At present, the new Chinese aesthetics has become popular. Among them, fabric qorn (fabric passion), a clothing brand established in Shanghai in 2019, has taken a new approach, using humorous design language to find the beauty that has gradually been forgotten or ignored by the Chinese people. TV covers and sofa covers from the 1970s and 1980s, these “rustic” products of the old era in my memory, have been deconstructed and reorganized by fabric qorn and appeared on the catwalk with a new look.
Lonleaf/Hypebeast
Brand founder and designer Zhao Chenxi has studied in the United States since high school, but his designs are eager to find self-awakening and exploration as a new generation of Chinese in the increasingly Westernized world. Interestingly, because it failed to pass the review, the brand name was changed from the more direct “Porn” to “qorn”, which itself has become a unique Chinese phenomenon. This time, Hypebeast invited Zhao Chenxi, the manager of fabric qorn, to share with us his must-have items and the behind-the-scenes of the brand.
“Bashu Renaissance” five-brimmed hat & fabric qorn “I love you” baseball cap
Lonleaf/Hypebeast
Zhao Chenxi: This hat was given to me by Shi Xinwenyue. I will wear this hat every time I listen to his new album “Bashu Renaissance: Chapter 2”. Another hat I like to wear is fabric qorn’s “I love you” baseball cap. I combined the form of the New York Yankees logo and the logic of Chinese Taoist combined characters to make the embroidery of this hat.
“Yesterday’s China” photo album
Lonleaf/Hypebeast
Zhao Chenxi: This photo album was shot by a French photographer named Yan Lei in China in the 1980s. I think his shooting perspective is very unique. He does not have a lofty Western gaze, but sincerely records the daily life of ordinary people. I am struck by the real sense of life in the photos. Our color matching in the AW23 series refers to the colors in the photos in the book, and the look of the towel and large travel bag on the show was also inspired by the book.
Soft Mountain Ring & Tibetan Handmade Ring
Lonleaf/Hypebeast
Zhao Chenxi: These two rings were given to me by two good friends. I don’t wear rings originally, but every time I wear these two rings, I feel the love from my friends. The Soft Mountain ring was a 28th birthday gift from Zen. The first time I saw it, I felt a beauty that transcends time. I feel that this ring is still suitable for me to wear when I am 80 years old. The second ring was bought by Sokol when he was traveling in Tibetan areas. It is a simple but beautiful orange glass ring. My girlfriend also has one and it is our matching ring.
Sanxingdui commemorative key chain
Lonleaf/Hypebeast
Zhao Chenxi: This key chain is a souvenir from the Sanxingdui Ruins Museum. When I was a kid, I often saw this kind of stalls at tourist spots where people could take pictures and make souvenirs. But as I grew up, it became increasingly rare. I felt nostalgic when I saw it, so I immediately spent 30 yuan to take photos and make this key chain. In the photo is my girlfriend Maggie and I. We were classmates when we were studying in college in the United States, but we were not together at the time. After graduation, I returned to China to start preparing a brand, and she stayed in the United States to work. When I returned from the United States, she drove me to the airport. When we parted, we agreed that whoever did well in three years would join me. In my second year of building the brand, she came back and joined the team. She currently serves as the CEO of the brand, managing all aspects of the brand in every detail, and often gives me some good inspiration in terms of creativity.
Interview With
Chenxi Zhao
Lonleaf/Hypebeast
HB: Can you first introduce yourself to our readers?
Zhao Chenxi: I am Chenxi, the manager of fabric qorn. I was born in Shandong and grew up in Xi’an. I went to the United States to study at the age of 16 and returned to China at the age of 23 to establish the brand. I hope that the design of fabric qorn can combine the Chinese and Western cultures I have observed and present the self-awakening and exploration of a new generation of Chinese people in a Westernized world.
HB: Why is it called “Passion of Fabric”? And why was it changed from “porn” to “qorn”?
Zhao Chenxi: I changed the name from “fabric porn” to “fabric qorn” because the word “porn” could not pass the review system of China’s trademark registration; I didn’t like “qorn” very much at first because I felt that the name “fabric porn” It is already relatively abstract, and changing it to “qorn” has added an abstract meaning; but what is interesting is that the compromise of this name reflects the review and supervision mechanism of Chinese society to a certain extent.
Lonleaf/Hypebeast
HB: The fashion industry is always willing to build its own high platform. Why does fabric qorn draw inspiration from the “down-to-earth” Chinese culture?
Zhao Chenxi: First of all, I think these “down-to-earth” elements are aesthetic, but they are often ignored in daily life. The vast majority of China’s population lives in the middle and lower classes. These people have made contributions to China’s modernization process, but they are often the objects of expression rather than the expressers at the cultural level. Although I am not expressing myself as a member of the lower class, I think I can be an expresser who is closer to the truth than the official media.
Lonleaf/Hypebeast
HB: Are there any cultural symbols or clothing styles that you particularly want to “appropriate” recently?
Zhao Chenxi: Mao suit is a style that fabric qorn will continue to expand. The birth of the Chinese tunic suit represents the emergence of the concept of equalization of clothing, ending the situation in which China’s robe system has dominated the world for thousands of years, and overturning the Chinese people’s original concepts about traditional clothing and body space. According to fabric qorn, the Mao suit represents breaking the old order and establishing new rules, but as time goes by, the Mao suit itself has gradually become synonymous with rules and order. fabric qorn hopes to break the old order and rules, dismantle and re-expand the elements of the Mao suit that represent freedom and equality.
Lonleaf/Hypebeast
HB: What is your favorite or most iconic item from the brand currently?
Zhao Chenxi: I really like the chicken rope embroidery series produced by SS24; this series draws inspiration from Chinese TV covers, pillowcases, and sofa covers in the 1970s and 1980s, and uses hemp rope embroidery technology to recreate the unique Chinese style. The taste is handmade and retro.
HB: The humorous and funny single product form and graphic language are the most memorable points for fabric qorn to leave the circle. Can you share the creative ideas for this type of work?
Zhao Chenxi: Observing and recording interesting details in daily life, rearranging and combining various elements and zooming in or out are my most common methods. Creativity that satisfies me often happens spontaneously.
Lonleaf/Hypebeast
HB: The latest SS24 “Color is Empty” combines hippie culture with Eastern culture. What events or phenomena inspired you to choose this starting point?
Zhao Chenxi: I was experiencing a personal existential crisis when I was developing the SS24 quarter. The theme of “color is emptiness” was my solution to my own existential crisis.
Lonleaf/Hypebeast
HB: Can you share the work that inspired you the most?
Zhao Chenxi: I recently read a book called “Invisible Writing” recommended by a friend about the study of Chinese culture in the 1990s. The author of this book emphasized that this kind of research does not use Chinese cultural phenomena to verify Western cultural theories, but relies on Western scholars. We use the theories and experiences of cultural studies to try to provide our own answers to the rich and complex modern Chinese culture. I feel that the author of this book and I are doing similar things in different fields and were inspired by some of the phenomena discussed in the book.
Lonleaf/Hypebeast
HB: If you weren’t a fashion designer, what would you be doing?
Zhao Chenxi: I might want to do pure art, or practice physical, mental and spiritual practice.
HB: Can you share your future plans for the brand?
Zhao Chenxi: We did Showroom exhibitions in Italy and France in 2019, and received good feedback at that time, but we did not continue due to the impact of the epidemic. The brand will still want to find suitable opportunities to develop overseas.
2024-01-16 10:36:22
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