凯瑟琳·冯·瑞星博出生在德国，毕业于巴黎高级时装工会学院。来中国为了寻找一种特殊的面料，香云纱俗称莨绸。这种材质成为了她的标志性面料，2000年创立了以自己名字命名的品牌rechenberg，直至今日这种面料依然是她设计的主打面料。传统的香云纱自然染色工艺，使用薯莨汁这种含有单宁酸的植物与富含铁元素的河泥作染料，这使她很着迷。受到中国古老奢华的香云纱面料启发，运用香云纱传统的手工染色技术，加上创新独特的理念，巧妙地运用中国的传统中药植物进行面料染色。同时运用了古老的各种绞缬染色法，染出的面料纹理独一无二，反复复杂的渲染工序，自然的植物汁液浸透面料，赋予了面料丰富隽永的色彩。凯瑟琳致力于香云纱领域工作了20年，2020年中国纺织非物质文化遗产大会中授予凯瑟琳《传播中国纺织非遗友谊大使》荣誉证书，同时佛山市顺德区伦教香云纱协会授予《2020年度传播中国香云纱非遗推广大使》荣誉证书。

Kathrin von Rechenberg is a German-born, Paris-trained and Beijing-based couture designer. Graduated from Paris's College of Couture "Ecole de la Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne" she then honed her craft in various Haute Couture houses such as Jacques Fath, Jean Louis Scherrer, Christian Dior, Christian Lacroix and Chanel. 

Kathrin von Rechenberg came to China in search of a very special fabric known as "xiang yun sha" 香云纱 or "liang chou" 莨绸which became her signature fabric when she founded her own label and remains today a cornerstone of her collections. The traditional and complete natural dyeing process of "xiang yun sha" , in which the tannin dye reacts with iron mud fascinates her a lot and inspired her to work with other natural dyes. She creates her own fabrics by experimenting with different traditional and natural dyeing methods, obtaining various structures and an intriguing range of settled colours.For her 20 years of dedication to tea silk, in 2020 Kathrin von Rechenberg got awarded the title of “Friendship Ambassador for Textile Intangible Cultural Heritage” by the China National Textile and Apparel Council and recently "Ambassador of Chinese Xiangyunsha Intangible Cultural Heritage“ by Foshan Shunde Lunjiao XiangYunsha Association.

作品名称：丝惟  Soul Silk

作品材料：真丝 香云纱（莨纱、莨绸） Tea-silk

薯莨是一种薯蓣科植物，数千年来先辈们一直用它来鞣制皮革，鞣制渔网。清朝时期，薯莨染制香云纱（莨纱、莨绸）技术已经普遍。薯莨汁这种特殊的单宁酸染料的特性让我着迷，它的特性也可以在其他红单宁染料中找到，如涩柿子和角果木。

染色液不仅可以染出漂亮的红色和棕色，而且还可以使丝绸材料变得硬挺而有光泽。染料可以反复使用，随着时间的推移颜色会变深。染色织物也一样：颜色的深度和光泽随着时间的推移而增加。

香云纱（莨纱、莨绸）的面料经过反复的染色和晒干，表面覆盖着河泥，形成了典型的黑色光泽。这是最后一步，我作品中使用了这种传统技术的整个过程。

香云纱（莨纱、莨绸）的染色过程对我来说代表了一种整体的生活方式。它完全取决于自然和时间，不能被人类的意志加速。现实的时代缺乏对自然的尊重。我们想要控制自然，反而忘记了我们需要依靠她。

我的真丝作品用悬挂漂浮的形式展示在我们的头顶，提示着我们尊重自然。

Shuliang (Dioscorea Cirrhosa) is a tuber which has been used for thousands of years to tan leather and to treat fishing nets and sails for longer preservation. The yam was commonly used to dye fabrics in the south of China, during Qing Dynasty the technique was refined to create what we know today as“XiangYunSha”香云纱( or"liang chou" 莨绸). The surface of the shuliang dyed fabric is treated with river silt.  I am fascinated by the features of this very special tannin dye which has properties that can also be found with other red tannin dyes like astringent persimmon and a type of mangrove Ceriops Tagal.

The dyeing solution not only dyes beautiful shades of reds but also creates stiffness and shine on the silk material. The dye can be repeatedly used and becomes darker with time. Same for the dyed fabric: the depth of the colour and its lustre increases with time.  

For“XiangYunSha”香云纱( or "liang chou"莨绸) the repeatedly dyed and dried fabric is covered with mud to create the typical shiny black surface. This final step I partially employ to show the whole process of this traditional technique.

The“XiangYunSha”香云纱( or"liang chou" 莨绸) dyeing process represents for me a holistic approach of life. It completely depends on nature and time and cannot be accelerated by the will of the human being. Actual times are lacking respect for nature. We want to rule nature and forget that we are depending on her.

I use of the silk elevated floating above us as a reminder to respect nature.