Global EditionASIA 中文雙語Fran?ais
    World
    Home / World / Italy

    Perfectionist shoemaker, 75, finds spice of life in Chengdu

    By Wang Xiaoyu | China Daily | Updated: 2019-03-23 09:06
    Share
    Share - WeChat

    Italian shoemaker Gianluigi Colombo, 75, who oversees quality control for a growing Chinese footwear brand in Sichuan province, has two distinct faces.

    At a shoe factory in the provincial capital, Chengdu, Colombo will not hesitate to tear apart a pair of handmade high-heels that miss his standard by even a stitch. His extreme attention to detail sometimes scares his young Chinese apprentices.

    But when he strolls down alleys lined with snack stalls and teahouses - an essential part of the city's leisure lifestyle - his inviting smile and bright, colorful outfits never fail to liven up the atmosphere around him.

    The combination of a solemn demeanor at work and the carefree and lively street culture has been a theme running through his near decade in China.

    Colombo's career in the country began in 2010, when the female founder of a footwear startup based in Chengdu was seeking a world-class designer and met Colombo at an industry expo overseas. The woman asked him to help launch a custom clothing service and improve the skills of workers at the enterprise.

    Born into a family with a long history of shoemaking in Italy, Colombo had won design awards at a young age and worked with heavyweight fashion brands in Europe, including Chanel and Bally. Leaving his comfort zone and venturing to a foreign land was both a challenge and an adventure.

    "She told me she came from Sichuan province, home to many giant pandas, and that piqued my interest," he said.

    Colombo added that the founder's bold vision of marrying the Western concept of haute couture with the native handicraft of Shu embroidery - which features exquisite designs on silk - made the offer even more appealing.

    "Shu embroidery struck me as stunningly beautiful, and I had never seen anyone incorporate the craft in shoemaking," he said. "I saw an opportunity for innovation, simply combining the Chinese embroidery with elements such as crystals on shoes."

    Colombo pledged zero tolerance for even the slightest defects during manufacturing, to the point that he would use scissors to cut faulty finished products and toss them away.

    His perfectionist work ethic has gradually won the recognition and respect of his Chinese colleagues.

    "It delights me to see that they are able to improve and avoid making the same mistakes as we work together," he said.

    "Many people are biased against products made in China, but in my eyes, shoemakers in China are skillful and quite efficient."

    He said he hoped he could help break the stereotype that Chinese shoemakers can supply only low-priced, generic products for overseas companies, and then carve a new path in the global footwear market with products that exude authentic Chinese sensibility.

    To achieve that goal, Colombo has been taking inspiration from daily life in Chengdu. One highlight is a collection of shoe art featuring panda-pattern prints.

    "I wanted to design a new line of shoes that are as adorable as panda cubs, and when you put them on, it would feel as comfortable as cuddling with the furry animal," he said.

    In his leisure time, Colombo enjoys sipping cups of tea, playing mahjong, and watching traditional Sichuan Opera, with its rapid mask-changing.

    He said the leisurely pace of life and tight-knit communities in Chengdu remind him of Italy, though he finds the city's residents even more passionate and energetic than his compatriots.

    Like many of the local residents of Sichuan, Colombo has developed a strong taste for spicy food.

     

    Most Viewed in 24 Hours
    Top
    BACK TO THE TOP
    English
    Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site.
    License for publishing multimedia online 0108263

    Registration Number: 130349
    FOLLOW US
    精品无码人妻一区二区三区品| 中文字幕高清在线| 麻豆国产精品无码视频| 亚洲AV无码AV男人的天堂不卡| 亚洲国产综合无码一区 | 国产精品无码无片在线观看| 精品亚洲欧美中文字幕在线看| 亚洲?V无码成人精品区日韩| 无码乱人伦一区二区亚洲一| 在线看片福利无码网址| 亚洲一区中文字幕久久| 中文日韩亚洲欧美字幕| 韩国免费a级作爱片无码| 亚洲Av综合色区无码专区桃色| 日本久久中文字幕| 色综合中文字幕| 中文字幕无码乱人伦| 亚洲?v无码国产在丝袜线观看| 国产精品无码无片在线观看| 日韩精品无码一区二区三区不卡| 亚洲人成无码网站| 国产成人精品无码一区二区三区| 久久精品一区二区三区中文字幕| 中文字幕热久久久久久久| 人妻无码中文字幕免费视频蜜桃| YW尤物AV无码国产在线观看| 狠狠躁天天躁无码中文字幕| 老司机亚洲精品影院无码| 日韩精品无码中文字幕一区二区| 日韩亚洲AV无码一区二区不卡 | 日韩AV无码一区二区三区不卡毛片| 国产资源网中文最新版| 精品人妻无码专区中文字幕| 亚洲欧洲中文日韩久久AV乱码 | 日韩爆乳一区二区无码| 午夜不卡无码中文字幕影院| 午夜福利av无码一区二区| 久久久无码精品亚洲日韩蜜臀浪潮 | 人妻少妇乱子伦无码视频专区 | 久久国产精品无码网站| 国产麻豆天美果冻无码视频|