Chu Yuan and Tamara Vucic, wife of Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic Photo: WeChat account of Chuhe Tingxiang CHUYAN

On the evening of Tuesday, after a full day of activities, Tamara Vucic, wife of Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, who accompanied him on his state visit to China, arrived in Shanghai. She wore a new water green shawl adorned with Tang Dynasty Bao Xiang Hua floral patterns on the cuffs. The garment was a gift she received earlier that afternoon when visiting the aesthetic space of Chuhe Tingxiang CHUYAN, a brand founded by Chu Yan, a distinguished Chinese fashion designer and professor at Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology.

"I truly enjoy seeing China's cultural heritage reimagined for modern times," Tamara posted a lengthy article on her personal social media account that night. She expressed special gratitude to Chu and her team, and looked forward to hosting a fashion show featuring their creations in Serbia in the future.

On Wednesday, Chu revealed more details of the meeting in an exclusive interview with the Global Times. She remarked that the whole experience still felt incredible to her. 

On the day of the visit, the aqua green shawl Chu prepared for Tamara was precisely this piece.

"I'm from Xi'an, so I naturally feel a strong affinity for Tang Dynasty (618-907) culture," Chu told the Global Times. For years, her designs have consistently favored water green tones. The azurite (blue) and malachite (green) hues found in Dunhuang murals and paintings from the Tang Dynasty and Song Dynasty (960-1279) have long served as key sources of inspiration for her expression of Eastern aesthetics.

This outer robe is grounded in traditional Suzhou silk weaving techniques, skillfully blending the graceful grandeur of Tang Dynasty Bao Xiang Hua floral patterns with contemporary minimalist lines. 

"Bao Xiang Hua is a classic Tang Dynasty motif," Chu explained. "They don't have a real-life prototype; instead, they fuse the forms of lotus, peony, chrysanthemum, and other flowers. Radiating outward from the center, they symbolize the endless cycle of life and vitality, while also conveying meanings of harmony, fulfillment, and auspiciousness."

After trying on the garment, Tamara repeatedly praised it, exclaiming "Wonderful" and "I love it."

"We were all truly amazed at that moment," Chu recalled. "A distinctly Chinese-style outfit worn by a European, paired with her slender, refined facial features and the Eastern tailoring, created a uniquely captivating charm."

During President Vucic's state visit to China, his wife Tamara accompanied him, and this meeting was facilitated by Serbian Ambassador to China Maja Stefanovic.

"I have known the ambassador for many years," said Chu. In the past few years, she has invited Maja to attend shows at Beijing Fashion Week and a number of traditional Chinese cultural gatherings. "She has always been deeply impressed by our events and designs. When Tamara visited China this time, she hoped to arrange a meeting for her to get an up-close look at Chinese costume culture and design." A studio visit for cultural exchange was then confirmed.

For this event, Chu's team curated experiences of six elegant traditional Chinese pastimes: attire, calligraphy, tea art, flower arrangement, qin music and incense appreciation. They aimed to offer the guests an immersive experience of traditional Chinese lifestyle aesthetics in a short time.

What impressed Chu most throughout the event was the moment when Tamara picked up a brush to write the Chinese character He, which means harmony.

"She wrote the character all by herself before I could give a demonstration," Chu recalled. Originally, she had planned to show Tamara how to write the character in small seal script and guide her through the process. Small seal script features strict strokes and neat lines. It has to be written standing with the wrist raised, demanding solid skills that even seasoned calligraphers need years to hone. 

To Chu's surprise, Tamara began writing calmly and finished in one smooth motion before she could start. Her steady, fluent strokes revealed poise and confidence. After finishing, Tamara asked about the meaning of the character and pronounced it in Chinese. She then said something that stuck with Chu: "This is exactly what we need right now."

Chu admitted that before this event, her team had conducted little research on traditional costumes and culture of Serbia and the broader Balkans. "Frankly speaking, we used to focus mainly on Europe and America, especially fashion hubs like the UK and France, and paid relatively little attention to Central and Eastern European countries. This has proven to be a great opportunity."

This opportunity is bringing about new possibilities. During the visit, Madam asked if there were any Serbian international students at Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology. Told that there were none for the time being, she immediately expressed her hope that such students would come in the future. The two sides also discussed advancing cooperation on costume culture, starting with student and faculty exchanges. Tamara additionally proposed holding a China-themed fashion show during Serbia's Expo 2027.