REISO is a premium accessory brand dedicated to the idea of sustainable art. Each piece of artwork is made with an awareness of the material and thoughtful craftmanship. Our straw accessories connect craftsmanship inherited across ages with modern design concept.

Nearly thirty years ago, for the first time, I saw yellow straws harvested in canicule and air-cured in the yard of my hometown Xuhang-- a small town in Shanghai. Then, liquid dye was filled into pots in dyehouse, slowly boiled until straws were infused with color. In the hands of craftsmen, strands of straws were plaited into gorgeous toys, handbags, shoes, and they have accompanied me through my childhood. Legend has it that the technique of yellow straw plaiting was originated from a fairy who brought luck and happiness to the people in town. It was the first time that I perceived the wonder of nature. In the hands of craftsmen, the universe is nourished and syncretized to a rebirth. 

As an adult, I left my small town to become an entrepreneur and investor, travelling around the world making investments and running businesses. One night I dreamed of the yellow straw toy made by my grandmother, and the ice cream she brought me as an exchange for her plaiting work. I went back to my hometown for nostalgia; however, the yellow straw land in my dream has disappeared under city landscape, and the straw accessories have been preserved in a museum for very few people to appreciate. For the first time, the unsettled heart of mine summons for inheritance and protection, to introduce this warm and precious technique from my childhood to more and more people.

 

In this technologically-driven world, we eat, sleep, work, and play in many ways cut off from the natural world. Divorcing ourselves from our deeper, nature-bound essence can come at great risk. Inspired by natural materials and handmade craftmanship, we are dedicated to the idea of making nature into your heart. We perceive the New Luxury as the ability to find one's own inner peace and freedom. Like a wildflower or a piece of cloud in blue sky, REISO is here to reconnect you with nature, help you capture inner peace and cheerfulness in your busy routine and bring tranquility of spirit, whether during workdays or holidays.

Yellow straw is precious and wonderful. Unlike common plaiting straws, it is slim, glossy and resilient, and could be plaited into sophisticated and exquisite accessories. This is the birth of REISO, meaning “wonderful plant” in ancient Chinese.

REISO only uses the best quality yellow straws that are preserved for 10 years and longer. It does not only reflect the wonder of time, but also renders the heritage from generations to generations — a ritual that mothers hand over yellow straws to daughters to practice with faith, then the daughters pass the straws on to their children in the next decade. We are deeply touched by the silent inheritance, the continuation of tradition, the pulse of civilization, and the hope for revival of straw plaiting

REISO aims to create and present the masterpiece of straw plaiting accessories, bringing art into daily life. Inspired by this project, REISO is joined by Gemma Hoi, as Creative Director, who graduated from Parsons New York and established her designer label and an international creative platform since 2016. REISO looks to re-define the craft of yellow straw plaiting which has been inherited for thousands of years in a functional, modern, minimal and natural way.

Happiness is about how you feel, regardless of wealth, and it roots in the heart of freedom. REISO and you, unfold the journey from the heart together.