Ayesha de Kretser/Shanghai Daily news

Simon Ma is the man behind MA.Design, a unique lifestyle store which fuses Chinese and Western designs to create wholly original concepts.
Born in Hong Kong but educated in London, Ma returned to China eight years ago, driven by what he saw as the chance for more opportunities than what were available in the United Kingdom at that time.
A gamble it might have seemed, but one that has certainly paid off as today he is widely recognized as a pioneering force in innovative design.
All of the designs in Ma’s studios are his own. He has two stores, one near the Bund Center which houses an art gallery
and music club and the company’s corporate headquarters as well as furniture and design works. He has another smaller outlet on Shaanxi Road S., which is devoted solely to homewares and lifestyle products.
International stores are in the pipeline, but Ma says already his works are represented as far afield as London, Finland, Denmark, New York and Malaysia. He is also planning to open another Shanghai branch in the prestigious Nanjing Road shopping district very soon.
The fusion concept is applied not only in the “East meets West” style of design, but also in combining art and interior
design in an interesting and modern way.
Often this mishmash of ideas can create confused and overly ornate designs, but at MA.Design this is certainly not the case.
His furniture is simple yet different, but still very user friendly despite some designs being a little “off the wall” at
times.
An interior designer by profession who also paints, designs furniture and has a passionate interest in music, Ma was influenced at an early age by Master Fan Tzu Teng, one of China’s most prominent artists. Under Fan’s guidance, Ma was trained in the art of ancient Chinese painting, including “splashing ink” and “dotting brush” techniques.
He moved to the United Kingdom at the age of 13 where he began learning more about Western art and design and the two different schools of thought began a natural process of amalgamation which has led Ma to where he is today.
Reluctant to classify himself as a ‘returned’ overseas Chinese, Ma instead points to increasingly international trends in design. He spends a lot of time in places like New York and Europe to keep abreast of all the latest concepts and maintain a contemporary edge.
With an impressive list of major corporate multinational clients such as Nike, L’Oreal, Philips, Rolex, AT&T, Nu Skin, AIA, ING and Prudential, Ma has a team of 160 interior designers working for his CTL company. The interior design in his gallery and retail spaces, however, remains completely under his control.
In the Shaanxi Road outlet you will find an impressive array of items, ranging from funky lamps and light shades to chairs and tablewares. Ma says this store was the very first of its kind in Shanghai when it opened four years ago, and has helped the city develop a new aesthetic previously unseen in other stores.
The Bund Center location’s professional team specializes in organizing special events and cultural activities, in addition to its art and lifestyle ventures.
Ma’s creed is lofty yet grounded in simplicity, stating, “If you have a refined taste, an unfailing sense of style, simple elegance and a zest for fusion, then you fit within MA.Design’s philosophy.”
The Shaanxi Road store is located at number 225, near Yongjia Road and you can call 6466 1278 for opening hours or stock information. For information about the Jiangxi Road M. store, which is located next to the Bund Center, call 6321 6611. You can also visit the Website at www.madesign.com.cn.