A Letter From Kingpins CEO Vivian Wang

Earlier this year, I traveled to Weishan, a small town in Yunnan, China, to meet a family keeping a traditional textile craft alive within their community. Four decades ago, their late father founded San Yi Tie Dye, and the family continues his work today.

I was deeply moved by what I saw there. I met the workers and watched them fold, wrap and stitch fabric by hand before dyeing it in natural indigo, and the results are beautiful. You will see them for yourselves at Kingpins Amsterdam later this month. But what stayed with me most was the story of San Yi itself, and how tightly the company is woven into the community of Weishan.

With our focus so often on the future and what comes next, it is worth pausing, periodically, to recognize that behind every yard of fabric is a person — often a family — whose care and craftsmanship made it possible.

That visit became the foundation for “Indigo Story: The Hands That Remember,” a film premiering at Kingpins within our new Made in China installation. The exhibit places San Yi’s work alongside a group of fabric mills, garment factories and chemical companies, each offering a different vantage point on a region whose contributions to our industry are often oversimplified.

Made in China is the third installment in our “Made in…” series, following our spotlights on the craftsmanship of Japanese denim makers and the denim innovation coming out of Spain. For so long, China was seen mainly as the manufacturer for the world. Today, companies there are bringing their own ideas, technologies and solutions forward, which is why this felt like the right moment for this edition.

To bring that shift to life, I asked each exhibitor to show how they see the future of denim in China. They are very different companies, so each offered a different vision. Together, they blend tradition and technology, handwork and next-gen thinking, and they paint a much broader picture of China today.

We love to see what happens when creative people collaborate and experiment together. You will see some of that too, in a fashion presentation on opening night, right before Happy Hour.

I look forward to seeing you in Amsterdam.

Sincerely,
Vivian