Qeelin: Parisian Chic Meets Eastern Mystique
In fine cuisine, some of the most impressive dishes fuse elements from different cultures. Hong Kong brand Qeelin has set out to do the same with its high-end range of jewelry.
Qeelin's products infuse exquisite French craftsmanship with Chinese aesthetics. It is no coincidence that the brand was conceived during a journey along that famous hub of exchange between East and West, the Silk Road. Founder Dennis Chan was visiting the UNESCO-listed Dunhuang Caves in China in 1997 when he was struck by the idea for a unique range. Teaming up with French entrepreneur Guillaume Brochard, Chan launched Qeelin in 2004. In little over five years, the brand's strong cross-cultural identity has become internationally recognized. Stores have opened in Paris, London and Los Angeles, with the first boutique established in Taipei in 2008.
The different collections reflect aspects of Chinese culture. Wulu, for example, is the Mandarin word for gourd, and this collection contains pieces shaped like those vegetables. Gourds were traditionally used by the Chinese for many non-culinary purposes and also symbolize longevity. The Ling Long collection, meanwhile, uses strung silver bells, which are said to ward off evil spirits. The name comes from the Chinese onomatopoeia for the sound of clinking jewels and also conveys exquisiteness. BoBo, the diamond-encrusted panda range, is perhaps the most recognized of Qeelin's collections and, like Wulu, has been widely-imitated.
Qeelin × 巴黎時尚 東方奧秘
在美食的範疇裡，一些最令人印象深刻的佳餚總是融合了不同文化的元素。香港品牌 Qeelin 就以相同的方式推出其高檔珠寶系列。
Qeelin 的產品將中國美學注入於精緻的法國工藝當中。Qeelin 這個品牌誕生於一趟造訪著名東西交易樞紐「絲路」的途中並非是個巧合。創辦人陳瑞麟在一九九七年參觀位於中國的世界文化遺產敦煌石窟時，突然想到推出一獨特珠寶系列的點子。他與法國企業家紀堯姆‧布羅夏德合作，在二○○四年推出 Qeelin。短短五年多的光景，Qeelin 強烈的跨文化特性就在國際間獲得認同。展店遍及巴黎、倫敦與洛杉磯，而台北的第一家精品店則在二○○八年開幕。
Qeelin 的不同系列反映出中國文化的各種面向。例如代表國字葫蘆的 Wulu 系列，其產品造型就如同此蔬菜的形狀。傳統上，中國人會把葫蘆應用在許多非烹飪的用途上，而葫蘆也象徵長壽。同時，Ling Long 系列運用據說可避邪的成串銀製鈴鐺。產品名稱來自中文裡表示珠寶叮噹作響的擬聲詞，亦傳達出精緻的涵義。鑲鑽的 BoBo 貓熊系列或許是 Qeelin 辨識度最高的系列，它同 Wulu 系列被廣泛仿製。
資料來源：biz 互動英語電子報
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