Two San Francisco fashion designers—Colleen Quen and Jude Gabbard— seek new inspiration by visiting China for the first time. They skip cosmopolitan Shanghai, and head straight to one of China’s most remote and poorest areas, Guizhou Province. While economically poor, this region is rich in diversity, culture—and, of course—fashion.

Guizhou is home to many of the country’s 55 ethnic minority groups, each with a distinct traditional style of dress. While signs of modernization are clearly visible in Guizhou's ancient communities, entering them is still like stepping back in time. The costumes they wear today are the same as their ancestors wore centuries ago.

Colleen and Jude traipse through rice terraces and steep hillsides to visit the ancient villages of the Miao (Hmong) and Buyi people. They learn traditions that have been passed down for generations, and the villagers help them decode some reoccurring motifs on their clothing. Colleen and Jude take a hands-on approach to learning about wax-dye batiks, embroidery, silver jewelry, unusual hairstyles and adornments— and they explore the layers of meaning behind these unique costumes and accessories.

Now—back in the U.S.—Colleen and Jude are processing their China trip and incorporating this experience into their designs. So, just what will this fashion fusion look like? Will their design approach transform? We’ll find out in early 2008, when Colleen and Jude debut their new China-inspired collections.
 

 “As a Chinese-American, I have never been exposed to my own roots… I am a 4^th generation…it’s been lost and untouched. This has always been a dream for me to explore the Chinese culture and to appreciate the Art and Design of the many provinces of China. To drink up the beauty and tradition. I have so much to learn and to be inspired by through their work. I definitely would like to incorporate their beauty and spirit into my expressions of design in my clothing and for my next collection.” 
                           ~Colleen Quen-Lee
 

“Having lived in Russia during the transition to capitalism, I am fascinated by the current transition that China is making. Urbanization, modernization and an enormous cultural history are conspiring to make this a very exciting time to be in China. "

                       ~Jude Gabbard y Munoz