Chinese elements, international design
From Tu's perspective, Chinese silk products need to provide something new while entering the global market, and the question is how to incorporate Chinese elements into international thinking.
"Look, I've got a scarf with a phoenix pattern, a typical Chinese element, right? But it doesn't look chic enough, so I invite French designers to do color matching, and the final product turns out to have both Chinese elements and international expression," said Tu.
Two years ago, Wensli design teams in China and France were asked to design a scarf with a theme of "the Silk Road". Many Chinese designers put highlights of the vicissitudes of that period of history, with wandering camels strolling on the yellow sand, whereas French designers focused on more than Chinese history. Their design showed a plump lady from the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD) on one side of the scarf, with another elegant French lady on the reverse, connected by camels and exotic scenery: a cultural blending from the east to the west.
"So now, we are encouraging designers in China and France to work together on a series of high-end silk products to make products that are competitive in the global market," said Tu.
Two Marc Rozier design books are on display in Wensli's Silk Culture Museum. "You see these worn pages, on which they recorded every single pattern designed over the past 126 years," said Tong Yuge. "That's pretty impressive and respectable."
In comparison with century-old brands in Europe, Tu said her company needs to spend a longer time on brand building with the use of craftsmanship and innovation.
"We're still young, and we have a long way to go," said Tu.
"You know what, Boss Tu's mother, Shen Aiqing, passed away last month, a heavy blow to Boss Tu and her company, but Boss Tu has to cheer up," she added quietly.
After a group interview just two days ahead of the B20 summit, Tu said she had to dash for anther social activity that night.
"Boss Tu has got a tight schedule these days, as she is a participant of B20, you know, and Wensli is also a supplier for the summit," explained her assistant who handed another scarf to Tu before her departure.
My boss wears different Wensli-made scarves accordingly, trying her best to advertise our products on different occasions, she added.
Before taking the last question of the interview, Tu had paused a few seconds before saying,
"Doesn't matter how much money I've earned at the end of the day, what matters to me most is that Wensli will one day be respected by consumers.
I'd be more than happy to see that, as it would reward the efforts my mother and I have made."
