Nicely Made in China

News on China quality products, lifestyle, design and services.

TRANQUIL TUESDAYS / CHINESE TEA & TEA SET GIFTS

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The simple pleasure of a cup of tea can be a very welcome break from the frenetic pace of life. But how to know which tea is best, when there are hundreds to choose from: Lapsang Souchong, Pu’er, Oolong, white tea, green tea…and so on. Nicely Made in China’s (NMiC) guest this week is Charlene Wang, a Californian of Chinese origin. She’s a tea aficionado and the founder of Tranquil Tuesdays, a new player in the world of tea merchants. She has taken it upon herself to bring the best tea leaves from China to the thirsty world.

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Mr.WANG HAORAN / K’O-SSU WORKSHOP

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K’o-ssu – also written kesi – or Chinese silk tapestry, is a complex traditional Chinese weaving technique which had its heyday during the Tang (618-907) and Song (960-1279) dynasties. Today there are less than 100 people working across China in this area. Frequently used to make clothes for imperial families and to reproduce famous Chinese paintings, nowadays this little known craft faces extinction due to lack of demand. However, there are signs of renewed interest, and to learn more about this precious technique, Nicely Made in China travelled to “textile town”, Nantong in Jiangsu province, to visit a young K’o-ssu maker, Mr. Wang Haoran.

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LuRu HOME / NANKEEN

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Imagine giving a new lease of life to a three thousand year old Chinese tradition! This is exactly what Liza Serratore and Claire Russo – two young American entrepreneurs based in Shanghai – have done with ‘Nankeen’ in creating LuRu Home.  They are determined to make it a household name, not just in China but way beyond too. Nicely Made in China (NMiC) recently spoke with them to find out more about it.

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NOOKHA / BAMBOO FURNITURE

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Bamboo groves have been a feature of Chinese flora for thousands of years. And humans have found many different uses for this, the largest member of the grass family, varying from building material to medicine and musical instruments. Its many qualities have long been favored by furniture designers too, among them Christine Richard, a Hong Kong-based “design publisher” (“editeur de design” in French) who recently launched Nookha, a designer furniture brand. In this interview with Nicely Made in China (NMiC) she tells us why she chooses to use bamboo and why part of her production is (nicely) made in China.

 

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TANG’ROULOU / CHILDREN & BABY CLOTHES

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If you live in Northern China, chances are that on a cold winter’s day you’ve bought ‘tang hu lu’, those little skewers of toffee smothered fruits. But there’s another ‘tang hu lu’:  Tang’Roulou (written phonetically), is a Chinese company created by French-born Amélie Peraud in 2004 which has in 7 years become synonymous with ‘made in China’ quality children and baby clothes and accessories. Read the rest of this entry »

MISCHA / HANDBAGS

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If, like Hong Konger Michelle Lai, you travel a lot, you might be on the lookout for the perfect travel bag. Nicely Made in China (NMiC) caught up with Michelle in Paris on her way to the contemporary fashion fair Rendez-Vous. Born in Toronto, she is the founder and creative director of Mischa. She talked about her passion for Japanese textiles and how her life changed when she began to create handbags. Read the rest of this entry »

LOVERAMICS / CERAMICS

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Recently, when exploring the Sheung Wan area of Hong Kong, Nicely Made in China (NMiC) stumbled upon Tung street which is chok-a-blok with quirky and interesting little shops selling some of the best products Hong Kong and international designers have to offer. It is here that Loveramics, launched in 2005 by William and Grace Ching, opened its store. We met with Grace to hear their story. Read the rest of this entry »

HOIMING / LEATHER HANDBAGS

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Hoi Ming Fung and Baldwin Pui, business and life partners, created “Hoiming” in 2007, making leather handbags, which are steadily growing in popularity and reputation in the world of fashion accessories. Nicely Made in China (NMiC) met them in their workshop in Hong Kong where they talked about their passion for leather and fashion. Read the rest of this entry »

BEZ & OHO / HANDBAGS

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Today Nicely Made in China (NMiC) shares with you a beautiful story and a great product. Annalisa Ryle arrived in Hong Kong 13 years ago via the volunteer route working with the St. Stephen’s Society – in fact her office is still on the charity’s premises in Hong Kong. 5 years ago she founded Bez & Oho (after the biblical characters Bezalel and Oholiab), a company which makes cool handbags out of recycled rice bags while providing jobs to vulnerable people. Read the rest of this entry »

M. LAU ON HING / QIPAO TAILOR

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In the high-speed world that is China today, we at Nicely Made in China (NMiC) find it reassuring to discover that some things don’t change! NMiC recently met with Mr Lau, a qipao or cheongsam tailor, in his workshop in Hong Kong.  A sprightly sexagenarian with a mischievous smile, he has for 50 years been hand-making exquisite qipao – a form of traditional Chinese dress. Originally from Shanghai, he came to Hong Kong aged 14 to learn the craft and is now one of the last remaining ‘Shanghai tailors’, as they’re known in Hong Kong, still working today. Read the rest of this entry »