Grace Wang / CEO of VVG
It Doesnât Mean a Bliss if Life is Smooth Â
Few people have the elegance and self-possession like a queen, and fewer have the ability to stun and move people at the same time. Grace, the CEO of the lifestyle brand VVG, is the rare entity of both.
Walking into the walnut brown hall of VVG Thinking, Grace immediately showed her distinct character that was as sheer as the white dress she put on. She was a generous lady who spoke with a soft, calm voice. She was generous to share what she liked and provide a platform for designers to showcase their works. She was generous to spend on projects which were unique in their own ways. She was also very generous to tell us what she experienced in the hard times without reserve. We often heard stories from successful people about how they built their empires from scratch, how they envisioned the future of mankind, to name but a few. But what we could truly learn to grow was not only from their recipes for boom, but also from the stories on how they survived a major setback and reached new heights. Graceâs story was one of these, and the story about courage, curiosity, honesty and persistence.
Every project of VVG has been added new elements, styles or a fresh response to life. How can you keep pursuing original experience, and sharing what you like? Â
Curiosity. I think I have to remain a pure mind, and be without too many complex feelings. To enjoy our life is what makes us curious. I make friends as well, and after that to connect more people and get the chance to experience many, many great things. I am open-minded. I always say yes to people who come to me for help, and join them if I feel that the projects are awesome. From 1999, VVG expanded from a restaurant to different sorts of shops, and thereâre plenty of opportunities working with designers. I want to create a platform for these designers, so that they can make presentations, talks, and sometimes markets. Getting a lot of people involved is a wonderful way for them to explore their favourites in a form of living. People who do designs, arts, handicrafts, music or even films are gathered and create a fascinating vibe. There are rising demands for life aesthetic in mainland China. I went to Nanjing in early 2017 and just wrapped up the project of a lifestyle space in Zhengzhou. I will go wherever I am needed.
Can you tell us something more about your hobbies? Weâve heard you are very much into movies. Which one of them influences you most deeply? And in what ways movies enrich your creations and connect your life?
Watching movies is my greatest interest, and every day I see one or two films. They are so much fun, there might not be a film which really sweeps me off my feet, but there always are some films that tell us so much about our life. A movie is like a reflection of how we live. People see movies from their own perspectives, which reflect their inner self and ways of thinking. The Bridges of Madison County is the movie that stays deep inside my heart, it is a romantic love story that blows my mind. Seeing a movie can help inspire imagination. Of course I focus on the movieâs plot and visuals, but I also pay attention to the film score, costumes, props and settings. I will even consider playing that soundtrack in VVG if it fits.
VVG is like a window between Taiwan and the world, facilitating the exchange about life aesthetic on both sides. How do you manage to create an atmosphere of living a quality life for others?
In fact, I do not create this atmosphere intentionally, as all things in life happen very naturally. If youâve ever felt its beauty, you will pay attention to it. I donât do commercials, but sometimes I tell people my genuine feelings about life through giving talks. In the past eighteen years, I opened new shops by pure chance. I have new shops only if they are suitable for VVG, and I donât want chain stores or duplications, because every space and building have their own and unique character, and I dress these buildings in ways that are true to their souls. For example, I had my largest project in 2016 in National Taichung Theater. The structure is designed by Toyo Ito. The idea of bringing the concepts of caves, lakes and rivers in the theater is just amazing. As early as 2014, I was invited to take part in this plan. I fell for it immediately, but at that time I was incapable of making this happen. Between 2014 and 2015, I was going through my tough times. We had financial problems, and were very close to collapse. In the latter half of 2015 we found a new investor, so we tried it again. Iâve spent half a year to adjust the project, changing it from more and more to less and less, so that Mr. Itoâs parts became the highlights of the interior. All I had to do was perfecting the lighting, props and so on, turning everything into a state of curves. Still, thereâs so much work to do, as it requires a change from linear to nonlinear thinking, We made it at last, and Mr. Ito loves it.
You are very generous and honest. Many people want to be like you and develop their career based on things they have a passion for. What would you say to those who are still finding their directions?
A lot of people have dreams. I think for most of the things, we need to learn the basics, for instance, the concepts of costs, financial management, legal issues and purchasing. Start your learning in corporates, and after acquiring the basic skills and knowledge, you can go ahead and realise your dreams. Many people follow dreams but they lack the ability to execute, and theyâll come up short. After the execution you still need to sustain it. So, doing business is hard, sometimes youâll need some luck, some opportunities or an unconventional mind to create your own life. And one more thing, courage and persistence. You will face numerous setbacks, and you need to be brave enough to accept and deal with them during your journey of growing up. Snags are not uncommon, but it doesnât mean a bliss if life is smooth. I donât have much luck to start with, and every day Iâve mountains of problem to deal with. Yet, they make me an experienced fighter who stays self-possessed.
VVG Thinking
VVG Food Play
Video Interview by Sabrina Li
Text by Sabrina Li
VVG ThinkingÂ
HuanShan 1914 Creative Park, Zhongzheng District, Taipei City, Taiwan
Jay Wu / Founder of Fujin Tree Group
Fujin Tree- The Path to the Far-reaching Future Â
Growing out of Songshan District in Taipei, Fujin Street is a lush avenue which stretches across the Minsheng neighbourhood. From the map, it begins at Guangfu North Road and has its other end near Keelung River. But seeing at the street is different, it looks as if thereâs no end. The pavement is sprinkled with sunlight, shop signs are the eyes of the stores which hide themselves under the shades of leaves, enchanting the curious visitors. The most captivating of all is arguably the brand Fujin Tree, which bears the name of this beautiful street.
Jay Wu, the founder of Fujin Tree Group, keeps pushing the boundaries of his creativity and life aesthetics centreing Fujin Street, expanding his lifestyle brands from select shop, cafe, stationery to restaurant and massage shop. The Interview with Jay in Fujin Tree Cafe was refined with depth and insights. He shared with us how he got inspiration for his work and outlook from the quote âItâs not about meâ, how he brought to Taiwan the life aesthetics ideas from the French, not to mention his complete confidence in the young generation. He proved that a highly successful and determined brand was built not only upon limitless thinking process and decision-making, but also its faith and open-mindedness to the young forces.
Looking once again at Fujin Street after the interview, the endless path seems to point in the promising direction where young people steer and make the change, as if Jay has already known.
Fujin Treeâs self-operated shops and acting brands are the congregations of ideal life solutions. How does your exemplary, dreamy life look like? Are they reshaped in different stages of your life? ïŒÂ
The denotation of an exemplary life indeed is constantly reshaped as I grow, for instance, I have completely different outlooks on life before and after marriage as well as the birth of my children.
Before getting married I only need to feed myself and my family, but after I got married, especially when my kids were born, the space I created is mostly connected to my children, and I wish my creations fit the needs of my beloved ones.
And what is a perfect, dreamy life to me? Iâd say it is a simple life. The design is minimalist, spending is basic, and attitude to other people is uncomplicated. I donât want to be bothered with too much nuisance:
"You like me, I like you too! If you donât like me, I am okay!"
Kicking off a brand new mode of corporation involves shrewdness and an adventurous spirit. What is the boldest decision youâve made?
People are making endless decisions every minute of their lives. What make up our life is the numerous small decisions we take. Every previous choice determines the nowness, and the choice we make in this moment is the thread of the future.
I love observing, and thinking. I donât worry about making decisions, because I understand clearly what I want. Starting my own business was a major decision to me, but as Iâve already resolved to do this since I was small, itâs merely a point of timely initiation.
Still, there are plenty of small businesses being set up in my company. Every single choice entails courage, and any success and setback have an impact on the future.
Can you tell us one of your biggest inspirations?
There was a sentence which affected me significantly. When I was fifteen or sixteen, I read a book and saw a sentence that wrote, âItâs not about meâ. I didnât quite grab that idea back then, so I kept thinking and looking for the answer of âIt is not about meâ. Iâve been reading a lot of books about living and about dying. I started to ask questions such as why am I here? Why am I alive? Who am I? Where will I go? What should I do while living?
During the process of self-searching from âIt is not about meâ, I was influenced deeply in many many ways. It has changed the direction of what I am doing now, my philosophy of life, values, and my career are all inspired by this process. For example, Iâve found my direction, that is to redefine everything. The coffee shop, select shop and restaurant I operated were not new industries in Taiwan, but I was aware that the concept of a âgood lifeâ or âliving your lifeâ was unfamiliar to many of the Taiwanese, so I decided to redefine what it meant to be living a âgood lifeâ.
Therefore I targeted Fujin Street, and from this street I reorganized and redefined my interpretations of a âgood lifeâ, thus recreated a brand new lifestyle. This whole new idea of business model could be traced back to the whole process of my own thinking about âIt is not about meâ, who I am, why I am living here, what I should do while living and what kinds of impact I want to make.
Fujin Tree notches up its success with speed, and youâve consolidated your business at a young age. Do you still have anything to achieve? Or what do you wish to be in the future?
I hope Fujin Tree as a brand could influence the Chinese lifestyle industries in a constructive way. Previously Chinese people didnât see how others make a living from lifestyle, but you see, the French people experience their lives with heart, and they sell air, water, arts and lifestyle. They embellish their living environment so well that they could visually carry this aesthetic to the rest of the world. Now while the Chinese are on the rise, and we are living in the best of times, I truly wish Fujin Tree could represent the brand of the generation.
I really hope that within 10 years, we could expand our team with more strengths, and pass down the business to the young generation. Lifestyle industries have always supported young people, who know how to have fun and to create. We need to have faith in them, offering them a chance to show off their talents. They will steer us to an undiscovered yet promising directionââ this is what I am certain!
Fujin Tree Group
Fujin Tree Cafe Facebook Page
Video Interview by Sabrina Li
Text by Sabrina Li
Fujin Tree GroupÂ
No. 353, Fujin Street, Songshan District, Taipei City
Karen Yang / TOOLS to LIVEBY Co-founder
You have to find something that is interesting to you; it doesnât have to be the same as everyone else Â
We all live for that one thing we love.
While the road to a dream is never easy, Karen who founded TOOLS to LIVEBY said, âIf we live life all smooth and easy, wouldn't it be kind of boring?â When Karen was 18-year-old, she missed her flight in Japan. Instead of letting her buy a new ticket, her dad asked her to spend a night in the airport, so that she could use her ticket. This is how she found out we donât need a trouble-free life, the twist and turns make it interesting, moulding us into who we are.
From a garage to a stationery store, TOOLS to LIVEBY strikes a difference with its unique style. When Karen first started this project, she just wanted to see how it would go. Now, TOOLS to LIVEBY is an international brand name that breaks down boundaries between âlocalâ and âglobalâ, proving that the skyâs the limit when you love what you do.
What is the curation process like in TOOLS to LIVEBY? Â
At first, I select the stationery myself. But for this year, I hope that my team will start helping with curation. There have been five years and our customers have been with us for so long - they know our style and it may no longer be able to satisfy them. I have a particular taste and we can use other angles to analyze stationery as well.
We have a team meeting every two weeks and we discuss what they found and what they like. People work here because they love stationery, and so I want to combine our strengths. And of course, the selections need to fit our style and we have a standard for selecting stationery.
We set four criteria for selection: it has to be aesthetic, usable, classic, and of high quality.
Some beautiful looking stationery are terribly unusable, so being easy to use is important. It can be something classic or something new that will become classic, or something that has a history of 80 to 100 years in Europe but was not discovered. And finally, it has to be of high quality as a whole. When we analyze something, we need to look at its quality, its form and its function. If a pen is beautiful and of high quality but it is hard to write with, it wonât make our selection.
What event in life really inspired you?
I have done so much because it interests me. So many things are interesting to me, but there are also countless hours of unspoken hardships.
My father inspired me a lot, he asked me âIf you lead a smooth and uneventful life, not a single challenge comes your way, wouldnât you find it boring?â
When I was 18-year-old, I missed my plane when I was coming back to Taiwan from Japan. I called my mum, and said: âMy plane was gone, what should I do?â I was so anxious. My mother told me to buy a new ticket but I heard my dad at the other end of the line âWhat? No, just stay at the airport for a day and two then you can catch another flight with the ticket.â
I was just a girl, my mum was so worried, but my dad has always raised me up this way. He said, âshe will miss the days of sleeping in the airport.â Later on, I went on a business trip alone and my plane got delayed. All the other adults were so anxious, but I wasnât; was it because of the fact that I slept at the airport when I was 18? I got to the airlines counter and immediately I was able to exchange a new ticket.
We donât need a smooth and uneventful life. All the things we will encounter have already been determined, and because of these events, we can overcome something else later on. Doing something interesting is very important to my life. Some people might hear what I consider âinterestingâ and scoff, and that's what leads us to different paths. You have to find something that is interesting to you; it doesnât have to be the same as everyone else.
How does TOOLS to LIVEBY suit the need of customers from different places?
I think that we shouldnât design something âfor Taiwanâ, or âfor Asiaâ, or âfor Chinaâ, or make something that is suitable for only one audience or one demography. When you are designing, think of the whole world. People will like it because we all have the same desire for all things beautiful. When we first started, we needed to set the price at $200 in Europe. People in Taiwan, simply because of the price, would not buy it. But when they found that foreigners loved it, they started to wonder and it grew on them too.
However, there is indeed one thing that makes a difference for me. As I got a certain budget, I donât care if I spent all of it and nothing comes out of this. But many people, when they start a business, are constantly worried that their store would fail. As for our business model, we are not running a âstationery storeâ. We are making a brand. It is like if I am working for an international company, I would impose the same standard for our customer service or when we are making decisions. Therefore, when people ask why we can make a name outside of Taiwan, it is because we are not running a store, we are making a brand.
Dave Chen / Lok Hue Hng Co-Founder
Recreating the Taste of Freedom and Allure from the Past Â
While flipping through the history book in the library, the ten-year-old Dave could never have guessed, when asked about why he started digging into his clan history twenty years later, he would trace to a doubt flashed into his mind at that moment. .
âGrandpa said we were the most affluent family in Taipei, but why were we omitted in history?â The book narrated the story of his clan, and surprisingly, some content just didnât match the things his family told him, and there were other things that were completely new to his family. After that, Daveâs curiosity was a determined dog who kept on chasing the bone named âknowledgeâ until today.
Besides family history, Dave also explored Taiwanâs traditional materials, crafts and past commercials, and was the mind behind the ingenious projects such as Taipei Picnic Club, Nuit Blanche Taipei and Lok Hue Hng, as he believed âThe first step to being unconventional is to have a complete and genuine understanding of the past.â The motivation of organising all these lively and inspired projects stemmed from the imagination about life and freedom of the Taiwanese in the past. The old Taiwanese indulged in freedom and romance as if they were delicacies and wine, they expressed their craving and imaginations passionately. Dave restores the life and aesthetics of the past, making use of the local power and creativity to remind us that, after all, freedom and allure remain a taste from the past if they are only trapped in our imagination, you need to crave and recreate fiercely for others to have a taste of them.
Where do you draw your inspiration? And how do you observe life?
I donât really have inspiration, and what I do is to discover the needs of people around me. Just like I kicked off the creative market because I felt that my designer friends were so melancholic when they went to work, perhaps due to the fact that forward-looking designs havenât been well-received by most Taiwanâs audience. Thatâs why I found a way to let these friends to do their jobs, while creating what they thought was splendid. Then there was the Sunflower student movement, in which my friends had a row about, so I created an event for my friends to settle their differences. Nuit Blanche is a festival which lets the Taiwanese spirit out. I think Taiwanese peopleâs moral values and sense of time are frozen at the period around 1949. People of that time lived a free, romantic life. Poets wrote poems and songs about nightlife. The idea of getting everybody dance sprouted in my mind as I began organising twelve years ago.
Are you pleased with what you are now? You said Taipei Picnic Club will meet once a year, are you worried that it will disappoint those who love this amazing event?
No, because it makes things more thrilling this way. In retrospect, freedom was the heart of things Iâve worked on for the past ten years. Before coordinating the creative market, I was desperate for learning advertising and design, yet my family dismissed the idea, and I lost the freedom to pursue arts and design. So, I was determined to run a project which at least allowed Taiwanese people to choose freely what they loved. I founded Taipei Picnic Club because we used to go to the park for picnic, but now the idea is considered a damage to the lawn, or inappropriate in Taiwan. Taiwanese people have strayed from their public spaceâs imagination. Back to 1923 when the park was a new sensation here, almost every day there were people writing letters to the newspaper and commenting what a park should be like. Or when the zoo was first introduced, people imagined their public space and contributed in-depth articles about it. War broke out at the end of 1930s, that made the 1920s to early 1930s the golden age. Itâs hard to believe that people did enjoy so much freedom during that period. When I read their poems and novels of that period, I realise that there is not enough nutrient nourishing arts in Taiwan nowadays. Artists require an environment with rich ingredients to create great pieces. From literature to painting and design, Taiwanâs spiritual civilisation was more flourishing in those days.
What made you start the idea of digging into the history of your clan?
It started when I was in high school, coming across in the library a book which talked about my clan. And yet, there was so much information in it that even my family didnât know, and some other facts which were not as what my family told me. I was curious about the reason for those differences, for instance, my grandpa said our clan was the most affluent in his time, but what I found was that our clan had only appeared in Taiwan history for a very short time in Qing Dynasty, and then it was all gone, and nobody mentioned it afterwards. (Are you planning to write a book and share with us your research?) Iâd like to publish one, but it is quite impossible to include all things. Although we speak different languages in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore, we come from the same origin. Our ancestors just happen to be in different places in different times to become different people. Still, when we trace our family roots they were in fact entwined. Iâve already had a clear picture of how to write the book, but I might need to rethink. It is going to be a very interesting thing to do, and involves various places such as South-east Asia, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Guangdong and Fujian.
Could you tell us something more about your goals?
I am delving into Taiwanâs traditional materials and crafts, as well as commercials. Now I mainly do branding and pay special attention to brand valuation, discovering that multiculture is the most valuable source of brands. We have our own brand HTC, and yet it is not as competitive as other brands in the global market. Taiwanâs young generations are talented, but their designs have limits, as they lack the link to multiculture. I have plenty of designer friends who are keen on traditions and history. Unfortunately, the history pieced together is far from complete, probably due to political and other factors. I am not planning to re-construct something very solemn, but something more lively such as the food, beverage and aesthetics Taiwanese people had in the past (like what they used to draw, where the paints came from, which colours to choose and etc.). The artwork of Taiwanâs painters of 1920s is best described as âSinginâ in the Rainâ in the field. They are the liberation of hues, and the things produced in that period have so much strength. We can inspire young people to look through the lens of life and design that give us power. First-rate products make first-rate brands. We need to compare to distinguish the good from the bad, and comparison hinges on differentiationâ which draws for the most part from our local culture.
Lok Hue Hng Facebook Page
Video Interview by Sabrina Li
Text by Sabrina Li
Lok Hue HngÂ
2/F, No. 23, Lane 362, Minsheng West Road, Datong District, Taipei City, Taiwan 103
Cheng-Wei Hsu / Bridgisan Co-founderÂ
We can be different because we have nothing to lose
Home to the startup dream of Bridgisan is a crooked building in Taipei City. Hsu opened this restaurant with his friends, and on top of creating their own recipe and style, Bridgisan has a pub vibe that stood out in Taiwan. They are both praised and vilified for their âcrazinessâ, but Hsu said that they can afford to be different exactly because they have nothing to lose.
A bowl of Taiwanese donburi, pumpkin soup, dessert, with a bottle of craft beer. It doesnât get better than this.
What is your background?
I studied real estate in college. Many people talk about how what a great career path real estate is, but that is only good for the money. Look at the real estate advertising in Taiwan. With the way they write, it is obvious that they have not been reading in their free time. Those writing are so lacking, and sometimes even close to incomprehensible. Before I started my own I worked in the industry and followed a few projects with my mentor after graduation. However as there is mandatory military service in Taiwan, I have been thinking about what if I really wanted to continue working in real estate after conscription. After I finished my service, I opened two coffee shops and later decided to open a restaurant for as it offers more room for development.
Why do you name your restaurant Bridgisan?
This is that kind of place. We are around 30 to 40 years old, so we have our own values that make us got branded as âmiddle ageâ. We are too wild, without a care in the world. Sometimes we are just like whatever. To us, relaxing after a long day of work is a must. Some people carry these burdens with them, while we donât even have any. Some people call us crazy.
Has it turned out as you have expected?
The work done in this place is quite complete, and we are satisfied with it. When we rent this place, it was very messy. One year and one day ago we came here, we tore down the house, opened the windows, and broke down many things. When the investor came here to look at the building, he was devastated. I wasnât worried though. The building was too crooked to get correct measurements but we are fine. The store, when the work was done, is very nice.
Is there a theme for your menu?
We came up with our own dishes and recipes. I worked alongside my chefs and colleagues for the main course. We researched and came up with new ideas on dishes, while the dessert is all on their hands. In recent years there have been fewer and fewer Taiwanese street food. All the chain stores with fancier dishes, and just, in general, more and more influenced by foreign cultures. The Taiwanese snacks and culture are disappearing. Therefore we take a step back and decided that for this location, it is best for street food. Streetfood embodies everything about local food culture, but we donât want to stay completely traditional as Taiwan is so diverse and influenced by so many cultures. We played with Japanese, Taiwanese, Chinese and western elements, and came up with a style that is our own.
Bridgisan Facebook Page
Video Interview by Iris Cheung
Text by Iris Cheung
BridgisanÂ
No.16, Ln. 62, Sec. 1, Xinsheng N. Rd., Zhongshan Dist., Taipei City 104, Taiwan
Phillip Ma / Founder of The Undercurrent Objects
Dedicated to the Ones who Love Imagining Â
When asked about whether his double-sphered design of a desk decoration would crash at some point, The Undercurrent Objects gave a neat, funny and enlightened answer, âAre you referring to the spheres of the work or you and the person you love? It is a no for my design, but it depends on you for the latter.â
It is hard not to consider Phillip Ma, the founder of The Undercurrent Objects, a witty thinker and creator, especially when you have chewed over the thoughts behind those beautifully articulated objects he madeâthey might not be the objects youâd have fallen in love with at first sight, but you certainly would have after discovering and imagining their stories. Emotions are melted to become part of the objects, and traces of literary sentences can be found in the design, for the creator himself seek and develop his inspiration from poems, songs or even a line from a novel. The best way to relish the objects Phillip created is perhaps not by picturing how they would fit in your house or desk, but imagining how a story could start from them by asking questions like, who will sit on this stool? And what kind of conversations and interactions the occupants will make?
Never mind if you could not imagine the objectâs story just yet, as Phillip said, whether it could be perceived or not, Undercurrent would always flow quietly beneath the ground, and stay with the people who can feel its presence.
Can you share with us the moment when you decided to start The Undercurrent Objects? What was your blueprint or imagination about the studio?
The moment when my child was born was the time I began adjusting my work and life, and so I kicked off The Undercurrent Objects.
The first exhibition I had after the studioâs opening was named âThe Objectsâ Proposalâ, in which I created some lamps, wall hooks and other ordinary objects we used every day. I gave up the idea of creating for utility and mass production, in order that I might discover other possibilities. Only without the weights of utility and the needs for mass production could the nature of these objects be unfolded.
The quote by the Architect Alvar Aalto would always linger in my mind whenever I thought about my studio, and excited me when I first started up. It wrote, âHuman life is a combination of tragedy and comedy. The shapes and designs that surround us are the music accompanying this tragedy and this comedy. Furniture, fabrics, colour schemes and structures can be made earnestly and happily, so that they produce no contrast to the tragedy and comedy of human life.â
Why do you choose pottery clay and brass as your materials? Are they special to you?
I still use wood and carbon steel in furniture making, and because they have their own distinctive features, I would not limit myself to pottery clay and brass only. But it is true that these materials mean something to me. I do not come from an artisan or design background, and so any thoughts about material are gradually developed from my everyday life.
While I was learning to make use of pottery clay, I found that it was the material that could reflect distinctly my feeling, such as joy, deep anxiety and other emotions I might have overlooked. The process of making pottery has given me a chance to discover them, and helped me through my period of creating. Thatâs why I always call pottery clay âmy teacherâ, which also makes it a mirror for seeing myself.
The reasons why I like brass are simpler, I love its lustre, touch and temperature. And as I said I normally go for the most suitable material for my objects, but it is more relaxing when I do pottery clay or brass, just like when you hang out with your dearest friends.
Your works seem to be telling some tales that could spark our imagination. Do you want to tell us how you develop your ideas and what your creative process involves?
My inspiration usually comes from a paragraph, they could be a poem, s song or a line from the novel. Vehement or gentle, these words always touch me, and they would have grown into a complete story when I chewed them over, and I can express my emotions fully through my objects.
What do you expect from The Undercurrent Objects studio after the adjustment? What are your future plans?
Iâve brought in some more works of the other creators, which offer more choices to people, giving them excitements or a little more fun in their lives.
To be honest, I didnât quite see how my studio would look in the future, and it was difficult to plan ahead. Yet what I am sure is that just like its name, Undercurrent, the studio will flow quietly beneath the ground, and stay with the people who can feel its presence. When I think of it, I would no longer be worried about the uncertainty.
The Undercurrent Objects Facebook Page
The Undercurrent Objects IG Page
Video Interview by Sabrina Li
Text by Sabrina Li
The Undercurrent ObjectsÂ
No. 44, Alley 14, Lane 85, Section 1, Fucian Road, West Central District, Tainan City
Alex Chou / Gochic Bicycle Founder
A ride to somewhere far away Â
Alex has always wanted to own a car. He studied Automobile Design in the United States, and he worked in the industry after he graduated. But when he got back to Taiwan, he founded the bike manufacturing company Gochic.
Gochic redefined the urban bike scene in Taiwan. A bike that embodies a âstyle in motionâ is not only easy to use but also aesthetical. Alex said, âGochic is a simple name actually. Chic came from the French word for high fashion - we want our bikes to be an embodiment of style in the cityâ. It is not a surprise that ideas of design from someone with an automobile background stood out, but because of this unique background, Alex was able to revolutionize the Taiwan urban bike scene with new concepts.
What gave you the idea of starting up Gochic?
When I first came across cycling, I found it really interesting. Taiwan has always been known for bike manufacturers with international recognition. I have a business idea: if I am to create a brand, I want people to own a bike that it is truly theirs and suit their needs. I started doing research and found out that there were a lot more urban bikes outside Taiwan. There are very few brands specializing in medium-sized bikes. I felt like that I could do something similar to that.
I created my startup company âGochicâ. It has a simple name, âchicâ as in the French word for âfashionableâ, which bears our goal to make biking in cities a fashion. And âgoâ, which is a verb, is combined with âchicâ to mean âa fashion in motionâ.
As I studied Automotive design, I have a different approach to designing bicycles comparing to the traditional practice. The automotive design focuses on the form, proportion, and the relations among points, lines, and planes. While most bikes are designed with the functional aspect as the priority, leaning towards the engineering approach. Therefore, few have approached it as a designer or an artist. Although some see me as an outsider, I think that our difference in the background gives our bikes a distinct style that is unique in the market, even the smallest detail makes a difference.
What is the most important aspect of designing a bike? What is it that makes a bike exceptional?
To be a bit shallow, I would say how it looks is the most important. However, some bikes look stunning, but it is impossible to ride them for a long time. Due to the form of the bike, the position of the biker will be a bit âaggressiveâ, making it hard to maintain over a long period of time. Therefore as a designer, I think that the priority is usability.
For instance, many people in Taiwan liked to buy folding bikes to exercise. But they would give up after using it once or twice. There are a lot of parts to this type of bike, and its tires are small, thus making it difficult to use. If you feel comfortable riding a bike for 2 to 3 hours, then you would continue to use it. For any vehicle, we buy it to use it. If we cannot use the bike, then it defeats the purpose of getting a bike.
What do you consider more important; is it the form or function of a bike?
Both form and function are important for sure. Depending on the crowd, for instance, for those who are into road bikes focus on the functionality for sports activities, but it doesnât mean that road bikes canât be aesthetically pleasing. For urban bikes, we also focus on the functionality. For instance, the Gates carbon belt-drive is installed on all of our bikes, which is something that is both functional and aesthetic. Therefore, I think that the two is not in competition. The execution really depends on the creator and their design concepts. A good design should be a good balance: being visually attractive is not enough, a good design has details that suggest the creatorâs careful consideration/design process. The design is about form and function. Some insist that it is âform over functionâ or âform follow functionâ - every designer has their own way of doing things and a unique style, some focusing on form, some on function, and some can do both.
Walass Huang / Founder of Washida Home Store
Make Yourself at Home
It was a rainy day when we visited Washida Home Store.
The sound of drizzle was clear inside the rectangular space for the mini book fair, and the mixture of coffee and fragrance was surprisingly delightful. If sound could turn into a colour, Walassâ whisper must be a mellow white, like a gentle moan, which was the colour that wrapped Washida and of the shirt Walass was wearing.
Both Walass and Washida had an affable vibe, it was as if dropping by somebodyâs home when entering the shop. Washida was like a friend of yours, who generously shared the things it loved, and through the clothes, decorations, coffee and the artwork it picked youâd have known more about its taste. It was the same warm feeling Walass gave when he talked to us about his stories, such as the fact that he used to be a nerd who knew nothing about clothes, how he took the time to adjust and perfect everything, and the journey to the United States when his passion began to fade. Walass treated us like a dear friend by sharing his highs and lows, and to the customers it was just the same, as he said, âWe recommend the best items weâve known so far to the customers. It doesnât matter whether they get a kick out of those things at all, because it is like a friendâs sharing.â The secret of Washidaâs success was perhaps the genial and genuine attitude the shop had, for it was beyond any doubt that people who came to Washida would find the best things, or simply enjoyed themselves there.
How did you transform your online daigou (buying on behalf of) shop into the physical âWashida Home Storeâ?
I studied Business Administration, and during my years in university I established my own brand. I started off the daigou business in 2007 without a master plan, and I just thought itâd be fun and at the same time made myself some money. Through this I also observed the commercial behaviour and learnt a great deal. After graduation, I went back to Tainan and set up my first physical store, and five to six years later I launched the second store in Taichung. Having a store in Taichung is like pushing back the boundaries of myself, as Taichung lacks this kind of select shop, so I give it a whirl. And if we could discover potential clients who are taken with our picks, the chances to hit the taste of Taipei customers would be higher. Another reason why I choose Taichung is that I think fascinating events can also happen in cities other than Taipei.
Your Taichung storeâs vibe seems very distinct from that in Tainan, with coffee and arts put in. How did you come up with these concepts?
In fact, I cycled and roamed around places to search for the ideal space. Then I stumbled across this place and thought itâs spacious. I felt like coffee should be served here. When the shopâs blueprint surfaced, I chewed them over with my colleagues. At that time, Monique contributed plenty of the design thoughts, we imagined how customers should experience when they entered the space, and decided the forms of this store. Another expression of the âhomeâ concept is by picturing the home of the person. He might have a passion for coffee, for books and most importantly, for clothes. Sharing good objects is our core idea, and we treat customers as friends. We recommend the best items weâve known so far to them. It doesnât matter whether they get a kick out of those things at all, because it is like a friendâs sharing.
The style of your shop also transformed. You brought in more well-known brands in the past, but now you have more brands with individuality. Why is there such a change?
I think it is a transformation as I grow older. At first I didnât know so much about clothes, I was a nerd. But then my connection with clothes pushed me to learn. We were apt to choose things many people like, and after a gradual process of transformation, now I tend to pick things we like. It is a journey. Initially we didnât have the chance to be familiar with all those smashing things, and itâs hard to persuade brands to collaborate with us, since they didnât really know what our shop was about. So, it took time to pile things up, and this space was our ground to reach the brands and bring them in. Weâve really spent plenty of time adjusting and perfecting things.
Washida Home Store
Washida Home Store Facebook Page
Washida Home Store IG Page
Video Interview by Sabrina Li
Text by Sabrina Li
Washida Home StoreÂ
No.4, Zhongxing 4th Ln., West Dist., Taichung City 403,Taiwan
Yellow / A Letterpress Co-founder
Donât Let It Die of Inaction
The portable printing machine made by A LETTERPRESS revived the traditional craft with modern concepts. Yellow came cross letterpress printing when he was studying in graduate school, and he learnt about their plight. He said, â If we found out the problem, why shouldnât we try to come up with solutions? When we try something new, we introduce changes that may just turn the tideâ.
Thus it is how this âmachine for this business cardâ project started. Exchanging business cards is much more than exchanging information, but a reflection of respect and good faith. Even with the success of this current project, Yellow hopes to work with Tech companies to incorporate modern printing techniques to create and inspire.
How did you come across Chinese letterpress printing? What inspired you to open the company?  Â
I found lead type pieces very interesting when I discovered it, but then I realised that it was difficult to use on my own. If I want to make my own business card with this, I have to make use of Rixing Type Foundryâs typesetting and moulding machines. So many are in love with the lead type pieces, but we canât make use of it. That is like having a lot of fuel but not having a car: the fuel become useless.
About four or five years ago, I was studying in graduate school. I was working on a school project about an industry and its related issues. However, for many, the semester is over just as they have discovered interesting stories or problems within the industry. All we have to do to graduate is to hand in our reports.
I was experiencing this: I found out the problem with Rixing Type Foundry, their financial situation, customer demographics, business partners and factories that still use their lead types. However, as soon as I finished the analysis, the semester was over. But it shouldnât be. If we found out the problem, why shouldnât we try to come up with possible solutions? We may be able to alleviate the situation in the industry if we try. When we try something, we introduce some new changes, and we may just turn the tide.
As most movable type character moulds from Rixing Type Foundry are brought by the public, they cannot be displayed and cannot be used for their original functions.
Nowadays, many things are digitized: email replaces letters, and cards replaced by text messages. Yet, a business card is a piece of paper that people still use. Exchanging business cards is an old but irreplaceable tradition. With a smaller size, it is easier for us to try out this modern approach to Chinese letterpress printing. This machine is both practical and easy to use. It is highly affordable and its functions are similar to those in the factories (about 80% to 90%). We hope that our project can promote the use of lead types, and increase its functionality.
How would you rejuvenate this industry and help conserve the craft of Chinese letterpress printing?
We want to educate the public and make it easier to use (for those who learnt about it). Therefore we continue to manufacture related devices, so that it is simple and easy to use, lowering the bar to get into this. Then it wonât be: I canât get this business card without a giant machine. I may need to buy a machine, which may cost about 50k-60k. Therefore, if we lower the bar, there will be more people willing to try. People from Hong Kong are surprised by the product they can get with this price. We donât have a huge profit; we treated it as a promotion event so the price is very much affordable. Later on, we will try to incorporate modern printing technology and improve the speed and efficiency. We want to take on this challenge or even work with some IT brands, making it more âfreestyleâ. Now we combine the technology with modern designs, and make people go âWow, this is not bad!.â
A Letterpress
A Letterpress Facebook Page
A Letterpress IG Page
Video Interview by Iris Cheung
Text by Iris Cheung
A Letterpress Â
No. 16, Lane 97, Section 2, Chongqing North Road, Datong District, Taipei City, Taiwan
Argi / Artqpie Co-Founder
To make something happen
One afternoon in Taichung, we got into Artqpie. The co-founder Argi got us to take off our shoes and we chatted about books, art, and creative space. He told us that as the house owner did not want to move and give way to developers, they were able to borrow this place and make something happen.
From a library for a group of friends to a place for art, creativity, and indie publishing, the sense of Taichung authenticity remained even as the location changed. Argi said, âThe exchange in Artqpie occurs as âsomeone has a place, and we make things happenâ. It is not about monetary exchange.â This place enables meaningful connection between people from different corners of the world, and this is the true price of Artqpie.
What was the concept of Artqpie when it first started? Â Â
At first, Artqpie would select books, and make them available for our friends to borrow. If the books are too big, sometimes the school libraries wonât lend them out. For instance, the design books are relatively heavier, so they tend to be available for lending, and people would need to buy them from a store. If a person is interested in design or lifestyle, but he or she is not studying it, how are they supposed to explore it? Would they have no choice but to buy each design book one by one? If they are not from a wealthy background, it may be harsh for them to explore their interest.
This is what we were thinking about when my wife and I rented a run-down place and kickstarted this space Artqpie.
What did the first phase of Artqpie look like?
We moved 3 or 4 years ago and at our first place, when people came in, it was like going into someoneâs home. People could see the books that I like. And after graduating, I bought a lot of books with my own money. At the first 3 to 4 years we would open after work at around 6 p.m. As we borrowed this place, we werenât technically open to the public. However, as we gained traction, we got noticed by media and they came taking photos. Some people came over in the morning, and as we opened at nights only, the owner knew about our tea parties and activities. They said that the house was not for those purposes, so thatâs why we moved.
Why would you choose to borrow a space?
This kind of space never makes a lot of profit. History suggests that this kind of culture tends to be cyclic, for instance, as the government starts to promote another thing, people would shift their attention. Therefore, we donât make any profit with it and we borrow our place. The exchange in Artqpie occurs as someone has space, and we make something happen. It is not about a monetary exchange, so we donât use rent as an exchange for space. Our second location was in an older district, as the place required a lot of renovation, not a lot of people were interested, but we found it fascinating. However, as there were security concerns, we moved again after a year. In the meantime, we started planning for our publication, and after that, we moved to the current location of Artqpie. This place is borrowed as well. As the owner did not want to move due to their disagreement with the developerâs project in the area, we are able to make something happen here.
Artqpie
Artqpie Facebook Page
Artqpie IG Page
Video Interview by Iris Cheung
Text by Iris Cheung
ArtqpieÂ
No. 135, Zhongmei Street, West District, Taichung City, Taiwan
Monique Lee / Shimokitazawa Co-Founder
Adults, Please Donât Hate Growing Up
Monique told us a story about growing up.
She used to believe that with her partner, they could spend their lifetime on perfecting just one thing. And all that mattered was perseverance. They thirsted for the latest knowledge, and went after everything they cared for. They made a name for themselves with unapologetic passion and Shimokitazawa developed into one of the most acclaimed independent bookstores in Taiwan.
Yet, at some point, she found out that thirty years have slipped, and itâs time to face what growing up meant. It was an epiphany to see more of herself, and a reflection of what kind of person she wanted to be. Growing up also came with responsibilities for her family and others, among other things, which were added to become the whole of her life. It was this sense of responsibility that urged her to conclude the ten-year-old Shimokitazawa, as she could no longer provide as much as they did before.
Some say growing up is an isolation and solitude. But what I learnt from Monique is just the oppositeâgrowing up stands for looking more deeply into our world and connecting. It signifies that we no longer live in a world so full of ourselves, but one that includes people who we love, and who love us. It is one of the universal stories we hear every day, and also a unique story we create for ourselves.
What do you feel about concluding your ten-year-old Shimokitazawa bookstore? Â
I am having mixed feelings, because I still have dreams to realise. Before that my partner and I went through all things together, it has already been four years since my partner left, and my life has altered a great deal. We used to believe that we could spend our lifetime on perfecting one thing, and all it took was perseverance. But as I grew older and when I was thirty something, I had my responsibility for family and others to consider. All these things have then become the whole of my life. I was forced to face and reflect on what I want myself to be. I think Shimokitazawa had a very enthusiastic start. We pursued endlessly the new knowledge and our latest, favourite things. We followed the strategy of being at the forefront of circulating progressive thoughts, and yet, the markets have gradually undergone a transformation.
Can you tell us more on how independent publication has transformed the Taiwanâs markets?
The popularisation of the internet allowed publishers to sell their books online by themselves, and actually they could skip the bookstores and distributors. This fact itself has already made quite a change. I observe that now we all build our worldview on facebook and instagram. Back in the day when information was not so easily obtained, we dug up facts through travelling and read relevant news. I think Taiwanese people like following the crowd. There is a piece of passion missing in me. After all, I have experienced quite a lot. But young people are just having their start, full of eagerness and power. They might not see the whole picture for now, yet they continue to explore tenaciously. However, their events and ideas may not have an impact on me or people of my age. Besides, publication in Taiwan is well developed, and our generations become weary almost immediately. In the past it took us ten years to complete a thing, and now it only takes a month to do the same. But their readers and clients also get bored quickly. It is common for young people to learn about arts and independent publication, which is amazing.
Are you going to bring Shimokitazawa bookstore to an end and develop a new brand?
I am undecided about it, because I still care for Shimokitazawa. But I think a brand should exist to bring something to people, so if I failed to provide things to others, I didnât see why it should go on. And also because Shimokitazawa marks a precious stage in my life, I am hesitant to close it. The new brand will have a new name and a new face, and it is not connected to Shimokitazawa. I started to contemplate why I would collaborate with Washida, and why I would be so into these things. They have something to do with books, and although books are the main focus in the past, arts are also some of the elements. I am intrigued by the ambiguity between arts and objects. I wish that our new store could be opened in a year or two, and the project details will be released on this December.
Shimokitazawa Facebook Page
Shimokitazawa IG Page
Video Interview by Sabrina Li
Text by Sabrina Li
ShimokitazawaÂ
Rm. 2, 2F., No.141, Sec. 2, Heping W. Rd., Zhongzheng Dist., Taipei City 100, Taiwan
éł„éŁÂ / Paripari apt. Co-Founder
See the Invisible Beauty
Unrealistic as it may seem, weâve always had a longing for perfection. But to the young collector and co-founder of Paripari apt., scratches on the old objects are the invisible beauty that marks the stories of their life. He has a special talent of discerning the charms and value unapparent to most people. Experienced antique collectors would go after tiny, precious objects, and yet he has a thing for ordinary objects. He believes their beauty can truly be unveiled only when utilized, and they have different appearances because nobody uses it the same way. He also cares less about making profits than some collectors do, for the value of the collectables would be greater when they are used for room decorations, or even when they bring about extra collaboration opportunities and advertising effectsâ seeing things with our hearts is sometimes more revealing than with eyes and common sense.
The building of Paripari apt. is embellished with historical and personal stories of an elderly lady who made it her loving home with her husband a long time ago. The co-founders invested money and time to rebuild the space highlighting many details which bore the weight of a devoted wife and mother. The foundersâ dedication, a motherâs affection as well as the meticulously depicted details constitute the most irresistible attraction of this place.
When did you gravitate to the collectibles? Â
Around the age of twenty-five I developed a passion for the collectibles. Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that I learnt a bit of art when I was younger, so naturally I was spellbound by architecture, design and old stuff, and took a particular interest in picking and arranging things. I studied Business in university but I was not very much into it. Thatâs why after graduation I considered doing something else. I have worked in the business my family ran for two or three years, and picked up some skills. I got my collectibles business rolling after that, but then my family doubted why I insisted buying and collecting stuff people ditched, while theyâve already laid a path for me. It was not until my business started to yield did they begin to understand.
To me, ordinary objects for everyday use are the most captivating of all. Their beauty can truly be unveiled only if we utilize them. The pleasure of collecting lies in the stories behind those objects. The scratches on the objects mark their life, and what makes it more intriguing is that they can have different appearances because you and I do not use it the same way. I care less about sales and profits. I might come across some extra collaboration opportunities or some advertising effects. Very often we regret selling our objects, because itâs very likely that youâd never see them again. They would help you get some money, but after that they went roaming around other places. Besides, collectibles in Taiwan are not as many as we think, particularly those of fine quality.
What prompted you to kick off Paripari apt.? And why is it a mixture of collectibles, coffee as well as bed and breakfast?
We were trying to find the spot-on building before we decided specifically on what we should do. It would be a waste if the space was not for multi-purpose use. Altogether we had four partners, I am good at gathering the collectibles and furniture arrangement, and another major partner specialises in interior design and architecture. One masters coffee and the other graphic design. The four of us are just a perfect team to put together our space. Each level magnetizes its own people, and different people make interesting things happen.
Initially, how did you come to fix on this old building? What made you turn it into Paripari apt.?
This building gives off its unique vibes and allure, and the fascinating thing is that its era is what we crave for. The stairways are separate and thus convenient. The owner is a mother eighty-odd years of age, and this house has accompanied her and her husband all these years, so itâs normal not to be put up for sale. Her husband has passed away, and she couldnât bear seeing a single thing pulled apart at first, because the house was filled with memories. But eventually her son convinced her, and we also promised to seek consent before having any alterations. When Paripari apt. opened we invited her to come. She was very pleased, and later came a couple of times bringing her relatives and friends. They are contented that we cherish the house and have spent a fortune renovating. People are really paying attention to the details we highlight and they appreciate it.
Any goals you might want to meet for your next stage?
Paripari apt. itself could be the next stage, as I started my business from the warehouse initially, with things just coming in and out, we organise the objects and sell them quickly. Yet, unlike other common shops, this space mainly acts as a showcase for our collectibles or room decorations, and is for our functions. For example, Ejen Letterpress chose our space for their product launch and advertising photos. And in fact, opportunities will come to you.
Paripari apt. Facebook Page
Paripari apt. IG Page
Video Interview by Sabrina Li
Text by Sabrina Li
Paripari apt.Â
No. 9, Lane 158, Section 2, Zhongyi Road, West Central District, Tainan City, Taiwan
Yichiu Chen & Kenyon Yeh/Â pon ding Co-Founders
An Oasis of Art
Like a pond, pon ding is a place of opportunities and exploration. When pon ding co-founders Chen and Yeh found an old house in Taipei, they saw more than a building, but a chance to create a beautiful hub for books, art, and exhibitions. pon ding has so much to offer - there is always a workshop or an exhibition going on, and it is also a place to grab a coffee and read.
While Chen worked as an editor, Yeh was a designer, and together they created the authentic experience of pon ding. When asked about the uniqueness of a physical space, Chen said, âIf the âtrendâ we know only exists on the internet or on TV, then we cannot experience it, which is quite a pity. This space allows us an opportunity to create an experience.â
How do you go about managing this place?Â
At first, we had an idea. And after opening, we gradually adjust our strategies as we go on. We put what we want in the store, then we adjust according to other's opinion.
Before pon ding, I was a magazine editor. So I also used the same methodology of an editor to run this place. Like making a magazine, coming up with themes, it is the same here. We hope that this place is a place that people come more than once/frequent. We hope that people wouldn't just come for a coffee and call it a day. There is a lot to see, you can come for a seminar or visit with friends.
Do you think that trends are important?
Trends will always exist, no matter mainstream or niche, there will always be a trend. I don't think it will be a problem or hindrance. There are niche trends that people in the mainstream may have never seen.
However, talking about âtrendsâ within the niche market is the same thing as being up to date, and keeping an eye on what everyone is talking about.
In this store, you might be able to find publications or stuff related to the current trend, like events or workshops. I think that it is what space can offer. If the âtrendâ we know only exists on the internet or on TV, then we cannot experience it, which is quite a pity. Space allows us an opportunity to create or experience.
Why would you choose this location for pon ding?
When we saw this place on the internet, it is already left empty. It is old but we found it very beautiful. It is rectangular with no compartments. It is about only 40 to 50 years of age, but it has a hint of the style of old houses in Taiwan. We decided on this simply because we really like this building; we love that there are a lot of possibilities, so we want to do it.
The transportation here is quite convenient. Although it is more of a residential area, and not really a tourist attraction, it is a plus for us. The other side is quite busy but over here it is nice and quiet, situating right beside Taiwan Central Station and Zhongshan Station, many Japanese tourists would come here. This is unexpected but nice.
Is it difficult managing a three-story space?
The hard part is that we need a lot of content, and the advantage is that before pon ding, there isn't a lot of space in Taipei with the entire building. So, to many, it is very special. People come over because of how special it is. So it is hard to say if it is good or bad.
pon ding Official Website
pon ding Facebook Page
pon ding IG Page
Video Interview by Iris Cheung
Text by Iris Cheung
pon dingÂ
No. 6, Lane 53, Section 1, Zhongshan North Road, Zhongshan District, Taipei City, Taiwan
The co-founders of stationery store OOuuu came across their first store when they were looking for a design studio. From selling notebooks to searching for unique stationery in their journey, their startup story is one about travel, history, and fate. The Fisher Space pens, or the POLSKA hexagon ballpoint pen, is more than nostalgia, but a story of the co-foundersâ journey.
This place is not about a trend. As the co-founder said, âIf you know what you are doing, and you do it well, it becomes a trend of its own.â They lived their own style in this Tainan store, and as the customers take home a piece of stationery, they take a piece of history with them too.
How did you start this stationery store?
We were looking for a small studio. It just happened that we found a place, so we started selling notepads. For stationery, we focused on buying at first, things like propelling pencil and ballpoint pen. People loved them and the reaction was great. So we started working with some Japanese brands and started getting into becoming a stationery store. Then we started exploring different European brands. At first, it was the 1970âs retro pen from Hungary. It was the first company to ever produce a ballpoint pen. Encountering it by chance, we bought this in Japan. We found it not only pretty but retro. As the production came to a halt, the pen was no longer in production. We kept looking for it and we came across its factory in Hungary. They still had some pens left, so we brought them back to Taiwan. This pen is quite a novelty so people are interested in it, and we follow the path to become a stationery store since.
What makes OOuuu specialïŒ
We donât have the means to be a pen manufacturer, so we differentiate ourselves with a unique style of curation. And we are not just âany other stationery storeâ. Our stationery represents an era, a story, and each one embodies a special encounter. We once sold a 1960 vintage pen to an elderly gentleman, he told us that he was born in that era. We have these special encounters in this store every day. Moreover, vintage stationery is indeed different from the stationery in this era. In this throwaway society, we can get a pen with 10 bucks. We can just use it and put it aside, soon replacing it with another pen. The factories keep making it, we keep throwing it away. So we make sure that our pens are of high quality and highly usable, so even if it is more expensive, we found that more people are willing to keep the pens well, and use them with care for a long time.
Do you pay attention to trendsïŒ
A trend is fleeting, but if we know what we are doing, and we do it well, then it becomes a trend. What really is a trend? There is no trend as trends are man-made phenomenon catering to the market. A trend is soon replaced by another one, you may carry around this bag now, but you will soon discard it when it is passed its course/no longer trendy.
Choose something that suits you and your style, as it is something you love, you will keep using it. It is not necessary to compare ourselves with the trend, just do what you like and if someone happens to also like it, it is already perfect. It is almost impossible to follow the trend, so we just do our own thing and do it well. Therefore we are a bit more low key and even moved to the third floor. When we were still on the first floor, there were too many people and we could not handle it. If they had to climb up the stairs, people who are not really interested will give up, and those who are really dedicated to visiting will climb the stairs anyway.
Isaac Chang & Wayne Dai/ Temperature Co-Founders
Slashies: A Way to Wear Your Multiple Passions
After we climbed the stairs of an old building in Taipei, Temperatureâs studio came into sight like the Garden of Eden.
It is indeed the home to these amazing creaturesâ the physically unique plants which wear green, two insect specimens lying to witness the flow of time, the bamboo basket disguising as a hybrid of a frog and turtle, the books that curl up on the corner and the aprons leaning against the wall after a long work day. All of them inhabit in this room for they are the things Isaac and Wayne adore, and they seem to have come to life with the tender loving care of their owners. Isaac and Wayne relish clothes, words and plants, so they come up with a way to house them. Some might think life and work are discordant, and yet when passions run through them, all of these elements could exist harmoniously under one roof, as things are in Isaacâs and Wayneâs studio.
What was the moment when you formed an idea about fashion and clothes?
Isaac: The display windows in Paris have never failed to impress me. When I was young and went to Paris for the first time, I thought itâs really a cool thing to design different arrangements for clothes. But it was not until now did I realise that besides clothes, exhibits and objects of mixed concepts were essential to project my imaginations.
Wayne: Iâve always been captivated by all these. But as I grew older, I felt that clothes were more than just looking good, they could convey numerous messages. People from various realms put on attires of their own symbols, and they dress differently depending on their everyday needs. It is not about the style, and is an intriguing phenomenon to be looked at.
Your brand Temperature is fused with life philosophy and marks. How do you work out and sustain this character? Also, are you stressed about the speedy and mass-produced fashion trends?
Isaac: The flow of social information is cracking, and resources and industries are all about speed. Gradually, being slow has become unfavourable. The clothes we make are not bounded by the notion of ready-to-wear. We derive inspirations from our life forms, as well as thoughts accumulated through travelling. Our brand has no particular style, because I consider a style definition limited. Compared to a fast fashion, we fancy getting the stimulation from our life pictures, savouring every small details. Basically our clients lean toward made-to-order clothings, and we have a great deal of passions in common.
Wayne: Our style is mostly developed from personal likings, and since we relish clothes, words and plants, we come up with a way to house them. I believe style should be close to our habits. When we revolve around expressing and creating, these moments should be placed before high-speed and off-the-peg products, for the thoroughly processed objects contain souls.
Apart from attires, you also involve in other areas such as plant decorations and writing. How do you absorb your enthusiasms into the work?
Isaac: I think a person should not limit himself to one job in this era. He should find out his passions from small features of life, then transform them into work, and bring this work back to his way of life. When we donât just pursue outcomes, we could revel in every work moment. The term âslashâ is quite in fashion in Europe and the United States. And the âslashâ is what we are!
Wayne: Possessing a variety of skills is much required in todayâs society. For one thing, they are probably our interests. And for another, we might get weary of working in one field for too long. But if we could take this chance to adjust the pace for likings, the lifespan of our eagerness is prolonged, and we carry on striving for what we love.
Temperature Facebook Page
Answers by Isaac & Wayne @Temperature
Video Interview by Sabrina Li
Text by Sabrina Li
Temperature
3/F, No.12, Lane 553, Section 4, Zhongxiao East Road, Xinyi District, Taipei City, Taiwan 110
Eva Chen & Hank Chung / Editor in Chief & Publisher of qdy magazine
Seeing Japan through the Taiwanese Lens
âWe brought with us some bread, milk and picnic blanket to take photos, struggling to set everything wonderfully, and turned out the milk was spilt and the bread was chaotic. Eventually we managed to take a nice shot of our picnic, but we knew thereâs something wrong with the photos. â Eva, the Editor in Chief of qdy magazine, giggled while recounting vividly the anecdote when she first started to run a magazine with her friends. Itâs not okay to pursue something that doesnât belong to our real lives, just for the sake of producing ideal content, she concluded.
Hearing Eva talks is a process youâd like to go on forever. Sometimes she uses exaggerated yet the most suitable expressions to narrate their experience which makes a good laugh, at other times she seems like dragging us to a cave full of incredible thoughts, echoing with our inner voices. The qdy magazine she edited shares the same qualityâ light-hearted and stunningly profound. If you think that seeing Japanese culture through a Taiwanese lens has already reached the limits of qdy teamâs creativity, youâd be amazed ceaselessly by their themes such as connecting Ginza line and curry by their common yellowish orange colour, pairing Umeshu with braised pork rice, and an advertising campaign of cooking with beer. The seeds for creation are watered with sweat, the work of exploring and consolidating wasnât built in a day. The future of both Hong Kong and Taiwanese publication industries might look bleak, yet the fact that qdy magazine won two of the most acclaimed publication awards in Taiwan reminds us that the spring is nearer than we thought.
In the speech of receiving the Editorâs Award of the Golden Tripod Awards, Eva remarked she would nourish every soul with their printed publication endlessly, just as the ways those magazines reshaped her worldview when she was littleâ and indeed, qdy magazine makes its mark on constructing an unparalleled angle to record the life and culture of Taiwan, uplifting the gloomy individuals with the story of their own thriving.
qdy magazine has a unique point of view that chooses a Taiwanese angle to gaze at Japanese culture. Can you tell us how this idea came upon you?
Right after our graduation in 2011, we decided to work on magazine publication, because we loved magazines. At that time we wanted to create lifestyle content, and we took a shot at making a Taiwan Kinfolk. We packed bread, milk and a picnic blanket to the photoshoot, but turned out it was all a mess trying to look beautiful â milk spilled and bread was in the wrong place. Although appealing pictures were produced eventually, they seemed somehow unmatched. Then we mused, perhaps it wasnât good for us to pursue something we didnât belong, just to look glamourous. There were a whole lot of topics weâve tried, but it was not until the making of the lanjing (the blue whale) did we contemplate what we truly were. And yet, in the meantime, magazines which zoomed in local content emerged with their specific energies. We all agreed that local people told better local stories than we did, to bring out the placesâ charms or issues. So, we said farewell to the lanjing. During the lanjingâs production we discovered that the entanglement between Taiwan and Japan was a mixture of love and hate, and to conclude, Taiwan peopleâs interest in Japan was keen and their acceptance of Japanese content was wide. After balancing the commercial side and dreams we adjusted our publication, and on November in 2014 we were determined to look at Japan from a Taiwanâs perspective through qdy magazine. We go for a more playful tone to delve into Taiwanâs and Japanâs interesting views and directions from a modern lens.
How do you find a balance between creating the content you love and having enough financial support?
Besides branding and sales volume, a magazine needs a philosophy and values which can bring out its essence. We manage print publishing, social network sites and webpages at the same time, our largest source of income comes from commercials and sales. Weâve always wanted to reshape Taiwanâs commercial environment, by trying to tell the brands that there are still plenty of people taking pains to make changes. For example, we created an illustrated commercials to go with our theme about illustrations, and they are quite a match. And thereâs an edition on cookery, so we teach readers how to cook with beers! Taiwanâs readers are getting sharper than ever, so theyâd think like âOh you are yielding to moneyâ or âYou are not independent anymoreâ when they see the branded content. We surely donât want to give way to this advertising form, but at the same time we need commercials to sustain ourselves, thatâs why we are striving for creating commercials more enjoyable to read. This also requires the training and thinking throughout our publishing career to grasp readersâ mindset. Itâs never going to be a painless task, very few Taiwanâs brands are willing to make a shot. Our power might be just a drop in the ocean, but weâll prove it works anyway.
Before the debut of qdy magazine, you have impressed me by saying you were going to âcreate the magazine which amazes even the Japanese peopleâ in the fundraising campaign. Have you succeeded in reaching this goal?
I believe this question could be explained with the example of the Taiwanese elements. Just now Iâve mentioned Umeshu and Taiwanese cuisine, and what we want to tell the readers of Taiwan and Japan is that the spirit of Umeshu lies in the fact that it is a homemade wine, and therefore, instead of pairing it with gourmet food, we usually have it with family dishes. Thatâs why in one of our issues we introduced some Taiwanese foods, for instance, fried chicken, oyster omelet, milkfish congee and braised pork rice etc., to pair with Umeshu. We aim at developing original content by fusing Taiwanese and Japanese cultures. And these ideas can only be found in qdy magazine. Intriguing topics allow people from these two places to better understand each other, and weâll carry this on through a Taiwan lens. Indeed, we will make a magazine that amazes the Japanese people. Of course Japanese people can also produce content about their own culture, but it is not likely that they could create some fusion materials like we do.
What are your future plans? Will you continue to work towards this goal?
Thereâs a popular saying in Taiwan, âthe more local you are, the more international youâll beâ, that means getting to understand better our local culture can help us develop a global mind. This trend encourages us to dig into Taiwan, and we can now provide information about our homeland, not only the facts already known by most. When we see more of our own Taiwan, we incorporate Taiwanâs elements into Japanese cultural content, or even Hong Kong cultural subjects. This is what weâll strive for in the future.
qdy magazine Official Website
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Video Interview by Sabrina Li
Text by Sabrina Li
qdy magazine
No. 9-8, Pucheng Street, Da' an District, Taipei City, Taiwan 106
Shih Hao Yeh / Sense 30 Co-Founder
What We Talk About When We Talk About Bikes
Ever since his father gave him an old Kawasaki, Shih harbored a love for fixing things. He loved retro bikes like nothing else, and when people suggested him to buy one, he insisted that building one is not the same. Some passion lasts a lifetime.
We all return to our first love perhaps. For ten years after graduation, Shih and his friends developed their career in the creative industry, but they eventually opened Sense 30 in the year they turned 30. Although not everyone is fond of Sense 30âs style, they stood out in their uniqueness. Shih said some even asked if they were cosplayers, but eventually, it grew on the doubters. Maybe one day we all become immune to judgements, and by then we truly live our dreams.
Why did you bring this style to Taiwan?
I used to play with this since back when I was a college student, so we didnât really "brought it in". Some people love biking, but we turn it into a new style. For instance, many people around the world love collecting retro bikes. If we want to turn the retro style into our own style of bikes, we might make the link between the bike and clothing style and so on. (People can take this bike to picnic, or present it at a bike exhibition even.) So this is different than merely treating bikes as a tool for transportation. It is a âconversionâ we make when we design.
Why are you keen on take inspiration from other medium and incorporate different styles into bikes?
This may be related to me being a designer. My colleague Issa also works in the creative industry, so we often find something new and see what they can become. If we focus on making things more delicate, it wonât be very good. To make things more interesting, we must transform it into something completely novel. So we experimented a lot without knowing what it will turn into in the end. For our clothing line, we basically want to make gentlemen style apparel, so we looked at how people in Britain and old European ride their bikes. A lot of people may find it really strange, or even thought that we are cosplayers. However, as time went by, more and more people found it pretty cool, and gave it a go.
How did you fall in love with this style?
I started to fall in love with the retro style way back in high school. People used to ride only scooters and I found it rather boring - everyone is doing the same thing. One day, my dad gave me an old, broken motorcycle. I thought that it would be really cool if I work on it a little. My skills are unpolished back then, and I spent 3 months on the bike. I found that ever since I was young, I love to remake and repair things. Someone said to me âJust buy a retro-bike if you love this style.â But it is just not the same. We fall in love with things when we work on it, studying its details and history. Like our âcommuter seriesâ, we want to use colors of the 60's, like white or light blue colors of Vespa. These colors tell a story. There are different colors for different eras, so some colors naturally have a retro-feel to it. It is not me randomly choose some colors that are trendy nowadays.
Some see bikes as merely a tool for transportation, or just something for sports, so we should care about its function and nothing else. What are your thoughts on this?
Actually, I donât really like sports. Some people go biking in order to exercise. They think that bike is about âpowerâ, and they focus on speed and the weight of a bike. However, we think that a bike is the something âromanticâ. We see it as a piece of art; we want to make something special out of it. I think that the romance of bike is more direct to most people. When we see something beautiful, we find it likable, then we want to learn about its use and function.The sportive crowd may be more specialized, and they will study the tires and brands of bike. I think that for the average person those are too technical and not as âdirectâ. We want to focus on things that people can get a direct visual feel of, like the appearance of a bike, the clothes to ride the bike with, or the place for biking.
Sense 30 Official Website
Sense 30 Facebook Page
Sense 30 IG Page
Video Interview by Iris Cheung
Text by Iris Cheung
Sense 30
No. 40, Lane 417, Guangfu South Road, Xinyi District, Taipei City, Taiwan 110
