Latest news with #LalaCurio
South China Morning Post
13-04-2025
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
These bespoke, hand-crafted wall coverings keep traditional skills alive
The Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris took two centuries to build; 15 hours to be almost lost to fire; and five years to reconstruct after that devastating 2019 inferno. But what does all this have to do with high-end wallpaper? Advertisement If not for traditional skills passed down through the ages, says couture-wallpaper doyenne Laura Cheung Wolf , one of architecture's greatest medieval achievements might never have been rebuilt. It's why the founder of home decor and lifestyle brand Lala Curio feels it is imperative to keep training new generations of artisans, like those who hand-paint and embroider her dreamy Chinoiserie wallpaper using a centuries-old gongbi (meticulous detail) technique. Lala Curio founder Laura Cheung Wolf debuted a Feuillage ('foliage') collection of wall coverings at Paris Déco Off in January. Photo: Rodrigo Rize 'That 800-year-old crafts can be revived in a five-year time frame is thanks in part to modern innovation, but also because these crafts – ancient woodworking techniques, hand-painted murals and restoration of stained-glass windows – have been passed down through generations,' she says, returning to her Notre-Dame reference. 'Europe has put so much energy in fostering these old crafts that when the skill is needed, it's right there.' The act of harnessing ancient knowledge for contemporary design and architecture is gaining traction as consumers seek connection to heritage and craftsmanship. Hand-painted Chinoiserie wall coverings inspired by traditional Chinese art and culture grace grand homes, royal palaces and luxury hotels across the Western world, extending to contemporary spin-offs. The secret sauce of these and other unique wall products, Cheung says, is their authenticity. Splitting her time between homes in Hong Kong and Washington, in the United States, Cheung was back in town ahead of the May 1 opening of the Lala Curio flagship showroom at The Peninsula Hong Kong Advertisement This year marks 11 years since the debut of her first Lala Curio in Wan Chai's Star Street Precinct, but it's been three years since her brand has had a physical shopfront here. (Not that Cheung hasn't been busy, rolling out Lala Curio globally with distributors in Britain, the Middle East, Thailand and the US.)
South China Morning Post
12-04-2025
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
This week in PostMag: Yardbird founders' new concept and Wong Fei-hung
I'll let you in on a little secret: I still haven't been to Yardbird. And that makes me feel … ashamed? I know, I know – perhaps that's overstating it. It is only a restaurant after all. Advertisement But it's a place that seems to have played an outsized role in Hong Kong's modern food scene. Even living in Beijing more than a decade ago, I'd heard about a fun, funky new yakitori spot called Yardbird. Much like a certain band who came through town this past week, it has its ardent fans, and its fervent haters – lending its importance a certain undeniability no matter on which side you fall. So Yardbird's on my list, but somehow I made it to Always Joy first. It's the latest concept from Yardbird founders Lindsay Jang and Matt Abergel, and based on my evening there – which was a relaxed, effortless good time – I can envision the appeal of their original venture. In our cover feature, Gavin Yeung sits down with Jang and Abergel to hear how the new restaurant came together. On the other side of the world, Victoria Burrows dives into the inspiration that chefs in the West are increasingly taking from Chinese cuisine. It makes for some tantalising, hunger-inducing dish descriptions. I never thought a flattened chicken head would appeal and yet, somehow it does? The rest of the issue weaves together tales throughout time. In Weimar, Peter Neville-Hadley explores the German city's historical highlights. In southern China, Mathew Scott dives into the legend of the elusive Wong Fei-hung, a kung fu master who inspired a legion of Hong Kong martial arts films. For someone so influential, we know strikingly little about Wong. Advertisement Back in Hong Kong, Peta Tomlinson chats with Laura Cheung Wolf of Lala Curio as she looks at the world of high-end wallpaper. The home decor brand is opening a showroom at The Peninsula Hong Kong in May where you'll be able to experience its wallpaper collection that's rooted in the 18th century Chinese craft of gongbi, or meticulous hand painting.
