dolma jewelry

There’s lots of talk here on CNN about China’s economy that I’m not hearing expressed as much in the US.

Thought you all might find it interesting…

Labor costs are going up - there was an interview featured on TV with an exporter who said he used to have workers ask him if he could give a job to a cousin, brother, etc. But now, with half his employees gone to better - paying jobs, he’s asking his workers if they have a brother or cousin that could come to work for him.

I assume this is due the increase in demand for products from international companies, as we are hearing from a new friend we made here, that Chinese people do not like “Made in China”, they think it’s cheap. They buy foreign, name brands, and like to pay for quality.

At the same time, China is the world’s leading importer of wood (paper prices are basically a reaction to China’s demand for wood), they are importing soy products, and after switching to a coal-based economy, there will soon be more roads than rice patties… Which means they may not have the means to feed their own population; and we are meeting more and more westerners over here to work, to export their own services instead of importing a product…

Also, inflation is a problem, as there is so much cash - perhaps the government is doing a fine job of spending plenty of RMB, but prices of everyday goods are still going up.

Couple this with an exchange rate that, with international pressure, is more and more realistic (in 2005, when I first studied here, it was 8 RMB to 1 USD, and has gradually dropped to 7:1, 6.8:1, 6.5:1, and this trip is 6.18:1)… I think my last trip the correct exchange rate, if china allowed it’s currency to float was predicted to be closer to 3:1.

Perhaps a textbook economic situation? So interesting.

I have my own predictions, from a business person myself who’s experienced this sort of thing from a micro standpoint I the US - our costs have gone up, competition has increased, and our prices have to go down…

Cost increases to these Chinese businesses, and they’ll decrease price to stay competitive, getting squeezed… And, as cost of living has increased, this new middle class, that probably hasn’t saved properly, will be in a bind. And now, with a fixation on foreign made products and a dependency on foreign idea generation… Perhaps they are not in the position they we paint them in the U.S.

Anybody have any comments? Post them on out FB page, we had to turn off the blog comment section.

He’s been to breakfast every morning, in a business suit, with colleagues,  but is still lookin really rough.

This morning I woke up at 3:30am. After trying to fall asleep for over an hour, I gave in and got up. Restless from the long flight, and ready for a run, I looked in my suitcase to find that for some reason, the weeks supply of work out clothes had not made it into my suitcase.

I must mention though, the highlight of our room. A painting, with it’s own spot light.

Shanghai means “on the water” in Chinese. It is given this name because the HuangPu River runs through it, dividing it into east and west. PuXi, (Pu River West) retains a very old world feel, and PuDong, (Pu River East) has a new world feel. We always stay in Puxi, and today, after reading the pressure that the US is putting on China to allow it’s currency to float more freely, I look from the old world onto the new, and feel a since of metaphorical, microcosmic clash that perhaps one can only feel from this spot, at this time in history.

We left from NYC this morning at 11. Arriving at the airport with plenty of time, we headed to the Sky Club to chill until time to board. It was the first time we’d used the Sky Club - last year we bought a business platinum charge card from AMEX that has no international fees, which saves us a ton of money (for those of who travel often, you should consider it - the international fees are usually around 3%)? And one of the perks from this premo card is the Club. However, I’ve been denied more than accepted - we have to be flying delta, have the card present, Yada Yada Yada… But today we finally got to take full advantage of a personal plug in for our ipad and cell phone, along with complementary drinks - so, why not? It’s 5 o’clock in China…. Better get on their time asap.

We brought a film crew along on our buying trip in hopes that you could…

Hear dolma's vision for the future.

Get a sneak peek of the design process.

Follow us as we travel around.

View a mash up of our trip!

Click on the pictures to watch videos documenting our trip!

Today we designed some fabulous stretch cocktail rings! I’m convinced we don’t have enough coming in. For sure we’re going to sell them all at our launch party (which we started scheming about today… to be announced very soon!)

We checked in on some designs we were waiting to see, and later headed to a dumplings restaurant to meet my friend in Shanghai and her aunt for soup dumplings, boiled peanuts, fried pork, some greens… (does that sound like a Southern meal in the US or what?!?) I assure you the flavors were different!

Today we designed lots of statement pieces with big, bold center accents. Last season, everything was on the side… but as you’ll see this year, it’s all front and center!

We swung by a Carrefour to grab some bottled waters, a pomelo, red wine, a baguette and some cheese to eat in the hotel.

We also got a reflexology foot massage, which was life changing, but perhaps the reason that we slept from 9pm to 9am… we fell asleep with our clothes on!

We read today in the Shanghai Daily that Shanghai now has a one-dog policy. Quite interesting. But the good news is, if you already have more than one, you’re grandfathered in and can keep them all!

We went red, white and blue today. Lots of long, red and white and blue and white pieces to match the colors you’ll be seeing on the mannequins for 2011. Shannon also found some 2010 expo snap bracelet with USA on them, and we bought a handful as a souvenir. They won’t be on our website, but let us know if you want one… they’re apparently all the rage!

After our design sess, we met a friend of mine who just moved to Shanghai for a drink at a bar that advertised free drinks for ladies from 8pm to 2am. Only in China! We arrived around 9, and by 11 the band was warming up. The first song was Pink Floyd. Then, Smash Mouth…

And the crowd went wild. All the sudden the dance floor erupted, and we happened to be sitting in the prime dance locale. So, we left. Big day tomorrow. Gotta get some rest!

At the market, one of our vendors gave us a chilled egg. We cracked it, and it was beautiful! A fermented, green gelatin substance (yack), but beautiful… with etchings of Chinese flora. Everyone was watching us. We had to eat it. They brought us some vinegar to dip it in. I looked at Shannon, and bit into it. Squishy. I handed the egg to Shannon, and she took a bite. She handed it back. I took another bite…

Fermented Egg!

Perhaps a good depiction of the gelatin-like inside! It's a real egg!

Today we worked on pearl earrings, necklaces and bracelets that fade from bright reds to yellows and whites. Greens to blue and to white. Black to gray to white. We also incorporated crystal and pearl duos-pink potato pearls followed by pink crystal, for example… in lots of colors!

We also put together a few pieces for our Alma Mater. Hoping to have a line for Sewanee: The University of the South in the bookstore this year! Here are a few previews:

Crystal and one Purple Pearl! Yea, Sewanee's Right!

Purple crystal and a pearl in the shape of a cross - in honor of the Sewanee Cross!

I'll be sporting these in a 20" at the next Alumni function! Earrings and bracelet to match, of course!