English Version
For the third round of my intervention, I invited two designers to take part in a workshop around the theme: “If Chengdu food became fashion, what would it look like?”
To start, I introduced them to the outcomes from the second intervention, where three cultural elements were selected as most representative of Chengdu: Sichuan pickles, roasted duck skewers, and teahouses. The designers decided to focus on Sichuan pickles and teahouses as their creative entry points.
When they learned about Sichuan pickles—its flavors, the way it’s made, and even the difference between traditional and non-traditional pickle jars—they were instantly intrigued. They felt the symbol was full of design potential. On one hand, the fact that you can pickle many different vegetables suggested endless variety to work with; on the other hand, the way vegetables are stacked inside the jar creates a natural sense of layering and rhythm. Both could easily inspire layered silhouettes or multi-dimensional patterns in fashion.
Next, when we turned to teahouses, they zoomed in on the unique shapes of tea sets, especially the spout of a teapot. Their ideas came out quickly and vividly: the lid of a teacup could inspire a hat; the cup itself could turn into a vessel for fragrance; a teapot might even become a piece of jewelry or a playful accessory; and the whole form of the teapot could stand alone as a fashion icon. What I realized in this moment was just how naturally designers can take a cultural object—even one that feels unfamiliar—and swiftly translate it into visual and design language. This “fast translation ability” showed me how flexible and creative the design mindset can be.
But I also raised a challenge: both teacups and pickle jars exist across China. They are not unique to Chengdu. If we treat them as straightforward cultural symbols, their representativeness might be questioned by both locals and outsiders. So I asked—what is it really about Chengdu’s teahouses and pickles that make them uniquely “Chengdu”?
This question led us to a deeper reflection. We realized that it’s not just the object, but the atmosphere behind it. In a country where many cities are defined by overtime and high KPI culture, Chengdu stands out because its people actively choose a slower, easier, more enjoyable way of life. Teahouse culture, in essence, is about a “life without anxiety.”
From this came new design directions. If we wanted to translate that “ease” into fashion, it might mean:
- Soft, skin-friendly fabrics that make the body feel at ease.
- Loose but refined silhouettes that allow free movement without losing elegance.
- Designs that avoid over-structuring, so wearers can feel relaxed and unrestricted.
It was at this point that I realized Chengdu culture could be translated not just into shapes and motifs, but also into a design philosophy that runs through both the inside and outside of a garment.
I then asked the designers if they would actually use such a philosophy in their future work. They explained that most of the time, their designs respond to market demands or brand strategies. To that, I offered a comparison: sustainable design also started as a market strategy, but over time it has evolved into an industry-wide principle that designers must follow. That’s when we began to ask—could this Chengdu-inspired philosophy of “anxiety-free design” grow into a theory of its own, like sustainability did?
The designers agreed that if it could, it might have the power to shape the fashion industry at a systemic level. In their words, “anything can become a source of creativity, but what really changes design is when a concept becomes a guiding theory.”
So this intervention wasn’t just about watching designers translate cultural symbols into visuals. It also revealed how the lifestyle and atmosphere of a city can transform into a design philosophy. The birth of the concept “anxiety-free design” opened a new direction for my project: moving beyond surface-level cultural translation toward building a design methodology grounded in Chengdu’s unique way of life.
Chinese Version
在第三轮的干预活动中，我邀请了两位设计师参与主题“如果成都美食成为一种时尚，它会是什么样子？”。在开始之前，我向他们介绍了第二轮干预筛选出的三个核心文化符号：四川泡菜、冒烤鸭、茶馆。他们最终选择了四川泡菜和茶馆作为探索的出发点。
首先，当他们了解四川泡菜的特点时，对其独特性产生了强烈兴趣。我向他们展示了泡菜的口味、制作方式，以及传统与非传统泡菜坛子的差异。他们认为这种文化符号极具潜力：一方面，四川泡菜可以腌制多种蔬菜，这意味着它本身就包含大量可供设计转译的元素；另一方面，泡菜坛子中蔬菜的层叠顺序与整体呈现的层次感，可以直接启发出层叠式廓形或多层次的图案语言。
其次，在讨论茶馆时，他们关注到茶具的造型，尤其是茶壶嘴把的独特性。他们提出了多个快速的设计联想：茶碗盖可以被转译为帽子；茶碗整体可以成为香薰器皿的设计灵感；茶壶可以衍生为帽子；甚至茶壶本身的造型完全可以作为一个时尚 icon。这些思路让我清楚地认识到，服装设计师在面对陌生的文化元素时，能够凭借设计思维迅速将其转化为视觉符号并融入设计语境。这种“快速转译能力”展现了设计师对文化符号的高度包容性和创造性。
然而，在交流中我主动提出一个质疑：茶碗与泡菜坛子在中国许多地方都能见到，它们并非成都独有。如果仅仅把这些物品作为成都本土文化的代表，既本地人也可能产生怀疑，外地人更会质疑其代表性。因此，我们需要深入思考成都茶馆和泡菜背后真正能代表这座城市的是什么。经过讨论，我提出：成都的茶馆不仅仅是一种物质空间，更象征着一种“氛围”。在全国其他城市强调加班和高强度 KPI 的背景下，成都的市民选择了一种轻松、安逸、享受生活的方式。茶馆文化的本质是“无焦虑”的生活态度。
这一讨论推动了新的设计思考。我们进一步探讨，如果这种“惬意氛围”转译为时尚语言，它可能意味着：
- 使用更亲肤的面料，带来身体舒适感；
- 宽松但精致的剪裁，既保证自由活动，又保留时尚感；
- 整体设计避免过度约束，让穿着者保持一种不受干扰的松弛状态。
这让我意识到，成都的文化不仅可以在廓形和符号层面被转译，还可以作为一种设计理念 渗透进作品中，从内到外展现城市文化。
在进一步的提问环节，我询问设计师们在未来日常的设计工作中会使用这个设计理念吗？她们回应说，通常会根据市场需求和品牌策略来开发系列。而我提出了一个补充性的反思：以可持续设计为例，最初它也只是一个市场策略，但如今已经演变为行业普遍遵循的设计准则。这说明设计理念有可能超越具体市场定位，成为指导设计实践的基础性原则。
在这样的思考下，我们共同提出了一个新的概念：“无焦虑设计”。设计师认为，如果这一概念能够像“可持续设计”一样被发展成一套完整的设计理论，它就可能对时尚行业产生系统性影响，直接改变设计师的思考路径。因为在他们看来，“任何事物都可以成为创意”，但真正能改变行业的，是理论层面的转向与方法论的确立。
因此，这一干预不仅帮助我观察到设计师如何将文化符号快速转译为视觉元素，也让我认识到文化背后的氛围和生活方式能够转化为设计哲学。“无焦虑设计”的提出，为我的研究开启了新的维度：从单纯的文化符号转译，迈向文化态度与设计方法论的建构。
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