DEYI 德逸 IS AN ETHICAL DESIGN STUDIO ROOTED IN ANCESTRAL CHINESE WISDOM PRESERVING INDIGENOUS TRADITIONAL CRAFTSMANSHIP AND TEXTILE HERITAGE THROUGH CONTEMPORARY DESIGN, ART AND HOLISTIC EXPERIENCES.

DEYI 德逸 works with several indigenous artisans from Guizhou province which is among the poorest provinces in China. This region is known to be the cradle of several Chinese ethnic minorities : Miao, Yao, Dong, Gejia… The textile craftsmanship of these people is exceptional (pleated fabric, indigo dyeing, wax-resist printing, embroideries..), but threatened to disappear in the very near future with the advent of fast-fashion & mass-consumption.

Founded by Pauline Ferrières, a French cultural entrepreneur, Adriana Cagigas, a Spanish textile researcher and designer & Zhang Xing, an interior designer, the studio’s main mission is to collaborate with indigenous female artisans to preserve their traditional crafts through slow fashion & contemporary design. After winning a design competition that allowed them to present two ethical fashion collections at Madrid Mercedes Benz Fashion Week in Spain in 2020, the founders have developed their cooperative of textile artisans in Rongjiang County, Qiandongnan Autonomous prefecture, Guizhou. Today, more than thirty Dong women are working with them.

« Our project is built in opposition to the growing phenomenon of cultural appropriation in the design world. On the one hand, we use the traditional garments and techniques of indigenous communities for our contemporary designs, on the other hand, we empower local communities, in particular indigenous women, to become the main actors of their social and economic development. We offer them a living wage and aspire to build a long-term collaboration with them. »