Xindanwei | 新单位 A new way of working | 一种新的工作方式

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Xindanwei May Featured People: Emlyn WANG Li-Juan

Article: Cozi GE

May’s Xindanwei “People” badge goes to Emlyn, WANG Li-Juan, a young lady who just got bored from her financial management job and jumped out of the box to create an art-fashion project of her own.

It was Miss ZHUANG Kai, Emlyn’s partner who first came to visit Xindanwei. At the moment, their avant-garde fashion project C’est la Chine has already been launched and the first collection has been created. An official working venue is something critical for C’est la Chine’s following steps. They met Xindanwei. Miss ZHUANG was almost excitedly discribing Xindanwei to Emlyn, “it’s unique and charming, open and flexible, it is just the right place for beginner entrepreneurs.” Not long after that, when Emlyn came back to Shanghai, Miss ZHUANG took her to Xindanwei, and it was a coup de coeur. C’est la Chine became a co-worker at Xindanwei.

C’est la Chine is solely founded by Emlyn. Her initiative is to work out something inbetween the Art and Fashion – it is not any kind of the fast fashion, yet it stays close enough to the ordinary life. One might think about the early jobs of Japanese Designer Issey Miyaki, who creates and display his show pieces in an artwork way, and the later ready-to-wear lines are more like derivatives from the non-market-oriented artworks. Without a professional background in art or design, Emlyn invites guest artist to collaborate on every collection, with herself taking control on the whole art direction from design, production to the marketing image.

The name of the label, C’est la Chine, actually indicates Emlyn’s pursuit on the art side of its spirit – Not any simple symbolic elements, but a real beauty derives from the traditional Chinese art and culture. The first collection the team has created can be recognized either as women’s wear or accessaries. Emlyn then invited a professional modern dance performer as the shooting model. There is that Chinese spirit you can smell not only from the art pieces, but from the character who wears the piece and from the whole scene as well.

Before launching C’est la Chine, Emlyn worked as regional manager at Efunds after her graduation from MBA program at CEIBS. She was on such a broad highway that many people are just eager to reach. Emlyn followed her heart anyway. To be an entrepreneur means to give up the steady income and carry the risk of failure. “C’est la Chine, is especially a project that one can not be so sure about the result,” said, Emlyn. “I am mostly driven by my passion for art and fashion, however, I did take into concern carefully the possibility of the marketing. Of course, reactions from the market might not follow exactly what you expect, they actually never did. Particularly for me, I don’t have a case ready for me to take as successful module, I have to by myself search for a brand new way, probably a very-not-conventional way.” The future may not be clear yet, the opportunity is there already, visible enough. Emlyn senses it.

Talking about her redirection on career, Emlyn takes it as a result of her personality. “I love traveling, and probably like all the travel lovers do, I have a continuous passion for life, a curiosity for the unknown, and an open and fearless heart to explore. I love freedom and enjoy a cozy way of living. one more thing, I value spiritual achievement higher than material gain.” The project C’est la Chine is initially driven by Emlyn’s interest and her pursuit for a freer thinking and working style, but after the idea is actually taken into action, Emlyn sees the procedure a re-discovery journey about herself, a re-check into her life. And to actually execute out the project is also a challenge and re-dig to her own ability and potential.

Mostly like what Emlyn has been through, Xindanwei never stops wondering and exploring of its own way of surviving. For most of the entrepreneurs or startups, the future is not 100% sure, but what else can be more fascinating than devoting 100% of yourself to a career that is fueled by creation and innovation?

C’est la Chine will collaborate with Xindanwei very soon to display artworks from the project at Xindanwei space. The two creative projects thus get crossed. And this is what Xindanwei expects – to function as an open platform where young talents and action takers are brought together and offered a chance to communicate and interact more. We believe the future lies in the direction of communication and open source.
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新单位五月人物：汪丽娟

采写 / Cozi GE

五月份，新单位向大家介绍汪丽娟（Emlyn），一个离开金融业做起艺术时装的姑娘。

最初是汪丽娟的合伙人庄恺先来到新单位，当时汪丽娟的时装项目“始一雅制（C’est la Chine）”已经启动，第一期系列已经出炉，正需要一个办公空间以便开展后续市场工作。新单位空间的开放性、便利性、以及灵活的租赁形式都正适合创意型初创企业。庄小姐回去之后，“兴奋”地向汪丽娟讲了新单位的情况。于是没多久，等汪丽娟回到上海，她们再次来到新单位，就这一次，双方一拍即合，始一雅制搬进了新单位。

始一雅制是汪丽娟的独资项目，出发点是走一条艺术和时尚的中间道路──和快消时装有区别，但并不远离生活，也许可以叫它艺术时装（Artfashion）。和早期三宅一生的做法相似，始一雅制用艺术品的方式制作和展示设计，而成衣系列更多相当于展示系列的衍生产品。汪丽娟自己并没有艺术或者设计的专业背景，她的每期设计都邀请艺术家进行合作，由汪丽娟自己控制作品从设计到制作完成以至最后包装的艺术氛围。品牌名字“始一雅制”和法文名C’est la Chine即表达了汪丽娟心里的艺术追求──从根本上始于中国传统文化。已经制作完成的第一期作品，形式上介于时装和时装配饰之间，她邀请了专业现代舞舞者担任模特拍了造型片，你能看到，始一雅制讲究的那股中国味儿并不是简单地提取一个物化的中国元素，而是化为一种氛围和精神，不光从设计物件本身，而且从穿着了物件的人物身上，从整个画面空间中透露了出来。

在这之前，汪丽娟刚从中欧管理学院毕业，随后加入了易方达基金管理公司担任区域经理。这原本是一条很多人羡慕的高薪金融行业的道路，然而汪丽娟确实义无反顾地离开了，并开始了现在这个前途未卜的时装项目。“不过，”汪丽娟说道，“虽然我开始这个项目的最大动机确实是对艺术和时尚的热情，但我仍然仔细考虑过市场可行性。”当然，项目实际启动了之后，始一雅制遇上了一些事先没有预料到的市场反应和反馈。“实际上每个项目都会遇上这种问题。因为没有现成的案例可以参考，我必须在观察实际市场反应的基础上探索全新的、可能远不是传统模式的市场方案。”汪丽娟眼中的市场道路可能还不清晰，但她敏锐地感觉到：时机已经成熟了。

关于自己的转行，汪丽娟坦言这和自己的性格有关。“我一直是一个热爱旅行的人，真正热爱旅行的人可能性格上会有一些共同点：对生活拥有持续的热情，乐于探索未知而不畏前路，热爱自由同时可能有一些懒散，此外他们大多看重精神高于物质。“从“始一雅制”开始的这个创业历程由兴趣和对自由的追求促成，但渐渐地，汪丽娟发现这样的过程实际上促成了她对自己的重新发现，和对生活内容的重新审视。而这样一个全新项目的探索，也是对自己执行力的挑战，和对自己能力和潜力的再发掘。

和汪丽娟一样，新单位的运营方式实际上也仍在探索中，我们和所有的初创企业一样，拥有的是一个并不那么确定的将来。可是还有什么比创新、开拓更给力更令人着迷呢？

接下来，汪丽娟将和新单位合作，在新单位空间展示“始一雅制”出品的艺术时尚作品。两个创新创业项目就这样交会在一起。新单位就是这样一个开放的平台：它提供给年轻的创业者和创意者更多交流和互动的机会，共同探索和探讨未来的道路。
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Xindanwei April Featured People: Rah Xu

Article / Cozi GE

This month at Xindanwei, our monthly featured co-worker for the new section “People” goes to young Chinese entrepreneur Rah Xu. Rah quit his decent full-time job from a 4A advertising company and launched his own event management company named Côte-à-Côte about one year ago, and has since then started his long-term relationship with Xindanwei. “I like Xindanwei, and that is mostly because of the people here. The physical environment is appealing already, while what actually keeps me here are the people, which we call co-workers in a Xindanwei style term.”

The route Rah has picked up – getting away from the big company and starting up on his own – is not a rare case among young Chinese. They got bored from the repeating daily jobs, and came up with an ambition that they could work the job out more efficiently if they work independently. Rah is the kind of the guy that steps forward without hesitation when an idea comes to his mind. Côte-à-Côte was thus founded.

It was not an easy way to go, however. Rah was not really fully prepared for his quick start. He was motivated with passion but without a solid conception. During a long time, Rah felt lost in finding a way out – he basically accepted all the commissions he could get without a second option of what he really wanted to work on, which was not exactly what he expected. At times, he got some inspiration and sources from the platform of Xindanwei, “but they don’t always work for my problems,” Rah said.

However, Rah is not the kind of ambitious careerist who is desperate in achieving the never stopping business success. The starting of the undertaking is merely another way of making the living, which is rather a required need than a personal pursuit. Rah has his interest in other aspects of life. He believes in that one’s interest should be kept away from what he makes for a living. He tries hard to maintain the purity of his true fond. And the solution he finally figured out is rather sensitive – If he has to compromise in order to make a living with what he loves, he would rather not to do that. He would rather separate the two businesses with two different attitudes and from two different points of view.

Rah wrote a novel during his college years, which was published by Shanghai Literature And Art Publishing House. “No repercussions, it was like nothing actually happened,” Rah confessed his concern on the status quo of the literary and art field in China, “There is a rare chance that a literature writer, especially a young writer, would be able to make a decent living solely by writing. And this is not just about the physical living, but about the spiritual feed as well.” He could almost foresee himself somewhat being trapped in a dilemma if he ever put himself into the professional author career. He would rather not to try. “What I’ve picked is the easier way for me.” Rah said.

Currently, besides Côte-à-Côte, Rah is conceiving and preparing a new project about sharing and broadcasting creative info through blog, which will call up a team of contributor collective for the regular updatings. “It’s still under conception,” Rah said, “My starting point is to create a read-worthy, high quality and intensively updated info blog focusing on creative technology and design. It is not for profit, at least not designed for it. I don’t know where it would go and how far would it be, I would certainly like to eventually connect it with my current business Côte-à-Côte, but until now I don’t see the connection yet.” So this is Rah, a Gemini who separates his dream and reality in two routes, two routes côte-à-côte, yet nonetheless uncrossed. Xindanwei takes it as its responsibility to do something for Rah and more Rah-like young people in the country on their way merging the dream and reality together.

Rah’s new project will be launched through Xindanwei platform in near future.
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新单位人物（四月）：徐斯韡 Rah

采写 / Cozi GE

四月份，新单位的新“人物”栏目邀请了新单位的忠实用户──年轻的创业者徐斯韡（Rah）。徐斯韡一年前从广告公司辞职，自己创立了名叫 Côte-à-Côte 的活动管理公司，他和新单位的关系正是从那时候开始的。“我喜欢新单位，最主要的是这里的人，相比空间的环境，人的环境更吸引我留在这里。”

徐斯韡选择自立门户的出发点可能和很多的中国年轻人情况相似──他对日常零件化的重复工作感到厌烦，觉得自己单干一样可以做好并且可以做得更有效率。他是这种想到就做不会考虑太多的人，于是 Côte-à-Côte 就这样成立了。

最初的路并不好走。由于缺少完整的理念，很长一段时间里，徐斯韡都找不到一个坚实的突破口。为了维持公司的运作，只能来者不拒地承接任何能够接到手的活动。后来徐斯韡通过新单位这个平台逐渐得到了一些帮助和资源，“虽然并不是所有的这些资源都能直接有效解决我的问题”，徐斯韡说。

但徐斯韡并不是一个野心勃勃的创业者。在他那里，创业只是为了谋生，谋生对他而言是一种被动承担的压力，于是他的创业项目充其量仅仅是个应付生存的手段。他在生活中另有兴趣，而他认为，兴趣和谋生行当应该井水不犯河水。为了保持自己真正喜欢的东西的纯粹性，他避免自己的兴趣和利益发生哪怕一丝关系。徐斯韡的解决之道非常感性：如果把爱好当作事业就必须妥协，那不如就彻底分开来，用两种态度两个出发点来分别经营爱好和营生。

徐斯韡大学时期曾经写过一本小说，由上海文艺出版社出版了。“没啥反响。什么也没有。”徐斯韡坦言，中国的作家，尤其是年轻的作者，很难仅仅通过职业写作来维持体面的生活。“这不仅是说物质上，也是说精神上的。”徐斯韡想象自己可能受制于一种两难的境地，如果他走上专业作家这条路，最后他选择自己为自己的兴趣负责。“这样起码还轻松一点。”

目前，徐斯韡除了 Côte-à-Côte 的运营之外，还打算开展一个资讯型的博客计划。“还在酝酿中，我的想法是做一个有阅读价值的、保证内容质量和更新率的资讯博客，主要关注创新技术和设计，会有固定的多个作者业余共同供稿。目前的出发点完全是自愿无偿的，暂时没想过盈利，甚至没想好它和我现在的活动公司能以什么样的方式联系起来…”这就是双子座的徐斯韡，他的理想和现实是两条côte-à-côte的道路，靠得很近，但仍然有距离。我们希望新单位这个平台可以在徐斯韡和像他一样的年轻人汇合两条道路的过程中发挥一点作用。

徐斯韡的新计划近期将会在新单位平台做引爆。
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March Featured People：Belen de la Ossa

Article/Paris Young Photo/Cozi GE

Every month we invite a Xindanwei member to share with us about their dreams, their work as well as their personal experience at Xindanwei.

This month we honor Belen de la Ossa, a SR. Fashion Designer and has worked internationally for ZARA, MANGO and other fashion houses, as our March featured Xindanwei people. New to Shanghai, she wishes be actively involved in the current changes in garment industry in China by offering her expertise and experience in fashion. “I find myself completely in love with Xindanwei during my first visit. People are different here. I like this space and open environment especially the New Mentor program that helps me to have a better local insight and much deeper understanding of how to pursue my dream in China. Xindanwei has generated many great leads and opportunity for me to get connected with amazing people and develop my idea. I am now acting as an ambassador to spread word for xindanwei among my fashion designer friends and networks.”

Belen hails from the romantic city Madrid Spain. She is now working on a freelance base while keeping an open mind and her creative juices flowing at Xindanwei. She is always looking for new input and inspiration coming from everything and everywhere in China. After years in corporate environments and a brief rocky “adventure” at a local Chinese fashion company Belen decided to courageously step out and work independently. This move also gave her freedom and flexibility to continue exploring and embracing Chinese culture and her new surroundings!

An expert in commercial fashion design, she has mastered everything about traditional fashion lines, such as garment design, trading, production and buying. Using these skills, she wants to do something that makes her soul feel released and finds new identity through fashion. In addition to that, Belen is willing to do something for social change and help the community. This is why she is enjoying many different Xindanwei programs which tackle social and cultural issues such as Urban Farming workshop and debates about Chinese traditional culture.

Currently, Belen is collaborating with an artist/entrepreneur named Redic to create a exiting new art inspired clothing & life style brand RA (Redic Apparel). Redic is a New Millennium Renaissance Artist (singer/songwriter, visual artist and designer) from Los Angeles. The international brand they are building is an east/west connection between the two great cites of Los Angeles & Shanghai.

They hope to promote a lifestyle brand that is creative and artistically draws from global inspirations. The clothing and products they provide are customized, creative, cutting edge while aiding humanitarian and philanthropic causes. Their values are spiritually rooted in purpose, celebrate diversity, built on integrity and simultaneously embrace maverick and avant-garde sensibilities. They are visionary in both scope, approach and craftsmanship. Thriving on individual and team excellence, they produce a unique “out of the box” conscientious brand and shopping experience. Their ultimate aim is to inspire & empower their patrons leaving them Looking Good, Feeling Good and Doing Good with every RA purchase.

Belen and her teammates are also working on a website that will not only showcase the clothes and other items but also sparks an unique online shopping experience. The site will be an wonderful eclectic blend that reflects the three pillars of RA: Fashion, Art,& Humanitarianism.

Only on it’s launching stages, the enthusiasm and contagious energy of RA is already attracting a cross-cultural range of talented and spirited professionals with diverse backgrounds and expertise. On April 9th Belen, Redic and other team members from RA have lead an exciting brand presentation/ and artist showcase at Xindanwei. This event did not only highlight their unique platform, it also emphasised the radical and often humorous inspirational stories of their off the beaten path approach to building business and A-Team from “scratch”. It included their intentions to attract investing partners to help take RA to it’s next phase, concluding with questions & answers as well as impute and feedback from “you” the Xindanwei community!

The event: Off the beaten path – The radical and inspirational way to build from “scratch” an A-Team for a conscientious new start up

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[lang_cn]新单位每月之星(3月): 时装设计师Belen De La Ossa

文章/Paris Young 照片/Cozi GE

每月我们都会邀请新单位会员与我们分享他们的梦想, 他们的工作以及他们对新单位的个人体验。

三月我们很荣幸的授予Belen de la Ossa作为新单位本月之星. 她是一位时装设计师，过去在伦敦和西班牙为Zara和Mango工作。“我第一次来新单位时，我发现我真的很喜欢新单位。这里的人都很不相同。我喜欢这个空间和这种开放环境，尤其是新顾问服务，这会让我对本地文化，市场有很好的洞察，更好的帮助我在中国追寻我的梦想。新单位已经给我了很多机会并促成了我与许多人连接从而拓展了我的思路。现在我很荣幸成为新单位大使，我会向我的时装设计朋友和我的人脉网络间，更广泛传播新单位。” Belen这样说到。

Belen在西班牙出生，在结束了之前在中国时装公司工作的艰难经历后，她决定选择独自工作同时继续探索并融合这种和她先前完全不同的文化环境。现在她是一个自由职业者，她开放的思想让她持续寻找遍及在中国的新观点和新灵感。

作为商业时装设计的专家，Belen已经熟知了商业时装线的每一个流程。譬如成衣设计，贸易，制作和买卖。依托于这些专业技能，她想做一些能通过时装设计让她的灵魂释放的实验和尝试。除此之外她也愿意为社会变革和社区发展做一些尝试，这也是她为什么喜欢参加新单位许多涉及到社会和文化议题活动的原因，比如在这里举办的新农庄和讨论中国传统服装的活动等。

现在Belen正与艺术企业家David Redic一起合作共同开创一个服装线品牌。Redic也是来自洛杉矶的摇滚歌手，画家和设计师。他们创立的品牌连通洛杉矶和上海两座城市，一座是好莱坞文化的发祥地，一座是当今世界的国际大都市。该品牌目标是通过每一次服装购买行为，消费者都能感受到漂亮的外在，丰富的内在感官体验同时又行善于世界。

他们希望推崇一种创意生活方式的品牌，并且这也是汇集全球灵感的极富艺术性品牌。他们提供的所有的服装和产品都是可定制的，创意的，处在时尚前沿的同时又具有慈善主意精神，辅佐人类进程。他们的价值观深刻根植在拥抱多样性，整合混搭不同元素，拥抱多种不同风格以及对先锋艺术感知。他们对相关的领域，渠道和工艺水平都有远大报复。他们期待通过个人和团队结晶共同兴旺发展创造一个能跳出常规思维方式的良知品牌和购物体验。最终的目标就是激发消费者灵感，让他们有漂亮的外在，丰富的内在感官体验同时又行善于世界。

他们也计划建立一个网站不仅用于展示时装同时也创造了一种购买服装的新体验以及对每一件服装背后故事的新叙事风格。

虽然Belen和Redic的这个合作才刚刚开始，但是他们共同创造的作品足以令人惊艳，并且这个团队已经吸引了来自全球不同背景的10人参与进来。Belen和Redic于4月9日和他们的团队一起在新单位举办了一个令人激动的活动。他们展示了目前已经创作出来的作品，同时讲述了这个团队创立的背后故事，他也希望能够吸引到更多投资者的注意力。

活动链接：紧锣密鼓──关于一个时装品牌和它的团队从无到有的创造过程
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