How Did The Chief Costume Designer Of The Republic Come Into Zhongnanhai?

Zhongnanhai tailor

Mention of Tian Atong's name is almost unknown in the Chinese clothing industry.

He is the chief costume designer of the leaders of the Republic of Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai and Deng Xiaoping.

The Mao style tunic, which he pioneered, has milestone significance in the history of Chinese business casual wear.

So how did Tian Atong enter Zhongnanhai? What unforgettable memories did he have in the career of tailor for more than half a century?

Mao Zedong -- "visual observation" tailoring

In 1925, Tian ATUN was born in a peasant family in Sha Jia Bang, Changshu, Jiangsu.

At the age of 13, he was introduced by a relative to a Fenghua master in Shanghai, where he studied tailors.

3 years later, Tian ATUN applied for a garment company in Nanjing East Road, Shanghai.

Here, he not only made suits, made leather, made cheongsam, but also made all kinds of fashionable ladies' dresses.

With his intelligence and diligence, Tian Tong became the top seamstress in Shanghai.

Not long after, he owned his own "Tian Tong Tong clothing store" on the road to Nanjing, a famous commercial street in Shanghai.

After the liberation of Shanghai, Tian Tong was hired as a senior technician in a clothing company in Shanghai.

One day in 1956, Tian ATO notified him to attend the meeting of Shanghai Light Industry Bureau.

The conference was chaired by a retired serviceman who participated in the war to resist US aggression and aid Korea.

To Tian Tung's surprise, there was only one topic for the conference: to make a Chinese tunic suit for the ex serviceman.

Actually, the retired soldier was a tailor appointed by the higher authorities to dress for the central leaders.

Making clothes for him is actually a special examination.

Tien Tung noticed that the shoulder of the retired soldier was different from that of the ordinary person. He was about to be injured. It was rather difficult to make a fitting jacket.

A few days later, when the experts compared the works they had handed in, they did not have any trouble.

The small cloth striped to the garment on the top is clearly written in the three words "Tian Tong".

Perhaps the clothes made by Tian Tong are very fitting. The ex serviceman simply commissioned Tian Atong to select 11 costumes in Shanghai to enter Beijing, and to enter into the official business and life for the national leaders.

Hongdu fashion company.

Tian Tung began his career of making costumes for leaders of the country for more than half a century.

Talking about the first production of costumes for Mao Zedong, Tian Tong has a fresh memory: one day in August 1956, Tian AI Tong, who was busy with work, suddenly received a special task for Mao Zedong to make clothes.

The central office has repeatedly told Tian An to do a good job of keeping secrets.

Mao Zedong liked to wear Chinese tunic suits from Jinggangshan, and the clothes made by Tian ATUN were naturally not the Zhongshan costume.

Mao Zedong is wearing Tian Tong.

As the saying goes, "tailoring", it is necessary to measure the size of the human body.

However, Tian Ya Tong made an exception for Mao Zedong this time.

For safety reasons, tailors who make clothes for Mao Zedong can not get close to him. Naturally, they can not talk about "tailoring". They can only solve the problem by "visual inspection".

This is undoubtedly a great test for tailors.

When Tian Tong was led by the staff to Mao Zedong's study in Zhongnanhai, it was already 12 o'clock in the evening.

Although Tian Ya Tong has never made clothes through "visual inspection", but with decades of experience, he stood 5 meters away from Mao Zedong, a "visual observation" success.

The size is measured, and the next step is how to do it.

At that time, the staff gave Tian An Tong two pieces of Mao Zedong's old clothes, but Tian did not have a picture of gourd.

For the first time, he made clothes for Mao Zedong, and Tian Tong personally selected the fabrics and colors. According to the characteristics of Mao Zedong's broad forehead, big face and big build, the traditional Chinese tunic style was modified.

Ordinary Chinese tunic suits have higher collar and smaller collar.

In order to make Mao Zedong feel comfortable and not lose the style of greatness, Tian Tong has designed a new type of collar, which is about to turn the small collar into a long and long new type of collar, and increase the neckline to 46 centimeters according to the characteristics of Mao Zedong's neck.

In order to make Mao Zedong's sturdy figure more outstanding, he also made the coat wider and the back slightly wider, the rear piece was slightly longer than the front piece, while the shoulder part was slightly narrower than the conventional one, the middle waist slightly depressed, and the cuff cage was also raised a little bit more than the conventional one.

In order to maintain a high level of clothing, Tian Tung has paid special attention to manual operation in making clothes.

After a day and a half of work, a set of Mao Zedong's "big tip Zhongshan suit", which was made of atmosphere and noble and unique oriental culture, was announced.

When Mao Zedong put on this suit, the original body was more upright and more attractive.

The staff at the scene saw the applause.

Mao Zedong was also very satisfied with the clothes made by Tian Tong, and put on the Chinese tunic suit for a half length standard.

This standard, which was later hung on the Tiananmen City, became a standard picture of a great man who is known all over the world.

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Tian An Tong made the last dress for Chairman Mao.

Liu Shaoji, Zhou Enlai and Zhu De also appreciate the suit made by Tian Tong for Mao Zedong. They all ask Tian Atong to make such a dress for himself.

When they put on the Chinese tunic made by Tian Tong, they all praised Tian Atong's "comfortable and beautiful" clothes.

The Chinese national leaders wore the Zhongshan clothing made by Tian Tong to make frequent appearances on various occasions, which naturally attracted the attention of the outside world. The name of the Mao Zhongshan suit spread all over the world.

Later, the design of the ten Marshal costume was also affected by the "Mao Zhongshan suit".

Zhou Enlai - the number of mending clothes was the most. In 1957, Mao Zedong was invited to the twenty-four celebration of the 40th anniversary Soviet Communist Party and the October revolution.

Tian An Tong made a set of black tunic for Mao Zedong.

Mao Zedong wore the Chinese tunic suit to the Communist Party of the Soviet Union and met with Khrushchev several times during the meeting.

But Mao Zedong didn't want to wear it again because he didn't like black.

Tian said: "Chairman Mao usually does not ask for clothes very much. He never criticize what he wears.

But he only recognized the colors of the Chinese tunic suit, mainly in mid autumn and spring, while in the winter it was mainly dark grey.

What is the main flavor of the fabric? Why is it soft and clean? "

In addition to making clothes for Mao Zedong, Tian hat's hat for Mao Zedong is also ingenuity.

The top of the hat is round, and larger than usual, and the fabric used is the same as the clothes it wears.

The matching of clothes and hat is a harmonious beauty.

In September 9, 1976, Mao Zedong passed away.

Tian Atong, who had done decades of clothing for Mao Zedong, made the last dress for him with tears.

Tian AI Tong did this very seriously. He chose the material from the fabric to his body.

In order to make Mao Zedong look like this when he died, Tian Ya had a great deal of thought: in the selection of materials, silk must be pure silk, wool must be pure wool, cotton should be full cotton; the style and size of clothes, buttons and hooks are also repeatedly pondered; in the process of production, sewing machines are seldom used, but stitched by stitches.

When Mao Zedong was "wearing" the grey suit made by Tian Tung for him, the remains were strong and serene, as if they had just fallen asleep.

When Mao Zedong's funeral Committee was founded, Tian as an only worker representative became a member of the funeral Committee. He stood behind Hua Guofeng at the memorial service.

In Tian Ya Tong's impression, Zhou Enlai seldom made clothes, but the number of sewing clothes was the largest among the leaders of the country.

Tian said: "I have made several new clothes for the prime minister in the past decades, but I can not remember how many times I repair the broken clothes for the prime minister."

Zhou Enlai once handed it to Tian An Tong, a broken old coat, and said, "master Tian, can you help me to sew this dress again?" Tian, looking at this broken garment, said, "premier, this dress is so broken. I think I'll make a new one for you." Zhou Enlai said, "if you can sew it, don't do it again."

Under the insistence of Zhou Enlai, Tian An Tong took the job of turning rotten into magic.

The clothes could not be repaired any more, and Tian Tong simply dismantled the coat and reprocessed it, and he was opposed to changing the cloth.

When Zhou Enlai put on the dress, he said cheerfully, "master Tian, after your change, it's the same as the new one."

Zhou Enlai's staff know that Zhou Enlai not only does little clothing, but also pays for his clothes when he goes abroad, and never lets the public reimburse them.

Deng Xiaoping also wore clothes designed by Tian Tong.

Deng Xiaoping's constant tailoring size in --30

Tian to each