FeBazaar Design — a name that radiates creative-industry flair — makes it immediately clear that this is a team dedicated to ironwork fabrication. Since its founding in the summer of 2017, and in just the short half-year leading up to the time of writing, the studio has already stirred up quite a buzz in Taiwan's diving community. Where the creative industry has traditionally entered the market through flat media such as illustrations, T-shirts, and postcards, FeBazaar Design chose instead to work with ironcraft — a considerably more demanding medium — and that alone was enough to spark the author's genuine curiosity.
FeBazaar Design is a team of four ocean-loving young people
The Birth of FeBazaar Design
FeBazaar Design is made up of four partners: Amber, responsible for product design; Xiao Tong, in charge of business development and sales; Nick, handling product photography and brand image; and Nian Ya, the driving force behind ironwork production. All four are divers. Though their diving histories and cylinder counts differ, each has accumulated a range of experiences through diving. Nian Ya, the least experienced of the four, had his first encounter with scuba diving on a try dive in Cairns, Australia. The instructor, perhaps cutting costs, took four students at once and had them link arms in pairs to avoid getting separated — an arrangement that made it impossible for Nian Ya to properly clear his mask, leaving him with an inexplicable fear of diving from the very start. Yet it was through diving that he met his current partner, Xiao Tong. Watching her share stunning underwater scenes from abroad and Kenting gradually drew him back to embrace the ocean. A similar love story unfolded between the other couple, Amber and Nick, whose shared passion for diving gave their relationship far more to talk about.
The four have very different relationships with diving. Those with more years in the water are acutely aware of the dwindling fish populations in Taiwan's waters. Others feel a pang of sadness at seeing surface rubbish on the seafloor, and have since committed to reducing plastic use in everyday life. Still others are inexplicably drawn to shipwrecks and large marine animals. These varied motivations keep them diving and moving forward in life. During the interview, all four independently gave the same answer when asked what they love most about diving: meeting new people along the way. Whether that means surfacing and sharing what they spotted underwater with their dive buddy, or simply swapping life stories with fellow travellers, the emotion doesn't come entirely from the dive itself — it comes from the people, experiences, and moments encountered along the way. Perhaps it is precisely this romantic, emotional streak that brought these four partners together.
Nian Ya, devoted to every piece of ironwork
The birth of FeBazaar also has a dramatic backstory. Nian Ya's family runs an ironworks factory, and after earning his Open Water Diver certification in Taiwan, he put his ingenuity to work and handcrafted a custom pointer as a gift for his instructor. Not only did the instructor love it, but every diver around them was equally blown away. Faced with a growing stream of custom requests — which required design drawings before a prototype could even be made — Nian Ya brought up the challenge at a casual sports gathering with the other three partners. As luck would have it, each of their skill sets was different enough to complement the others perfectly. They also immediately agreed on a shared vision: that bespoke one-off commissions would price out most customers, and that scaling through mass production was the way to bring costs down. The team came together on the spot, and FeBazaar Design was born that very day.
Once the team was formed, Amber used her design expertise to translate everyone's ideas into visual concepts, which Nian Ya then brought to life through his ironwork experience. Everyone still remembers the overwhelming emotion of seeing the first prototype take shape from a design sketch. What no one had anticipated, however, was the quiet nightmare that followed. When mass production began, the small scale meant many steps had to be done by hand. On top of that, the team had positioned the products as luxury goods. Although stainless steel polishing comes in several finishes — matte, mirror, and hairline — they chose a high-gloss mirror finish for its superior quality. The special polishing process left residue packed into every hollow of the open-work pieces. In the early days, the four of them would sit in meetings discussing the business while simultaneously cleaning each pointer by hand — an incredibly labour-intensive process. They even had custom pointer pouches made to store the finished ironwork and prevent scratches. Fortunately, as production volumes stabilised, automated processes were eventually introduced to complete the final steps.
Every product is crafted with care
FeBazaar's first product was the pointer. From the very beginning of production, it was positioned as a luxury item — distinct from ordinary pointers in its pursuit of a high-gloss, premium finish. The team even produced a dedicated instruction booklet to guide buyers on proper use and storage, and for products used under normal conditions, they offer a re-polishing or rust-removal service. Every piece that leaves the workshop is treated as something precious.
FeBazaar's first product — the pointer
In terms of the division of labour, it just so happens that the four partners each specialise in a different field, making them natural complements to one another. Amber, in charge of design, sometimes hits a creative wall with no inspiration in sight. Nian Ya, handling production, can feel the pressure of deadlines. Xiao Tong, leading business development, faces front-line client demands that are stressful in their own right. And Nick, balancing quality control with product photography, must carefully oversee every outgoing shipment.
By the time of writing, the team has been together for exactly half a year — a journey marked by both highs and lows. The pointer carried a relatively high price point, and many potential customers hesitated to order without seeing the product in person. The launch was met with far more noise than results, with orders falling short of expectations. The team regrouped to develop a sales strategy and refine their marketing targets. Xiao Tong, heading business development, began visiting dive shops to build a retail network. Once store owners saw the physical product, they gradually warmed to FeBazaar's brand and positioning — a development that gave the whole team a real shot of confidence.
Taiwan's diving market is admittedly niche, but the founders of FeBazaar came together through diving and, through diving, came to understand the importance of ocean issues. Going forward, they plan to incorporate ocean themes into ironwork home décor pieces — objects people can place in their homes — as a way to bring ocean issues that have long been overlooked to a wider audience.
They also accept custom personalised name tags for dive shops
The team also hopes to go international in 2018. Unlike the typical business playbook, they are not targeting mainland China's rapidly growing market as their first stop — instead, they are looking to Japan. The reasoning: Japanese consumers do not simply chase value for money, but are willing to pay a premium for products they genuinely believe in. This aligns perfectly with FeBazaar Design's core values. As the brand grows, FeBazaar Design holds firm to an uncompromising artisan mindset — sourcing only the finest raw materials, sparing no expense on top-grade polishing techniques, and minimising plastic in packaging — all in service of staying true to its founding principles. With ocean-themed home décor works to come, the hope is that every piece of ironwork sold will have the chance to share its own ocean story with more and more people.
FeBazaar Design spin-off product — second stage regulator protective cover
Stylish strobe protective covers to satisfy every diver's needs
FeBazaar entered the National Museum of Marine Biology & Aquarium in Pingtung in 2018
Actively participating in dive expos in Taiwan and internationally, sharing FeBazaar's vision with a wider audience
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