62 ARTIGIANI IN UN PERCORSO CHE CONTA 150 PROCESSI. UN COMPLESSO DI SCIENZA, “OGNI PIUMINO
BOSIDENG È REALIZZATO DA
TECNOLOGIA E MODA CON LA COLLABORAZIONE DI DESIGNER INTERNAZIONALI E DIVERSI TEAM DI RICERCA E SVILUPPO PROVENIENTI DA CINA, STATI UNITI, FRANCIA E ITALIA”.
NELLA FOTO, I DETTAGLI DELLA NEW YORK FASHION WEEK
antiques which is accessed through a silent roof garden cared for with love, and also after an excellent but fast black tea served without the typical rituals, Mr. Gao gives us an appointment for the interview in his office and entrusts us to his personal secretary, fluent in English and with the international name of Phyllis, for a visit to the museum dedicated to his story. A gesture of grace or elegant reluctance to escape from what could be heralded as a sort of self-celebration. But the visit to the “museum”, remotely controlled by the young assistant’s tablet, reveals instead once again the desire to tell a multimillionaire success without forgetting the roots, the difficulties, the work-in-progress, the starting point: it goes from the reproduction of the humble home of his parents to the bicycle with which, still very young, he pedalled to Shanghai to deliver the fabrics to customers, from the old sewing machines inherited from his father to the photos of recent national and international affirmations. We therefore meet in his office: it is the question/answer moment. Your activity began in 1976 with eight sewing machines and the help of your parents and neighbours. When did the idea of creating a company and, therefore, developing a real brand come up? It all started with clothing processing. Initially we relied on the Shanghai market for survival and development. With my small sewing group, I was starting a difficult entrepreneurial process. At the same time, I kept an eye on the market opportunities for down jackets. When it completed its market position we also decided to diversify our OEM business for the production of down jackets. After developing the delivery of materials to the OEM system, we gradually developed a kind of brand awareness. So, we registered Bosideng in 1992 and competed on the market. How did you manage to face the national market? Without being afraid of difficulties or complaints. With perseverance, in search of excellence. We were very small. But in June 1978 the first big order came from a hat company. We still had no means of transport, so I went by bicycle between Changshu, Shanghai and Kunshan to search for orders and deliver products. So, I found a factory called “Shanjing Garment Factory” to do business together. The structure of your establishments and the construction of building works of great significance for your native village demonstrate a great sensitivity for the social and for beauty too. From an artistic point of view, I am a tailor, and I’ve been working in the clothing industry for over 40 years. I am by my very nature and by training absolutely sensitive to fashion and to everything that is aesthetic. In our industrial sector the search for beauty is endless. Of course, the core of this beauty should be the final user’s experience. As an entrepreneur, I am careful to seize all the many opportunities offered by the current times and the market. Understanding the trend of social development is the basic quality of entrepreneurs so, each phase of Bosideng development is parallel with the progress and development of Chinese society.
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POSH MAGAZINE