KHUNU / YAK WOOL KNITWEAR

février 16th, 2011 Posted in BEIJING, CRAFTS, FASHION, SPORT

fév, 16 2011

: Julian Wilson and Aaron Pattillo the two Khunu founders with yaks in the background on the Himalayan plateau.

: A nomad woman at work, cleaning the yak wool.

: A nomad on the Tibetan plateau with her herd of yaks.

: A Khunu sweater – Alexandra, ribbed knit and cowl neck, comes in 3 different colors.

Winter can be very cold and very long in the North of China! In its search for the perfect sweaters to keep warm, Nicely Made in China has come across Khunu, a young brand which deserves attention. Created by Julian Wilson, an ex-British army officer and Aaron Pattillo, who used to work as a manager for the Clinton Foundation, the company was created 18 months ago. Already, their sweaters are to be found on the shelves of fashionable stores in hip Swiss and Californian ski resorts. NMiC talked to Julian about finding the right wool and the challenges of living up to the expectations of nomads. Read the rest of this entry »

beijing, fashion

ROUGE BAISER ELISE – BED LINEN

décembre 4th, 2010 Posted in BED LINEN, BEIJING, CITIES, EMBROIDERY, HANDMADE, INTERIOR DECORATION, SHANGHAI

déc, 04 2010

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: Elise de Saint Guilhem, Rouge Baiser owner and designer.

: Nicely Made in China bed linen by Rouge Baiser. The theme is called Bouquet.

: Everything is embroidered by hand by a team that Elise, Rouge Baiser’s owner, has built up over the years.

: A seamstresse at work on a prototype in the Shanghai workshop for Rouge Baiser.

If you live in Beijing or Shanghai you may have noticed a couple of small shops, one tucked away in leafy Sanlitun (Beijing), the other in the trendy Fuxing Lu (Shanghai) with an attractive and strange name: Rouge Baiser followed by the name Elise. Nicely Made in China decided to investigate and met with the French owner, Elise de Saint Guilhem, to talk embroidery, mixing colors and the differences -or the lack of- between Chinese and Western clients. Read the rest of this entry »

beijing, decoration, Shanghai

PAPERTIGER / WRAPPING PAPER & CARDS

octobre 9th, 2010 Posted in BEIJING, CITIES, CRAFTS, SHANGHAI

oct, 09 2010

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: Lucy Young the owner and designer of Papertiger photographed at Trend’s Lounge in Beijing.

: Papertiger recent design made in collaboration with Zara Arshad.

: With Christmas fast approaching NMiC encourages you to have a look at Papertiger wrapping paper.

: Some Nicely Made in China Papertiger cards.

With Christmas fast approaching, Nicely Made in China (NMiC) wondered how to wrap the gifts which will go under the tree. The choice on offer in shops was disappointing – until we stumbled upon Papertiger wrapping paper and cards. This brand has not been around for very long but is already making its mark on the wrapping paper market in China. NMiC sat with the owner-designer, New-York born Lucy Young –daughter of mainland Chinese- discussing the link between card and paper design and Shanghai architecture! Read the rest of this entry »

accessories, beijing, Shanghai

RECHENBERG COUTURE

octobre 2nd, 2010 Posted in BEIJING, CITIES, FASHION, HANDMADE

oct, 02 2010

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: « rechenberg » fashion show in Beijing Aman hotel. Kathrin is 5th from the left.

: Kathrin keeps an eye on every detail in her workshop.

: Kathrin photographed at her April 2010 fashion show in Beijing.

: A « rechenberg » model during Kathrin’s September 2009 fashion show at Aman Beijing.

: A worker in « rechenberg » workshop in Beijing.

: Kathrin gives her last instruction to a model during the September 2009 fashion show in Beijing Summer Palace.

: A model at the Summer Palace fashion show in September 2009.

: Kathrin von Rechenberg’s Beijing studio in Xin Yuan Xi Li.

This week Nicely Made in China stays in Beijing to introduce Kathrin von Rechenberg, owner and designer of “rechenberg » the fashion house. The 40 year-old Bavarian and mother of three has taken a winding path from her “début” at the Paris fashion house Jacques Fath in the 90’s to her arrival in Beijing, via Taiwan, in 2000. We sat in her Beijing studio to discuss Paris fashion houses, material and lost traditions. Read the rest of this entry »

beijing, fashion

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

DOCTORS BECK & STONE / VETERINARY SERVICES

août 21st, 2010 Posted in BEIJING, CITIES, SERVICES

août, 21 2010

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: Dr Stone and his dog Stella in the recently opened Shunyi clinic in Beijing.

: Dr Céline Clément and Dr Stone examin a patient.

: Dr Stone examining a patient in the VIP room.

: The nurses of the newly opened Stone & Beck clinic in Shunyi, Beijing.

: Grooming is a new service offered at the Stone & Beck Shunyi clinic.

: Dr Stone and his team of veterinaries Dr Ye Wei and Dr Clément with the team of nurses and the grooming team.

: The brand new Shunyi clinic in Beijing.

: Dr Anthony Beck, one of the two founders of Beijing-based Stone&Beck veterinary clinic.

This week Nicely Made in China takes a look at one particular sector of the service industry. With roughly 150 million dogs in China and at least as many cats the need for veterinary services has never been so great. « Doctors Beck & Stone« started by an Anglo-Chinese team has opened a couple of clinics in Beijing, including a brand new one in Shunyi. NMiC talked to Dr Stone and Dr Anthony Beck about pets and pet lovers in China.

Read the rest of this entry »

beijing, SERVICES

SHANGRILA FARMS

juillet 28th, 2010 Posted in BEIJING, CITIES, FOOD, OTHER CITIES

juil, 28 2010

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: Safi et Alia Malik in Shangrila farms Beijing office with some of their products.

: Yunnan arabica coffee beans.

: A farmer at work on his coffee beans.

: Shangrila Yunnan coffee is handpicked, one of the conditions to get better coffee.

: Shangri La village in Yunnan.

: Local farmers of the Hamagu Bee project in Yunnan.

: Best coffee is harvested by hand.

: The husk is removed from the coffee bean by this machine.

This week, Nicely Made in China goes green and meets with Alia Malik, Shangrila Farms managing director in her Beijing office. Alia, a half-American, half-Pakistani New-Yorker is a development economist. She talks about fair-trade and helping Yunnan farmers grow coffee and raise bees.

Read the rest of this entry »

beijing, FOOD, SHANGRI LA

NICOLAS FAVARD-JEWELLER

juillet 23rd, 2010 Posted in BEIJING, CITIES, CRAFTS, FASHION, HANDMADE, JEWELLERY

juil, 23 2010

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: Goldsmith and jeweller Nicolas Favard in his Beijing shop situated in trendy Sanlitun.

: This Nicely Made in China silver and galuchat (skate skin) cuff-bracelet by Nicolas Favard costs 1800 Rmb.

: A white gold -18 carat- ring with a Tahiti black pearl costs 12,500 Rmb.

: Folded silver bracelet Nicely Made in China by Nicolas Favard.

: Nicolas Favard works on a piece of silver to make a money clip.

: This silver money clip costs 500 Rmb.

: This titanium piece is made of 4 different pieces without soldering it is an object to carry around as hand decoration.

: Nicolas in his Sanlitun workshop.

Nicolas Favard, a 30-year old Frenchman and an extremely gifted craftsman, has lived in China since 2004. He opened recently a new shop in a quiet street just on the West side of Sanlitun North Village. Nicely Made in China had a conversation with him on how he became a jeweller, what inspires him and the meaning of jewels.

Nicolas, when did you decide to become a jeweller?

I got the bug when I was 12. Our teacher told us it was time for us to think about what we wanted to do later in life and I found an article about becoming a jeweller in a book. The bug hasn’t left me since. Read the rest of this entry »

accessories, beijing, JEWELLERY

Mr. GAO ZHENMIN-LUTHIER

juillet 13th, 2010 Posted in BEIJING, CITIES, CRAFTS, HANDMADE, MUSIC, OTHER CITIES

juil, 13 2010

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: Mr Gao ZhenMin and his wife Wen YaXia in their workshop.

: Luthier Mr Gao ZhenMin in front of his folded double-bass inside the case.

: Ms Wen YaXia varnishing an instrument in the couple’s workshop.

: Mr Gao with a Sichuan maple soundboard ready to be mounted.

: Mr Gao shows his reserve of drying wood.

: A piece of maple that Mr Gao keeps for his next commission to use as a back of a double-bass.

: A very Nicely Made in China double-bass head with copper keys.

: A cello Nicely Made in China by Mr Gao in his Hebei workshop.

This week Nicely Made in China gives centre stage to Mr Gao ZhenMin, a luthier, owner of Huaming Bass. Mr Gao Zhenmin lives in Hebei and makes his speciality to build and repair double-basses and cellos with his wife, Ms Wen YaXia. NMiC paid him a call in his Hebei workshop where a collection of stringed instruments await his attention between fragrant Sichuan maple and alcohol-based home-made varnish.

When did you open your workshop?

In 2004, after working for 7 years at the oldest Beijing instruments-making factory where I was assembling, adjusting and testing the instruments. While working there I met a lot of music professors who told me there was a niche market in making instruments for high-end classical and jazz musicians. That’s how it started.

Read the rest of this entry »

beijing, CRAFTS, handmade