Time-Tested Style, wearable art

Children's quilted jackets are in vibrant colors and designs.

Hulu 10 was inspired by the bottle gourd, considered an auspicious fruit as its shape resembles the lucky number eight. Photos Provided to China Daily

Hulu 10 is a happy meeting place of culture, art and fashion.

Edith Cheung (right), Hulu's creative consultant, with a guest.

Part laboratory, part fashion boutique, Hulu 10 seeks to reinterpret traditional Chinese textiles and garments for contemporary lifestyles. Rebecca Lo takes a closer look.

For a number of years, 10 Glenealy was the address of my neighborhood bar. Concealed by banyan trees along a steep slope from Lan Kwai Fong, it was the perfect pit stop for a nightcap on the way home. Last spring, bamboo scaffolding signaled a change. What eventually emerged was the whitewashed facade for Hulu 10: a fashion boutique that takes elements of Chinese culture and updates them for today's trends and lifestyles. The brand's mission is to preserve and promote Chinese culture for the Chinese. Even its name, meaning "bottle gourd", is significant, since the hulu fruit is organic, light and resilient.

"Hulu are very auspicious," Janet Cheung, Hulu 10's marketing consultant, says, explaining the fruit's resemblance to the lucky number eight.

"They can be used for so many things, even as a life preserver to float around a lake if large enough, to paraphrase Chinese philosopher Zhuang Zi. We hope that it encourages people to think outside the box."

The shop, with its concrete flooring, has a homey vibe. It is decorated with antiques from the owner's personal collection, such as fans, wooden cabinets and stools.

"Our owner loves this area's colonial, historic feel," Cheung says. "The location also gives our loyal customers privacy, as some may only come if there is no one else in the shop."

Hulu 10's clientele, she says, is drawn to the collection's easy-to-wear, "stress-free" clothing, which feature natural materials and non-toxic dyes.

Each item is produced in very small quantities, making their creations a bit like art pieces. Along with women's wear and children's clothing, there are bags, wallets and pouches, footwear, jewelry, scarves and other accessories.

Edith Cheung, proprietor of Hong Kong-based Cloth Haven and a textile guru, is a creative consultant for Hulu 10. She works with the Shanghai-based owner on handpicking new talent to design pieces for the brand.

"Originally, she wanted me to bring Cloth Haven to China," she says. "I've been traveling back and forth in the past few years between Hong Kong and Shanghai, and this shop is an in-between step. We envision Hulu 10 as a living culture, not a revival."

She acknowledges that many trendy fashion labels are based on traditional Chinese elements. "There are a lot of different ways to interpret Chinese culture," she says. "G.O.D. is tongue in cheek, Blanc de Chine targets socialites and Shanghai Tang is young and sexy. We are more art focused.

"Hulu 10 is a test on what being Chinese means today. Weaving calligraphy into a tapestry, for example - how do we use the same painstaking technique but have that item cost $3,000, not $300,000?

"We have to find traditional craftsmen to do this, without turning the item into a costume. Luckily, we have the flexibility to be a window into Chinese culture, and not purely a money-making business."

For Hulu 10's fall/winter collection, pieces that she calls "slow clothing", Edith Cheung cast a wide net for designs based on the theme "Tibet".

"We were looking more for the spirit of Tibet: the Himalayas, music, food," she says.

"Then we got rid of the obvious, kitschy stuff like mandalas. And we found fabrics to go with the designs. A photo of a yak with tassels on its head led to a wool seersucker tunic with a colorful circular print.

"The ancient craft of tie-dying in Tibet inspired a jacket that is knotted - tied - but not dyed. It's a great piece to wear while traveling. And knits have the vibrant haze of the blue sky."

A fun children's collection, consisting of Mandarin jackets and printed dresses, incorporates bright hues and peekaboo details on pockets, collars and cuffs.

Cloth bags are designed to pack well and give monotone outfits a funky finishing touch.

Scarves, such as a downy, detachable, blue floral print, made to match a tunic, act as practical accents when draped around the shoulders or neck for warmth.

"We are reviving the men's traditional blue-and-white cloth with starch-resistant patterning," the textile guru says.

"The Chinese tunic is our best-selling item. It's like a shirt, and very casual."

One of Hulu 10's ultimate goals is to begin producing its own fabrics for designers to incorporate into their collections. Edith Cheung notes that while the collection has Chinese aesthetics, its designers can come from anywhere.

"We are open to anyone with talent," she says. "But sometimes inexperienced designers are inconsistent in the size or quality of their products. And still others are very talented but produce too slowly for a retailer. I see myself as a coach for younger designers."

You can contact the writer at sundayed@chinadaily.com.cn.