On April 3^rd, German designer Kathrin von Rechenberg presented her collection of tea silk garments in the show titled "Sculpting Textile" at Rong Bao Zhai GuangZhou. This year marks the twenty-fourth anniversary of her arrival in China and the special bond with tea silk.

Originally known as "Gambiered Guangdong silk",tea silk hails from the Pearl River Delta, and stands out as the sole silk fabric worldwide dyed solely with plant-based dyes, which are extracted from Dioscorea cirrhosa Lour. The fabric is acclaimed as the "soft gold" of the textile industry.

To this day, Kathrin still vividly remembers her excitement when she first encountered tea silk, worn by the designer Sophie Hong from Taiwan Province in 1995. The diaphanous and luminous fabric left a lasting impression on her. "Tea silk is soft yet resilient, with different hues on each side, and when fashioned into clothing, it retains a natural sculptural quality. I was completely captivated by it."

In pursuit of tea silk, Kathrin ventured to China alone in 2000. Settling in Beijing, she designed clothing while seeking information about tea silk. Hindered by the language barrier, her first year yielded no results until a staff of the century-old shop named "Qianxiangyi" provided a crucial lead about the silk that originated from Shunde, Guangdong. In 2002, after much effort, Kathrin and her then-boyfriend, later husband, Zhang Xiangyun, who is from Hubei Province, found a Shai Liang factory specializing in the sun-drying and dyeing process using dyes extracted from Dioscorea cirrhosa Lour. in Lunjiao, Shunde, Guangdong Province.

With the issue of fabric sourcing resolved, Kathrin established a design team in Beijing, creating clothing to the standards of Parisian haute couture. To ensure color fastness, she insisted on using tea silk aged for at least two years, avoiding freshly made fabric. "They gained richness and depth over time." She believes that the promotion of tradition is not about innovation or updates, but about refining existing methods to perfection.

Subsequently, Kathrin founded the clothing brand "Rechenberg".Spending most of her time studying dyeing techniques and creating tea silk garments in her studio, she remains indifferent to production speed and quantity, showcasing her creations through art exhibitions or fashion shows.

"The inherent drape and natural beauty of tea silk are unparalleled," Kathrin remarks. "The pursuit of beauty knows no borders. Easternaestheticsare not merely about superficial phenomena or forms but intrinsic spirits and culture." In 2020, at the fourth China Textile Intangible Cultural Heritage Conference, she was honored with the title of "Ambassador of Friendship for Chinese Textile Intangible Cultural Heritage".

In the spring of 2024, Kathrin brought her creations to Guangdong, presenting the fabric's characteristics and charm through an artistic performance. From silk to linen to tea silk, the fabrics swayed with models' movements, gleaming with a dark and metallic sheen. "They are so beautiful!" In Kathrin's eyes, these fabrics, born from nature, possess life, with silk threads weaving spaces as they flow. She themed this fashion show "Sculpting Textile",as she perceives the fabric as having the strength of sculpture, and its texture often reminds her of her father's pottery.

Source :Yangcheng Evening News

德国“裁缝”凯瑟琳：在华二十四载 与香云纱同行

4月3日，“雕塑的面料——香云纱春夏秀”在荣宝斋广州举行，德国设计师凯瑟琳·冯·瑞星博（Kathrin von Rechenberg）带来了她的香云纱服饰作品。今年是凯瑟琳来到中国，并与香云纱结缘的第二十四个年头。

香云纱本名“莨纱”，最早产于珠三角，是采用植物染料薯莨染色的丝绸面料，也是世界纺织品中唯一用纯植物染料染色的丝绸面料，被纺织界誉为“软黄金”。

时至今日，凯瑟琳仍清晰记得初见香云纱时的那份惊喜。1995年，她在台湾设计师洪丽芬的身上见到了香云纱，这种薄如蝉翼、亮如珍珠的独特面料触动了她的内心。“香云纱柔软而不失韧度，双面有着不同的色泽，制成衣服后还有天然的造型感，我完全被它迷住了。”

为了找寻香云纱，凯瑟琳在2000年只身来到中国。她在北京落脚，一边给人设计衣服，一边打听关于香云纱的消息。由于语言不通，在最初一年里她毫无所获，直到一家名为“谦祥益”的百年老店提供了香云纱来自广东顺德的重要线索。2002年，几经周折，凯瑟琳和当年的“湖北小伙”、她后来的丈夫张向云找到了广东顺德伦教的晒莨厂。

解决面料的来源问题后，凯瑟琳在北京组建设计团队，以巴黎高级定制的要求制作服装。为保证布料的色固性，她坚持不以当年制成的香云纱为面料，摆上缝纫机的面料必须经过两年以上的窖藏。“当它们老旧之后，会变得更隽永，更有故事。”她认为，传统的发扬并不是改良或更新，而是将原有的方式考究到极致。

随后，凯瑟琳创立了自己的服装品牌“Rechenberg”。大部分时间，她都在工作室里安静地研究染色工艺、制作香云纱服装，不在乎生产速度和数量，然后通过艺术展览或时装发布会进行展示。

“香云纱自身垂坠的力量，挺阔通透，是穿在身上时最自然的美。”凯瑟琳说，“人们对美的追求是不分国界的，东方美学并不是表面的现象或形式，而是内在的精神和文化。”在2020年的第四届中国纺织非遗大会上，凯瑟琳被授予“传播中国纺织非遗友谊大使”的称号。

2024年的春天，凯瑟琳将她设计的香云纱服装作品带到了广东，以艺术展演的方式呈现香云纱的特点和魅力。从丝、麻到香云纱，面料跟随模特肢体的曲线而抖动，泛起一层金属质感的深黑光泽。“它们太美了！”在凯瑟琳眼里，这些源于自然的布料是有生命的，丝线在流动间交织出空间。她将本次时装秀的主题定为“雕塑的面料”——在她看来，香云纱具备雕塑般的力度，质感总让她想起父亲的陶艺。

文｜羊城晚报记者 梁善茵 朱绍杰
图｜羊城晚报记者 钟振彬（署名除外）
译｜邹晓华