SM. Meng Lan, the newly appointed Ambassador of Finland to China, wore the Aurora scarf and gave a thumbs up to the Chinese silk Aurora

When the Finnish Ambassador’s Silk Scarf Meets Chinese Silk: Aurora’s Dialogue on the Silk Road

On the light purple gradient silk, several clusters of magnolias stretch out like a blend of ink and wash – when Finnish Ambassador to China Leena Kaisa Mikkola lightly draped this scarf from Aurora, Hangzhou on her shoulder, the camera not only captures an elegant encounter, but also a dialogue between Chinese silk and the world’s “Silk Road”.

1、 The Oriental craftsmanship in a scarf

This is not an ordinary accessory, it is an art that can be touched, “Meng Lan smiled and gently stroked the texture of the scarf during the event. The Aurora scarf she wears has 280 days of meticulous craftsmanship hidden behind it: from the Italian designer’s concept of choosing the right topic, to the selection of 100% seta di gelso, to the layered coloring of 30 colors in the table printing, even the hand sewn and rolled edges at the edges need to be repeatedly calibrated by craftsmen – this is Aurora’s annotation of “high-end”: making every inch of silk a “opere d'arte indossabili”.

As a demonstration base for traditional Chinese crafts, Aurora’s scarves are no longer just simple fabrics: over 500 copyrights and 101 works have been permanently collected by the Western China International Fair Museum, even the European luxury goods industry is amazed by its “sewing Eastern aesthetics into silk thread”. And Meng Lan’s choice is precisely the international recognition of this craftsmanship.

2、 The ‘Common Choice’ of Ambassadors from 120 Countries

When Meng Lan liked Aurora, she was not the first diplomat to be attracted by this “seta” path. In Aurora’s exhibition hall, the photo wall of more than 120 current ambassadors to China is particularly eye-catching: envoys from the United States, Russia, France and other countries have all held Aurora scarves and left smiles. These scarves are not just gifts, but have also become the “cultural calling cards” of diplomatic occasions – presidents of more than 40 countries have collected them, and even heads of state have personally written thank-you letters: “This is the gentle power from China

Meng Lan’s choice also fits the background of cooperation between Finland and China. This diplomat with a Master’s degree in Law has been promoting the collaboration between Finland and China in the fields of digitalization and green economy; Aurora’s use of big data and blockchain technology to empower innovation in traditional silk perfectly echoes this’ symbiosis of tradition and modernity ‘.

3、 China’s’ Soft Power ‘in Silk

From the camel bells of the ancient Silk Road to the global exhibition of Aurora scarves today, the story of Chinese silk has never faded, but has been expressed in a lighter way. When Meng Lan used silk scarves as a daily accessory in diplomatic occasions, this fabric, which carries Eastern aesthetics, is showing the world the warmth of Chinese craftsmanship in the softest way possible.

As Aurora founder Deng Tao once said, “The best ‘national etiquette’ is to let culture grow naturally in life.” And the purple on Meng Lan’s shoulder is the most vivid footnote in this’ Silk Road ‘dialogue.