Qeelin

Last updated • 3 min readFrom Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia
Qeelin
Founded2004 (2004)
FounderDennis Chan
Guillaume Brochard
Headquarters Hong Kong SAR，China
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
Dennis Chan (Creative Director)
Christophe Artaux (CEO)
Products Jewellery and accessories
Parent Kering
Website Qeelin.com

Qeelin is a fine jewellery company established in 2004 in Hong Kong by Dennis Chan and Guillaume Brochard. The brand's products refer to mystical or superstitious symbols strongly embedded in Chinese culture. The name Qeelin comes from the qilin, (麒麟) a legendary hooved chimerical creature that appears in Chinese mythology. [1]

Contents

The company is headquartered in Hong-Kong, and is owned by the French luxury group Kering. Christophe Artaux has been CEO since 2015, [2] and Dennis Chan creative director since 2004. [3]

History

Launch in Paris

The idea of creating a luxury brand strongly embedded in the Chinese culture came to the designer Dennis Chan while visiting the Dunhuang Caves along the Silk Road in 1997. He co-founded with Guillaume Brochard the luxury jewellery company Qeelin in 2004 in Paris. [3] [4] Qeelin's first collection, the Wulu, became a hit after actress Maggie Cheung wore it at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival. [5]

In 2009, Qeelin opened its first store in Paris, inside the Palais-Royal. [6]

Acquisition by Kering

In January 2013, the French luxury group Kering acquired a majority stake in Qeelin, the group's first acquisition in China. By then, Qeelin had 50 employees and 14 stores worldwide. [7] [8]

The acquisition enabled Qeelin to accelerate store openings (7 new stores in the first year), and to launch its first high jewelry collection. [9] [10] In 2015, Guillaume Brochard left the company, and Christophe Artaux became the CEO of Qeelin. [2]

Timeline

Designs

The company's first collection was the Wulu, which revisited the legendary Chinese gourd, an auspicious emblem in Chinese tradition. Often inspired by mythical or superstitious myths, Qeelin's following creations used the symbols of the panda (Bo Bo), bells (Ling Long), kissing goldfish (Qin Qin), and dogs (Wang Wang). [11]

In 2009, Qeelin launched a line of rare jadeite jewels. [12] In 2010, Qeelin launched Maggie's bangles, a set of bracelets initially worn by Maggie Cheung. [13] In 2012, Qeelin launched the XiXi collection to celebrate the Lion in the Chinese culture. [14] In 2016, Qeelin collaborated with Chinese visual artist Chen Man to design a limited edition of the Bo Bo pendant. [15] In 2017, Qeelin released 8 rooster designs to celebrate the Year of the Rooster in the Chinese zodiac. [16]

Retailing

Activities

Qeelin Boutique in the Palais-Royal in Paris. Qeelin-PalarisRoyal.jpg
Qeelin Boutique in the Palais-Royal in Paris.

Qeelin is a Chinese fine jewellery company whose products refer to mystical or superstitious symbols strongly embedded in the Chinese culture. Qeelin uses meticulous craftsmanship to create its China-inspired jewellery, and nurtures a «East meets West» philosophy to appeal to an international audience. [17] Qeelin is based in Hong Kong SAR and owned by the French luxury group Kering.

Qeelin opened its first store in Taiwan in 2009, and its first store in Shanghai in 2010. [18] In June 2014, the company announced its intention to double in 2 years the number of Qeelin stores in China to 24. [19]

In 2015, Qeelin started to retail its products in the USA through a handful of stores, initially to cater to the Chinese diaspora in North America. [20] [21]

In 2017, Qeelin opened its first store in Thailand. [22]

In 2018, Qeelin chose Chinese actress Gulnazar to become its new brand ambassador. [23]

Retail stores

As of 2024 Qeelin operates 139 stores on the world and 66 in China.

Some of those stores include :

Governance

CEOs

Creative directors

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maggie Cheung</span> Hong Kong actress

Margaret Cheung Man-yuk is a former Hong Kong actress. Raised in Hong Kong and Britain, she started her career after placing second in 1983's Miss Hong Kong Pageant. She achieved critical success in the late 1980s and into the early 2000s, before taking a break from acting following her last starring role in 2004. She rarely makes public appearances except for fashion events and award ceremonies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gucci</span> Italian luxury fashion house

Guccio Gucci S.p.A., doing business as Gucci, is an Italian luxury fashion house based in Florence, Italy. Its product lines include handbags, ready-to-wear, footwear, accessories, and home decoration; and it licenses its name and branding to Coty for fragrance and cosmetics under the name Gucci Beauty.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Luxury goods</span> Good for which demand increases more than what is proportional as income rises

In economics, a luxury good is a good for which demand increases more than what is proportional as income rises, so that expenditures on the good become a more significant proportion of overall spending. Luxury goods are in contrast to necessity goods, where demand increases proportionally less than income. Luxury goods is often used synonymously with superior goods.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LVMH</span> French multinational luxury goods conglomerate

LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE, commonly known as LVMH, is a French multinational holding company and conglomerate specializing in luxury goods, headquartered in Paris. The company was formed in 1987 through the merger of fashion house Louis Vuitton with Moët Hennessy, which was established following the 1971 merger between the champagne producer Moët & Chandon and the cognac producer Hennessy. In April 2023, LVMH became the first European company to surpass a valuation of $500 billion. In 2023, the company was ranked 47th in the Forbes Global 2000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boucheron</span> French luxury jewelry and watch house

Boucheron is a French luxury jewelry and watch house located in Paris, 26 Place Vendôme, owned by Kering. Hélène Poulit-Duquesne has been CEO since 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tiffany & Co.</span> American luxury jewelry and specialty design house

Tiffany & Co. is an American luxury jewelry and specialty design house headquartered on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. Tiffany is known for its luxury goods, particularly its sterling silver and diamond jewelry. These goods are sold at Tiffany stores, online, and through corporate merchandising. Its name and branding are licensed to Coty for fragrances and to Luxottica for eyewear.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Van Cleef & Arpels</span> Luxury jeweler

Van Cleef & Arpels is a French luxury jewelry company. It was founded in 1896 by the Dutch diamond-cutter Alfred Van Cleef and his father-in-law Salomon Arpels in Paris. Their pieces often feature flowers, animals and fairies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bulgari</span> Italian luxury fashion house

Bulgari is an Italian luxury fashion house founded in 1884 and known for its jewellery, watches, fragrances, accessories, and leather goods. Headquartered in Rome, the company was acquired by the French conglomerate LVMH in 2011, thus becoming one of the latter's subsidiaries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kering</span> French multinational corporation

Kering is a French multinational holding company specializing in luxury goods, headquartered in Paris. It owns the brands Yves Saint Laurent, Gucci, Balenciaga, Bottega Veneta, Creed and Alexander McQueen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maggie Cheung Ho-yee</span> Hong Kong actress

Maggie Cheung Ho-yee is a Hong Kong actress.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canali</span> Italian luxury menswear company

Canali is an Italian luxury menswear brand founded in 1934.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tang Wei</span> Chinese actress (born 1979)

Tang Wei is a Chinese actress. She rose to international fame for her role in Golden Lion-winning Lust, Caution (2007) by Ang Lee, and gained further acclaim for her performances in Late Autumn (2010), Finding Mr. Right (2013), The Golden Era (2014), Long Day's Journey into Night (2018), and Decision to Leave (2022). Tang is the first and only non-Korean to be honored as the Best Actress at the Baeksang Art Awards (twice), Blue Dragon Film Awards, Chunsa Film Art Awards and Buil Film Awards. She is also the first Asian actor to have won the Trophée Chopard, which she received at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Birks Group</span> Canadian jewellery company (1879)

Birks Group Inc. is a designer, manufacturer, and retailer of jewellery, timepieces, silverware and gifts, with stores and manufacturing facilities located in Canada and the United States. The Group was created in November 2005 through the merger of Henry Birks and Sons Ltd. (Canada) and Mayors Jewelers Inc..

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Im Yoon-ah</span> South Korean singer and actress (born 1990)

Im Yoon-ah, also known mononymously as Yoona, is a South Korean singer and actress. After training for five years, she debuted as a member of girl group Girls' Generation in August 2007, which went on to become one of the best-selling artists in South Korea and one of South Korea's most widely known girl groups worldwide. Apart from her group's activities, Yoona has participated in various television dramas, notably You Are My Destiny (2008), which marked her career breakthrough and earned her the Best New Actress awards at the 23rd KBS Drama Awards and the 45th Baeksang Arts Awards.

Harry Winston, Inc. is an American luxury jeweler and producer of Swiss timepieces. The company was founded in 1932 as Harry H. Winston Jewels, Inc. and changed its name to Harry Winston Inc. in January 1936. The company is named after its founder, Harry Winston, who was called by many as the "King of Diamonds".

Christophe Cuvillier is a French businessman and current chief executive officer of the European real-estate group Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gülnezer Bextiyar</span> Chinese actress (born 1992)

Gülnezer Bextiyar, also known by her pinyin transliteration name Gulinazha or its diminutive form Nazha, is an ethnic Uyghur Chinese actress and model who graduated from the Beijing Film Academy in 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DFS Group</span> Hong Kong luxury travel retailer

DFS Group (DFS) is a Hong Kong–based travel retailer of luxury products. Established in 1960, its network located in major airports and downtown stores around the world, including duty-free stores in 12 airports and 21 downtown locations, as well as affiliate and resort locations, featuring 750 brands. It is privately held and majority owned by the luxury conglomerate Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton (LVMH), alongside DFS co-founder and shareholder Robert Warren Miller. As of January 11, 1997, DFS Group operates as a subsidiary of LVMH.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Niwaka (company)</span> Japanese jewellery manufacturer and seller

NIWAKA Corporation is a Japanese jewellery manufacturer and seller. The brand originated in Kyoto and its designs are inspired by elements of the culture and history of the city, such as the Gion Matsuri, its cityscape, the passing of the seasons and the surrounding nature. The brand is also rooted in traditional Japanese motifs that range from Japanese kanji and architecture, to patterns used in Japanese paintings.

Sangeeta Boochra is an eponymous fashion label founded in 1994, named after Indian jewelry designer Sangeeta Biochar. The label is known for its traditional and tribal designer jewelry collections.

References

  1. ↑ Cristina Blanaru (9 December 2013). "Fred & Farid Shanghai made qilins real to promote a jewelry brand". Adhugger.net. Retrieved 16 September 2018.
  2. 1 2 3 "Kering says Christophe Artaux named Qeelin CEO". Reuters.com. 12 January 2015. Retrieved 16 September 2018.
  3. 1 2 3 Divia Harilela (13 October 2016). "Dennis Chan: "Qeelin's jewel elicit emotions". Prestigeonline.com. Retrieved 16 September 2018.
  4. ↑ Y-Jean Mun-Delsalle (13 October 2014). "Q&A With Guillaume Brochard, CEO Of Chinese Luxury Jewelry Brand Qeelin". Forbes.com. Retrieved 16 September 2018.
  5. ↑ Ruonan Zheng (22 May 2018). "How Qeelin Thrives Where Other Chinese Luxury Brands Fail". Jingdaily.com. Retrieved 16 September 2018.
  6. ↑ Matthieu Guinebault (23 September 2009). "Le joaillier Qeelin s'installe au Palais Royal". Fashionnetwork.com (in French). Retrieved 16 September 2018.
  7. ↑ Jennifer Reingold (19 December 2013). "Gucci, Chanel, and ... Qeelin?". Fortune.com.com. Retrieved 16 September 2018.
  8. ↑ "PPR buys jeweller Qeelin to expand in China". Reuters.com. 10 December 2012. Retrieved 16 September 2018.
  9. ↑ "Dennis Chan, Creative Director and Chairman, Qeelin". Elitetraveler.com. 12 December 2013. Retrieved 16 September 2018.
  10. ↑ Joelle Diderich (1 July 2014). "Qeelin Toasts High-Jewelry Line". Wwd.com. Retrieved 16 September 2018.
  11. ↑ Stephen Short (1 August 2017). "The Rise of Qeelin Jewellery". Hashtaglegend.com. Retrieved 16 September 2018.
  12. ↑ "Jade Jewelry Takes A Contemporary Turn". Jingdaily.com. 1 December 2009. Retrieved 16 September 2018.
  13. ↑ Mélody Kandyoti (3 May 2010). "Les bracelets de Maggie Cheung chez Qeelin". Puretrend.com (in French). Retrieved 16 September 2018.
  14. ↑ "Jeweler Qeelin's XiXi Collection Celebrates Traditional Lion Dance". Jingdaily.com. 6 September 2012. Retrieved 16 September 2018.
  15. ↑ Vivian Chen (15 December 2016). "Chinese photographer and artist redefines contemporary Eastern beauty". Scmp.com. Retrieved 16 September 2018.
  16. ↑ Carolyn Meers (24 May 2017). "Trend to Watch: Wild and Wearable Animal Jewelry". Robbreport.com. Retrieved 16 September 2018.
  17. ↑ "葫蘆形首飾打響名堂 Qeelin推入門版 網購$10,000搞掂". Edigest.hk (in Chinese). 14 June 2018. Retrieved 16 September 2018.
  18. ↑ "Qeelin Opens First Store In Shanghai". Jingdaily.com. 25 June 2010. Retrieved 16 September 2018.
  19. ↑ "Qeelin expands in mainland China". Insideretail.asia. 18 June 2014. Retrieved 16 September 2018.
  20. ↑ Jenifer Thompson (20 June 2016). "Asian brands go west chasing holiday shoppers". Ft.com. Retrieved 16 September 2018.
  21. ↑ Jill Newman (10 April 2016). "A Celebrated Hong Kong Jewelry Designer Debuts in the States". Robbreport.com. Retrieved 16 September 2018.
  22. ↑ Kupluthai Pungkanon (30 November 2017). "Poise, playfulness and oriental beauty". Nationmaultimedia.com. Retrieved 16 September 2018.
  23. ↑ Reggie Ho (18 April 2018). "Chinese actress Guli Nazha is the new face for Qeelin's Wulu diamond collection". Scmp.com. Retrieved 16 September 2018.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.