Chapter 65 Fontainebleau International Fashion Week (Part 1)...
As night falls, the island becomes quiet.
When Jiang Suining returned home, the house was filled with the aroma of food. Lu Ye brought out the clam and vermicelli soup he had just made.
"You must be exhausted. I heard several groups of people came today." The events of the day were quite significant, and the news spread quickly; Lu Ye received the news when he got off work.
Jiang Suining changed her shoes, and seeing her husband's concerned gaze, her tense nerves finally relaxed. She let out a long sigh of relief: "It wasn't just a few groups; Mayor Wang came with leaders from the Light Industry Bureau and the Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation Commission, expressing their support and giving unprecedented assistance. But this burden has suddenly become incredibly heavy."
She recounted in detail how the city leaders had attached great importance to the event and promised to open a green channel. When talking about the interviews with the TV station and newspapers, her tone carried a hint of weariness and dazedness: "Reporter Su from the provincial TV station asked me what my first reaction was when I learned that I had been invited. When I stood in front of the camera, looking at so many people and machines, my mind went blank for a moment. I was afraid that I might say something wrong or do something wrong, and that I would let down this opportunity and the expectations of so many people."
Her voice gradually lowered, revealing a hidden pressure and a hint of vulnerability. The composure and determination she displayed in front of outsiders were only revealed in front of her closest husband, showing her inner softness.
Lu Ye listened quietly without interrupting, but held her hand even tighter. He understood the feeling of being thrust into the spotlight, with no way to move forward or backward.
After a moment, Jiang Suining raised her head again, her eyes regaining their usual clarity and determination, but the reliance was still clearly visible: "However, when I think of Mayor Wang saying that the city is our backing, and our house deeds and your unconditional support for me, I slowly feel at ease. Lu Ye, thank goodness for you and this family, which lets me know that no matter how big the storms outside are, I always have a safe harbor to dock in."
Looking at the rekindled flame in her eyes, Lu Ye felt a mixture of tenderness and pride. His deep voice carried an undeniable firmness: "The harbor has always been there. Just set sail, and I'll watch over the storms for you."
Then, Jiang Suining's tone became serious: "Lu Ye, I'm going to attend the Fontainebleau International Fashion Week in September."
He finally nodded, his tone calm and firm: "Go! You must go! This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to push you and 'Haifeng' overseas. Didn't the city say they would fully support you with the paperwork? You don't need to worry about anything. You only need to think about one thing: how to fight the most beautiful battle on that stage!"
His unconditional trust and support brought tears to Jiang Suining's eyes. She reached out and hugged him tightly, her unspoken words unspoken.
***
A few days later, the city's television station broadcast an interview with Jiang Suining on its "Era Style" program.
That evening, the large color TV in the family compound's activity room was packed with people. When Jiang Suining appeared on the screen, dressed appropriately and calmly, and explained her ideas and aspirations in clear and fluent language, the activity room was filled with various exclamations.
"Oh my! It really is Lu Ye's wife! She's on TV! She looks so energetic!"
"Look how well Jiang Suining spoke, she's bringing glory to the country!"
"I never imagined there was such a big Buddha statue hidden in our residential compound!"
After the program aired, the front page headline of the "Island Daily" pushed the craze to its peak. The newspaper circulated in the family compound, and Jiang Suining's name and the story of "Haifeng" became the talk of the town.
"Look at Chief of Staff Lu's wife, she's really capable! She's a source of pride for us women!"
"I went to her clothing store yesterday, and it was packed with people! So many people were getting clothes made!"
"I should keep in touch with Sui Ning more often in the future. You can always benefit from being around a capable person."
However, while most people praised it, there were inevitably some discordant voices.
"Hmph, going abroad? That sounds nice, but who knows what she'll be doing there? A woman alone..."
"Exactly, look at how she is on TV, talking like a man, without any of the reserve a woman should have."
"It's all thanks to her man, they have some connection..."
Among them, the one who reacted most strongly was Zhou Xiaomei, who had already left the military compound with Li Guodong.
Holding the crumpled newspaper that had been passed around by others, she looked at the photo of Jiang Suining smiling confidently, and then thought of her own family's meager finances, her three unruly children, and her husband Li Guodong, who was having trouble finding work after retiring from the military and was sighing all day long. A wave of bitterness surged up in her heart.
"What's there to be proud of!" She slammed the newspaper onto her windowsill, her voice shrill, drawing the attention of her neighbors. "So what if she knows how to flatter leaders and fawn over foreigners? Showing her face in public, not behaving like a proper woman! Let's see how long she can be so smug!" Her words were filled with jealousy and twisted malice, as if only in this way could she find a false balance in her life, which seemed so wretched in comparison.
She even considered going to the family compound to find her former sister-in-law and spread some ambiguous speculations, trying to smear Jiang Suining's success. The consequences of her past rumors made her have the desire but not the courage to do so. She kept cursing until she heard Li Guodong's footsteps coming home, then she hurriedly hid the newspaper and stopped cursing.
Compared to the discussions in the family compound, Xinfeng Garment Store has reaped real benefits.
From the day the report was published, the clothing store was almost overwhelmed with customers. Not only locals came, but people from the nearest coastal cities also took boats to order a custom-made outfit.
"Aunt Jiang! Quick, take my measurements. I want to have that white shirt that Manager Jiang wore in the newspaper made!"
"Master Zhong, is this material alright? I trust your craftsmanship!"
"I need to make a dress for my daughter, the kind that... the kind you take abroad!"
Jiang's mother was in charge of receiving customers, taking measurements, and collecting deposits. She was so busy that her voice became hoarse, but her face was always filled with a proud and joyful smile. Zhong the tailor and Wang Hai hardly left their sewing machines from morning to night. Jiang's mother even hurriedly ate a few bites of lunch and brought it to him.
After closing the shop that night, the two women were so exhausted they could barely stand up straight. Jiang's mother rubbed her aching arms while looking at the densely filled order book, feeling both happy and worried: "At this rate, we won't be able to finish even if we don't eat or sleep. Let's hire a few more people."
Zhong the tailor took off his reading glasses, rubbed his bloodshot eyes, and his honest face was full of relief: "Okay, I'll ask around tomorrow to see if there are any skilled and trustworthy old friends who would be willing to help."
The shop was brightly lit, illuminating the tired but content figures of the two elderly people.
***
At the same moment, only a solitary desk lamp illuminated the office of Haifeng Trading, casting Jiang Suining's long shadow on the mottled wall. The noise subsided, and a profound emptiness and pressure washed over her like a tidal wave, enveloping her completely.
"Fontainebleau International Fashion Week..."
She unconsciously murmured the seemingly magical name, her fingertips tracing meaningless lines on the table. The initial ecstasy and excitement receded like the tide, leaving behind only the cold, hard sands of reality.
Who is she? A lucky person who glimpsed a corner of the future by chance, with some vague memories ahead of her time, a half-baked self-taught fashion design, and a fairly skillful paintbrush, she has carved out a small world for herself in this land of reform. But when faced with the stage that gathers the world's top attention, her foundation is ridiculously weak.
Panic, like a fine sea fog, silently seeped into her limbs and bones.
Dragons and phoenixes, Chinese knot buttons, embroidery... these symbols are beautiful, but if they are simply piled up, they become clichéd and become an empty display of exoticism. What she needs is something deeper, an artistic conception that can transcend cultural barriers and strike people's hearts.
Just then, a night breeze slipped in through the crack in the window that wasn't fully closed, bringing with it the unique, moist, and slightly salty scent of the island, gently brushing against her cheek.
It was like a divine revelation!
She suddenly opened her eyes, and it was as if stars were exploding in them!
ocean!
What image could be closer to her life, more capable of carrying all her emotions and memories than the sea? It is vast, it is ever-changing, it is both gentle and violent, it carries hope and has swallowed sorrow! It is her, and she is it!
"The breath of the sea".
What she wanted to capture was not the solidified form of the sea, but its living, rhythmic life force, its distinct heartbeats and pulses throughout the four hours of the day.
Her breathing quickened, and she grabbed a pencil, scribbling four names rapidly across the blank sketchbook, the tip almost piercing the paper:
A thin mist, like a veil, shrouded the sea, and the first rays of sunlight tinged the crests of the waves with fragmented gold. That was the moment hope first blossomed, the beginning of every story.
It should be gentle, hazy, and filled with a dewy, clear anticipation.
The seawater has a deep, almost inky blue color, with undercurrents surging in the depths, containing immeasurable power.
It should be intense, clear, with a metallic texture and the warmth of sunlight.
It should be rich, lyrical, and tinged with a touch of mystery and a sense of fatalistic melancholy.
The moonlight, like a ribbon, paved a path of shattered silver on the sea. In the dark depths of the water, countless secrets seemed to whisper, creating a moment of introspection, tranquility, and endless poetry and reverie.
It should be subtle and understated, with a moonlit coolness and the rhythm of the tides.
The direction is clearer than ever before!
However, once the turbulent emotions subsided, those four poetic words seemed to transform into four insurmountable mountains on the paper.
The morning mist, the midday ripples, the evening waves, the tranquility of the tides—can these ethereal realms be transformed into tangible fabrics that can be touched, perceived, and even bear the light of a runway? It sounds more like an impossible dream.
A deep sense of powerlessness gripped her.
Jiang Suining leaned back in her chair, the light from the desk lamp blurring her vision. The glamorous fashion shows from her past life seemed so distant and unreal now.
"Can I really...do it?" This thought clung to her like a vine, almost suffocating her.
Just then, her gaze inadvertently swept over the old mirror standing in the corner. The woman reflected in the mirror was no longer the timid young wife who had just arrived with the army, but a woman whose eyes showed fatigue, but whose brows were etched with determination and courage.
"Jiang Suining, have you forgotten how you got to where you are today?" A loud voice echoed in her heart.
Who would dare to build a tidal energy cold storage facility? Who would be the first to contract a garment production line? Who could sell garments all over the country? Aren't they all turning the impossible into possible? Aren't these all tough challenges that they overcame through sheer grit?
When faced with opportunity, how can we be timid before even engaging in battle!
A surge of intense heat rose from the depths of her heart, instantly burning away the icy hesitation. Her back straightened once more, and her eyes regained their usual clarity and sharpness.
"I can!" she declared silently but firmly to herself in the mirror. "I must be able to! Not only do I have to do it, but I have to do it the best I can! I have to let the world see just how powerful the breath from the Chinese sea can be!"
Her rekindled fighting spirit was like a furnace with plenty of firewood, prompting her to immediately get to work. The first thing she needed to determine was the fabric!
The next day, she summoned Zhong the tailor and several key master craftsmen from the labor protection factory to hold their first "pre-battle meeting" in a temporarily designated confidential workroom.
“‘Wu Lan’ is the deep blue of the sea under the blazing sun and the broken, leaping golden light. The fabric needs to be layered, have structure, and be able to capture the light.”
"'Twilight Waves'..."
“'Xiyu'…”
The more poetic and picturesque her description, the more the master craftsmen frowned.
Finally, an experienced fabric purveyor couldn't help but speak up: "Manager Jiang, what you're saying sounds really good, but the fabrics we see on the market are just that—silk, with a good sheen but soft; yarn, with a sheen but no shape; cotton and linen, with a crisp texture but lacking that liveliness. The kind of fabric you're looking for—one that has the sheen of silk, the transparency of yarn, and the texture of cotton and linen—this, this is probably..." He shook his head and didn't finish his sentence, but his meaning was clear: it simply doesn't exist.
The meeting room fell silent; the air seemed to freeze. Even the tailor hesitated, not speaking immediately.
"Make it yourself?" The experienced craftsmen all looked up in astonishment.
“Yes! We’ll develop it ourselves!” Jiang Suining stood up. “We can try blending! We can use raw silk as a base to ensure luster and drape; add extremely fine special cotton threads to increase the fabric’s structure and texture; and try mixing in a small amount of transparent synthetic filaments to see if we can create that translucent, layered feel!”
This idea was undoubtedly extremely bold and avant-garde at the time. The experienced craftsmen looked at each other, their faces filled with doubt: "Can this really work?"
Jiang Suining knew that empty talk was useless, so she looked at Zhong the tailor, who had been silently pondering, and asked, "Uncle Zhong, what do you think?"
After pondering for a long time, Zhong the tailor finally spoke slowly, his voice low but carrying a calming force: "Your idea breaks out of the old mold. It's difficult, really difficult, but it's not impossible." He looked at his old partners, "Old Li, you're in charge of contacting the factories we know in Suzhou and Hangzhou, asking if they have any experienced craftsmen willing to take on this kind of challenging work. Old Wang, you come with me, let's find some samples of all the materials we can think of and try them out again and again!"
Zhong the tailor's arrangements temporarily stabilized the morale of the troops.
The days that followed became a tug-of-war with various yarns and fibers.
The office was piled high with collected samples, and small spinning machines hummed as countless different proportions of mixed weaving methods were tested.
Failure, failure, and more failure.
Either the luster is too dull, the texture is too stiff, or there is no sense of transparency at all.
Mr. Li, who was in charge of the liaison, repeatedly brought back the tactful refusal from the cooperating factory.
A sense of oppression and anxiety began to permeate the small team.
Jiang Suining was also anxious, and blisters appeared on her lips, but she never showed the slightest wavering in front of others. She spent her days with the experienced workers, repeatedly studying the failed samples and adjusting her approach.
"Could it be that we're trying to do too much?" On a tiring evening, Jiang Suining picked up a piece of failed material that was translucent but lacked any structure. Suddenly, a thought struck her. "The hazy feeling that Chenyi wants and the structure that Wulan wants might require different fabrics to express? Can we focus our efforts on achieving the soft, misty feel that Chenyi needs?"
This shift in thinking was like opening a new window in the darkness.
They abandoned the unrealistic idea of simultaneously achieving all the desired characteristics, focusing instead on the ratio of silk, special spun cotton, and a small amount of soft fiber, and boldly experimented with an unconventional, looser warp and weft weaving method.
When the first palm-sized sample, which shimmered with a warm, watery sheen under the light, and was soft to the touch with subtle, natural wrinkles, was finally successfully woven, the entire office was so quiet you could hear the needle fall to the ground.
Jiang Suining took the small piece of cloth with trembling hands. It was light and soft, yet felt as heavy as a thousand pounds. She held it close to her cheek, feeling the dreamlike touch, and her eyes instantly reddened.
“This is it…” Her voice choked with emotion, yet filled with ecstatic joy, “This is ‘Chenyi’! This is our ‘Haiguang Silk’!”
The success of "Haiguang Silk" was like a ray of light in the darkness, greatly inspiring the entire team.
Before the joy of the first victory had subsided, Jiang Suining immediately led her team to press on and set their sights on the remaining three series.
With the experience gained from developing "Haiguang Silk", the path to further breakthroughs in fabric development remains clear, although many difficulties still exist.
The team's atmosphere has also undergone a subtle change, from initial skepticism and observation to proactive thinking and enthusiastic experimentation.
For the fabric needed for "Wu Lan" to embody profound power and broken ripples, they chose strong linen as the base, mixed with special silk threads with a metallic luster, and used a complex jacquard process to weave out diamond-shaped light spots that are faint and shimmering, like sunlight passing through water ripples, on a deep blue and almost ink-like background.
To express the magnificence and grandeur of "Evening Waves", they boldly chose a combination of heavy silk and micro-carved velvet, and through special dyeing techniques, created a gradient color that transitions from golden red to purplish brown under the sunset, making the fabric itself full of tension.
The "tranquility and poetry" of "Xiyu" is achieved by finding an extremely soft, slightly cool-touch plain crepe satin, and then lightly frosting its surface so that it is not too dazzling under the light, but rather emits a restrained and soft halo like the surface of the sea under the moonlight.
The birth of every new fabric is accompanied by countless failed experiments, heated discussions, and the cheers of a final breakthrough.
Jiang Suining looked at the group of experienced craftsmen in the office whose eyes had been rekindled with passion, at the increasingly relaxed brows of the tailor Zhong, and at her sister-in-law Liu Hong rapidly recording various data and key points, and her heart was filled with gratitude.
This is no longer a battle she fought alone, but a team with a clear goal and increasingly seamless teamwork charging forward together.
After confirming the fabric samples one by one, Jiang Suining immediately took the core samples and went with tailor Zhong to the textile factory they had previously worked with.
With the successful sample as a stepping stone, and with Haifeng now showing signs of growth, the negotiations went exceptionally smoothly. The textile factory showed great interest and sincerity, promising to mobilize its best equipment and experienced workers, maintain strict confidentiality, and prioritize the production of this unique fabric.
With the fabric issue resolved, the more serious challenges lie in garment design and 3D design production.
Jiang Suining locked herself in her studio and began sketching the "Morning Ripples" series.
In her mind was the sea at dawn, a dance of light and mist. She drew an asymmetrical, one-shoulder dress, with layered folds at the shoulder like gently rolling waves, and the skirt hem pursuing a seemingly casual yet meticulously calculated arc like rippling water.
However, problems arose when Zhong the tailor and the two master pattern makers took the sketches and tried to make a preliminary sample using the white fabric.
“Manager Jiang,” Zhong the tailor said, pointing to the stiff, wave-like folds on the mannequin, his brow furrowed. “The curve you drew is theoretically beautiful, but the fabric has its own temperament. Forcing it like this doesn’t look like waves; it looks more like a wrung-out rag draped over your shoulder—very rigid.”
Another craftsman, Mr. Wang, added: "And this skirt, the kind of 'swaying' feeling you want, can't be achieved with just flat cutting. Moreover, the overall silhouette seems to lack some structure and can't hold its shape."
The initial sample was ruthlessly rejected, like a bucket of cold water poured over Jiang Suining's head. Looking at the blank sample garment that was far from what she had imagined, a sense of frustration welled up in her heart.
Theoretical discussions can never withstand the test of practice.
She forced herself to calm down, slowly walked around the model, and observed carefully. Zhong the tailor was right; fabric has a life of its own, and design cannot violate the characteristics of the material.
“Uncle Zhong, Master Wang, Master Li,” she humbly asked for advice, “where do you think the problem lies? How can we modify it to both retain the feel I want and bring the clothes to life?”
Her willingness to ask questions inspired the professionalism of the experienced workers.
Zhong the tailor picked up his scissors and began to modify the mannequin's white fabric directly: "I think these pleats can't be so neat. They need to be orderly in chaos. Look at the waves crashing in the sea. Do the splashes follow any rules? No! But they have power and direction." As he spoke, he used pins to create new, more casual, and more dynamic pleats.
Master Li, who was in charge of the skirt hem, made a suggestion: "It's difficult to achieve the desired effect with flat cutting for this kind of skirt hem. How about we try three-dimensional cutting? We can simply drape the fabric over the mannequin and cut and fix it along the wave pattern you want. That might look more natural."
The collective wisdom instantly broadened the boundaries of thinking.
Jiang Suining's eyes grew brighter and brighter. She took the scissors and the fabric and began to try three-dimensional cutting under the guidance of tailor Zhong. She no longer just stared at the pattern paper, but used her hands to feel the drape of the fabric and her body to feel the flow of the lines. She kept adjusting, taking it apart and putting it back together, putting it back together and taking it apart again.
"Here! Relax a little more here!"
"Yes! That's the feeling! Let the fabric 'speak' for itself!"
"Waistline! Master Wang is right, this area needs some internal support!"
The office was bustling with activity, filled with debates, suggestions, and cheers when breakthroughs were discovered.
Design was no longer a solitary endeavor for her, but rather a dynamic process full of collisions and inspirations.
When the revised "Chenyi" blank sample garment appeared, everyone held their breath.
The pleats on the shoulders are no longer rigid decorations, but truly resemble waves rippling in the morning breeze—natural, dynamic, and full of airiness. The skirt's curve is elegant and smooth; with the model's slight turn, one can almost see the water flowing gently. The overall silhouette maintains both soft lines and an inner structure, making it graceful and poised.
"It's done!" Liu Hong was the first to shout excitedly.
A rare, wide smile appeared on Zhong the tailor's face. He circled the mannequin twice, nodding repeatedly: "Good! Now it has a soul!"
When Jiang Suining looked at the white, unfinished dress that relied on tailoring and fabric to create a hazy, watery feel, she always felt that it lacked a touch of soul, a unique imprint of Eastern aesthetics that could strike the heart directly.
She shared her idea, and after thinking it over, Master Zhong suggested using embroidery, as he happened to know of an elderly embroiderer on the island who was exceptionally skilled at embroidery.
Master Zhong's suggestion resonated with Jiang Suining. She asked Master Zhong to contact the old embroiderer and have someone make the designed dress out of "sea-light silk".
Two days later, the dress was finished, and Master Zhong invited the old embroiderer, Granny Su, to come. After introducing themselves, Jiang Suining took out the completed dress.
“Grandma Su,” she sat down next to the old woman, her tone more inquisitive than instructive, “look at this shoulder, doesn’t it resemble the moment when the morning waves have just rolled in, before they’ve fallen? I want to embroider something here, not specific flowers or birds, but the way water breaks into beads, about to fall but not quite.”
Grandma Su raised her eyes, carefully examining the soft, flowing "sea-light silk" and its layered folds. A hint of surprise and admiration flashed in her cloudy eyes. After a long while, she slowly spoke, her voice hoarse but firm: "Girl, your idea is to make this old woman's embroidery needle embroider the wind, the water, and the light! It's difficult! But it's interesting!"
She picked up a thin, silver-gray thread, as fine as a hair. "The embroidery is formless; you have to use random stitches as a base to create that shimmering, watery effect. Then, use seed stitch, like scattering pearls, to dot a few times on the tips of these folds." She pointed to several pressure points in the folds on the shoulder with her finger. "The thread has to be the lightest off-white or dark blue, mixed with a little almost invisible silver-gray. It can't be too dense, or it will muddy the ethereal quality of your fabric; it can't be too sparse, or it will lose that dewy vigor."
“Yes, yes, that’s it.” Grandma Su spoke with great conviction, and Jiang Suining nodded repeatedly, encouraging her to try embroidering.
For the next few days, Grandma Su sat by the window in the soft light, completely absorbed in her thoughts.
Her needle seemed to come alive, moving lightly up and down on the fabric, embroidering the hazy watery background with random stitches, and then using her exquisitely crafted seed stitch to add tiny, slightly raised "water droplets" at key points.
This is not just about technique, but also about understanding and recreating the artistic conception. When the last bit was completed, under the light, those tiny "water droplets" indeed captured the light. With the movement of the fabric, they seemed to be truly moving and dripping on the hem of the garment, perfectly matching the theme of "Morning Ripples" and giving the clothes a kind of breathing liveliness.
The success of the initial prototype of the "Morning Ripple" series was like opening up the Ren and Du meridians, giving the entire team a sudden enlightenment in their design thinking.
Everyone realized that Jiang Suining's imaginative ideas and the master craftsmen's solid and exquisite craftsmanship were not contradictory, but rather complementary. Their collision could produce such an amazing chemical reaction.
The office lights often stay on until late at night.
When all the sample garments of the four series "Breath of the Sea," totaling more than twenty pieces, were finally presented perfectly, it was time for Jiang Suining to go abroad.
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