In 2026, Traditional Craftsmanship And Modern Design Will Be Combined. Which One Is Better In Terms Of Its Advantages And Disadvantages?

Sometimes it feels like our generation is living like a fast-forward button.

One moment, I was obsessed with the excitement that appeared every fifteen seconds in short videos, and the other moment, I was extremely obsessed with those old objects that took a lifetime to polish. Strange or not?

The "slowness" hidden in old craftsmanship has become the most lacking "addiction" in modern design

A few days ago, I saw a piece of news. During the Shanghai Fashion Week, a model carried a bag made of Xu Xing straw on the catwalk.

That kind of straw was used by people of my grandmother's generation to make slippers and vegetable baskets, and it felt tacky.

But now, it is lined with fragrant cloud gauze and has become a limited edition co-branded by fashion brands, attracting young people to compete for it.

Let's think about it, are we, as the main body, trying to save the ancient craftsmanship, or is the ancient craftsmanship pulling our impetuous souls out of the water like floating foam?

Young people don’t like things that are not “real” enough.

There is a word that has become very popular recently, called "New Chinese Style".

But to be honest, I am particularly tired of designs that directly print dragons and phoenixes on T-shirts and then dare to claim that they are "national trends".

What really strikes people is the skill of "hiding".

Just like the paper-cutting guy in Jinhua, he believes that paper-cutting should not just be the red piece posted on the window. He integrates machinery, sensors, sound, light and electricity into paper-cutting. When you walk by, the horses neigh and the lights turn on.

Tradition is the root, but you have to let it send out new shoots, and you can't just cling to that dead piece of wood and cry.

Don't always think about "teaching" old craftsmanship, you have to kneel down first

I went to a bamboo weaving exhibition and there was an installation that was so beautiful that it made me want to cry.

The original natural rattan grows in a curved shape. It is not the regular-looking basket we think of in our minds, but has transformed into a highly abstract work of art, which is placed in the windows of major French brands.

The designer said that he did not dare to touch the natural form of the rattan, but just borrowed its momentum.

This reminds me of many failed "combinations". Designers valued themselves too much and asked experienced craftsmen to make changes with CAD drawings. As a result, there was no trace of craftsmanship in the items produced, and the aura also disappeared.

For truly good integration, the designer must first kneel down and understand the language of the material.

The "imperfections" of hand-made work are what AI will never be able to copy.

AI can now draw anything, and can produce a hundred logos in three seconds.

However, can you describe the temperature of the silk thread on the fingertips when the embroiderer splits the silk?

Can you simulate the unique ice pattern of beeswax cracking on the cloth during batik?

cannot.

Machines pursue "rightness", while people pursue "life" with rough edges.

Just like the moving embroidery in Suzhou, the petals really open. That is shape memory metal sewn into the silk thread.

Tradition is the soul, technology is the bones. Only when the bones are hard can the soul cling to them and not be able to float.

Whether it’s utensils or clothes, in the end it’s all about people’s hearts.

In fact, there is no opposition between tradition and modernity.

When people in ancient times made objects, they focused on "implementing the Tao". When we make things now, we are just trying to find a sense of stability that we can grasp in this complicated and complicated world.

Rattan and iron products located in Anxi have been exported overseas along the Maritime Silk Road since the Song and Yuan Dynasties, and their annual sales can still reach tens of billions today.

You see, time can’t do anything about truly good things.

I am thinking that perhaps the most ideal way of inheritance is not to place us in a museum, but to give us the opportunity to integrate into your life again and make it a part of your daily life.

When you go to the market with a bag made of straw, when you walk on the street wearing a sweater embroidered with Miao embroidery patterns, when the lamps in your home are made of bamboo weaving technology -.

Those craftsmen from thousands of years ago will smile at you across time and space.

That's enough.