謝慶
米蘭是時尚界人士的大舞臺。2月底,在一個在米蘭舉行的多民族時裝大秀場上,兩位華裔新銳設計師的作品特別引人注目——他們是Jessica和Kevin。他們推出的品牌JeKe,成為這個秀場的壓軸品牌。
JeKe品牌的設計師Jessica和Kevin是一對意中混血姐弟,生于意大利。從小耳濡目染,天生就懂意大利和中國,因此他們的時裝設計中很好地融貫了中西元素,這種“特別”也成為了一道亮麗的風景線,在米蘭國際時裝周上大放異彩。
當JeKe的Logo在大屏幕出現(xiàn)時,全場爆發(fā)了熱烈的掌聲。新銳設計師Jessica和她的母親華人設計師徐月娟跟隨模特一起登臺。Jessica領取主辦方頒發(fā)的獎項時,徐月娟發(fā)表感言。她眼里泛著淚光,有些激動。時光荏苒,如今兒女的這場首秀,讓她想起了24年前她在米蘭時尚舞臺的那場首秀。
祖籍浙江青田的徐月娟,憑借自己過人的才華和勤奮,在高手云集的歐洲時尚圈贏得了“怪才”設計師的稱號,也為華人設計師在歐洲贏得了一席之地。
在業(yè)界,她還有“剪刀手”的美譽。她曾代表意大利政府在上海世博會參展;她是美國前總統(tǒng)克林頓以及眾多意大利政要的高級定制設計師;她是第一個走進米蘭時裝俱樂部的中國女人,同時也是被俱樂部第一個吸收為會員的華人。該俱樂部主席大衛(wèi)·墨西拿稱贊說:“徐月娟的成功打破了米蘭時裝俱樂部的格局,她用自己的智慧敲開了時尚之都的大門,我們?yōu)橛羞@樣一個新會員感到驕傲和自豪!”
在出國前,徐月娟曾在溫州學越劇?!澳菚r候看著戲曲演員穿著水袖長裙,覺得女孩子穿上古代的服裝簡直太美了。漸漸地,我喜歡上了服裝,就在溫州專門學習了服裝設計?!?/p>
在溫州的這段經(jīng)歷,為徐月娟打下了堅實的基礎。
“那時候,休息時間大家都流行看日本動畫片,像‘一休哥之類的。我都不看,而是去幫人家做義工。我一家一家地去裁縫店敲門,問他們要不要義工。我不要錢,只是要去學習。”徐月娟說,自己的縫燙技術都是在那個時候學會的。到了歐洲以后,這些技術就全部派上了用場。
1990年,徐月娟來到了時尚之都意大利米蘭從事服裝設計。語言障礙使得她一開始只能和華人進行溝通。一次偶然的機會,一家意大利服裝設計公司看中她的才華,聘請她設計衣服。從此,她敲開了意大利時尚界的大門。
要得到頂尖品牌匯聚的歐洲設計界的認可,并不是一件容易的事情。但徐月娟身上流淌著浙商永不服輸?shù)难海绞艿劫|疑,她越要證明自己的實力。
較勁的女人,爆發(fā)力不可想象。那段時間,她為設計如癡如狂,向當時的未婚夫提出了一個很“苛刻”的要求:“我要在意大利開出第一場秀后才會跟你結婚?!?/p>
1995年,她舉辦了自己的首場個人服裝秀,大獲成功。第二天,才是她的結婚典禮。那之后不久,她和意大利籍的丈夫創(chuàng)立了一家屬于自己的服裝品牌:Delves-JK。
“Delves-JK是很精致漂亮又很特別的百分百意大利制造?!狈▏麜r尚雜志《Rendez-Vous》這樣評價Delves-JK。Delves-JK追求100%的意大利手工制作,精湛的手工工藝加上高端面料和嚴絲合縫的細節(jié),使得意大利經(jīng)典服飾散發(fā)出新的光彩。
“我的設計里面有東方的元素,整個又是西方的氣質。”徐月娟介紹,Delves-JK曾多次同Louis Vitton、Armani、Dior等一線大牌一起登上《Rendez-Vous》雜志,受到眾多時尚評論者的好評?!昂芏嗤鈬苏f,這個設計師的作品確實有東西,東方西方的元素都在里面。所以,時尚雜志會把我的原創(chuàng)作品跟Dior放在一起。”徐月娟說。
大約兩年前,筆者在意大利威尼斯與徐月娟有過一次暢聊。她在米蘭市中心有高端定制的時尚工作室,但她一年中大部分時間都是在博洛尼亞度過,拋開世俗的繁雜,她更享受在這個安靜的地方尋找設計靈感。
她的丈夫多納蒂·德爾維斯說:“我一直很欽佩我的妻子,她一直堅持著,為自己的理想和抱負努力著?!?/p>
天道酬勤,徐月娟多年的努力并沒有白費,她的設計得到了眾多同行的認可。意大利時裝設計師克勞迪婭·德賽迪說:“我一直很欣賞她獨特的風格,將意大利和中國兩種不同的文化巧妙融合?!?/p>
得益于中國的日漸強大,中國風開始在時尚界盛行。徐月娟將中國古典服飾的特色與歐洲時尚相結合,這種原創(chuàng)風格在歐洲高端定制界大受歡迎。很快,徐月娟成了紅人,她設計的服裝迅速躋身于世界高級時裝之列。
意大利素有“設計王國”之稱。這個國度活躍著約40萬華商,他們中的很多人在從事著與時尚相關的產(chǎn)業(yè)。徐月娟是意大利華商的杰出代表。
徐月娟告訴筆者,中國越來越強大,中國風在國際上也越來越受歡迎,歐洲時尚圈或將涌現(xiàn)更多華人設計師。
隨著中國綜合國力的提升,越來越多的華商進入并“改造”了意大利的主流產(chǎn)業(yè),見證浙江人在意大利的崛起。浙江人的事業(yè)在意大利形成了兩個典型的市場,一個是面向全歐洲的羅馬華商貿(mào)易中心,另一個則是位于托斯卡納地區(qū)普拉托市的意大利制造中心。20多年來,浙江人活躍的商貿(mào)活動在幫助普拉托鞏固歐洲紡織中心地位的同時,還把它拓展成為一個歐洲的快時尚中心。
徐月娟說,希望能把自己的設計理念和經(jīng)驗帶回中國,讓中國消費者更好地了解意大利高端時尚的概念,也希望通過她的努力搭建中意文化的橋梁。
Xu Yuejuan: Chinese Fashion Designer in Italy
By Xie Qing
A native of Zhejiang, Xu Yuejuan arrived in Milan, Italy in 1990 and firmly established herself as a fashion designer there in Milan, Italy by staging her first fashion in 1995 and launching the Italian fashion brand DELVES-JK.
She is the first Chinese national admitted into the Milan Fashion Club. Her business designs and makes upscale custom-made cloths for high-end clients including the ex-president Clinton of USA and some Italian government officials. She displayed her brand on behalf of the Italian government at Shanghai World Expo in 2010. Her upscale clothing operation is wholly manually tailored. The custom-made clothes are characterized by, among other things, deluxe fabrics and greatest attention to smallest details.
Two years ago I met Xu Yuejuan in Venice and had a long talk with her. She operates a studio in Milan but she spends most of her time in Bologna where she enjoys serenity and seeks inspiration.
She wanted to be a fashion designer when she was a young teenager learning to be a Yueju Opera artist. “The softness and ethereality of the long sleeves of the costumes really fascinated me,” she recalls. She fell in love with these costumes in the ancient style. She started learning about fashion design. Aware that design was only part of the fashion, she wanted to learn the practical part of the fashion. That is, she also wanted to be a tailor who could turn all beautiful design ideas into real things. So while her classmates amused themselves with Japanese animation films on television in their spare time, she visited tailor shops in Wenzhou to see if these tailors would accept her volunteer work for free. All the practical expertise she learned at these tailor shops helped her in Italy.
After her arrival in Milan, she had difficulties in finding a designers job. As the language was a problem, at first she could only deal with Chinese customers. Then accidently an Italian fashion design business spotted her talent and employed her. It wouldnt be easy for her to be recognized in Milan where top designers gravitate. She worked hard. And her 1995 solo fashion show was a huge success, putting her name on the map of Milan. The day after her fashion show, she married Donati Delves, an Italian engaged in fashion business. The husband adores and admires Xu for her hard work and ambition.
Xus design integrates the elegance of the East and the West. Her brand has been discussed alongside with famed brands such as LOUIS VUITTON, ARMANI, and DIOR in RENDEZ-VOUS, a French fashion magazine.
As China is becoming increasingly important in business, Xu has increasingly added Chinese elements into her design. She makes a difference in the fashion business that defines Milan. As a matter of fact, the Chinese business community in Italy has a population of 400,000, with a great number of them engaged in two business realms. The business people from Zhejiang play a key role in a trade center in Rome and in the garment industry in Prato. In the talk I had with her two years ago, she predicted that Chinese fashion designers would become increasingly prominent in the European fashion industry. She is one of these Zhejiang businesspeople who have helped reshape industrial Italy.
Xu Yuejuan has won professional awards and she has exhibited her brand in China. In February, her daughter Jessica and her son Kevin launched their brand JeKe in a fashion show held in Milan. Both the daughter and the son are now fashion designers, carrying on her mission started in the 1990s.