Unlike traditional fine art courses where kids learn drawing and painting, a practical art course given by Longhua District No. 3 Experimental School teaches students to design and make their own dresses.

After several initial sessions learning about the structure and unique traits of traditional Hakka blouses, students in pairs spent an hour drawing, cutting and making their prototype dresses on mannequins during a fashion design class.

The fabric they used had been printed with Kirin (a unicorn from Chinese folklore) patterns painted by the students themselves. An auspicious totem often appearing in the Hakka culture, the distinctive Kirin patterns manifested vivid forms and bright colors. Wu Zhichun, tutor of the course, had contracted a factory to prepare the fabrics.

The traditional Hakka blouse features a mandarin collar, slanting lapel, traditional knotted buttons and wide sleeves. With its unique appeal of Oriental elegance, the outfit also stresses a comfortable wear.

In each group, two students posed as a client and a fashion designer, and discussed every detail of their creations, from the matching of various shades to the length of side slits in the skirt. After some trial and error, the young designers finally turned a piece of fabric into a Kirin pattern themed dress they wrapped around a mannequin. Then, they displayed their work and received comments from fellow students and the tutor.

The idea to start a fashion designing course blossomed in 2019, as the fine arts teachers at the school brainstormed to merge the local cultural traditions into their teaching. The school is located in the heartland of Longhua, a district with a large Hakka population. It’s also adjacent to Dalang Fashion Town, an industry base renowned for its apparel manufacturing.

Starting with painting patterns and making collages, the teachers guided students step by step to approach the basics of fashion design.

Tang Chendi, one of the initiators of the design course, said the effort aims to bring out students’ creativity and nurture in them a love for the Hakka culture. The teachers compiled two student manuals for the course, teaching about the history of the Hakka people and their garments.

The school also organized field trips to nearby museums and galleries, where students observed Hakka clothes from the past and sat through lectures by established designers on how to find inspiration for new creations.

In May, an album of original design manuscripts by the students was added to the collection in the Eachway Art Museum; in October, the fashion designing course won first prize in a citywide creative art course competition.

Starting this month, all students in Longhua can access the course online, benefiting from a course-sharing platform. (Li Dan)