Rouge at Twenty: A Story of Life, Loss and Community

By Lei Yang, Founder of Rouge

When I look back over the last twenty years of Rouge, I realise the shop and I have grown up together. Rouge isn’t just a business to me: it’s part of my life. It’s seen me through hard times, joyful moments, and everything in between. It has become a place for others too. A space for connection, beauty and kindness.

To explain how it all began, I have to go back much further, to my childhood in China.

Growing Up in a Mining Town

I was born in the early 1970s, in the middle of the Cultural Revolution. My parents were doctors who had been sent from the city to a rural mining town in the 1960s. It was a poor, tough place, and life wasn’t easy.

When the Cultural Revolution began in 1966, my father was punished for his liberal views and sent down to the coal mines to “reform.” He worked underground for years until one day the mine collapsed. He was buried under coal and badly injured. After a long recovery, he was finally allowed to practise medicine again in the miners’ hospital.

That hospital became my second home. My parents were always there, so I spent a lot of my childhood sitting quietly in the corner, watching. The doctors and nurses were kind and hardworking. They cared for people who had so little, and yet they did it with such generosity. Life was incredibly hard in those days, but there was still warmth and humanity in those hospital rooms.

Those early memories left something deep in me: a respect for people who heal and help others. It’s something I’ve carried with me ever since.

Why I Chose to Fundraise This Year

Every year, I throw a small party to celebrate Rouge’s anniversary. This year was special: twenty years. I thought I might go big this time, do something extra festive. But as the year went on and I saw what was happening in Gaza, I just couldn’t celebrate in the usual way. The images of families suffering, the hunger, the destruction.. it all stayed with me.

I felt uneasy. I didn’t know what to do, or how I could help. I couldn’t join the marches because I work weekends, but by September I thought, maybe I can use the anniversary for something meaningful. Then I met Manal, a Palestinian sociologist and documentary filmmaker, who told me about the Hanoon Foundation, a UK charity that trains doctors and healthcare workers in Palestine. As soon as I heard about them, I thought, yes, this is it. It connected straight back to my childhood and my parents’ work as doctors.

So we decided to turn our 20th anniversary party into a fundraiser for medical aid in Palestine.

Preparing for the Event

The weeks before the event were full of activity. Becca, our marketing manager, put together newsletters and social media posts to spread the word. I went around to local businesses in Stoke Newington, and so many of them were kind enough to donate raffle prizes. Everyone wanted to help.

By the time the big night came, Saturday the 8th, I was nervous but excited. We had invited friends, customers, and family. The shop was glowing with lights, music and laughter. People were buying raffle tickets, trying cocktails at the bar, and chatting in every corner.

When I stood up to give my speech, I was shaking a bit. But I had something I wanted to say. I talked about how lucky we are here to have food, water, and safety and how people in Gaza have lost almost everything. I told everyone how much it would mean if we could all give just a little, to help others rebuild their lives.

Looking out at the crowd, I could feel so much love and support in the room. It gave me courage. I’ve always felt that what we do at Rouge can go beyond our shop walls: that we can spread kindness further through community and connection.

After my speech, it was just a joyful evening. Atique from YumYum arrived with trays of incredible food he had donated. Everyone loved it. Janie from Soho Radio played music all night, and Ming Evans took wonderful photos that captured the energy of it all.

We had an amazing team helping: Claire and Aylin at the bar mixing cocktails; Yoko and Sevim rushing up and down with snacks; Sue and Katie welcoming guests at the door; and the kids, Boobie and Lumi, running the photobooth with Leon the photobooth man. Josh handled the sound system, and my teenage staff went around proudly wearing raffle QR codes to encourage donations. John led the youngsters at the till, keeping everything flowing. It was truly a team effort: the best kind of community night.

How Rouge Began

I came to the UK first in the mid 1990s. I had studied fashion design and worked various jobs, trying to find my career path. Around 2003, my brother Wei opened a shop in Brussels called Rouge. When I first visited, I was completely taken by it! The atmosphere, the elegance, the beauty of the objects. His window displays were like theatre sets, full of culture and story.

Back then, most people thought of Chinese goods as cheap and mass-produced. But Wei showed another side of our culture; the craftsmanship, the artistry, the soul. Two years later, with his help, I opened Rouge in London. He showed me everything like how to arrange displays, how to choose products, and how to tell a story through space.

I opened my own shop, Rouge, in London in 2005.

Slowly, I found my own rhythm. I started travelling around Asia, sourcing handmade pieces from small markets and workshops like ceramics, textiles and furniture. The shop grew, little by little. We used to stuff the cupboards full of treasures that arrived in containers.. a beautiful kind of chaos.

From the very beginning, I had Guy by my side. He was kind, funny, and full of warmth. He cooked lunches for the team and hosted Christmas parties every year. Rouge was a small world, but a happy one.

In 2017, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. The next two years were full of treatments, fear, and reflection. Guy kept the business running while I recovered. But after that, I found it hard to go back to the same routine. I wasn’t satisfied with the day-to-day transactions anymore. I wanted Rouge to have a deeper purpose, to be a place for connection and creativity.

Then the pandemic hit, and suddenly, time stopped. Like everyone else, I had no choice but to pause. In that quiet, I realised what I truly wanted. I decided to transform Rouge completely, to create a space where people could gather, learn, and share. We renovated the shop, adding modular shelving, a kitchen, and a big table for workshops and supper clubs.

When we reopened in October 2020, it felt like a fresh start. But only a few week later, Guy passed away after his own battle with cancer. Losing him was incredibly hard. He had looked after so many parts of Rouge and me for years. I felt like I had to learn how to steer the ship all over again, but I did it, step by step.

Rouge Today

In the past five years, Rouge has really become what I dreamt it could be. It’s not just a shop — it’s a hub for the community. People come for workshops, supper clubs, dumpling-making evenings, or simply to sit and talk.

I’ve come to see Rouge as a kind of sanctuary, for me, for my team, and for everyone who walks in. It’s a calm space with a dash of beauty, where you can take a breath from the world outside.

Rouge’s story is tied to my own. It’s been my way of healing. The past twenty years of Rouge have helped mending the first thirty years of my life. And looking back, I see it clearly now: every piece, every conversation, every customer has been part of that healing.

I’m deeply grateful for all the love and support over the years. To everyone who’s shared a cup of tea, bought a gift, joined a workshop, or simply stopped by to chat — thank you. Rouge wouldn’t be what it is without you. You’ve all helped shape it, and in many ways, you’ve helped shape me too.

 

ALL EVENT PHOTOS BY MING TANG-EVANS