a cultural language. Behind each piece of clothing, there should be an understanding and respect for the national spirit.
"I always believe that the truly moving design is not a visual impact, but a spiritual echo." So we see that each of his big shows is a dialogue about "culture and fashion":
• "Gong Ya" in 2018 awakens women's inherent sense of dignity and ritual through palace patterns and modern tailoring;
• In 2019, "Huashan", inspired by the traditional Chinese round fan, has a flowing structure, implicit image and is full of book flavor;
• In 2023, "Yu" series will take the 35th anniversary of the brand as an opportunity to look back at the continuous culture of Oriental elegance;
• The "Elegant" series, which will open Shanghai Fashion Week in 2025, is an oriental answer to "aesthetic is identity".
"I hope that Yaying is not only a brand, but also a way for Chinese women to feel cultural confidence. Clothes are not for them to imitate others, but to recognize themselves."
Teaching, judges, curators: the other side of industry promoters
As the backbone of China's design industry, Chen Xi's influence has long been beyond the brand. Since 2021, he has served as the master tutor of the School of Fashion and Art Design of Donghua University, and has been continuously involved in talent cultivation; He has been the judge of "Good Design in China", "China International Knitting Design Competition" and other events for many times, and is committed to promoting the growth and diversity of local design ecology.
In 2023, the dress designed by him was invited to show at the exhibition of "Celebration of the Prosperous Age" by the Central Propaganda Department, and was exhibited as the representative work of "Modern Presentation of Oriental Culture" in the unit of "Ancient and Modern". This is not only a personal honor, but also a concentrated echo of his years of adhering to cultural design thinking.
In 2025, he won the 10th Anniversary "Jinshi Mingxin Award" of China Knitting Design Competition, writing a footnote for his long-term efforts in technology, innovation and cultural contributions.
Not a fashion designer, but a culture builder
"The trend will recede, and the culture will stay." This is what Chen Xi often said in an interview. He doesn't refuse fashion, but he never believes in trends. In his view, the real mission of designers is not to make the next season's popular pieces, but to build a cultural aesthetics belonging to this era.
"In the context of world fashion, we are often defined by the inherent perspective. My ideal is that one day, Chinese fashion will be more leisurely, independent, self styled and grow naturally."
What Chen Xi is doing is just such a design revolution starting from the underlying logic: reshaping aesthetic coordinates, rebuilding cultural beliefs, and reconstructing identity. He firmly believes that the truly advanced design does not lie in the complexity of appearance, but in the depth of spirit; It is not the surprise in front of us, but the look back of the times.
Chen Xi is an extremely quiet person. He is not good at hype and does not admire flow. He chose to use cloth, thread, structure and rhythm to express his understanding of culture, respect for women and recognition of the times. His insistence for more than ten years has already become a footnote to the cultural consciousness of the times, and is also becoming a precious specimen on the road of self construction of Chinese fashion.
- Related reading
Cool Furui ® The First Stop Of The "X Ranger" Cool Parade: Traceless Mountains | A Sustainable Engagement With The Earth
|
2025/4/23 23:12:00
0
Suqian Shuyang, Jiangsu Province: Textile Industry Accelerates "Smart" Change
|
2025/4/23 23:11:00
0
"World Heritage Quanzhou Fashion City" - 2025 Quanzhou Fashion Week Series Activities Successfully Held
|
2025/4/23 23:09:00
13
- Successful case | The Establishment Of The Campus Garment Professional Committee Of The China National Garment Association Has Driven The Ecological Reconstruction Of The 100 Billion Yuan School Uniform Industry
- I want to break the news. | 雅莹设计总监陈曦用中国时尚语言重构文化自信
- Commercial treasure | The Ninth Textile Advanced Training Class Has Begun! Let Compound Talents Enable Collaborative Innovation In The Industrial Chain
- I want to break the news. | 「酷肤芮®×游侠客」酷游行第一站：无痕山野|赴一场与地球的可持续之约
- I want to break the news. | Suqian Shuyang, Jiangsu Province: Textile Industry Accelerates "Smart" Change
- Successful case | Bosiden Was Re Selected Into The S&P Global Sustainable Development Yearbook (China Version) To Demonstrate ESG Leadership
- Wealth story | The 8Th Standing Council Of The 5Th Central China Association And The "15Th Five Year" Development Strategy Seminar Of Industrial Textile Industry Were Held
- Efficiency manual | See Sichuan Textile Enterprises Weave New Momentum In The "Three Products" Strategy
- I want to break the news. | "World Heritage Quanzhou Fashion City" - 2025 Quanzhou Fashion Week Series Activities Successfully Held
- quotations analysis | There Are Signs Of Weakening In The Fermented Cotton Textile Market After The US Tariff Policy
- The Ninth Textile Advanced Training Class Has Begun! Let Compound Talents Enable Collaborative Innovation In The Industrial Chain
- Cool Furui ® The First Stop Of The "X Ranger" Cool Parade: Traceless Mountains | A Sustainable Engagement With The Earth
- Suqian Shuyang, Jiangsu Province: Textile Industry Accelerates "Smart" Change
- Bosiden Was Re Selected Into The S&P Global Sustainable Development Yearbook (China Version) To Demonstrate ESG Leadership
- The 8Th Standing Council Of The 5Th Central China Association And The "15Th Five Year" Development Strategy Seminar Of Industrial Textile Industry Were Held
- See Sichuan Textile Enterprises Weave New Momentum In The "Three Products" Strategy
- "World Heritage Quanzhou Fashion City" - 2025 Quanzhou Fashion Week Series Activities Successfully Held
- There Are Signs Of Weakening In The Fermented Cotton Textile Market After The US Tariff Policy
- New Material: Highly Anisotropic Thermal Conductive Graphene Composites To Achieve Photoelectric And Electrothermal Synergistic Ice Control
- The Sales Of French Stick Pants And French Fries Pants Have Led The Way For More Than Five Years. What Did The Original Comfortable Jeans Brand Simple Pieces Do Correctly?