The SLD founders aerial view of seasonal landscapes inspired the Da Di Collection.
When most people look down from a plane, they marvel at clouds or snap a few photos. When Steve Leung looks down, he sees carpets. Or at least, thats what happened when the aerial view of fields, rivers, and bamboo forests transformed by the seasons sparked the vision for the Da Di Collection, six rugs launched this month in collaboration with Tai Ping Carpets.
The collection, dubbed Da Di (landscape in Chinese), takes cues from the lunar calendars twenty-four solar terms, with an aerial perspective that gives these designs their distinctive character. From the sky, nature reveals patterns invisible at ground level: the geometry of cultivated land, the way water cuts through terrain, how forests create linear rhythms across the landscape. Leung translated those observations into six pieces that capture pivotal moments in natures annual transformation.
Pasture Lace (芸) captures springs awakening through subtle vertical striping and fine colour gradations, like sprouting grass seen from above. Emerald Hush (筠) takes bamboos segmented structure and turns it into pronounced horizontal bands with distinct linear geometry. The water-inspired pieces include Jade Ribbon (澗), which mimics gently flowing streams through complex textural interplay where materials converge to capture water meeting earth, and Silver Thread (川), which mirrors vast summer rivers with strong, rhythmic curved lines and sweeping colour variations.
Equinox Echoes (阡) reflects autumns structured beauty, featuring rich autumnal hues and subtle diagonal striping that echoes the geometric patterns of cultivated fields at harvest. Green Flutes (節) concludes the collection with winters approach, using a monochrome palette and interlaced textures.
Tai Ping Carpets high-low pile techniques, gradient colour technology, and multi-material pairings turn these aerial observations into layered surfaces. Joel Frommann, Tai Ping Carpets Chief Global Strategy Officer, notes that “each Tai Ping carpet exhibits a unique sense of dimension and vitality, perfectly embodying Tai Ping Carpets craftsmanship and showcasing the elegant resonance between nature, art, and humanity, a true testament to what we are passionately committed to co-creating.”
Alongside the six main pieces, Tai Ping Carpets is offering a more accessible series at approximately a quarter of the price, extending the collections reach beyond the haute couture tier.
“Nature is a valuable source of inspiration, and I always hope to integrate this gift from the universe into design and share it with others,” said Steve Leung, founder of SLD. “I want my designs to be human-centric, touchable, tangible, functional, and timeless. Like the changing seasons, they offer warmth and nourishment.”
He adds that design should be personable and heartfelt, not merely a symbol of luxury. “For me, the greatest reward in design is the emotional connection established with users. I look forward to my works carrying the warmth of life, evoking emotional resonance and growing in meaning as the years pass.”
