Author: eastbounder

Xie Zhi Zhang－Finding Where the Heart Belongs, Amidst the Flow of Tea

May 6, 2019
by eastbounder
TAIPEI

In Taiwan, we drink tea almost daily. There are tea stands at every corner, and various intricately designed tea houses in alleyways. Yet, we knew so little about tea. Many are willing to invest their time brewing coffee, while being put off by the idyllic of Chinese tea ceremony originated from our own culture. Some tea lovers enjoy a fresh brew of tea, but don’t know more about the uniqueness of Taiwan Oolong. Almost an […]

Zulu – A Quiet Day in the Shimmering Shanghai

November 17, 2017
by eastbounder
SHANGHAI

We got to know Zulu through a friend in Shanghai. Back then, the only thing we knew about her was that she opened Quan Er, a Japanese homeware store, with her friends in a “longtang” (弄堂community alleyways) in Shanghai. Even before we got to meet each other, she had already sent a long, inviting email to share with us her life and her favorite places in Shanghai. Later, we realized that since its opening in […]

Moby－Creating Delicate Products with Slow Stitching

July 25, 2017
by eastbounder
TAIPEI

made by hand series  — Nowadays almost everything is mass-produced by machines. It happens so fast that we have almost forgotten the fine details of handmade goods. Fortunately, scattered about the city, some people are still following their hearts and insist on living a slow life, crafting handmade goods in opposition to the high speed lifestyle of the city. Moby is one of them. He established “Easy Company” to run his one-man business in a […]

Danielle Wu－Building a Sense of Intimacy with People, One Hat at a Time

June 9, 2017
by eastbounder
SHANGHAI

made by hand series  — The first time we met Danielle in Shanghai was in her workroom, Studio Kreuzzz, fitted in Shanghai’s alleyways. The small, quiet and magical space was a stark difference to Shanghai’s ever-changing landscape. Shy and quiet at the beginning, the moment Danielle started talking about her hats, she looked like a child, eyes shining with excitement as she shared her hat stories and why she started making hats in China. Written […]

Nan Lang, Creating the Most Down-to-Earth Fashion Brand in China

March 17, 2017
by eastbounder
SHANGHAI

When you talk about Chinese fashion, the first thing that comes to mind is Dong Liang— the pioneer of select shop in China which showcase local up-and-coming fashion design. In a time when everyone else was following Western fashion houses, Dong Liang strived to discover local designers with great potential—helping them sell, promote and even step onto the international stage. As one of the founders of Dong Liang, Nan Lang used to be a graphic […]

Wallis + Kongkee－Living an Ideal Life in Hong Kong

March 14, 2017
by eastbounder
HONGKONG

Getting things done in Hong Kong isn’t easy; if you want to open a shop, the rent is always too high; if you want to focus on your creative work, bringing home the bread can also be a big problem. Yet Wallis and Kongkee, a couple living under such harsh reality, continue to follow their hearts by living and working the way they want. As a former glamorous fashion buyer, Wallis has chosen to forage […]

Alfie Lin－Follow Nature and Find the Beauty of Taiwan

March 14, 2017
by eastbounder
TAIPEI

On a sunny day, we followed Taipei-based floral artist Alfie Lin to his private guesthouse Shu Shu. On the way to Jiufen, a popular, photogenic mountain town outside of Taipei, we didn’t run into the flood of tourist nor the infamous capricious local weather. We followed a small and quiet path and walked up to the old house hidden in the mountain. On seeing Shu Shu, we immediately understood how it gained its poetic name—sunshine […]