Wanzi Pavilion was originally just a tailoring room at No. 82, specifically serving elders and life secretaries. The tailors inside are the first batch of naturalized workers to accept modern tailoring techniques.
Not only are modern high-end fashions and various improved Hanfu made here, but there are also some of the first companies in this time and space to make modern styles of women's underwear and stockings.
"...Hong Yuanlao and several veterans of the textile system tried a variety of natural elastic fibers without nylon, Lycra and other artificial elastic fibers. They also cooperated with the machinery department to develop a knitting machine and produced the first batch of stockings. The product was a great success once it came out, filling the domestic gap in this field. Not only did it meet the needs of the domestic market, it was also exported to European countries in large quantities..." (Textile Industry Chronicle 1700 Edition)
As the business continued to expand and market demand increased, this small tailoring room was separated from No. 82 and became an independent clothing company. Although it is still a high-end line, its service scope has been greatly expanded. Naturalized people and indigenous people can enjoy "senior-like enjoyment" as long as they can afford it. The person in charge heard that a retired life secretary of Elder Hong had served in No. 82 for many years. He was very skilled in craftsmanship and had a wide network of contacts among the elders and local big families.
Now it occupies a separate three-story brick and wood structure building in Dongmen City. There are fitting rooms, garment making rooms, warehouses and design rooms inside. It is the fashion center of Lingao and even the entire Hainan Island. The overall style of Wanzi Pavilion is an "eclectic" "Ming'ao hybrid" style. In terms of style, it is quite friendly to big investors. It can be said that it satisfies their desire to "try something new" without being too "avant-garde". Ladies and wives from wealthy local families often come to order. Although some styles are too "bold" for them to wear, they still have to order a few here to wear in the boudoir, otherwise they will lose face.
For the majority of naturalized women, Wanzi Pavilion also satisfies their desire to wear "beautiful clothes". Once the desire to consume is aroused, it becomes irresistible. Many female employees will save a few months or even half a year to buy a piece of Wanzige brand clothing.
The facade of Wanzi Pavilion is very small and inconspicuous on the bustling streets of Dongmen City. Because He Xiaoyue was an employee, she did not go in through the front door, but walked through the employee passage in the alley next to it.
As soon as she entered the door, she took out her name tag and waved it towards the gatekeeper. The gatekeepers here, like those in most places in Lingao, are disabled people who have been in military operations or have lost the ability to work due to work-related injuries. The gatekeeper of Wanzi Pavilion is about thirty years old and has lost an arm.
He was wearing an indigo staff uniform, with a purple ribbon with two white edges on the chest button - this indicated that he was a disabled worker who had received a "work-related injury ribbon." This type of ribbon is awarded to industrial workers who have reached the level of "moderately disabled" due to injuries on the front line of production.
He smiled and nodded without looking at He Xiaoyue's badge - she had been working here for two months. The janitor had known her for a long time.
"Miss He, you came so early! It's only half past six."
"Come early and the bus will be less crowded. If you come later, there will be too many people." He Xiaoyue said, taking out her work card from the wall, punching in the card on the time card machine, and quickly walked up the stairs.
The first floor is the sales department, which is not where she works. But she still goes around every day to find out which styles sell well and which products attract more attention. Although He Xiaoyue doesn't understand what "market demand" is, she knows that most popular products have some kind of commonality. No one taught her, but she would summarize it silently.
The second floor is the production workshop, which is equivalent to a small garment factory. He Xiaoyue originally worked here.
When she was assigned, she served as a "craftsman" in the factory, which was a technical job. The specific work is to break down the designer's drawings into pieces that tailors can operate and formulate the cutting process. At the same time supervise the production of clothing and check the quality.
He Xiaoyue has very solid skills in traditional female dressmaking, and she systematically learned cutting and drawing in the training class, so she is very comfortable at this job. However, she is not content to be just a "craftsman". Although this position has made her one of the "cadres", what He Xiaoyue yearns for more is the "design room" on the third floor.
Designers are the "gold-collar" employees in the entire Wanzi Pavilion enterprise. Not only are they small in number, but they are well paid. The key is to be superior in social status. Several naturalized designers in the design studio obviously have more confidence when facing the elders, and their relationship is more "equal".
Today is the critical moment for whether she can "take it to the next level".
Guo Xier had already expressed her feelings to her, saying that the elders were very satisfied with her design and that this review was more of a formality. Her promotion to designer is "a sure thing." But she was still somewhat uneasy.
Before the workers from the factory arrived, she went to the office first and tidied up her work station. The hot water bottles in the office were filled and the floor was cleaned cleanly - all done by the janitor. Even though he only has one hand, he does things carefully. What's his name? He Xiaoyue thought for a long time before remembering that his name was Wu Xinsheng. Judging from his name, he was probably a refugee from the mainland.
She looked at the clock on the wall. It was just after half past six. Guo Xi'er won't come until seven o'clock. She tidied her office, made herself a cup of tea, and looked through the "Compilation of Australian Women's Clothing Information" borrowed from the reference room.
Seeing that the time had passed and it was almost seven o'clock, He Xiaoyue picked up her bag and climbed up to the third floor in three steps at a time.
When he stepped into the designer's office, he saw Guo Xi'er and hurriedly greeted: "Designer Guo!"
Guo Xi'er saw her and smiled brightly: "You came so early! How many times have you told me, just call me Xi'er, don't be so formal!" He asked again, "Have you brought anything?"
He Xiaoyue hurriedly greeted her and opened the bag in her hand, but Guo Xier did not accept it and pulled her into the fitting room. The curtains in the fitting room were tightly drawn, and the large frosted skylight on the roof let in the sunlight, which was extremely bright.
Guo Xier looked at He Xiaoyue mysteriously and smiled again: "Actually, I forgot to tell you last time. The main focus of this second review is not the drawings, but the actual effects, so..."
"What?"
Guo Xier hugged He Xiaoyue and went to unbutton her chest: "So, sister Xiaoyue, you are our model today. You have to perform well. You must know that there are two veterans at the second trial today! This But it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!”
"Yeah! Designer Guo, I can do it myself, don't..."
"Why are you shy? It's just a girl - and what did you call me?"
"Well, Sister Xi'er, there's no need to take off your underwear..."
"No, the underwear you're wearing doesn't have whalebone, and the lines aren't good enough."
As she spoke, Guo Xier quickly took off He Xiaoyue's clothes, looked at her body up and down, and sighed with satisfaction and jealousy: "Sister Xiaoyue has a really good figure."
From a woman's point of view, He Xiaoyue's figure is very beautiful: fair skin, smooth and plump lines, long and beautiful legs, she is just like a standard clothes rack.
He Xiaoyue's face turned red with embarrassment, and she covered her chest with her hands: "Okay, Sister Xi'er, stop making trouble...give me your clothes quickly."
Then Guo Xier walked to a cabinet with a smile and took out a set of clothes: "This is your 'Weiyu Pingsheng' sample clothes, put it on quickly."
"Miuyu Pingsheng" is the first dress designed by He Xiaoyue. It draws on the design of the chest-length skirt in the Tang Dynasty. The skirt has four overlapping layers of gauze, with green outside and white inside. It is specially cut into an irregular petal shape and the waist is A silk peony flower hangs with two gauze ribbons, and the breeze blows, making it look particularly elegant and refreshing.
What is particularly worth mentioning is that He Xiaoyue boldly adopted short sleeves and shortened the skirt to just above her knees. Even Guo Xier, who had received a new education, was so shocked that she couldn't close her mouth from ear to ear. Is this too short? Fangcaodi’s skirts are not that short!
"Sister Xiaoyue, you can't draw like this! The pass rate of the design submitted by this naturalized citizen is less than 30%, but you are like this..."
"But it looks good like this." He Xiaoyue insisted, "Look in those Australian magazines, female models either wear long skirts or short skirts. Very few of them put their skirts below the knees like you said. And the plaid Aren’t all the girls in the Skirt Club dressed like this?”
After some dissuasion, He Xiaoyue finally agreed to add the long design, but Guo Xier strongly recommended the medium design but refused to add it. Unexpectedly, after the drawings were handed over, several senior members of the review team praised them and specifically asked to meet He Xiaoyue to hear about it. Design ideas. If you are talented in this area, you will be promoted to work in the design office in the future. Guo Xier was pleasantly surprised and a little bit sour, and specifically asked the tailor to make the second trial sample, especially the short style, and choose the best and most sheer gauze. Don’t be reluctant to use materials - good you, He Xiaoyue, If you dare to design such a short skirt, wear it yourself first!
In the next room, Liu Shuixin was looking through He Xiaoyue's design draft carefully. After a long time, she nodded again: "Talent, her talent is really extraordinary."
Lagao's clothing design has been of low standard for a long time. It either simplifies and copies modern styles, or simply mixes Ming Dynasty and modern times. Weird combinations such as long shirts and work clothes tops, or short jackets and trousers can be seen everywhere on the streets. . Not to mention female senators, many male senators find it annoying, but clothing cannot be forced. The Senate can only let nature take its course and provide guidance.
To be honest, it is difficult to say how brilliant He Xiaoyue's design is from the perspective of old time and space. However, her ability to design clothes with such modern aesthetic taste can really only be explained by her talent.
Although this kind of clothing may not appeal to the eyes of naturalized people and indigenous people, having modern ideas and consciousness is the most important characteristic of naturalized people by the Senate. Once discovered, it is like a treasure.
