I also started having business with Warlon who supplied PVC laminated washi paper for shoji sliding doors at Kyubi restaurant. I thought it would be a one-off deal because it did not fit into the brand; it was not handmade products made by skilled craftsmen. They manufacture PVC laminated washi paper and plates as well as acrylic plates. However, I started selling some to a few joiners who make shoji sliding doors in the UK. British people were just starting to recognise the upsides of sliding doors especially in bedrooms and dressing rooms; they do not take up space as much as hinged doors and are light to operate.
Warlon products also work as brilliant LED diffuser sheets. LEDs had to be used in commercial projects and it was the way to go, however, the hues of light were limited, cold and harsh. Because LED lights cannot reach as far as conventional ones, LED are often used on walls and have to be covered with diffuser cladding. Warlon products were perfect; they are translucent with subtle textures. Warlon’s PVC plates can be used as fire-retardant LED diffuser sheets while a few acrylic equivalent products which cannot be used in commercial environments are in the market.
Cost performances of Warlon products are also excellent and they were ideal for temporary use such as exhibitions. Hundreds of thin and long batons of PVC plates decorated a Lexus booth at the North American International Auto Show 2017. PVC washi paper was used for enormous moving sliding panels in Burberrys runway for Spring/Summer 2019. It was very fortunate that the range had the exact brand colour of Burberry’s. There was lots of pressure to turn the orders around due to the strict deadlines. However, I loved the extremely short lead times which enormously help compensate long ones. Biden became a distributor for them in Europe. The sales of Warlon continued to grow despite my marketing being limited because it did not fit into Biden’s brand. It was used in some high profile projects such as the Selfridges Body Shop area and the Harrods Wellness Clinic.
