DEYI Living| 羽衣 YUYI | WRAP VEST

PHILOSOPHY

Our YUYI 羽衣 wrap vest is a timeless piece, infusing elegance and originality into your everyday looks. Its fluid, airy design creates a graceful presence, while its delicate layers flow like a gentle breeze, moving in harmony with your body and spirit.

The name YUYI 羽衣, meaning "garment of feathers," draws inspiration from the mythical attire worn by the xiān nǚ (仙女), the celestial fairies of ancient Chinese legends. These ethereal garments were believed to carry divine magic, enabling the fairies to travel between the human world and the celestial realm. YUYI represents a sacred connection between our earthly existence and the spiritual realms beyond.

MINGBU 明布 FABRIC

This fabric is definitely one of the most special in our collection. After being meticulously handwoven, this exceptional fabric is delicately dried under the sun's rays and the benevolent glow of the full moon during the summer season. In our workshop, we have poetically named this fabric mingbu 明布: ming (bright), bu (fabric). The character 明 ming is composed of ideograms representing the sun 日 and the moon 月, symbolizing the energies of absolute Yang and absolute Yin that infuse this unique textile.

The original cotton fabric, initially beige color, transforms into a radiant whiteness of unparalleled purity after being exposed for about twenty days to the combined light of the sun and the moon. In Dong villages, tradition holds that little girls are dressed in garments made from this precious fabric at birth, to receive the blessings of the full moon's energy. As for little boys, they are enveloped in fabrics dyed with indigo, displaying deep shades of black.

COMPOSITION

100% indigenous organic cotton

Hand-spinning cotton yarns & handwoven cotton on traditional looms

Each fabric is unique: they are a testimony of several days of handmade work. Small imperfections in the weave or dyeing cannot be considered as defects. They are inherent to the artisanal character of our pieces. Imperfections means humans behind your clothes.

TRACEABILITY & SUSTAINABILITY

羽衣 YUYI is lovingly handcrafted by talented female artisans from the Dong indigenous community. From the cultivation of cotton to the weaving and final sewing, every step is done with utmost care, preserving centuries-old traditions. Our artisans work in small remote villages in the province of Guizhou, in Rongjiang County. We invite you to read the moving stories of our artisans on our website.

- DEYI