SOCIAL PERSPECTIVE 人群視角

What does community really mean? We asked a number of creatives and entrepreneurs to give us their personal take.

社群的定義是什么？我們邀請了一些創意先鋒及創業者與我們分享他們的見解。

“people live in cities and cities live in people.

人選擇城市，城市塑造著人。”

Ben Wood

BEN WOOD

Ben Wood is the founder of Studio Shanghai Architects, who were responsible for Shanghai XINTIANDI's design. Their concept for the project was simple: make places, mainly outdoors, for people to meet.

When I first came to Shanghai in 1998 I had no idea what to expect, I just knew that something was about to happen in terms of urban regeneration. Looking back, what I have witnessed in my 20 years here is the meteoric rise of the middle class, the phenomena of women desiring designer handbags, of the iPhone becoming a fashion accessory. For me, all of this was an education in how popular culture is created by the choices people make: who they're with, what they're wearing, what they're eating.

I think XINTIANDI is important because it put Shanghai at least 10 years ahead of any other city in the country. I have multiple other projects in other cities and districts in China and they're all trying to become like Shanghai, and they always point to XINTIANDI as the project that made it the city the place where everybody wanted to live. I don't think people realise how important XINTIANDI is as a cultural benchmark. And – financially speaking – successful beyond anyone's dreams.

There's a phrase that goes along the lines of: people live in cities and cities live in people. Where you live is a huge choice you make and it will absolutely define you. Starting with the city you choose, down to where in that city you choose to be. If you make the right choices your life becomes so much richer. It comes down to finding places in that neighbourhood where you can feel comfortable walking up to a complete stranger and saying,“Hi! Do you mind if we sit down and share a cup of coffee?” That doesn't happen in most neighbourhoods. My whole practice has been spent convincing people that technology is not the answer to community – the answer is building buildings to the scale of human beings.

SUN XINXI

Sun Xinxi is the Editor in Chief of ELLE DECORATION China, who collaborated with XINTIANDI to present the ELLE DECORATION Cafe and pop-up stores.

I have to socialise a lot in my line of work. Some people misconstrue my dedication to attending so many events as bragging, or perhaps over-indulging, but to me these social events are a crucial part of my role in terms of acquiring the information I need to keep ELLE Decoration China current. You pick up news and different perspectives from talking to different individuals. Good conversation helps me to come up with new ideas and ways of producing content.

There are two qualities I admire the most in people I like to collaborate and work with. The first is curiosity; if you lose your curiosity on what's new in the world, then it's going to be hard to work in media. The second thing is being willing to share and spread the knowledge you have acquired with others. In terms of the community I surround myself with at work, most of my team are much younger than me. They're so inspiring, such interesting people, which makes me feel like my job is the best job in the world. And I want my team to believe that too! I want them to believe that every day they are living their best life.

To me, community is about openness. When I meet someone I open my heart and give them the real me. I feel like it's a shame to waste the precious time you have to connect with someone by being fake. In order to truly communicate with people you need to be loyal to yourself and truly show your heart to people, that's how a true community is born. It's not always easy, sometimes you can open up to someone and show them your heart but they're just not interested. But you know, who cares? You've always got more friends to make.

YUAN HONG AND SHUI JING

Yuan Hong and Shui Jing are the curators of XINTIANDI Festival: an annual, week-long festival that brings together some of the best performance acts from all over the world.

These days we use our phones to do practically everything: you don't even need to leave the house to buy new clothes or enjoy a delicious meal. But, despite that, we are still human beings. We need to talk, interact and form relationships with people. Our aim with XINTIANDI Festival is to create something that would make people excited to step away from their screens, get out of the house and experience something interesting and engaging which they could take friends and family along to, where they can share the show, the atmosphere, the food, the entertainment, and, subsequently, share real life. It's important these days for us to jump out of our phones right back into the room.

“To me, community is about openness. When I meet someone I give them the real me: I open my heart.

社群意味著坦誠和開放，和人交往的時候我總會誠心相待。”

Sun Xinxi孫信喜

So that's what we want XINTIANDI Festival to be: a collection of performances designed to bring people together. Every year we travel to different festivals all over the world and watch more than 200 performances so we can pull together a truly diverse programme for XINTIANDI Festival. We want to make a brand new experience for the audience in XINTIANDI. For example, when you go and watch a show in the West End in London, people tend to have a drink before, then after, and sometimes in the interval too. This doesn't happen in China: it's much more formal. But we thought why not recreate that kind of experience in XINTIANDI? People can go to a show, then have a bite to eat and a drink, and even indulge in a bit of shopping afterwards.

WANBING HUANG

Wanbing Huang is a highly-regarded Chinese fashion designer who now lives and works in London. Her career took off when she showed her extraordinary, ethereal collection at Shanghai Fashion Week in 2016. She is the recipient of the 2017–18 China XINTIANDI Scholarship at Central St Martins.

Human interaction, connections and relationships are so important because they are like a mirror: their reflections tell us how we can strive to live a better life. For me, community is a living, breathing place made up of a specific group of people exchanging their ideas and inspiring each other by their values, behaviours and lifestyle. The fashion community is not just a group of innovative people who strive to push boundaries of existing beauty, but also a community which allows me to creatively express my ideas. I use the community to find like-minded people and designers who have wonderful ideas. The opportunity for collaboration in the fashion world enables us to create something original with the combination of our different strengths.

In terms of my own little community – my studio – I tend to like to surround myself, and work with, people that are totally different from me, especially the logical, smart people who have unique character traits and philosophical minds. A good team is made up of members who possess different strengths and who can compensate for the weaknesses of others. With that in mind, there is no “leader” in my studio, my team members are all leaders in their own specialised fields.

Regarding the larger fashion world, I do like the democracy within it. From consumers to designers, people are able to wear designs that can express their individuality. The only thing I'm not too keen on in the fashion community is just the fast pace of it! I always wish I had just a little more time to research so I can fully immerse myself in a theme and have deeper feelings and a clear understanding of my subject matter.

LIN JIAN

Lin Jian began his career writing about music before turning his gaze to fashion and becoming one of China's most respected critics. Since 2014 he has run SHOWROOM, China's first professional showroom that enables buyers to connect with designers.

Shanghai Fashion Week began about 15 years ago. Back then the organiser was really interested in big brands from abroad. (As I remember, the very first show at Shanghai Fashion Week was a Lanvin show.) But I think the sustainable way to run a fashion week depends on what kind of designers can gain success from your platform. When I started SHOWROOM everyone thought: “Oh, it's just a show for the media or the friends of designers.” But SHOWROOM completes the industrial chain. It brings in business to the world of fashion.

When I was in my 20s, the word“community” to me meant sharing the same interests, aesthetics, and goals in life with my small gang of friends. You know, poetry, art, music and so on. Our little community was something of a spiritual home for me. Then when I was in my 30s, I opened my eyes and ears to people with different ideas. Then, community was all about the sharing of ideas, exchanging of minds and helping each other to understand a bigger world.

Now I'm 40, community has a new definition: contribution. What I mean by that is that these days I try my best to use the fashion knowledge I've picked up over the years to really help others. In terms of how I think Shanghai Fashion Week could benefit from focusing on the power of community, there is a very old Chinese saying that goes: “Govern a large country as you would fry small fish.”

“There is a very old Chinese saying that goes: “Govern a large country as you would fry small fish.

中國有句古話：‘治大國若烹小鮮’。”

Lin Jian林劍

ANNE SMITH

Anne Smith is the Dean of Academic Programmes for Fashion, Jewellery and Textiles, Product, Ceramic and Industrial Design and Spatial Practices at Central Saint Martins.

I've been at Central Saint Martins(CSM) for 27 years now, but before I began my career in education I was a designer. I worked in a very small, cheap space in south London. I was part of an artist and designer community in a converted warehouse.

We have about 5000 students at the university who come from all over the world. This gives them a really unique learning environment because they learn from all of the different backgrounds and cultures which are brought together under one roof. It equips them well because it allows them to leave education being very confident in being able to talk to and work with and alongside people from all over the world. They leave knowing that they can operate on a global platform with confidence and knowledge.

Each student has a core course which they have enrolled on, but they tend to collaborate in some shape or form with students on other courses or in pathways chosen within their own course. It really reflects how you have to operate when you graduate as well because I think your creativity is limited if all you refer to is your own discipline. That's what's so brilliant about CSM: the students learn so much from each other in this multidisciplinary community.

I think there's a real sense of belonging at CSM. It was interesting when we moved into the new building in 2011 and the academics and senior management were sceptical about open-plan areas. We have this brilliant area called the Learn Zone which is just an open-plan space filled with moveable furniture. We thought it was going to be a bit of a waste of space, but literally from the day of enrolment the students just camped out in it and it's always been packed since. You'll get an architecture student making a model next to a fashion student with a mannequin and it just works brilliantly. It's just a sign of how people operate these days, working alongside each other.

“Our aim with XINTIANDI Festival is to create something that would make people excited to step away from their screens.

表演藝術新天地的意義在于讓人們滿懷期待地將注意力從屏幕上移開。”

Yuan Hong & Shui Jin袁鴻與水晶

BEN WOOD

Ben Wood是Studio Shanghai建筑事務所的創始人，上海新天地的總規劃建筑師。上海新天地規劃的概念非常清晰純粹——構筑一處以開放空間為主的社交之所。

當我1998年初到上海的時候，還不知道未來會如何發展，但是我能感覺得到城市更新的浪潮正在醞釀。回首過去的20年，我見證著中國中產階級的飛速崛起，人們開始紛紛追捧設計師名牌手袋，iPhone也成為了潮人必需品。這日新月異的20年是一堂生動的課，人們在吃穿乃至圈層、社群上不斷地進行選擇，而這些選擇又間接地建立、塑造出今日的流行文化。

因為新天地，上海至少比中國的其他城市的發展理念超前10年。我常在中國別的城市接洽別的建筑項目，很多城市都以上海為中國城市發展的標桿，而上海新天地更是常常被當作案例和典范，它讓每個人都想要棲居于此。我覺得人們還未意識到了新天地作為一個文化地標的重要性，以及從商業角度出發，它獲得的成功，無可估量。

有句俗話說：人選擇城市，城市塑造人。擇城生活是我們面對的一個重要選擇，因為它冥冥中也在定義著你。從選擇一方水土到決定落居何處，好的選擇會讓你的人生更加豐盛。假設有天你走在這樣一個舒服的街道，迎面遇到一個向你打招呼的陌生人：“嗨，介意我坐這兒和你一起喝杯咖啡嗎？”這在絕大多數街區并不常見。我這些年的工作其實一直在向人們傳達：科技并不是凝聚社群的標準答案——它需要根據人的尺度和感知去構筑這樣的社交場所。

孫信喜

孫信喜是《ELLE DECORATION家居廊》雜志編輯總監，他曾與新天地共同呈現ELLE DECORATION Café及快閃店。

因為工作的原因，我常常免不了參加各種各樣的派對活動。有人說我參加這些活動是因為愛炫耀圖熱鬧，但是事實上這些活動正是我工作中汲取信息的重要部分，它們幫助我更好地把握《ELLE DECORATION家居廊》的未來方向。通過和不同的人交流，我可以從他們身上接觸時下最新的行業資訊、多視角的見解。這些都會不斷刺激我們產生新的想法和創意內容。

和人打交道的時候，我最看重兩個點，一是好奇心，人不好奇心態就老了，就不適合再做媒體人；二是愿意無私分享，傳播自己的收獲。就拿和我一同工作的伙伴來說吧，我的團隊成員各個都比我年輕，他們有趣又充滿活力，常常讓我覺得我做著世界上最棒的一份工作，當然我希望對他們來說也是如此，每天都能收獲不一樣的精彩。

社群意味著坦誠和開放。我和人交往的時候總是誠心以待，虛情假意的交流只不過是浪費雙方的時間。與人交往時忠于自我，誠心待人是一個真正社群得以建立的基礎。當然要求所有人做到這點并不容易，有時候你交出真心卻碰得一鼻子灰，但別讓這個影響你，配得上你真心的朋友總會出現。

袁鴻與水晶

袁鴻與水晶是表演藝術新天地的策展人。每年，這個為期一周的表演藝術節為公眾呈現世界各地藝術團體帶來的精彩演出。

當今社會我們是如此地依賴手機：足不出戶就能一鍵下單添置新衣或者點個外賣。但盡管如此，我們始終是人類，我們有表達、交流和人群連結的渴望。表演藝術新天地的意義在于讓人們滿懷期待地把注意力從屏幕上移開、和家人或朋友們一同到戶外觀賞或深入參與到紛呈的演出中。他們可以在這里看戲、同享食物和歡樂，更重要的是分享真實的生活。跳脫線上回歸真實在如今這時代格外重要。

通過一系列的戲劇演出把社群凝聚起來，這是表演藝術新天地創立的初衷。每年我們會從世界各地觀賞過的逾200部表演劇目中精選和策劃表演藝術新天地的演出內容，確保劇目的多樣性及豐富性。我們希望給來新天地的觀眾耳目一新的文化體驗。比如在倫敦的西區，人們在看劇前后會喝上一杯，有時在幕間休息時也會吃點小食。在中國觀劇變成一件特別正式的事情，所以我們覺得應該創造點不一樣的觀劇體驗，人們可以在新天地欣賞表演同時享受著美食美酒，結束后也可以再血拼一番。

黃婉冰

黃婉冰是一位中國新銳時裝設計師，她現工作生活于倫敦。2016年上海時裝周上她帶著她出眾同時別具空靈的系列作品首次驚艷亮相。她亦是倫敦中央圣馬丁藝術與設計學院2017-2018“中國新天地獎學金”獲得者。

人和人之間的連結、互動就像一面鏡子，映照出我們對美好的渴望。對我來說社群是由一群有著共同價值觀、行為準則或者生活方式的人組成，他們互相交流、啟發彼此，而這個社群本身是充滿活力的生命體。時裝的這個社群不僅是一群創意人士聚合在一起研究如何不斷突破美的既定含義，更是我個人自我表達抒發的出口。通過這個社群，我和志同道合的設計師、有想法的伙伴走到了一起。我們之間的無限合作可能也在不斷激發我們發揮所長，造我所創。

我的工作室是一個相對迷你的社群，我的工作伙伴和我的個性截然不同，他們不僅高知還特別注重邏輯條理，每個人都有自己獨特的人格魅力。一個好的團隊就需要成員之間博采眾長，優勢互補。所以我的工作室架構比較偏扁平化，沒有什么上下級關系，大家會在各自專長的領域負責相應的內容板塊。

從更宏大的時裝界來說，我喜歡它對待所有人的那種一視同仁。消費者也好，設計師也好，每個人都可以穿著他們覺得可以表達自我的服裝。只是現在整個的時尚圈的發展步伐太快了，我希望未來有更多時間可以沉浸、研究某個特定主題，讓理解和共情可以上升到另一種維度。

“Human interaction and relationships are like a mirror: their reflections tell us how we can strive to live a better life.

人和人之間的連結、互動就像一面鏡子，映照出我們對美好的渴望。”

Wanbing Huang黃婉冰

林劍

在成為中國頗具影響力的時裝評論人前，林劍以音樂評論與策劃人出道。2014年，他創立了中國第一家專業showroom“時堂”，致力于整合時裝設計師、買手等上下游時尚產業鏈。

上海時裝周已經走過了15個年頭，那時候組織方的策略還是以引進國外大牌設計師品牌走秀為主（我還記得當時上海時裝周的第一場走秀是Lavin）。但是我認為一個時裝周是不是有可持續發展的前景，看的是什么樣的設計師能夠通過這個平臺收獲成功。我最開始做“時堂”的時候，大家都覺得這不過就是一個為媒體或者設計師好友們策劃的走秀。但是“時堂”完整了時尚產業鏈體系，它加速了服裝設計的商品化進程。

20歲的時候，我覺得社群就是一群有共同興趣愛好、審美和生活目標的一票朋友聚在一起，可以談談詩歌、藝術、音樂等等，它就像是一個精神的烏托邦。等到我30歲的時候，我對不同的意見和聲音變得更加包容，社群對我來說更多的是思想的交融和碰撞，讓彼此觸碰到更廣闊的世界。

現在我40歲了，對社群這兩個字又有了新的領悟：貢獻。我這些年來一直致力于把我習得的時尚相關知識分享幫助他人獲得成長。如果說上海時裝周應該如何從不同社群身上汲取能量，我想有句中國的古話可以套用——“治大國若烹小鮮”。

ANNE SMITH

Anne Smith是中央圣馬丁藝術與設計學院的學術課程主任，她負責統籌時裝設計、珠寶及紡織品設計、產品設計、陶瓷設計、工業設計及空間實踐的相關課程。

今年是我在中央圣馬丁的第27年了。在我從教之前，我是一名設計師，在倫敦南區一個狹小但租金便宜的地方工作。在那個倉庫改造的工作室里，我是藝術家和設計師社群的一份子。

在中央圣馬丁，我們有5000個來自世界各地的學生，他們身上烙印著的不同的背景和文化，為他們在這個屋檐下構建了一個得天獨厚的學習環境。通過和來自五湖四海的人交流與工作，他們可以從中汲取營養，并在畢業之后也能有足夠的信心和知識站一個全球化視角的平臺。

每一位入學的學生都需要上一門核心課程，但他們常常會和與自己專業不同的同學進行不同程度的合作。這種模式其實與日后走出校園的實際工作有著很大的相似之處。如果只是守在自己的某一小塊專業條線中，那么創造力也會受到限制。這也是中央圣馬丁的一大優勢，在這樣一個多學科的社群中，學生們會互相學習、理解彼此。

每個人都能在中央圣馬丁體會到一種真正的歸屬感。很有意思的一件事是，2011年當我們搬進新的教學樓時，有學者和高級管理者對開放式區域持懷疑態度。我們為這個特別棒的空間取名為學習區，學習區內擺放著可移動的家具。一開始我們還有些擔心是不是有點浪費空間，但開學第一天起學生們就在這里安營扎寨了，后來也幾乎再沒有出現過空位。你會看到一個建筑專業的學生在一個時裝設計專業的學生旁邊做模型，邊上還豎著一個人形模特，這恰恰體現了如今人們的工作方式：協同合作。