8月3日，正值中意建交55周年之际，中国国家通讯社新华社以英文、意大利文两种语言，对大杨集团意大利小线进行专题报道。
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Italian fashion designer finds stitch between two cultures in NE China
SHENYANG , Aug . 3(Xinhua) -- A year ago, Gerrica Giachè , an Italian fashion designer, left Naples, a Mediterranean style capital celebrated the world over, for Dalian, northeast China's port city. Her motivation was clear: to help Italian suits travel farther and fit better through smarter, truly customized production techniques.
In September 2024, the 52-year-old suit craft designer, along with two fellow Italians, joined Dayang Group, a clothing powerhouse in Yangshufang Town, Dalian City. Just an hour away from downtown Dalian by bullet train, the town instantly won her over with its local customs, the warmth of its residents, and its irresistible quiet charm.
"The people here are very friendly, and the working and living environments are very comfortable," she said.
Though the town barely registers on a map, its Dayang Group ranks among China's largest suit exporters, shipping 2.3 million made-to-measure garments last year alone.
"Soft, light fabrics and razor-sharp cuts have made Italian style the global benchmark," Hu Dongmei, Dayang's general manager, explained. "So we launched 'Italian Little Thread,' a micro-line of entirely hand-stitched bespoke suits, and invited three Italian designers to be our dream squad."
Each month the trio flies in for a week of side-by-side coaching. Giachè circles the floor, guiding some 40 local artisans in new techniques and finer finishes.
"Our team comes from Italy to work in this Chinese town for a week every month. Although the production line is not large in scale, with the joint efforts of everyone, it churns out beautiful, exquisite and unique suits," said Giachè.
The Italian designer team also offers daily masterclasses for the workers. "One simple stitch can carry a whole philosophy of the designers," a worker of the production line said. "Perfection is our only ruler."
Dayang began hiring Italian cutters two decades ago. Their know-how reshaped the company's craft, lines and brand culture. Today, that shared heritage underpins the new micro-line, according to Hu.
After shifts, Giachè says "see you tomorrow" in flawless Mandarin to her Chinese colleagues. "Chinese people, just like our Italians, are very warm-hearted and kind," she said.
Giachè has developed a special fondness for Chinese culture after living in this charming coastal town. "I often share the local customs and traditions here with my Italian friends."
Recently, Giachè dipped into traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). "I took my pulse and did moxibustion. It was very magical, and I felt extremely comfortable all over," she said, adding that she has also learned that TCM emphasizes therapeutic effects. It can not only treat symptoms but also regulate the whole body.
This year marks the 55th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Italy. "Our partnership with the Italian designers is seamless, and we can feel the two cultures echoing each other," Hu said.
China has "Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai," a widely known legendary Chinese tragic romance that is also known as the Chinese version of "Romeo and Juliet," a timeless Shakespearean drama whose story is set in Italy, Hu added. "Perhaps that's the shared code between the two cultures."
In Giachè's eyes, China and Italy are two ancient civilizations whose millennia-old cultures intertwine every time a needle draws thread. Fashion is merely one thread in a much richer cultural fabric.
"China is one of the most important countries in the world today and a leading player on the world cultural stage. My working experience in China has revealed to me a country that is at once profoundly ancient and vibrantly modern," she said.
意大利时装设计师
在中国东北架起文化间的“连线”
一年前，意大利时装设计师杰里卡・贾凯离开举世闻名的地中海风格之都那不勒斯，来到中国东北的港口城市大连。她的目的很明确：通过更智能、真正定制化的生产技术，让意大利西装走得更远、更合身。
2024年9月，这位52岁的西装工艺设计师与另外两名意大利同胞一同加入了大连杨树房街道的大杨集团——这家服装巨头距大连市中心仅需一小时高铁车程。这个小镇凭借其风土人情、居民的热情以及令人难以抗拒的宁静魅力，瞬间赢得了她的青睐。
“这里的人非常友好，工作和生活环境都很舒适。”她说。
尽管这个小镇在地图上几乎不起眼，但大杨集团却是中国最大的西装出口商之一，仅去年就出口了230万套定制服装。
“柔软轻盈的面料和利落的剪裁使意大利风格成为全球标杆，”大杨集团总经理胡冬梅解释道，“因此我们推出了‘意大利小线’——一条全手工缝制的定制西装小生产线，并邀请了三位意大利设计师组成我们的梦之队。”
这三位设计师每月会飞来中国，进行一周的并肩指导。贾凯在车间里来回巡视，指导约40名当地工匠掌握新技术和更精细的缝制工艺。
“我们团队每月从意大利来这个中国小镇工作一周。虽然生产线规模不大，但在大家的共同努力下，这里能产出精美、精致且独一无二的西装。”贾凯说。
意大利设计师团队还每天为工人们开设大师班。“一个简单的针脚都承载着设计师的整套理念，”生产线上的一名工人说，“完美是我们唯一的标尺。”
大杨集团二十年前就开始聘请意大利剪裁师。他们的专业知识重塑了公司的工艺、产品线和品牌文化。胡冬梅表示，如今，这种共享的传承为这条新的小生产线奠定了基础。
下班后，贾凯会用流利的普通话对中国同事说“明天见”。“中国人和我们意大利人一样，都非常热心善良。”她说。
在这个迷人的海滨小镇生活后，贾凯对中国文化产生了特别的喜爱。“我经常和意大利的朋友们分享这里的风土人情和传统习俗。”
最近，贾凯还体验了中医药。“我号了脉，做了艾灸。感觉很神奇，全身都特别舒服。”她补充说，自己也了解到中医注重疗效，不仅能治疗症状，还能调理全身。
今年是中意建交55周年。“我们与意大利设计师的合作天衣无缝，能感受到两种文化的共鸣。”胡冬梅说。
她还提到，中国有家喻户晓的传奇悲剧爱情故事《梁山伯与祝英台》，被称为“中国的罗密欧与朱丽叶”——而莎士比亚这部不朽戏剧的故事背景正是意大利。“或许这就是两种文化共通的密码。”
在贾凯眼中，中国和意大利是两个古老的文明，每当针线穿梭时，这两种拥有数千年历史的文化便交织在一起。时尚只是这片更丰富文化织物中的一根线。
“中国是当今世界最重要的国家之一，也是世界文化舞台上的重要角色。我在中国的工作经历向我展现了一个既底蕴深厚又充满现代活力的国家。”她说。
来源：新华社
