Enter the dragonfly

Owner of unique design store continues to blaze his own trail, creating award-winning furniture and accessories, and opening a new Beijing outlet. Gan Tian reports

Lady Gaga's favorite sunglasses, a sculpture of a panda riding a dragon and an incredibly robust chair that can hold 600 kilograms of weight ?these are some of the signature items in the first Dragonfly shop in Beijing, which recently opened at the Global Trade Center.

Shop owner Jeff Shi has several Dragonfly outlets in China and a clear mission. He wants to promote Chinese designs and bring in the best of foreign creativity.

"No matter if you are a copywriter, a fashion designer, an industrial designer or just a lover of wonderful designs, we hope you can find some inspiration here," says the 46-year-old.

When he opened the first Dragonfly in Taipei, almost a decade and a half ago, he wasn't as sure of success as he is now.

"In 1996, Taiwan was more insular," says Shi. "People did not know what design was, but I still felt there must be some of them eager to find out, who would be open to new ideas."

And he was right. Young people who loved fashion and design flocked to the store, absorbed the latest industrial design trends and were inspired to come up with their own ideas. Many of them are now pillars of China's creative industry, and work at advertising and design companies.

Shi says Dragonfly "has grown up with Taiwan's first group of creative workers".

He says the time is ripe for a Dragonfly store in Beijing. The 550-square-meter boutique sells bikes, books, clothes, sculptures, handicrafts and dcor items with prices ranging from 16 yuan ($2.30) for a notebook to 1,500,000 yuan ($221,400) for a sculpture.

On the second floor is Shi and his wife Jennifer Lin's office, with wooden tables and chairs, a line of Mac computers and simple dcor.

Shi, a product designer himself, says he has been interested in design since he was young. He first gained fame as a jewelry designer. Born in Taipei, he says he was never an A-student because he never believed there was only one correct answer for each question. He applied to the Fashion Institute of Technology in the Unite States, got in and after graduation became a jewelry designer at New York-based Harry Winston.

In 1996, he won the De Beers Diamonds International Award, considered the Oscars of the jewelry industry. Later that year he quit his job and returned to Taiwan to open his first Dragonfly gallery.

Shi says good design applies to everyday life and he felt jewelry design was too removed from ordinary people. He switched focus from expensive diamonds to watches, chairs, glasses and clothes.

Through Dragonfly, Shi introduced the works of many foreign designers into Taiwan, including Swiss Milus watches, German jewelry brand Niessing, and works from the Netherland's Droog Design.

By 2000, he had opened two more Dragonfly stores and in 2001, he had his eyes set on New York for Dragonfly's first chain store outside Taiwan. But, the events of September 11 burst that bubble.

Shi continues to produce his own designs and win awards. Three of his works have won the Red Dot Design Award, including Chair Jun Zi, Chair Qin Jian, and twins square/round teapot set.

His works are infused with the Chinese spirit. Take Chair Jun Zi, for example. When he was traveling to Jhushan in Taiwan in 2007, he noticed the local people extensively use moso bamboo.

It inspired Shi to take a closer look at the material and he soon had the idea of an electronic fan made of bamboo.

"When you first see it, you already feel a breeze, as bamboo is something quiet, natural and cool," he says.

But he knew he could make more than a fan from it.

Shi found the material pliable but strong and he thought of the traditional comparison between a true gentleman and bamboo: both should be elegant, tranquil and morally immovable. He used this philosophy to design the Chair Jun Zi, which costs 17,500 yuan ($2,583) per chair.

Even though he maintains good design should not be too far removed from ordinary people, he concedes it can, at times, have value.

"I have been a buyer and salesman in the creative industry for 14 years and a designer for 21 years, but I am still sad to say the Chinese do not respect creation and originality," he says.

"We must place a value on good design," Shi says.