THE OPPOSITE HOUSE

septembre 24th, 2010 Posted in BEIJING, CITIES, HOSPITALITY, SERVICES

sept, 24 2010

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: Anthony Ross, The Opposite House general manager who opened the hotel in August 2008.

: The Opposite House lobby designed by Japanese designer Kengo Kuma.

: The lobby with its very elegant metal mesh seen from the 1st floor.

: The Opposite House front desk.

: The Opposite House swimming pool.

: One of The Opposite House studios. They are all over 70 sq.meters.

: The penthouse terrace.

: The Opposite House located in Sanlitun, Beijing.

One of the sectors changing fast in China is the hospitality sector. Among the most talked about boutique hotels in China is The Opposite House (TOH), located in the heart of Beijing – in trendy Sanlitun. In order to learn why TOH is so highly regarded, Nicely Made in China (NMiC) paid a visit to Anthony Ross, TOH General Manager, who told us about role play, attention to detail and having a laugh while working. Read the rest of this entry »

beijing, SERVICES

SUREN HANDMADE / HANDBAGS

septembre 18th, 2010 Posted in ACCESSORIES, BEIJING, CITIES, CRAFTS, FASHION, HANDMADE, SHOES

sept, 18 2010

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: Mao Shu Hong and her husband Yang Bao Guang receive NMiC.

: Su Ren design studio.

: Yang shows an employee how to do things right.

: Mao and Yang check every little detail.

: Su Ren design studio where everything starts.

: The bag handles are finished by hand one by one.

: Quality control at Su Ren factory: each bag is inspected individually.

: This model (BS 092) was created in 2001 and is Su Ren best seller.

This week’s story is about a company barely known outside China even though it has been making high quality leather products for many years. NMiC would like to introduce the company “Suren” (pronounced « sue jhen »), together with Mao Shu Hong, general manager and her husband Yang Bao Guang, the head designer. In order to meet them NMiC took an hour’s drive north of Beijing on a gorgeous blue sky day (Beijingers will appreciate that detail). Ben O’Hara, Canadian TV’s Beijing correspondent came with us, to visit the couple’s design studio and small factory. Read the rest of this entry »

accessories, beijing, handmade

LONGMA EQUESTRIAN PRODUCTS

septembre 11th, 2010 Posted in CITIES, HANDMADE, OTHER CITIES, SPORT

sept, 11 2010

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: Nicole Bernard, Longma’s owner with Melissa at the Sheerwood Equestrian Center in Beijing.

: Melissa wears an Italian and Spanish leather bridle.

: The Longma saddle on Melissa.

: Longma custom made boots, the Chinese equestrian national team riders use the same model made by the same bootmaker.

: The saddle comes with adjustable blocks.

: Hand-stitched Spanish leather gloves are also one of Longma’s products.

: The Longma equestrian products » ice boots.

In its never ending search for quality products made in China, Nicely Made in China met Nicole Bernard, the owner of Longma, an Australia-based equestrian equipment company that makes all its products in China. From Tennessee where she was born, to Alvie (pop.60) near Melbourne, via Beijing where she spends half of her time, Nicole has traveled a long way. She stopped by at the Bookworm in Beijing to talk about her passions for China and horses, and how these two passions recently became intertwined.

Nicole, can you tell us how you started Longma?

A year or so ago my riding coach -Chris Smith 1980 Australian Olympic show jumping rider- came to visit me in Beijing- , and while discussing the equestrian market in Australia we realized it is bipolar: you either find very high end and very expensive gear or cheap junk. Horse riding is called the sport of kings and it is an expensive hobby. People who spend a lot of money on a horse care about what they put on their horses’ backs. I thought that hard-working people who love riding deserved high quality equipment at decent prices and that’s what Longma has been trying to provide for a year now. While I will not compare Longma with Australian master saddle makers, I can say that we’re trying to achieve a level of quality that these people respect.

Read the rest of this entry »

beijing, outdoor