Jewelry designer Lin Hou: Collecting postcards and flea market tickets
“I like when my pieces surprise me, when they tell me something I don’t know.” Life experiences, old movies and stories all spark the imagination of artist Lin. Growing up in a multicultural household in the UK she became fascinated with everything vintage, contemporary subcultures. Learning from observing people, she realized the effort she must put in her research. Her work captures the strength, but also the fragility of being.
FF: Were you aware that working across continents will increase your success? You are now in the USA?
LIN: I'm right now in Novi, Michigan. I'm traveling on both sides, so my family is in the US right now. We were in Canada before, but I was working in China for some time. And my brand, my team is based in China. We were growing a lot for the last three, four years. We are thinking of expanding to the US market and also in the European market. We are very excited for the Milan Fashion Week in the fall.
FF: So you decided to have your own brand, where were you at the time?
LIN: Yes.I used to work in a big corporate company, you know, in my 20s. I started by searching for antique jewelry in flea markets. Then I had to move with my husband to Ontario, Canada, this is why Windsor, it’s the city we moved to. In the very beginning we were just trading antique jewelry.
FF: So, your passion for antique jewelry and storytelling opened up this road.
LIN: Yeah, so I was working in the UK for three years. I worked there in an alcohol beverage company as a purchasing person. But that gave me an opportunity to be in London you know, to shop in the antique market and then just to see as, as like I've never experienced something like that, you know, to see like how people are passionate about old jewelries and, and how antique coins carry a message and how gemstones can tell stories and all the antique markets around London, I just got fascinated by this world.
FF: So you lived in London? In Canada? In America, In China?
LIN: Yeah.
FF: Yeah. International, right? What is your love? What is your favorite place in the world?
LIN: Oh, it's actually a great question. I think it's just all different places that I lived or I traveled. I remember coming to Milan while working in the UK and I loved it!! My friend took me on a trip to Como. Fantastic!. And then I think a part of it is the things you see. And then part of it is the culture and the people you hang out with. And then you see the way people think, the way people react to certain things. And it's all very interesting. Everybody's so different!! And then culture that influences the way people interact, it is very unique!!
FF: It's so true! I like traveling as well and I love China. So I'm looking forward to exploring more in China. What cities are your favorites in China? Shanghai.
LIN: Shanghai. Shanghai is definitely the fashion city of China! It's fast paced and people, the young people and and even like everybody in Shanghai, I feel, when I was traveling there every time for the for a business trip, for my exhibitions, it's just the people that you meet, they're passionate and they are sophisticated and the way they see the world is just amazing. I lived in Guangzhou for four years so it's more like an easygoing, more relaxed city. And people are super friendly, super hot, tropical.
LHWINDSOR will be exhibiting at HOMI FASHION&JEWELS EXHIBITION
15-18 September 2023
A dedication to sustainability, craftsmanship, design and manufacturing with the ultimate accuracy. HOMI FASHION&JEWELS EXHIBITION explores a cultural challenge, is sustainability an utopian fantasy or a possibility?