When I initially decided that I wanted to work on my clothing line while in China, I planned on just going to one of the tailors on the streets of what ever city I ended up in- at least that’s what all the travel articles I read online suggested!

A conversation about how I was going to go about creating my line was actually what sparked Vivian’s interest to hop on the “BagLady Basics train” (the name BagLady Basics was later decided).

She basically laughed at what I thought was an ingenious plan. Having years of experience in the trade/manufacturing/production industry in China (and one year in Dubai), Vivian began to explain to me the importance of approaching the production of – then my samples, in a way that was up to industry standards. She said that approaching it this way may be more costly, but would prove beneficial in the long-term.

Of course being a newbie I was grateful for her advice, we became partners, and started to work.

Name: Denise Lai
Current City: Shanghai
Occupation: Graphic Designer, Fashion Blogger and Creator and Editor of FIRSTLOVE Magazine.

How would you describe your style?
Streetwear inspired girly tomboy 

What brought you to your current city?
My husband's job brought us to Shanghai and since I work for myself, the move was easy!

If you had to wear one outfit everyday, what would it be?
Black skinny ripped jeans, monotone black and white graphic tee, oversized bomber jacket, classic black and white Converse Chuck Taylor hi-tops and a trusty investment-worthy Celine bag!

Who or what influences/inspires your style?
I'm an internet fanatic, so I'm constantly on Pinterest and always feeling inspired by other bloggers. Both me and my husband have very similar styles so we always vibe off of each other's outfit for the day.

What does being a BagLady mean to you? 
Being comfortable but in a minimalistic way!