As we look towards a new Lunar New Year, power couple and founders of brand Rholend, Laurence Fortin-Côté and Dylan Wu are focusing on conscious living. At the core of their brand, the harmony of their cultural backgrounds, and Old World savoir-faire contrasted with refined modern craftsmanship, their approach to design is creating new heritage pieces built to last. With two key holidays fast approaching, we caught up with the duo to talk all things holiday gifting, new beginnings and what is next for them this coming Year of the Horse.

How do you normally celebrate Lunar New Year?

“Lunar New Year is almost always centred around family and food. We love to cook as a family and will typically have a huge spread for hot pot to keep us warm, a noodle dish for long life, and home made dumplings for good fortune.”

What Lunar New Year or Valentine’s Day traditions do you have?

“We love starting each Lunar New Year reading about our Chinese zodiac signs to see what to expect for the year. The fortunes are obviously just for fun but can be oddly specific and bring some level of comfort.  For Valentine’s Day, we love to spend it at home with some take out from our favourite restaurant and a nice bottle of wine, watching an old French movie.”

How does the theme of love tie into how you craft your Rholend pieces?

“Rholend is truly our love letter to love: love for our heritage, for materials, and for craftsmanship. This shows up in our obsession with details, of how each piece should not only look and feel, but also how it wears over time. Each piece is created with intention and made to last a lifetime.”

When thinking of gifting, what approach do you take in general or specifically to a partner/loved one?

“We believe gifting should always be personal, although it’s definitely easier said than done! Not all gifts have to necessarily be extravagant, in fact it’s often the simple but personal gifts that are the best to give and receive. One trick we learned when gifting for each other is to include a hand written note that can tie the gift to a small shared experience between us.”

What Rholend make the perfect gifts this Lunar New Year or Valentine’s Day?

“It’s always customary to gift something new and red to invite good fortune for the rest of the year, which is why we think these three Rholend pieces would make the perfect gifts.”

Entering a new Lunar New Year what are some of your personal or professional goals?

“Every New Year (Lunar or otherwise) naturally marks the end of something old and the start of something new. We are working on finding continuity going into this year, to remain grateful for each other, our family, and friends, to recognize that our previous experiences may lead to new adventures.”

What is your favourite piece of advice to get you in the right mindset for a new year?

“Great things take time. We try to remind ourselves to slow down and appreciate the process instead of racing towards our goals. There is beauty in slowing down and living more consciously, and to appreciate simple pleasures. If every decision we make is rooted in truth and supports our values, then we will always be moving in the right direction.”

Photos courtesy of Rholend.

What is next for you both this year?

“We are looking forward to our second year with Rholend, to expand our assortment and create more opportunities to connect with our community.”

Feature image courtesy of Rholend.