We follow the New York-based accessories designer on her journey through Beijing as she takes in the sights and scenes of the nation’s capital
New York-based accessories designer Sarah Law recently spent a week in Beijing as part of a sponsored trip by the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) Incubator programme. She shares her experience travelling around the city with HongKongTatler.com.
The first port of call in terms of sightseeing was the Forbidden City. It’s been nearly 20 years since my last visit to Beijing, and I was impressed with the beauty and scale of the Forbidden City and the ancient Imperial Palace. The gold leaf paint, motifs of phoenixes, dragons and lions were intricate in detail and thoroughly awe-inspiring.
April is a great time to visit Beijing; it’s just the beginning of spring and the climate is perfect for wandering outdoors around the city and taking in the sites. Next on my list is the Temple of Heaven, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The colours of the terracotta walls adorned with rich gold, blue and green motifs were even more stunning with the backdrop of the clear blue sky – a rarity in this city, it seems.
I also wanted to see cherry blossoms, and the Yu Yuan Tan Gardens was an excellent site. We were lucky to catch the flowers in full bloom.
With over 3,000 shops and stalls, the Panjiayuan Market was a bit overwhelming to start, but eventually I happily made my way around, and even ended up staying the entire day. My favourites were the stalls that sold handmade textiles and crafts. I bought blue and white batik printed cotton pieces, as well as paintings of a Chinese warrior to decorate the walls of my apartment back in New York.
One of the most memorable meals I had was form a restaurant that served Yunnan cuisine. Their speciality was a mushroom dish, and let’s just say I had more types of fungi than I ever knew existed. To top it off, I also had some amazing ribs, spicy pork and an aubergine dish that I wish I could somehow get back at home.
I spent another day gallery hopping around the 798 Art District and caught some shows, including The Chinese Photobook exhibit at the Ullen's Centre of Contemporary Art and Bill Viola's video installation at the Faurschou Foundation
Lastly, it only seemed appropriate to wrap up the trip with a visit to the Great Wall of China.
About Sarah Law
Award-winning Parsons alumni and Hong Kong native Sarah Law launched her accessories label Kara in Autumn 2012, shortly after leaving her post as women’s accessories designer at Gap. Law has achieved much in the last three years, as Kara is now stocked at some of the world’s leading fashion boutiques and department stores, including Opening Ceremony, Barneys New York and Lane Crawford. The label focuses on functional leather goods that give priority to quality craftsmanship, concentrating on minimal hardware and branding, to emphasize the beauty of simple, refined aesthetics.
Check out Kara’s latest season here or stay updated with Kara on Instagram