Tainan Embroidery Layya by Yi-Pei Wu is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 Kyautar A' Design Award ta Tagulla in Kayan Kyauta Competition Category.

TagullaKayan Kyauta· 2026

Tainan Embroidery Layya

by Yi-Pei Wu

Client: Tainan Embroidery Trade Association

Kyautar A' Design Award ta Tagulla Winner in Kayan Kyauta Category

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Verified Award Winner
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View at A' Design Award Press Release Award Badge

Colors

The Design

About Tainan Embroidery Layya

Tainan Embroidery tarin layu ne da jakar tote da aka yi tare da masana'antun ɗinkin ado na inji a Tainan, Taiwan. An sake zana zane-zanen haikali, kamar siffofin alloli, ginshiƙai masu sassaƙa da tsofaffin zane-zanen saƙa, a matsayin salon zamani. Layun Dragon ya haɗa ɗinki 40,000 masu yawa da bugu don samun ƙananan ɓawon kifi masu kyau, yayin da layun Love ke amfani da fasahar leshin tufafin ciki kuma yana riƙe da tokar turare a cikin aljihun raga na ciki. An yi jakar tote daga zaren madauwari da aka kaɗa daga ragowar zaren masana'anta. Tarin ya mayar da layu na gargajiya zuwa kayayyakin al'adu na yau da kullum.

The Recognition

About the Kyautar A' Design Award ta Tagulla

Zanen Tainan Embroidery Layya ya lashe Kyautar A' Design Award ta Tagulla, wata karramawa mai tsananin daraja da ake bai wa zane-zane na musamman waɗanda ke da ƙirƙira, basira da hikima. Waɗanda suka lashe kyautar Tagulla kayayyakin fasaha ne masu ƙwarewa da ƙirƙira mai ban mamaki waɗanda ke tabbatar da babban gogewa, tunani da dabarun masu zanensu. Ana sa ran zanen Tainan Embroidery Layya ya zama abu da ake girmamawa sosai, ake sha'awa da ƙauna, mai ƙwarewa da ƙirƙire-ƙirƙire. Wannan zane da ya lashe Kyautar A' Design Award ta Tagulla yana haɗa mafi kyawun ayyuka a fasaha, kimiyya, zane da fasahar zamani, kuma yana da kyau saboda kulawarsa ga cikakkun bayanai. Zanen Tainan Embroidery Layya yana biyan buƙatu da kyau, yana taɓa sha'awa, yana jan hankalin zukata kuma yana jawo sha'awar sani.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties: Tainan Embroidery unites factories in Tainan to showcase industrial excellence. Highlights include an amulet with 40000 stitches and another using delicate lingerie lace technology, a unique cross-industry application. The tote bag, designed specifically for temple ritual gifts, is made from circular yarn up cycled from factory leftover threads. Merging religious heritage with upcoming artists, Tainan Embroidery transforms invisible Original Equipment Manufacturer into a cultural brand, turning traditional amulets into collectible high-end art.
Dimensions & Packaging: Tote bag: 360 mm x 120 mm x 180 mm
Tiger Deity amulet: 105 mm x 8 mm x 80 mm
Cloud amulet: 100 mm x 5 mm x 75 mm
Love amulet: 45 mm x 3 mm x 130 mm
Wisdom amulet: unfold 45 mm x 5 mm x 235 mm, fold 45 mm x 8 mm x 70 mm
Dragon amulet: 65 mm x 5 mm x 75 mm
Watch amulet: Radius 50 mm, Depth 12 mm
Tags: Cultural Heritage, Contemporary Amulet, Sustainable Bag, Machine Embroidery, Upcycled Textiles, Wearable Art, Spiritual Design, Oriental Aesthetics, Cross Industry Manufacturing
Production Technology: The lingerie-tech Love amulet features a monolithic hollow design, integrating the cord through iterative prototyping, with inner mesh pockets for incense ashes. The Dragon edition combines 40,000-stitch density with printing for delicate scales. The tote uses circular yarn, which is up-cycled factory remnants, overlaid with translucent mesh to create a cloud-like effect. To secure these recycled threads, a dense embroidery layout was engineered, turning material constraints into a modern aesthetic.
Design Challenge: The core challenge was resolving complex cross-disciplinary conflicts under severe time constraints:

Craft Constraints: Adapting modern design to strict small-scale embroidery limits.

Mindset Shift: Persuading struggling factories to prioritize R&D over a cost-driven OEM mentality.

Sacred Innovation: Balancing novel aesthetics with temple traditions and religious sanctity.

All achieved under a highly compressed grant schedule.
Research: This research investigates the intersection of cultural heritage and industrial manufacturing. Through ethnographic studies and technical consultations, sacred motifs like the One-Character Plaque are translated into a modern visual language. Key innovations include sustainable circular yarns and high-density hollow-out lace techniques. User-centric methodologies ensure optimal ergonomics, creating a seamless alignment between spiritual symbols and contemporary lifestyle.
Inspiration: Tainan has been the embroidery hub of Taiwan. While many offshored, few resilient factories stayed, preserving high quality machine embroidery. Yet, facing the cheap competitors, these makers need to evolve from suppliers into recognised brands. Hence Tainan Embroidery is launched, partnering with Tiantan Temple, we innovate their most stable demand: religious textiles. Artists deconstructed temple visual heritage, such as deity statues, handcrafted pillars, and ancient tapestries, into modern motifs.
Project Duration: The project started in July 2025 and finished in December 2025 in Tainan, Taiwan.
Operation Flow: The design encourages tactile engagement through ritualistic interactions. The Wisdom amulet features a hidden lace element that users can pull out and tuck back, symbolising the unveiling of wisdom. The Tiger Deity amulet includes a detachable cloak, allowing users to interact with the deity’s protective layers. These playful, transformative elements bridge the gap between traditional sacred objects and modern lifestyle accessories, enhancing the user's bond with the culture.
Team Members: Design Strategy: Ting-Han Chen
Strategy Consultant: Chung-Jen Lu
Creative Director: Yi-Pei Wu
Artist: Yu-Ning Zhou
Artist: Szu-Yu Hou
Artist: Shang-Ru Tsai
Image Credits: Image #1: Creator Yi-Pei Wu / the amulet set, 2025
Image #2: Photographer Felan Wu / the up-cycled yarn tote bag, 2025
Image #3: Photographer Yi-Pei Wu / the cloud amulet, 2025
Image #4: Photographer Yi-Pei Wu / the dragon amulet, 2025
Image #5: Photographer Felan Wu / the Tiger Deity amulet, 2025