86
Y. Luo
Photo 1 Unearthed garment hand made in Han dynasty (221–206 BC)
2 Sustainable Luxury Materials
Luxury fashion starts with luxury materials. In ancient China, people treasured the
beauty of jade and emerald, worshipped the softness and smoothness of silk and
marvelled at the incredible lightness of ramie clothing. With a precious material, a
skilful artisan can create art. When we use these luxuries, we treat them carefully and
with respect. Our appreciation adds to its value. To start a real luxury fashion, you
need these materials. When a young girl is used to fashions made out of polyester,
easy to get and easy to discard, she will not understand the beauty of owning a lasting
piece. A lasting expensive piece of clothing is not just more comfortable and more
expensive, it carries memories and stories. The founder of Apple Steve Jobs said
“Some people say, “Give the customers what they want. But that’s not my approach.
Our job is to figure out what they’re going to want before they do”.
2 Therefore the
power is still in the hands of the designers.
2.1 A Gift from Nature: Ramie
Ramie, called Zhu Ma (苎麻) in Chinese, is an Asian flowering plant of the nettle
plant family. It is native to tropical East Asia and is traditionally cultivated in Asia.
2 https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/988332-some-people-say-give-the-customers-what-theywant-but accessed on 18/08/2019.
Y. Luo
Photo 1 Unearthed garment hand made in Han dynasty (221–206 BC)
2 Sustainable Luxury Materials
Luxury fashion starts with luxury materials. In ancient China, people treasured the
beauty of jade and emerald, worshipped the softness and smoothness of silk and
marvelled at the incredible lightness of ramie clothing. With a precious material, a
skilful artisan can create art. When we use these luxuries, we treat them carefully and
with respect. Our appreciation adds to its value. To start a real luxury fashion, you
need these materials. When a young girl is used to fashions made out of polyester,
easy to get and easy to discard, she will not understand the beauty of owning a lasting
piece. A lasting expensive piece of clothing is not just more comfortable and more
expensive, it carries memories and stories. The founder of Apple Steve Jobs said
“Some people say, “Give the customers what they want. But that’s not my approach.
Our job is to figure out what they’re going to want before they do”.
2 Therefore the
power is still in the hands of the designers.
2.1 A Gift from Nature: Ramie
Ramie, called Zhu Ma (苎麻) in Chinese, is an Asian flowering plant of the nettle
plant family. It is native to tropical East Asia and is traditionally cultivated in Asia.
2 https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/988332-some-people-say-give-the-customers-what-theywant-but accessed on 18/08/2019.