Xia Hua: Bringing fashion to the fight
Xia Hua founded the Eve Group, a Chinese clothing brand for men, in 1994 in a bid to change her and her family’s fortunes. Nine years later she set up her second business to do the same for 8,000 rural crafts women living in mountainous areas. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Xia Hua found that she could not only pivot her first business to carry out a critical public service and help other small and micro enterprises, but that lessons from doing so would help take her work with craftswomen in promising new directions.
Xia Hua is president of the Eve Group. Photo: Xia Hua
"If anything can push a company to produce a miracle, it’s a pandemic! It was on the third day of our Lunar New Year that I first heard about the outbreak of COVID-19. As a signatory to the Women's Empowerment Principles and with a strong corporate social responsibility (CSR) mandate, I always ask myself 'how can I bring more value to society under the current circumstances?’ So, hearing that protective clothing was in scarce supply, it occurred to me that as a clothing company it would be relatively easy for us to switch from men’s fashion to protective clothing.
As the CEO of Eve Group, Xia Hua signed andcommitted to
UN Women's Women's Empowerment Principles (WEPs). Photo: UN Women
This wasn’t entirely the case! We faced many initial challenges in our race to apply for relevant qualifications, find the right raw materials, adjust our working procedures and work out transportation. Everything was unknown, and you had no idea what would happen from one moment to the next – but our team and mission gave me strength. Despite their own worries and problems, all my employees worked hard to ensure that we could start production as soon as possible. It took us ten days to switch our six production lines, and we then worked around the clock to train workers, adjust our equipment, and start delivering the clothing to the front lines on time and in the quality and quantity needed. Gradually, we got to the point where we were meeting domestic demand, and were even able to export globally.
Xia Hua speaks with a factory worker as her staff produce protective clothing. Photo: Mulan Initiative
Along with our CSR values, I’d say that it was our digital platform that allowed us to respond so quickly when the pandemic struck. The Gathering Intelligence project, which we started building years ago, connects consumers, designers and factories on a digital platform. During the pandemic and recovery phase, tens of thousands of small and micro garment enterprises used the platform to connect and live broadcast, which helped them to resume production.
The impact of COVID-19 made me realize the power of the digital age. One of my businesses utilizes the talents of rural women embroiderers, many of whom had started to give up their craft because they hadn’t been able to make a living. We established a database of patterns and embroiderers, and set up regular sales events called Deep Mountain Markets in shopping malls where embroiderers can craft and sell onsite. I realized that we could also sell these products well online and train embroiderers to livestream.
Nowadays, more and more embroiderers have their own live broadcast channels and have built a good follower base. This not only brings them stable income but also helps Chinese traditional handicrafts move beyond the mountains and enter the international market. My aim is to help more crafts women and grow the Eve Group by promoting women's economic empowerment alongside Chinese cultural inheritance and innovation. This commercial approach with a public spirit is what motivates me and makes us who we are.”
Xia Hua discusses embroidery patterns with the craftswomen who work with her. Photo: Xia Hua
A craftswoman and Xia Hua embrace. Photo: Xia Hua
