A British design instructor explores remote communities of the Miao ethnic group to find inspiration. Liu Xiangrui reports.

When British fashion instructor Natalie Gibson paid a four-day visit to Beijing to judge a fashion show years ago, she had little inkling that a side trip to a local market would lead to greater journeys.

That's because she encountered for the first time the traditional attire of the Miao ethnic group. She was fascinated by the clothing's aesthetics and carried several garments back with her to London.

"From then on, I was interested in the Miao people," the 78-year-old says.

Her Chinese students sent her more information about the ethnic group.

But she never imagined she'd have the chance to travel deep into Southwest China's remote mountains to Miao enclaves.

So, she and her husband, Jon Wealleans, a painter, were surprised when they were recently invited to join a research trip hosted by the IAIA, a Beijing-based service agency and training organization for overseas art study.

"Our students really want to see more teachers from famous institutes and engage them directly," says Chen Yuhan, a teacher with the agency.

"And, some international designers are also eager to learn more about China and its culture."

Gibson has since 1980 been the course leader and head of fashion print at Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design, a leading educational institute for art and design under the University of Arts London.

She's celebrated for her style and has nurtured such icons as Stella McCartney, Sarah Burton, John Galliano and Alexander McQueen.

She was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire for her contributions to fashion and textile design in 2014.

So the Chinese association was delighted Gibson could engage with students, and she was delighted for the chance to visit Miao communities.

"I didn't expect to learn so much about the Miao people," she says.

"I didn't know they are so scattered."

The British artists and Chinese students spent a week traveling throughout Guizhou province to visit museums, markets and villages. They learned about such crafts as embroidery, silver-smithing and batik.

The Miao traditionally wear intricately ornamented silver jewelry, especially on important occasions. The ethnic group's embroidery is on China's intangible cultural heritage list.

The researchers engaged silversmiths in a village known for producing some of the best jewelry to learn about every dimension of the craft from inspiration to production.

Gibson says she was particularly impressed by a private museum dedicated to Miao culture in Guizhou's capital, Guiyang. It exhibits intricate garments, including some dating back more than a century.

She was also struck by the sophisticated products the museum had developed, such as scarves based on Miao patterns.

Gibson says she was also amazed by their culture, such as the Miao creation story. All living things, including humans, hatched from the eggs of the Butterfly Mother and, consequently, should be treated equally.

"Stories are an important source of inspiration for creative work and teaching," she says.

Gibson often travels internationally in search of ideas.

She hosts an annual printing workshop in India, where she has studied traditional-printing techniques from a local tribe.

"Traveling really inspires me," she says.

Gibson hopes to not only incorporate Miao elements in her design but also plans to show the items she has collected in Guizhou to her students.

She supports the mission of her trip, which is to expose not only experts but also young students to traditional elements that may be infused in contemporary designs. Such firsthand experiences enable students to understand how they exist in daily life, she says.

Speaking of his experience, Gibson's husband, Wealleans, says: "There is a fantastic visual culture they can draw from here."

It was his first time in China.

The husband and wife agree the country can provide fashion inspiration as the world becomes more homogeneous.

And Gibson adds: "There are many different ethnic groups in China, so there are a lot to choose from.

"It's wonderful that they are still there."

Li Jiaxu contributed to the story

Contact the writer at liuxiangrui@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 09/23/2016 page20)