Atelier ANGEL CHANG

Inspiration, travel, design, womenswear, craftsmanship

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    • Angel Chang
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  • photo 10 thumb

    Ancient craftsmanship + modern spirit

    by angelchang

    Arriving into Paris fresh off the plane from China and desperately needing something to wear, I whipped up this hand-pleated black dress just in time for an art opening that evening at the Palais de Tokyo.  In this dress, I finally felt able to bridge the Eastern artisanal craft with a modern Parisian spirit. The  black cotton fabric for this airy pleated dress was hand-woven in the homes of the Dong families in...

    March 29, 2015
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    Latest work
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    Ancient tradition

    by angelchang

    The fabric-making tradition of the Miao ethnic minorities can be traced back at least 1000 years. Fabrics were lightweight and easily transportable during these frequent periods of war and migration. The symbolic iconography protected its wearer from harmful spirits while chronicling the story of their people. In this image, an elderly woman weaves fabric for her funeral. It is a tradition for family members of the deceased to wear white fabric...

    March 29, 2015
    comments 0
    Guizhou Villages, Hand weaving
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    Growing cotton

    by angelchang

    In Guizhou province, each ethnic minority family is given one “MU” (670 sq meters) of land to grow their own crops. On this land, these self-sustaining farmers plant just enough crops to last them for the year. Cotton is grown in the warmer valley regions of Guizhou province. The seeds are germinated and planted in April, then harvested by October. In addition to clothing, the local cotton is...

    March 29, 2015
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    Cotton, Guizhou Villages, Village life
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    Hand spinning

    by angelchang

    These days, it is rare to find hand-spun thread. It is a slow process that requires a lot of patience, but it produces beautiful results that cannot be replicated by machines. This is due to the uneven tension of the hand as the fiber is spun from fiber into thread on the wheel. Hand-spun thread will reflect the unique personality ofthe person who creates it. Was that...

    March 29, 2015
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    Hand spinning
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    Hand weaving

    by angelchang

    Before the Industrial Revolution, all fabric in the Western world was woven on hand-looms and did not use any electricity. It was a precious material that could be re-used, re-incorporated into new clothes, or over-dyed to give it a fresh look. In Florence during the Renaissance, velvet fabric took months to produce and the gowns produced from them could fetch the price of a house! In France, the Jacquard loom was...

    March 29, 2015
    comments 0
    Guizhou Villages, Hand weaving
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    Natural dyes

    by angelchang

    Mr. Yang, an 80-yr old dye master of the Miao people, collects plants, flowers, and tree bark from the surrounding mountains to dye my fabrics. The dye bath is all-natural and can even be consumed as an herbal tea! There are no synthetic chemicals used — just a combination of various plants, minerals, rice wine vinegar and soybean juice. The dye techniques are Miao secrets, so it is only...

    March 29, 2015
    comments 0
    Guizhou Villages, Natural dyes
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    Hand embroidery

    by angelchang

    The Miao ethnic minority group is world-renowned for their elaborate hand-embroidered costumes — a female tradition dating back over 1000 years. Young girls will learn the embroidery techniques from their mothers, who themselves learned it from their mothers. Their costumes can take up to two years to complete, are worn for over 20 years, and are then handed down to their children as family...

    March 29, 2015
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    Hand embroidery

How It Began…

by angelchang

While searching for hand-embroidery of the Miao ethnic minority in southwest China five years ago, I discovered a magical place where people lived harmoniously with the natural world around them: elders drank water from fresh mountain springs, children played in clean rivers, and families let their pigs and horses roam as free as they pleased. Trees were revered as spirits, fish were raised in rice patties, and bird migrations informed farmers when to sow their seeds. These cluster of villages felt pure and untouched by modern times, like peering into a window two centuries ago; yet here it was before my eyes, and the year was 2010.   I came to this part of China in search of the Miao people and their stunning textiles. Their magnificent costumes were showcased in museum around the world, and I had flown down to the villages in the hopes of developing these fabrics with them for wider notoriety and broader dissemination, but more importantly, to preserve an ancient art. But like all things of rarity and beauty, reproducing...

March 29, 2015
comments 0
Manifesto, Writing

The fabric-making process

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Guizhou Villages, Hand weaving

Ancient tradition

The fabric-making tradition of the Miao ethnic minorities can be traced back at least 1000 years. Fabrics were lightweight and easily transportable during these frequent periods of war and migration. The...

March 29, 2015
comments 0
IMG_0068_3 thumb l
Hand spinning

Hand spinning

These days, it is rare to find hand-spun thread. It is a slow process that requires a lot of patience, but it produces beautiful results that cannot be replicated...

March 29, 2015
comments 0
IMG_0071 thumb
Guizhou Villages, Hand weaving

Hand weaving

Before the Industrial Revolution, all fabric in the Western world was woven on hand-looms and did not use any electricity. It was a precious material that could be re-used, re-incorporated into new clothes, or...

March 29, 2015
comments 0
IMG_0007 copy thumb
Guizhou Villages, Natural dyes

Natural dyes

Mr. Yang, an 80-yr old dye master of the Miao people, collects plants, flowers, and tree bark from the surrounding mountains to dye my fabrics. The dye bath is all-natural and can even...

March 29, 2015
comments 0
IMG_0022 thumb
Hand embroidery

Hand embroidery

The Miao ethnic minority group is world-renowned for their elaborate hand-embroidered costumes — a female tradition dating back over 1000 years. Young girls will learn the embroidery techniques from...

March 29, 2015
comments 0
IMG_0132 thumb
Hand weaving, Village life

Three generations making fabric

This image captures the different experiences of three generations in one village: The grandmother wears an everyday traditional-style costume that she made herself, complete with a head covering that identifies her...

March 29, 2015
comments 0

"Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished."

Lao Tzu
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"Ninety percent of a product's environmental impact is determined at the design stage."

Yvon Chainard, Patagonia
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Re-connecting With the Land

by angelchang

A spiritual connection with nature has enabled the villagers to live harmoniously with their environment and create cottage industries that are sustainable and non-polluting.   Over its 5,000 years of civilization, Chinese culture has traditionally lived in harmony with nature – giving birth to Taoism, Zen Buddhism, and Traditional Chinese Medicine that all emphasize living in balance and harmony with the natural world around them. The recent eroding of this traditional practice has, undoubtedly, resulted in the extreme pollution and environmental crisis that China experiences today. A new generation is growing up without access to fresh air, eating produce grown in contaminated soils, and living in cities dominated by artificial plastic products. Their long-term health (with rising cancer rates) has suffered as a result. It is time to reverse this trend, educate the people on the environment, and reconnect the Chinese back with the land. Today, 80 rural villages a day are destroyed in China – and with it, the connection with nature and understanding of the land. One can learn how to live in harmony with nature...

May 28, 2015
comments 0
Writing

Village Life

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July 6, 2015

“Left behind” village kids…and me

These are some of China’s “left-behind” kids, whose parents live in coastal cities as migrant workers. They are too...

by angelchang
comments 0
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May 28, 2015

Outdoor hair washing

In Dimen Village, it is a common sight to see Dong villagers wash their long hair in the river...

by angelchang
comments 0
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March 29, 2015

Growing cotton

In Guizhou province, each ethnic minority family is given one “MU” (670 sq meters) of land to grow their...

by angelchang
comments 0
IMG_0132 thumb
March 29, 2015

Three generations making fabric

This image captures the different experiences of three generations in one village: The grandmother wears an everyday traditional-style costume that...

by angelchang
comments 0

Latest postings

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July 6, 2015

Traditional Tibetan costumes

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July 6, 2015

Traditional Tibetan costumes

geraniumpods
July 6, 2015

Geranium pods for golden yellow dye

green persimmon
July 6, 2015

Green Persimmon for black dye

indigo 2
July 6, 2015

Indigo plant for blue dye

Recent Posts

  • Traditional Tibetan costumes
  • Traditional Tibetan costumes
  • Geranium pods for golden yellow dye
  • Green Persimmon for black dye
  • Indigo plant for blue dye

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Where is Guizhou Province?

Guizhou, China

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