In our September issue Taiwan supplement, we report on the island state's creative boom

如果现在你附近没有一间泡泡茶屋，很快就会有。

但泡泡茶并不是台湾最近唯一激起我们兴趣的出口产品。

全新的汽车品牌卢克根以其大胆的自信…给我们留下了特别深刻的印象。主要是因为它的名字；奢华天才。我们喜欢他们的风格。

From unique tablewear to hi-tech gadgets, see our pick of the best new local designs

Clockwise from left, ‘Transformer’ side table, £1,000, by Paperself. ‘P-005’ light, £265, by Pega Casa. Vase, £640, by Franz Collection. ‘RU-ST007’ bench, £990, by Jonah Corp, for Ruskasa. ‘Transformer’ light, £200, by Paperself, as before. ‘Lipa’ side tables, £185 each, by Kenyon Yeh. ‘Nonsystem’ storage bench, £1,875 for set of three pieces, by Su Jung-Cheng.  ‘Purple Clay’ espresso cup set, £23; cappucino cup set, £25; coffee pot, £90, all by Gearlab, for Jia Inc

Clockwise from left, ‘Transformer’ side table, £1,000, by Paperself. ‘P-005’ light, £265, by Pega Casa. ‘Purple Clay’ espresso cup set, £23; cappucino cup set, £25; coffee pot, £90, all by Gearlab, for Jia Inc

Clockwise from left, vase, £640, by Franz Collection, franzcollection.com. ‘RU-ST007’ bench, £990, by Jonah Corp, for Ruskasa. ‘Transformer’ light, £200, by Paperself. ‘Lipa’ side tables, £185 each, by Kenyon Yeh

Clockwise from left, ‘Nonsystem’ storage bench, £1,875 for set of three pieces, by Su Jung-Cheng. ‘RU-ST007’ bench, £990, by Jonah Corp, for Ruskasa and ‘Lipa’ side tables, £185 each, by Kenyon Yeh

Clockwise from top, ‘Strida LT’ folding bike, £499, by Strida, ‘Escape RX0’ sports  bike, £850, by Giant. ‘Krankcycle’ exercise bike, £1,699, by Johnson Health Tech. ‘Kuroshio’ paddle, £230, by Gearlab. ‘Reacto 904’ sports bike, £2,700, by Merida Bikes

Clockwise from top left, ‘Ripple’ teapot, £43; cup with lid, £17; tea cup, £8, all by 3Co. ‘Emptiness’ plates, £149 for set of three, by Kate Chung and Paola Navone; ‘Dou’ plates, £38 each, by Kate Chung; ‘Calligraphy’ seafood scissors, cracker and pick, £100 for set of three, by Wong Chi Fung; ‘Sino’ paring knife, £70; chef knife, £35, by Office for Product Design, all for Jia Inc. Vase, £98, by Liuli

Clockwise from top left, Green Bean Pâté Cake, Pineapple Cake, Matcha & Red Bean Cupcake with Condensed Milk, Mango Shaved Ice

Clockwise from top left, ‘Ripple’ teapot, £43; cup with lid, £17; tea cup, £8, all by 3Co

Clockwise from top left, ‘Calligraphy’ seafood scissors, cracker and pick, £100 for set of three, by Wong Chi Fung; ‘Sino’ paring knife, £70; chef knife, £35, by Office for Product Design, all for Jia Inc

Clockwise from top left, ‘Crystal’ desk lights, £650 for set of eight, by QisDesign. ‘Vivo’ mouse, price on request; ‘Memo Pad HD7’ android tablet, £148, both by ASUS. ‘HTC One’ phone, £530, by HTC. ‘BenQG1’ camera, £2,790, by BenQ. ‘Empty Memory’ USB keys,£48 each, by Poetic Lab. ‘Aspire R7’ computer, £899, by Acer

Four leading local creatives give their take on Taiwan's design scene

Arthur Huang, co-founder and managing director of game-changing eco-design outfit Miniwiz W*: What is Taiwan’s design status in the world? Arthur Huang: Taiwan’s design role has long been deeply embedded in the world’s leading brands – Apple, iPhone, Nike, Porsche, Boeing, Sony, Lexus, Toyota… so Taiwan’s is a very different design ecosystem from the individual designers and small independent design firms in the West. Speed and the ability to execute the highest quality designs are always Taiwan’s strongest competitive  advantages. That said, high-level original design creativity is still very much in development.

Alain Lee, director of design studio Pega Casa W*: How do you think Taiwanese design is perceived internationally? Alain Lee: Innovation and technology in some Taiwanese electronic products is among the best in the world. However, those products’ lifespans are relatively short, unlike the creations of Le Corbusier or Frank Lloyd Wright, which are still classic 80 years later. I think it’s increasingly important to find a way to integrate our advanced technology with design resources

Henry Chang, former Asus computers designer and co-founder of Gearlab W*: Are environmental concerns important in Taiwan, and in your designs? Henry Chang: There is a rapidly growing awareness to sustainability here. Why? We are right next to all those huge factories! Most designers desperately want to make manufacturing more sustainable to make our living environment better. But the demand for low-cost, high-speed production, and a lack of sustainable design education, means there is still a lot of work to do

Chiayi, designer and co-founder of accessories label Library Brass W*: What has been Taiwan’s best contribution in the design world and what is your favourite item of Taiwanese design? Chiayi: For Taiwan, it’s really only in the past decade or so that the idea of giving products a ‘cool’ look as a statement has started to happen. As for my favourite, as a kid, I loved getting ‘raffle goody boxes’ – sweets or toys, usually all packed in a nice box – as rewards