Nicely Made in China (NMiC) would like to wish all our readers and loyal sponsors (Beijing-based travel agent Travel-Stone, joint ventures & mergers specialists Palazzari & Turries) a very happy new year of the snake. May this year bring you and your loved ones happiness, health and good fortune.
BLUNT UMBRELLAS
- New Zealanders Greig Brebner (L) and Scott Kington (R) the two founders of Blunt Umbrellas with some of their revolutionary umbrellas. (Photo Phil Doyle/ Fairfax NZ)
- Blunt Umbrellas come in different colours.
- Blunt Umbrellas latest creation for golf players benefits from the Radial Tensioning System which helps get the perfect canopy tension necessary in windy weather.
- Blunt Umbrellas’ Radial Tensioning System (RTS) helps the opening force to spread outwards all the way to the canopy edge to create superior canopy tension.
Today umbrellas, like many other products, are often manufactured in China. In 2007 that’s where New Zealanders Scott Kington – who studied marine biology at Auckland university – and Greig Brebner – a mechanical engineer – the founders of Blunt Umbrellas, took their idea for a revolutionary umbrella. In the following interview Scott Kington tells Nicely Made in China (NMiC) how he and his partner launched the company Blunt Umbrellas.
Mr.WANG HAORAN / K’O-SSU WORKSHOP
- Mr Wang Haoran (Left – top row) with his grandfather, a K’o-ssu master with employees of the workshop.
- An example of K’o-ssu made on a dress for fashion Chinese brand Ne-Tiger in mr Wang Haoran’s workshop in Nantong.
- An example of K’o-ssu in this replica of Butterfly and Flower motif by Song era (960-1279) K’o-ssu master Zhu Kerou.
- K’o-ssu craftwoman at work in mr Wang Haoran’s workshop in Nantong.
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.
- French entrepreneur Olivia Gurdjian, one of the two Bubble-Mood creators, is based in Shanghai.
- A Japanese kimono is used as a base in this Bubble-Mood creation called Allure. The new Bubble-Mood collection comes out mid-February.
- Two other creations from the 2013 collection by Bubble-Mood using a Japanese kimono as a base using various prints.
- Navarange Kimono by Bubble Mood for the 2013 Spring-Summer collection.
Bubble-Mood is a new Shanghai-based fashion brand created by 3 young Parisian entrepreneurs in 2009. Olivia Gurdjian, one of the 3 creators of the company arrived in China in 2006 after media studies at the Sorbonne in Paris. She quickly realised that Shanghai was the perfect place to start a fashion business. With her business partner Margaux Painvin and her husband Lucas Gurdjian, the trio created Bubble-Mood which is now attracting an increasing amount of attention from fashionistas. In the following interview Olivia tells Nicely Made in China (NMiC) how it all started.
NMiC’S EXPERT’S CORNER: HOW TO MAINTAIN DIFFERENT TYPES OF FABRICS. (Sponsored article)
- Linen is an elegant and discreet fabric which doesn’t tear easily and is beautiful when perfectly ironed with a little starch to prevent it creasing.
- A Shanghai Trio silk scarf: Virginie Fournier advises to never soak silk, never boil it and never use bleach.
- Shanghai Trio Gougou travel bag is made of polyester and can be washed in a washing machine.
- Virginie Fournier, Shanghai Trio owner and main designer gives a few tips on how to maintain different fabrics.
There’s nothing worse than getting a stain on your favorite garment and not knowing how to clean it. In the following article Virginie Fournier – owner and main designer of Shanghai Trio – and one of Nicely Made in China’s partners – gives Nicely Made in China readers a few tips on how to keep delicate and favorite articles in good shape for a long time.
- Guangzhou-based Boukje Koch, a Dutch designer in her 30’s, is at helm of the design group Ask4me.
- Boukje Koch the Dutch designer photographed with her team.
- The Dream Light was created by Dutch designer Boukje Koch and projects beams of light representing planes, automobiles and sailing boats on the ceiling of children’s bedrooms.
- Home appliances constitute another part of Ask4me projects.
Boukje Koch (a Dutch designer in her 30’s) is this week’s Nicely Made in China’s (NMiC) guest. Boukje landed in Jiangsu province 7 years ago with a Master’s degree in industrial design and another one from the Arnheim dance academy. Today she’s at the helm of the Guangzhou-based Ask4me Group, a design company which not only designs, but also organises the engineering and manufacturing of products for clients from Europe and now, more and more from China.
- Adrien Choux at work with his watchmaker who is also based in Hong Kong.
- The Chinese Timekeeper watchmaker at work.
- The black CTK-13 is the first watch to have jade, an ornamental stone, on its dial.
- The CTK-15 shows the time just like it used to be in China before the 16th century.
China – and the world – have changed since we launched Nicely Made in China. That is why we feel the need to look back and see how the companies and people we’ve featured during those 2 1/2 years have fared.
We start this series of updates called What’s New with the Hong Kong-based watchmaker The Chinese Timekeeper (CTK). We met the owner Adrien Choux recently to discover what’s new for his company.
RI.by.CARRIE / DESIGNER LEGWEAR
- Fashion designer Carrie Chan founder of RI.by.CARRIE, creates interesting legwear and hand printed tights “nicely made in China”.
- Hand printed tights by RI.by.CARRIE using the screen printing method are “nicely made in China”.
- Original leg wear by RI.by.CARRIE. Carrie Chan the founder likes oriental western patterns mixed together in a very modern way.
- Rabbittattoo is a creation of RI.by.CARRIE, the Hong Kong fashion brand launched by Carrie Chan. Tights are hand printed using the screen printing method.
Hong Kong-born fashion designer Carrie Chan, 32, got her Master’s Degree in Fashion Design in 2008 at the University of Westminster in the UK after a few years as a fashion and lifestyle journalist at the South China Morning Post. Then, in October 2011 she launched the first RI.by.CARRIE collection and made a name for herself with leg wear and hand printed tights. Nicely Made in China (NMiC) met Carrie in her Hong Kong studio at the Jockey Club Creative Arts Centre in Shek Kip Mei.