Jolie van Beek first came to Shanghai nine years ago as a designer for a Dutch fashion company.

She went on to go into business for herself and is quickly developing a chain of clothing shops targeting Europeans' need for larger clothes and shoe sizes.

When she worked for a Dutch company, she commuted between the Dutch city of Armstrong and Shanghai every three months. The firm had moved its clothing production lines into factories in Shanghai and its neighboring cities to cut costs.

Her husband became curious about the city in which his wife was spending so much time, so he paid a visit and fell in love with the city immediately. And this love has lasted - so much so, that two years ago, he started his own company in Shanghai.

Van Beek then quit her job and moved to China with her husband.

"It is amazing to see people from different countries and different cultures living harmoniously in a city. I join some expat clubs, make a lot of friends and have had a lot of fun here," says the Dutch-born Korean.

On weekends, she regularly participates in charity activities to help disabled Chinese people organized by the clubs. "As a guest of the city, I think I need to do something for it in return," Van Beek explains.

As a growing stream of European expatriates flowed into the city, Van Beek noticed many complained about the small sizes of the clothes and shoes available in Chinese stores. So, the former fashion designer came up with the idea of starting her own shop and opened her first store last April.

"I saw it was necessary to create a place to introduce Dutch-styled fashion here," says Van Beek, who is in her 30s. She called her brainchild brand Dutch Item Shanghai.

Today, Van Beek owns two shops in Shanghai, which mostly sell her own designs. She is now preparing to open her third store in Pudong next year.

Nestled in a corner of a winding and quiet lane in Xuhui District, Dutch Item Shanghai Wukang Store has a regular customer base of both expats and Chinese.

It is set apart from the bigger fashion stores in the downtown area by a personal touch. "I would like to give a 'neighborhood feeling' to every customer who comes here," Van Beek says.

A photo of Van Beek's 4-month-old daughter Caatje is propped up on the counter. The bilingual card reads: "I am happy to share with you that my daughter was born in July."

Van Beek greets every customer like an old friend. She is often seen standing beside the shelf, chatting with customers and offering suggestions.

She currently employs 12 staffers, all of whom come from different countries, including one Shanghai native.

"We get along very well - shopping, going out at weekends and singing in KTV. We are like a big family," Van Beek says.

Van Beek says she often rewards hard workers with special gifts.

Last Sunday, she treated four of her staffers to massages and facials in an upper-class spa.

"They usually have to work late and don't have time to freshen up, so it is my duty to look after them. They were all happy to receive their gifts," Van Beek says.

She says she developed a deep affection for the city without realizing it. "I started missing Shanghai just several days after I returned to Rotterdam for vacation," she says.

Rotterdam is both her birth city and Shanghai's sister city.

Van Beek says all of her friends in the Netherlands are curious about her life in Shanghai, and whenever she returns to Rotterdam, they gather around her to eagerly listen to her stories about China.

Van Beek plans to send Caatje to a Chinese kindergarten once she begins talking.

"Having Chinese classes is very popular in the Netherlands, as people have gradually realized the importance of China. Since Caatje was born in China, she has more reason to learn the language," Van Beek says.

(China Daily November 30, 2007)