TEES ON TOPICS.
CHINATOWN INSPIRED
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CHINATOWN INSPIRED ๐ฒ
Herein are designs which the golden goose had laid but lost somewhere in its nest. We wished they were real, so we made them so.
Themes amongst topics and topics upon tees. We buy them and we gift themโ a practice that you can do too.
Welcome to the Merchandising Department of our Import-Export Trading Merchant Company. Relax into the multicultural roots of our studio and indulge in the design babies of Studio Chenchen.
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CHEN LONG ๅกตๆตช ๐
There is a Chinese proverb that goes โ้ทๆฑๅพๆตชๆจๅๆตชโ [chรกng jiฤng hรฒu lร ng tuฤซ qiรกn lร ng]. Literally translated, it says โThe new waves push the old waves forward in the Yangtze River. The proverb reflects how each new generation always pushes for progress; the energy of the youth is crucial to ensuring we donโt get stuck in old ideas and static mindsets. This mobility is important for society, driving innovation and helping us adapt and change over time.
Waves are an important symbol in Far Eastern artโ from its presence in countless poems from the Tang and Song Dynasties, or in Hokusaiโs famously depicted The Great Wave off Kanagawa. They symbolise the passing of history, the change of a dynasty or more simply, they speak to natural forces that cannot be disrupted by humanity.
Chen Long, can be viewed as a visual homage to Hokusai from the POV of Hong Kong; a once small fishing village that has been through waves of different dynasties and generations of change. Now the face of high-tech, urban living, Hong Kong remains one of the most important cities in modern Chinese history, and sits facing and exposed to digital waves of change.
HONG KONG GARDEN ้ฆๆธฏ่ฑๅ
Hong Kong Garden is an ode to the Chinatowns housed in cities across the world. It looks at Chinatown through a Western gaze.
As an immigrant from Taiwan first to the U.S., and then to Australia, Chinatowns are as exotic to me as to many local people of the western counties.
Why? Well there arenโt Chinatowns in China, or in Taiwan. The existence of a Chinatown is inherently due to the history of immigration. In countries that are largely defined by immigration (the so-called โnew worldโ), Chinatown is often a romantic symbol of this history not just for its Asian immigrants but also for other cultures and communities that make up the host country. We see this, for example, reflected in the way Chinatown appears in pop-culture of songs and movies.
In any ode to Chinatown, we canโt ignore the banquets made famous by ambiguous Pan-Chinese restaurants. The sense of the old country, this Chinese continental style cuisine that was smashed together, Westernised and modernised by the creativity of the new immigrants. The โPekingโ duck served in a Canton Dim Sum restaurant, the new classics created to satisfy the taste of the local customers, such as Chop Suey, Orange Chicken, or General Tsoโs chicken.
CHEN CHEN NAIL SALON ็พ็ฒ / ๋งค๋ํ์ด / ใใใญใฅใข / Cแบฏt mรณng tay๐
From shopping center staples to K-POP music videos, nail art is a form of self-expression now adored by many. It is especially prominent in East Asian and Hip-Hop cultures.
I first experienced manicures and pedicures as a highschool exchange student in South Dakotaโ a routine weekend mall trip always included a mani-pedi from an Asian-run nail salon. My nail art journey went from basic-bitch French tips to ghetto-fabulous acrylic extensions to contemporary K-pop influences. Nail salons in big cities are usually run by East-Asian immigrants who nag at you in a language you donโt understand. It could be an uncomfortable space for manyโ having someone painting your nails and scraping the dead skin off your feet can be awkward. But if we take a lighter approach, you can view it as a kitsch cultural exchange.
Chen Chen Nail Salon celebrates the migrant-run small businesses in malls and streets all over the world. We honor their contribution to style and expression be that kitsch or high-class, basic bitch or ghetto fabulous.
CHEN CHEN YIN YANG ้ฐ้ฝๆชๆฐฃ โฏ๏ธ
Yin Yang is an ancient Taoist symbol that has recently gained popularity in fashion and pop culture. We now see it all over t-shirts, book covers, stickers and nail art.
While it is an easy idea to grasp, yin yang is a concept about much more than just balancing two complimentary elements. We also dipped our toe into the surface level of Taoism and use traditional Chinese art to inspire us to create our own yin yang emblem that is mystical and fun.
LONG DE CHUAN REN ้พ็ๅณไบบ ๐
Long De Chuan Ren (้พ็ๅณไบบ) , or the descendant of the dragons is a Chinese song written in 1978 by Taiwanese songwriter Hou Dejian while still a student, initially as a protest against United States' official diplomatic recognition of People's Republic of China, a decision first announced on December 15, 1978. It then became an anthem of Chinese nationalism, along with many movies produced by the Shaw Bothers in Hong Kong in the 1970s, focusing on Kung-Fu and Clans defeating outsiders or foreign invaders.
The mentality of these Kung-Fu movies from the late 70s inspired American hip hop groups in the 90s such as NWA and Wu-Tang Clan ,who sampled sounds bites from the movies and refer to Kung-Fu novels and fictional martial art clans in their lyrics. Such cultural crossing is fascinating to see.
CLUB CHEN CHEN
This series is for the makers. It celebrates the creativity of our interns and designers. Each has created their interpretation of the Chen Chen studio. Wear our hearts upon your sleeves.
