A CONFLUENCE OF CRAFT

Born from an Asian family business’ partnership with a French heritage brand, Legle Asia brings the X factor to luxury porcelainware.

Anthony Tan is explaining why making teapots is complicated.

“Using the drain-casting method (a process of forming ceramics by pouring clay slurry into plaster moulds and letting them dry), the tolerance and thickness of the teapot’s body is time-dependent. If the drying period is too short, the porcelain will be too thin and might lose its structural, and even thermal strength. If it’s too long, the resultant tolerance for pouring and straining tea leaves will be affected, causing erratic and choked tea flow,” he explains. 

The sales director of Inhesion Asia is describing the process of creating Legle Asia’s bespoke teapots for Marina Bay Sands. Legle Asia is formed from a partnership between 120-year-old French porcelain brand Legle Limoges and Inhesion Asia — a Hong Kong-based tableware company.  

While Legle Limoges’ exquisite products adorn first-class cabins, private yachts and planes, as well as chateaus across Europe, Legle Asia manufactures tableware for Asia’s high-end HORECA (hotel, restaurant and catering) sector. “We’ve collaborated with over 120 top hotels and restaurants across the world,” says Tan.

Inhesion Asia is a company built on strong family ties. It was founded by Jeffrey Chang in 1978 and is now run by his three sons. Desmond is the CEO, Aric is the COO and Kevin is a managing partner. Having witnessed Asia’s growing appetite for fine-dining and luxury travel, they are focused on tailoring products to match the refined experiences offered by their clients. 

Its collaboration with Marina Bay Sands is part of the integrated resort’s ambitious US$1.75 billion renovation that began in late 2021. “Marina Bay Sands is well aligned in their thoughts with Legle Asia. We both look for opportunities to make a difference,” says Tan.

"The attention to detail ensures guests feel perfectly at home, elevating the VIP experience to a whole new level.”

— Anthony Tan, Legle Asia

Legle Asia’s products are found across all guestroom categories of Sands Collection, Paiza Collection and Paiza Royal Collection. The last is a new premium category reserved only for Marina Bay Sands’ most elite clients.

Legle Asia’s in-house team in London designs the images. Once approved, they are submitted to Inhesion Asia’s decal factory in China that applies the print designs to the porcelain pieces. The porcelain products are made in a four-acre factory in Klang, Malaysia that was built in 1993. “All our porcelain manufacturing is done under one roof,” says Tan.

The factory also makes the porcelain products found in the guestrooms’ washbasin countertops. These include a bar soap dish, wet vanity tray, water tumbler, washcloth tray and toothbrush holder. They come in two colours — grey and green — for his-and-hers sides of the vanity. The last is a tall container with a unique form, pinched in the middle like the silhouette of a woman wearing an evening gown. 

A stingray skin-like pattern of perforated silver dots made from decals adorns the surface of these bathroom products. Their edges are sealed in platinum. “We are taking a completely new approach to hotel bathroom accessories. Traditionally, these accessories are assembled from different brands and materials but here, we offer a complete solution from design coordination to branding using a single material,” says Aric.  

The original team of skilled craftsmen in the Klang factory came from Sri Lanka, and were trained in bone china craft in Nagoya’s Noritake factory. The Klang factory also provides in-house training, as its raw materials such as clay and glaze, as well as processes, are unique.

The company can tackle challenging customisation requests because it has its own in-house design team focusing on HORECA projects. “Our designers understand the requirements — for example, they know which colours can be used, and which will disintegrate at high firing temperatures,” says Tan.

The factory also has its own mould-making department so it can make improvements easily. Inhesion Asia continually upgrades and utilises the latest technology and equipment in its factories, a mission to continually innovate that’s upheld by its management, says Aric. “We strive to provide unique solutions so that we can be valuable partners for our clients.”