深圳溯源
60年代 - 兰襟遗韵:六十年代台湾织金烧花丝绒旗袍考释 | 1960s - The Lingering Charm of Orchid Grace: A Critical Analysis of a 1960s Taiwanese Woven-Gold Devoré Velvet Cheongsam
60年代 - 兰襟遗韵:六十年代台湾织金烧花丝绒旗袍考释 | 1960s - The Lingering Charm of Orchid Grace: A Critical Analysis of a 1960s Taiwanese Woven-Gold Devoré Velvet Cheongsam
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兰襟遗韵:六十年代台湾织金烧花丝绒旗袍考释
立领斜裁,九分袖垂坠如兰芽;修身线条勾勒东方骨相,
面料之珍,尤见于“烧花”与“织金”的双重复调。
蝴蝶兰纹的选择,暗藏时代密码。
今观此袍,烧花丝绒的镂空肌理如月下剪影,
The Lingering Charm of Orchid Grace: A Critical Analysis of a 1960s Taiwanese Woven-Gold Devoré Velvet Cheongsam
With a standing collar, bias-cut silhouette, and three-quarter sleeves that drape like tender orchid sprouts, this antique cheongsam outlines the graceful "Oriental frame." Crafted from devoré velvet (burnout velvet) interlaced with woven-gold lurex, it fuses the haunting elegance of the Phalaenopsis (butterfly orchid) with the opulence of metallic weaving—a unique masterpiece of modern Taiwanese sartorial art.
The rarity of the fabric lies in the "polyphonic" combination of devoré and woven-gold techniques. The devoré velvet utilizes an acid-etching process to create a translucent, lace-like texture—a technique originating in Europe. Even more remarkable is the integration of gold lurex within the warp and weft to embroider the Phalaenopsis motifs upon the deep navy velvet. The gold threads, fine as hair, trace the petals’ contours, while the lurex shimmers like stardust, appearing as morning dew upon the orchid’s heart. Each five-petaled bloom is intricately detailed, with spirals at the core and streamlined gold veins on the leaves, evoking the fluttering wings of a butterfly. This resonates with the noble spirit described in the Chu Ci: "I wove the autumn orchids for my belt," and echoes Li Yu’s sentiment in Occasional Notes on Leisurely Living: "The beauty of a garment lies in its patterns becoming poetry."
The choice of the Phalaenopsis orchid hides a code of the era. 1960s Taiwan was a period of collision between tradition and modernity. As a symbol where "gentlemanly" ideals met imported aesthetics, the orchid inherited the Confucian virtue of being "gentle as jade" from the Book of Songs, while satisfying the international fashion world’s imagination of "Oriental wonders." The radiance of the gold lurex mirrors the "Golden Thread Spring" recorded in Zhou Mi's Old Events in Wulin from the Song Dynasty, reviving classical luxury through modern craftsmanship.
Gazing upon this gown today, the translucent texture of the devoré velvet resembles a moonlight silhouette, while the gold lurex transforms into a shimmering galaxy under shifting light. It is more than the ultimate aesthetic expression of the cheongsam form; it is a living fossil of Taiwan’s modern craft history. When the golden threads of the Silk Road meet the fragrance of the Eastern orchid, this garment, which has slumbered for half a century, speaks with silent magnificence of the eternal poetic spirit of the "Land of Refined Dress."
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