A TV documentary starts its China leg of filming next week when Scottish weaver Sam Goates arrives in Nanjing to work with the Nanjing Brocade Research Institute on the production of bespoke brocade material that will then return to Scotland to be made into a fashion garment by celebrated designer Sandra Murray M.B.E.
Within a larger context that aims to help preserve the ancient intangible cultural heritage that is Nanjing brocade, viewers of the documentary will join the programme participants on their voyage of discovery, that starts in the remote villages of the Highlands of Scotland and brings them to Nanjing where they face the challenge of bringing two very different weaving cultures together into one piece of fabric.
Frank Hossack, the documentary’s director who has lived in China for 22 years, said of his inspiration to the project, “I started thinking about connections between Nanjing and my home in the Highlands of Scotland. Remembering that brocade was initially reserved only for royalty, I was reminded that my friend Sandra Murray had previously designed a dress worn by the Queen. What a marvellous link between Nanjing and the Highlands of Scotland, I thought!”
Vice President of the Research Institute, Wu Yin, said “We are excited by the project, not just because it will help people all over the world know about Nanjing brocade, but also in it being a great way to create a new modern material that has cross-cultural appeal, to people of all ages.”
Interested parties are invited to attend the project’s press conference, from 2.30-4pm on 1st November, 2015 at the Nanjing Brocade Research Institute, 240 East Chating Road, Nanjing.
About the Nanjing Brocade Research Institute: Ancient Chinese silk production and traditional brocade weaving techniques are presented by the Nanjing Brocade Research Institute that also traces the history of silk, through the investigation of archaeological textile fragments.
About Sam Goates: With 25 years of textile design and production experience, Sam Goates has extensive knowledge of the wool and weaving industry, today working with prestigious names such as Johnstons of Elgin, by Royal Appointment to HRH The Prince of Wales.
About Sandra Murray: As a designer/couturier/artisan driven by a passion for hand stitching, designer Sandra Murray M.B.E. has, among her many private clients, Queen Elizabeth II, for whom she designed a dress worn by the monarch to the opening of the Scottish parliament in 1999.
About SinoConnexion: As the city’s leading English language media provider, SinoConnexion specialises in video production with a cross-cultural focus, while also operating The Nanjinger magazine in addition to numerous other media platforms that serve Nanjing’s foreign community.
