The origin of Hong Kong jewelry brand Mush can be traced back four years, to a handmade leather-bound notebook. At the time, Julian Fung simply wanted to make something with her own two hands as a present for her partner Yvonne Fung. Little did the two know it at the time, this handcrafted token of love would lead them to launch Mush, a brand that’s now best known for their astronomical instrument-inspired accessories.
四年多前，Mush的出现，不过源于主理人Julian Fung想亲手制作皮革本子给另一半──Yvonne Fung，Mush 另一主理人。她们大概没想到，沉迷在随心创作的自我世界，会如宇宙大爆炸一样，爆发出现下多个不同型态的天体运行器。
Neither Julian nor Yvonne come from artistic backgrounds. Their penchant for handmade items stems from personal habits. Yvonne used to enjoy fashioning little toys with cardboard as a child, and Julian has long enjoyed gifting close friends with handmade items. As people took notice and expressed interest in her trinkets, the idea to launch Mush began to form. “Mush is very personal. It comes from what we love. At times, we’ll customize items for customers, but what some clients might like, such as specific ways of matching pink and purple gemstones, might not necessarily be to our taste. These types of creations are far and few.”
Julian与Yvonne二人皆非美术设计工科毕业，对手作的喜好，纯綷是Julian一直喜欢用双手制作小礼物赠给身边人。 Yvonne则自小喜欢在宽阔的家中，用纸皮做玩具给自己玩。手作需用时光雕琢，一切皆由自身出发，即使后来获得别人欣赏成为品牌而出售产品，Mush背后的理念也离不开Yvonne所说“Mush是很个人，从自己喜欢的出发。即使有时会因应客人订制而造，但一些客人喜欢的，如紫色和粉红的天然石配搭，我们自身不喜欢也少做。”
Mush didn’t initially create astronomical accessories. This change was the result of Julian’s own interests and aesthetic preferences: the dazzling splendor of gold, the nostalgic qualities of vintage furnishings, and the fantasy world of Harry Potter all played a part in inspiring the creation of this collection. In the Harry Potter movies, the gigantic armillary sphere of the Hogwarts Astronomy Tower possessed all of the aforementioned qualities. The moving rings were an additional element that Julian fell in love. But turning these complex, dynamic apparatuses into intricate accessories with her own two hands was a challenging prospect, one that became motivation to her. To this day, her drive to create has yet to diminish. “Every single time I complete a new piece of work, I don’t feel complacent. I’ll want to begin on the next thing, one that’s even more complex and challenging. My satisfaction comes from the creation process. Even if nobody buys our work, I would still want to keep creating. Each new creation will be added to our My Astronomy Tower collection.”
Mush演变至天文仪器的饰品制作，全因Julian钟爱富有炫目金色，同时充满陈旧味道和质感的摆设。加上她是电影哈利波特的影迷，戏中天文仪器的摆设皆具备前述的特点，更拥有复杂和多种动态的结构，因此，这种天文仪器深深迷惑Julian。对喜欢手作的Julian而言，能用自己双手成功制作这种精密结构的装饰品，充满挑战性，心底也极大满足，致使她一步一步沉迷在无边的装饰仪器中，几年来从没嫌闷“每当完成一个作品， 便不会想原地踏步，只想继续造更复杂的仪器。我满足于制造的过程，即使没有人会买，也希望创作愈来愈多，这些作品都是《My Astronomy Tower》 。（这个系列来自哈利波特中，一个怖满天体仪器的建筑物）”
Due to the handmade nature of their creations, each accessory is only available in limited supply. And because of sizing requirements, the brass material they use can’t be ordered in bulk from manufacturers. The two found a way around this by making their own. Even without professional metalworking knowledge, they were eager to experiment. Through trial and error, they eventually began making accessories that fell in line with their vision. “We aren’t trying to accurately depict actual celestial movements. We’re trying to create our own universes. In a way, each time we make something new, it feels as if we’re creating a parallel universe.”
由于手工作品只能少量制作，黄铜的配件原料尺寸没法向厂家大量订造，可是，二人没有受物料所限，同时，即使没有专业金工技术的知识，边尝试失败边学习，用自己的方法绕了一大个圈才有成品，也没阻碍她们创造心中的天体运行 “我们不是要复制天上星体的运行，而是创造属于自己的天体运行，这是我们一个又一个幻想出来的平行宇宙。”
Website: mush.hk
Instagram: @m_u_s_h
Facebook: ~/mushxmush
Contributor & Photographer: Yabee Wong
Additional Images Courtesy of Mush
