In October I had the privilege of being invited to attend the Ningbo International Fashion fair. A week long exhibition showcasing the design, production and processes of not only the Chinese garment industry but the melting pot of manufacturing happening worldwide.
Henry Bailey London tailors had asked me to attend to help display the techniques and skills of Savile Row bespoke tailoring. We had an eclectic team during this week with gentlemen from Australia, United States, Lithuania, Savile Row and myself representing China. What we all had in common was despite where we may all be located we had all trained on Savile Row or under the instruction of a master who trained on Savile Row. This optimises to me my journey to China and how the training of true British tailoring is now travelling worldwide.
Our international dapper crew created quite a stir in Ningbo! I have found in my short time in China that I cause curiosity among the locals and that is in the westernised city of Shanghai, Ningbo is much smaller and less familiar to foreign visitors. Upon the opening of the show we were swarmed by teenage girls all wanting their photos taken with our team. It was so sweet to have such appreciation for just turning up!
We then discovered in what high esteem we were held when we started our demonstrations. I measured customers and cut the patterns rock of eye live in front of observers. Continuing the
process I struck out the pattern and cut the cloth. Along with my colleagues we basted the garments
together for basted fittings. All these stages were done in the open to allow people to watch, what we hadn't imagined was how many people would watch.
Nowadays you don't see camera flashes when pictures are taken, so I looked up from cutting my pattern to see the apple badge on the back of many I phones and I pads! I am more used to cutting in a basement or back room of a Savile Row house and suddenly to have an audience filming, photographing and watching my every movement was very daunting. Some local students were on hand to help translate for me and I learnt why people were so fascinated to watch me.
Ningbo has their own tailoring history which I explain in more detail in my last post 'The Red Gang' Chinese tailors are men and so the crowd would never have seen a female Cutter before, and definitely not a blonde one! The Chinese tailors often draft straight on to the cloth as well so the
paper patterns were causing a lot of excitement. One of the audience members was a tailor himself and asked a lot of in depth questions, he wanted me to teach him how to draft a pattern there and then so my interpreter had to explain that cutting is a 7 year apprenticeship in Savile Row and can not be squeezed in to an afternoon session.
As guests of the exhibition we were invited to a Banquet in honour of the Fashion fair. The dress code was black tie so being the representatives of our field our team complied. No one else attending the banquet was in black tie and in most cases not even suits. There were jeans and t-shirts and even baseball caps sat around the tables. This is not at all what I am used to from a formal dinner but it also started at 6pm and was all over and the ballroom empty by 7.30!
Networking is the name of the game at these events and business cards are being exchanged everywhere you look. People eat very little as you are expecting to leave your seat to go and meet other guests. I was also initiated in to the tradition of Ganbei which translates to cheers or more accurately bottoms up. If someone says Ganbei to you it is expected for you to finish all that is in your glass. At the banquet they were serving red wine so combined with the little food it was a very entertaining hour and a half.
As the week progressed more an more people wanted photographs with us. I had been featured in several newspaper articles which I discovered the newspapers have readerships of 12 million people. One group of students even asked for my autograph, a very humbling experience as their teacher explained that the fashion students didn't realise that women could be tailors and had been inspired by meeting me. I found all the attention a little overwhelming but was flattered by the response to our team. We did have to giggle when a lady thrust a baby into my arms for a photograph, a politician I am not!
All in all it was a fantastic week, I met suppliers and contacts and some great friends. It was lovely to see so many other people with the pride and enthusiasm about Savile Row spreading the message and trade worldwide whilst sticking to the pure principles and not compromising the craft. Whether it is made in Australia, England or in my case made in China our suits are still Savile Row.
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