Entrepreneur treads tough road to make a lasting impression

Sometimes, the strangest of things can trigger a life-long fascination toward a particular object and also inspire the person to create masterpieces that can be cherished forever.

The world of crystal has always been fascinating for its dazzling brilliance, precision and geometry and big-ticket names like Swarovski or Waterford. But not many realize that the dazzling gemstone can also be used to shape the very same products that we often live and work with.

Li Zhen focuses her designs on crystal products for daily use. [Zhang Kaihu / for China Daily]

Shapes, crystal and design have always been at the forefront for Li Zhen, the founder of Fox Crystal Co, a natural crystal products maker in Donghai, Jiangsu province. Her passion for crystal also prompted in her the keen desire to design objects of use using her favorite medium, so much so that it is not uncommon to spot her with a bunch of pencils and notebooks filled with myriad designs.

"When I entered the crystal industry five years ago, most of the products were either cut jewels or carved ornamental stones. Though they are prized possessions, these products are essentially only showpieces."

Li, a firm believer of art having a meaningful existence, says that it was a shame that natural treasures like crystal were not being used for that purpose.

That she is a firm believer and practitioner of her art is more than evident in the huge collection of diverse crystal products that are on display at her show room. On display are several daily use products made from natural crystal, like mouse-pads, sachets, car hanging ornaments and even crystal-inlaid pillows.

Though crystals fascinated her, her foray into the medium was necessitated more by the uncertain economic prospects she faced five years ago. Till 2007, Li was involved with the textile industry, and was running the largest home textile shopping center in Donghai.

"By 2007, the fortunes of the textile industry had waned considerably in Donghai. With economic prospects looking bleak, I decided to test my fortunes in the crystal market, as more than one-fifth of the Donghai residents were already engaged in the crystal trade.

"Crystal is one of the most precious gifts given by nature. Like most of the others in Donghai, I also decided to do something to make the most of this non-renewable resource," Li says.

Thus began what Li describes as a truly amazing journey of discovery.

"One of the things that I realized during my extensive study of the industry was the fact that though there were several good crystal makers, there was hardly anyone to create new and inspired designs."

Driven by her desire, Li undertook a journey to the major crystal destinations of the world and put down all that she saw, learned and discovered about crystal into designs.

With a textile background, it was obvious that Li would first test her prowess in a medium that she was comfortable with. She started off with high-end home textile products decorated with natural crystals, such as refined curtains, summer sleeping mats and mosquito nets with crystal accessories.

The real breakthrough, says Li, came about in 2008 when she showcased her luxurious crystal textiles at the Shanghai Home Textile Exhibition. Visitors were bowled over by the dazzling creations and the breath-taking beauty that many of them compared it with being in the legendary crystal palace of the Donghai (East China Sea) Dragon King described in Journey to the West, a Chinese classic.

"Though the crystal textiles got many bouquets from customers, in actual terms there were hardly any sales as the high prices proved to be a major deterrent. But the crystal sachets that I made as exhibition souvenirs were like hot cakes."

Li says the experience made her realize that she should focus more on the mass market rather than high-end luxury products for sustained growth.

For the next two years, Li immersed herself in the business of design and was often cloistered in her studio surrounded by piles of drawings and product patterns. "I knew then that I was traveling on a path that had not been taken by any one before me," Li says.

"Thousands of different images and patterns flooded my mind over a period of time. The moment I had an idea, I put it on paper and asked my craftsmen to translate the idea into reality.

"To some extent that is also the reason why you will see me always with a pencil and sketch book," Li says with a smile. "I have to seize every beautiful element in life, be it a leaf, an insect or architecture," she says.

As a designer, Li owns 245 national patents given by the State Intellectual Property Office, of which 11 are utility patents and the rest industrial design patents. Li says there are many big pieces of carved ornamental crystal that often sell for exorbitant prices. In the natural crystal industry, there is a saying that, "you may not sell a piece within three years, but once you sell one, you can pause your business for three years".

Since the consumers of the big pieces are very few, Li feels that smaller pieces of crystal jewelry and craftworks with higher added value of design and utility are more competitive in the market.

As such, branding also forms an integral part of her plans to push future growth for Fox Crystal.

"The natural crystal market is still in its infancy as gold, jade and diamonds still continue to dominate the market," she says.

"The crystal industry in China desperately needs some influential and leading brands to show the way. The best way to achieve branding success for crystal makers is to opt for subdivision of products and adapt the franchise business model."

Fox Crystal currently has 20 franchise stores around China with at least five more in the pipeline. Li is also planning to move the company headquarters to Nanjing, the capital of Jiangsu province, to promote her products on a better platform.

Due to the limited marketing channels and brand awareness, revenues of Fox Crystal were only 5 million yuan in 2010 and 8 million yuan in 2011. More importantly, her biggest concern continues to be the lack of talented designers and marketing personnel.

To overcome the talent crunch issue, Li is contemplating setting up an institute of Chinese knotting art, primarily to bring together the available talent in China who are experts in macrame, a form of textile-making using knotting rather than weaving or knitting. "This could be an extremely important step, as some these experts may one day be our part-time consultants," she says.

"I have a profound love and reverence for the everlasting crystals that echo back to a distant past. Their eternity reminds me of the legendary Chinese fairy fox, which also needs millions of years to become immortal," says Li, explaining why she chose the name Fox for her company.

"I am happy with my nickname - Fox Lady. It's a compliment to me and shows awareness for my brand," Li says.

xiaoxiangyi@chinadaily.com.cn