Alvina and Laura Ding: These Sisters Infuse Chinese Cultural Aesthetics in Designer Womenswear

SHUMINGYU is an esteemed designer womenswear brand that finds its roots in the poetic essence of Chinese art.

Alvina Ding (designer) and Laura Ding (marketing), the talented sister team behind the brand, have embarked on a remarkable venture to preserve and interpret the artistic lineages of China through the medium of fashion.

With their deep personal connection to their heritage as second-generation Chinese Americans, their brand serves as a heartfelt expression of their cultural journey and a platform to share the cultural memories passed down through generations.

The name SHUMINGYU holds great significance, as it pays tribute to the profound Chinese saying “落叶归根”, which invokes the powerful imagery of autumn leaves falling towards their roots, returning to the soil that once nurtured it.

Deadline Approaching for AHN Investment Opportunity (Available to Accredited Investors only)

We are excited to announce that AHN Ventures has partnered with Unity Angels to offer accredited investors within the AHN network the opportunity to participate in a convertible note financing for Chubby Cattle International (CCI) secured by Unity Angels. This deal aligns with AHN and Unity Angel's mission to elevate AAPI founders and democratize access to deals.

The deadline for you to reserve allocation / submit your investment interest in the Chubby Cattle International (CCI) opportunity is this Friday, July 14 and we strongly encourage you to secure your allocation. This represents a unique opportunity to be part of a US, multi-concept restaurant group that owns over 10 restaurant locations including renowned restaurants such as X Pot, Chubby Cattle, and Niku X.

Secure your allocation before the deadline as we anticipate reaching our funding target.

WHAT INSPIRED THEM TO CREATE SHUMINGYU

Alvina and Laura: We always had a passion for Chinese culture. As Chinese Americans, we were fortunate to grow up in a household that gave us exposure to the beauty of the culture such as its poetry and the arts, despite not being able to visit that often.

The fact that we were physically removed from the country of our cultural heritage, in many ways enabled us to appreciate the culture even more. We spent the next decade in between the U.S. and China, completing our undergraduate degrees in Beijing, kickstarting our early professional careers, and finishing graduate school in the U.S. It was during this time that the idea for SHUMINGYU was conceptualized.

HOW SELF-DISCOVERY INFLUENCED THEIR AESTHETIC AND VISION

During our young adult years living between China and the U.S., we came to understand that identity is multifaceted.

There isn’t one way to be American, Chinese, or Chinese American. Cultural identity and heritage are not limited by where you were born or what period you are living in. It is something that is constantly evolving, passed down through generations, and shaped by the people who are currently living and breathing it.

This motivated us to combine the cultural fluency we gained over the years with design as a universal language to create SHUMINGYU. This is our way of sharing our perspectives on the beauty of Chinese aesthetics and the artistic lineages that have come before us with a global audience.

SHOWCASING CULTURAL HERITAGE INTO THEIR DESIGNS

Each of our collections has a specific theme, and then we incorporate that theme into the custom prints that we develop, as well as the silhouettes of our designs. Therefore, each custom print that we developed is rooted in a piece of artwork, literature, or philosophy that is connected to landscape paintings. Our hope is that with each piece a customer wears, they can discover a new piece of culture.

For Example:

The print of our Spring Mountains Set is inspired by the mountain ranges from the Sui Dynasty painting Spring Excursion, widely cited as the earliest surviving work of Chinese landscape painting. The print traces the delicate, twisting brush strokes that outline the rise and fall of spring mountains in the distance. The colors are inspired by the luxurious powdered gold, malachite green, and azurite blue pigments used in the painting.

Painted by artist Zhan Ziqian, Spring Excursion was one of the first paintings to give prominence to mountains and rivers over human figures. It is considered a seminal work that marks the genesis of the most influential category of Chinese art for thousands of years to come.

FOSTERING A DEEPER APPRECIATION OF CHINESE AESTHETICS AMONG A GLOBAL AUDIENCE

We want to share the breadth, depth, and nuances of Chinese aesthetics with a global audience through our clothing. By offering an alternative aesthetic view to the exotified and caricatured version of Chinese fashion that has been perpetuated throughout the past century, we want to move beyond the set of narrow motifs that have defined what Chinese fashion can look like and open the door into a world where design is created by those who live and breathe the culture and comes from an informed and nuanced perspective.

Perhaps one of our prints will spark someone’s interest in understanding a particular artistic movement in history or thinking about how Chinese aesthetics is perceived today. If our pieces can inspire people to value culture more and spark conversations, then we’d consider that a success.

Resources for small business owners

Asian Hustle Network has partnered with Verizon Small Business Digital Ready to bring the AHN network a free program designed to give small business owners the tools needed to succeed in today’s digital world.

By joining Small Business Digital Ready, you’ll gain access to courses, live coaching sessions led by industry experts, and insightful resources. For the month of July, you can get a head start by checking out expert led events on AI, social media and more.

Enroll in this month’s featured event
Automate your digital business: Learn how to save time by adding automation to your workflow - July 27, 2023 | 9:30 AM – 11:30 AM PT