The story behind each design

5 years after...Time passed, many things changed. Ray's family heritage was broken up as a results of business rivalry. Yi Ren and Ray maintained a close distance but respected each other's choices to focus on their career. Ray was dedicated to rebuilding his family business and in that had made many good friends along the way. He had groomed a team of young and vibrant talent, a promising management team who is able to drive the company with innovative ideas that was key in diversifying their portfolios and generating diversified revenue stream. Their family business under his oversight expanded beyond just music and entertainment but ventured into retail and consumer goods including designer fashion, jewellery and bags as well as food and beverages.

"Ray you are really talented, I heard these were hand designed labels that you made. Tell us a bit more what made you venture into this space" Ray was at an interview session with the reporters covering his recent launch on the latest design series.

"I'd always wanted to try my hands on fashion as my aunt use to own her own line and it provided space to play, create and simply just broadcast your ideas for people to wear.

"Were there any specific inspirations behind some of the designer series that you like .... we do observe you have quite a unique series that was launched in the last one year... perhaps tell us about these few ones."

Ray was interviewed as part of an international designer's magazine and they were referring to some of the series he had launched asking for further clarification what was his idea behind some of these design.

There were a few specific designs which intrigue them; a single rose version, a shooting star, firefly, an eternity sign, all of which had hit the market setting the trend and seeing the beautifully hand crafted designer wear from clothes to bags to jewellery ranges. They wanted to know the inspiration behind it.

In addition he had also officially launch an art lover's hang out place where it blends in an art place into a common working space where art lovers can hang out working on their pieces while enjoying hand crafted coffee and tea with home made recipes for some light snacks with a reading area for quiet reading and writing.

The revenue collected from this place including art pieces that were contributed for charity auction help fund local schools. It also offers selected scholarships for promising student into performing art schools.

It was always his dream to be able to do that.

"The designer series I had launched was based on some thoughts I had while ago while I was traveling sometime back. I like creating some of these ideas in my book and when I look back at it I realised perhaps it's time to let this ideas come to live.

"The single red rose represents "I love you" simply saying it in different languages can also be represented differently in colours, drawing, painting, song, melody, dance not necessarily in words.... I thought sometimes when a person hope to express it out beyond just words, it could in a form of a gift or simply just wearing it. Going on a date and showing it , expressing it in what you wear together or singularly  it would be quite sweet or even just as a gift to a good friend or a partner." Ray explained

"I see and how about this the shooting star, or star or night skies series?"

Ray smiled and said "well this is an interesting one...I used to have a very good friend which I hang out with in my younger days and when we were young we used to talk a lot about our dreams and sometimes we would be talking through till late nights under the night skies sometimes filled with miraculous glittering stars.

Back then the entertainment industry which I was personally involved in had many expectations but we were bold to dream about how we see our future lies a ahead.... I remember, we look up at the sky one of those night and there was a shooting star and we both made a wish together. We are both successful in our own areas as we look back and I wanted to just commemorate that into a designer series as my spring board" Ray responded

"Wow ... so this person must have been with you through thick and thin and important factor to your success?.... the interviewer tried to probe further

"Mmmmn, very much so" Ray responded and moved on to the next designer series of firefly. He pointed on the design and thought for a bit before continuing. "This series .....well it was an inspiration from one of my dreams"

"That's interesting... what sort of dreams if you care sharing?" Now the audience start to perk up their antenna paying attention to Ray seeing Ray hesitated for a bit, they waited for an answer.

"Ahhh it's a dream that I had when I was quite down at some point in my life and in my dream I woke up I was afraid, and I was lost in this place.... it was dark when I woke up, it was as though I lost my sight at that point but then I heard a familiar voice asking me to follow the light... I tried to adjust my sight looking for it and started to see little small lights and as a familiar hand guided me to it - I was relief to see fire flies lighting up what I thought was an enchanted magical forest surrounding where I stood.

The pitch dark area suddenly became really beautiful... serene and calm, I stayed there for a while. I enjoyed the sound of nature, the smell of wild flowers, the serene sound of calm waters running nearby and the fire flies that flew around .... that image stayed fixated in me and I had always this impression that this place exists in my dream do exists somewhere for me to find it here as well. The fireflies in the night were really beautiful and it gave me a lasting impression so I decided to paint in down one day and made it as part of my work."

Ray looked up and smile as the audience were all captivated silently listening to his explanation and the photographers took shoot of his expression when he explained it.

"I'll catch it for you if you like it Ray...." Yi Ren said as they move around the river bank.

"Can we come back here again? It's so beautiful" Ray asked... "sure whenever you like" Yi Ren said as he wrapped his arms around Ray.

Ray shut his eyes as he controlled his emotion bringing him back to the interview, burying the past.

"Ray so we've seen so much of your work in the last few years and you have expanded the business helping your family but is it true that you moved out on your own branching out from your brothers"

"Mmmm, yes. Well we are still connected somehow but I pretty much run and decide on the portfolio that I am growing on separately" Ray clarify