Archive for the ‘China’ Category
In a city where museums are scarce, Hong Kong’s auction previews increasingly serve as a cultural space. Sotheby’s Spring auction preview gathered collectors, students and the curious to admire art from contemporary Chinese to classical calligraphy. The Ullens collection, built by one of the world’s most prolific collectors of Chinese contemporary art, was the centerpiece […]
Filed under: China, Colors, Craft | Leave a Comment
The hidden beat behind a fashion collection is often set by textile design. Less in the lime light than fashion designers, designers of textile patterns are the often forgotten storytellers. Artists behind the cut. I recently sat down with one such artist, Fabien Blachier, who has developed a culture of textile pattern in Shanghai Tang, […]
Filed under: China, Colors, Textile Design | Leave a Comment
To escape Hong Kong’s fast-paced life, there’s nothing like taking a small boat off the island to have tea with an explorer. How Man Wong, a National Geographic explorer and first person to trace the source of the Yangtze river in the Himalayas, lives in a remote house that you reach from Hong Kong by […]
Filed under: China, Craft | Leave a Comment
At Pan Jia Yuan Weekend market, on the outskirts of Bejing, you can find just about anything – From jade stones, to old photos and ethnic textiles. Most market stall owners are from the many minority groups of China, including the Miao, Hui and Uigurs. Above are different shades of greens from a necklace stall.
Filed under: China, Colors, Craft | 1 Comment
Old family trunks can be amazing time machines. Amid Victorian lace and 1920s dresses in a trunk for “Children’s Fancy Dress”, I found an elaborately embroidered silk robe from China. The robe was probably brought back from China in the 1850s by my husband’s great-great-grandfather, Sir William Tyrone Power, KCB. Power traveled extensively throughout Asia […]
Filed under: China, Textile | Leave a Comment
Among the many inventions credited to China, many forget the kite. Kites were not always a child’s toy. With references dating back more than 2,800 years in Chinese myths and legends, kites were conceived for military purposes: measuring distances, sending messages and even lifting men. Today made of wood, paper, bamboo and silk, I found this flat […]
Filed under: China, Colors, Craft | Leave a Comment
Rise And Fall Of The Qi Pao
In their evolution from generous gowns in the Imperial Manchu Court to form-fitting dresses of the 1930s, the Qi Pao is probably China’s most iconic piece of clothing. The full historic range is currently on display at the Hong Kong Museum of History in “Evergreen Classic: Transformation of the Qi Pao” (see poster above). Despite […]
Filed under: China, Fashion, Textile | 2 Comments
Tags: Qi Pao, qipao
Wandering around Sham Shui Po, Hong Kong’s mecca for textiles, I found rows of what I call “grandma shirts” – shirts local “mature” Hong Kong women wear during the day. I associate the look with shopkeepers, market sellers or women contemplating the bustling world from their doorstep. On closer inspection, some of the floral patterns […]
Filed under: China, Colors, Textile | 2 Comments
Back in high school, Anne-Laure was already passionate about the Silk Road. She dreamed of Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and read anything related to Central Asia: from literature to cookbooks. I remember visiting together the Genghis Khan exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum in New York to admire the beautifully woven saddles that once covered Genghis Khan horses. […]
Filed under: China, Craft, luxury, Textile | 2 Comments
Tags: Anne-Laure Py, Central Asia, Craftspring
I took this photo in a shop on Nan Lu Guo Xiang that sold traditional Cheong Sam dresses. Although the dresses were very stylish and came in colorful patterns, I was more struck by the shop’s picture perfect changing room. From the vintage silk wallpaper, to the traditional floral curtains, down to the wooden clogs […]
Filed under: China, Textile | Leave a Comment
