With the support of online platforms and favorable policies, grado is pushing the boundaries of charitable activities in the digital age.

On August 2nd, marking Xiaohongshu’s 11th anniversary, grado took part in their charity auction by donating a limited-edition Solar Lounge Chair. The auction raised 30,000 RMB, which, along with Xiaohongshu’s additional 150,000 RMB, will be donated to over 3,000 rural children in remote areas of Yunnan Province. This contribution will fund their education in arts-themed study programs.

Xiaohongshu, China’s top lifestyle platform, is dedicated to creating a warm and supportive community. Every day, thousands of posts asking for help or sharing experiences are published, where people swap tips and insights on various aspects of life. On Xiaohongshu, stories of ordinary people helping each other are a daily occurrence, making charity and mutual support key aspects of the platform’s culture.

As one of the first furniture companies to partner with Xiaohongshu and grow our business there, grado shares these values. While exploring our user lifestyle, we are also committed to taking on social responsibilities, spreading warmth and love to distant places, and helping more people in need.

While providing financial support to underserved communities, grado and Xiaohongshu are also embracing policy initiatives to breathe new life into endangered traditional crafts from remote regions. Since last year, Xiaohongshu has been discovering talented brand owners, designers and artisans, helping them turn traditional techniques from the Bai ethnic group—such as woodblock printing, tie-dye, and handmade paper—into beautiful cultural products. They provide full support through every stage, from design and production to promotion and sales.

Similarly, grado is continuing our efforts to support these initiatives by partnering with Xiaohongshu KOLs to integrate ancient embroidery techniques from Yi ethnic group into our furniture designs. This collaboration has produced items with a vintage and ethnic touch, including the limited-edition Solar Lounge Chair featured in the Xiaohongshu charity auction.

In 2024, we collaborate with KL Design founded by KOL & designer KK and creates this chair of modern midcentury style, aiming to infuse distinctive elements into the home. As a designer with a background in journalism, KK hopes to express her understanding of the environment and the culture she loves through her furniture creations. Influenced deeply by the ancient southwestern Yi ethnic culture of her hometown Sichuan, a trip to the Sun Square in the Ta-liang Mountains allowed her to appreciate the ingenuity of the Yi people in accurately observing the sun to create the most precise calendar. The cultural treasures of the Yi people deeply moved her. The sun is the most vital source of energy in human life, and in Yi traditional culture, it is regarded as the father of all things, as its rays nurture the lush growth of crops, forests, and grasslands.

Therefore, grado and KK jointly design a chair related to the Yi ethnic’s sun culture. The Solar Lounge Chair incorporates many traditional elements of Yi culture in its design, such as the spherical ornament at the top of the chair. In addition to the solid color upholstery, we also exclusively use embroidered fabrics, one of Yi ethnic’s intangible cultural heritage, to produce a limited edition of upholstery. The bright and captivating color combinations and unique ethnic patterns, skillfully handwoven by talented Yi women, are showcased on the chair. grado aims to bring this ancient and charming civilization and craftsmanship to the world.   

The limited-edition Solar Lounge Chair in this auction features new Yi script embroidery that reads “A Gift from the Yi People,” carrying heartfelt wishes. grado and KK are excited to showcase Yi culture through our furniture design. By partnering with Xiaohongshu, we aim to deliver tangible benefits to Yi communities, blending our commitment to philanthropy with commercial success. This chair was showcased in a live online event during this year’s Milan Design Week, and it generated over 1.39 million dollars in total sales.

grado has long been committed to using business initiatives to support charitable causes. To raise awareness and show support for children with autism, we created a special Hug Cushion designed with their unique needs in mind. The cushion’s upholstery features artwork by autistic children. A portion of the proceeds from them will be donated to autism-related charitable projects.  

We believes that love truly makes a difference when we both give and receive it, spreading warmth and kindness throughout the world.