Sceptics might say the success of jewellery-designer Wan Baobao has everything to do with her pedigree. As a granddaughter of Wan Li , former National People's Congress chairman, she's as close to being a blue blood as you can get on the mainland.
'I don't mind people saying this,' said the 29-year-old, whose exhibition of fine jewellery opened at boutique On Pedder in Central yesterday. 'My family background did gain me easy access, but my work has to be strong enough.'
The self-proclaimed 'rebel in the family' said it had been hard to deviate from the political career that her family expected. 'It was extremely difficult. They thought there was no future for me and they were really worried.'
Launching her own line of jewellery five years ago doesn't seem to have made much of an impression on her family. At her exhibition in Beijing last year in collaboration with jewellery-chain Forevermark, her father, Wan Jifei, chairman of the China International Commerce Chamber, wondered if the jewellery was truly diamond and gold.
The socialite shrugged it off with a laugh: 'Well, I don't know much about war or international trade [unlike my grandfather and father].'
Wan's three-day show in Hong Kong also features designs from her collaboration with Forevermark, Chow Tai Fook and a capsule collection dubbed 'And the little ones.'
