A peaceful countryside in Qingtian County, near Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province. DJ Clark/China Daily
Prato is located in the beautiful central Tuscan region known for its rich artistic heritage and has been known for centuries as the center of Italian fashion production.
But in the 1990s, this medieval city faced pressing challenges: a labor shortage and an inability to keep up with the rapid changes in the fashion industry.
As a result, a wave of Chinese immigrants flooded into the city, answering the call to collaborate with Italian immigrants to quickly produce affordable clothing.
As a result, Prato now has one of the highest concentrations of Chinese immigrants in Europe, with one in four people of Chinese origin.
Many of them actively contribute to the realm of “fast fashion”, or “pronto moda” in Italian.
One such person is Mr. Xu Qiulin. The connection with Prato dates back to his 1989, when he fast began his fashion career.
Looking back on his humble beginnings, Xu said his first workshop occupied an estimated area of 150 to 200 square meters in the city, and the space was divided into 5 to 6 rooms, each with about 5 to 6 machines. , he said that at times there were 12 sewing machines.
“I had a team of two or three workers and I actively participated in procuring materials and supporting their work,” he said. “Communication was difficult because my Italian language skills were limited.
“When I first came, there were very few Chinese people, about 500 to 600 people. But now the Chinese population has reached 50,000 people.”
His story highlights how the Chinese community in Prato has grown significantly over the years.