it looks like hong kong is becoming a second tokyo in terms of the availability of japanese brands. more and more hot labels from the land of the rising sun arrive in the city, even getting their branded retail space. the latest addition to the vast array of shops here is understated menswear brand soph.. with 446 sq.ft. the store is compact in size but that is fully compensated with a maximum of sleek aesthetics. white walls and ceiling, and a teak floor provide a minimalist visual frame.
two lines of subtle cove lighting enhance the retail environment. an L-shaped mirror pairs with wooden wall tiles in different shapes to match the tatamis customized from okinawa, to evoke an authentic japanese ambience. this is soph.’s first overseas store and design guru hiroshi fujiwara flew into town for the opening party where he took to the stage for a gig. location: 26 wyndham street [central].
hong kong’s ice house street has increasingly become the nucleus of directional fashion brands. the latest addition to arrive on the block is the ann demeulemeester store which relocated to a space twice the size of its previous shop. location: 10 ice house street [central].
he may be paris-based but fashion darling gareth pugh’s very first store has opened halfway across the planet in the bustling shopping destination of hong kong. a collab venture with edgy retail giant i.t, the new store is located on ice street in central where it already operates a string of designer fashion depositories, including comme des garçons‘ much publicized subterranean flagship and martin margiela.
the retail space measures 685 sq.ft. and being the obvious brand statement, it reflects much of gareth pugh’s dark yet futuristic fashion sense. it’s a massive manifestation of black affair: walls are clad in black rubber paint while displays are matte black. the scarce contrast is striking and comes either in the form of glossy tiles that create a ‘grid-line’ effect, the glass-plated ceiling or the gigantic led wall showcasing graphics and images related to the brand. the designer flew into town for the opening and mingled with a crowd of overexcited fashionistas. location: 10 ice house street [central].
you’ve probably seen it before but we think it’s so brilliant, we put it up anyway. hong kong-based architect gary chang has lived in his apartment in the city’s san wai ho area since he was 14. after his parents moved away, he had the place to himself and he started to think what to do with it. over the years chang has reconfigurated the tiny apartment six times. this last attempt is a rather brilliant one, having implemented moving walls that enable him to create 24 different rooms. simply amazing.
the hong kong international art fair, asia’s leading showcase of modern + contemporary art is back in town on may 27-30. held at the hkcec, the fair’s third edition not only gathers over 150 leading galleries from across the planet displaying their finest but also features an elaborate program that includes guided tours, performances, discussions and other events and activities. location: 1 expo drive [wanchai].
cipher has been making some cool sneakers but its ambition doesn’t stop there. eager to be seen as a lifestyle brand in touch with contemporary urban culture, it launches big city, bright lights, the very first edition of the ongoing cipher mixtape online project on wed - may 26. this mixtape features 10 leading hong kong artists who all have been asked to produce a 10-minute track inspired by the bustling city of hong kong. visitors of the website can download all 10 tracks. a real-life launch event will be held that same day at the brothers & sisters store [7pm-9pm / invite only].
in 2005 luxury cobbler roger vivier opened its first flagship outside paris in hong kong. now five years on the store relocates one floor up to bigger premises at the city’s glitziest mall, the landmark. a true boudoir of french chic, the roger vivier store now boasts 2,200 sq.ft. of retail space and features the brand’s entire spectrum of bags and shoes.
in the silver room, in the back of the store, one finds haute couture and limited-edition pieces. for the opening party the brand’s creative director bruno frisoni and ex-top model muse inès de la fressange flew down from paris to mingle with local glitterati. location: 15 queen’s road central, shop 105 [central].
it isn’t hard to see why hong kong is one of the planet’s best shopping destinations. shoppers are as supersavvy as retailers, and the latter cater to their customers’ picky needs with constant innovation and creativity. one of the city’s retail institutions is joyce, a luxury fashion empire that has introduced a slew of top brands here, and also in china and taiwan. the brand has recently opened an expanded 2,000 sq.ft. store at the massive harbour city mall for joyce beauty, its specialized high-end cosmetics branch.
the minimalist interiors have been updated with joyce’s signature colour scheme of dark and white. new concept areas have been created for specific beauty needs and personalised pampering services. the store features a special section for organic cosmetics and stocks the top range of brands in that field. the fragrance area has been redesigned into a stylish black boudoir brimming with classic and artisanal perfumes. location: 3-27 canton road, gateway arcade, shop g106 [tsim sha tsui].
neil barrett’s highly popular japanese diffusion line blackbarrett has arrived in hong kong. the sleek new flagship is a bastion of understated masculin chic, boasting a concrete floor that’s matched with pitchblack wooden panelling, off-set by meandering neon light lining. the new store is the first outside japan and features blackbarrett’s entire menswear collection. location: 13 wyndham street [central].
maybe it wasn’t so culturally drab as we remember it? launching on wed - may 5 [6.30pm-8.30pm] at fabrik gallery is in the name of pop - warhol, haring, koons in the 80s, a group show dedicated to these heavyweights of popular culture. this showcase explores the various ways that these artists since the 1980s have engaged with mass media and cultivated artistic personas creating their own signature brands. go figure! location: yip fung building, unit 412, 2-18 d’aguilar street [central].
marc riboud is a shnapping legend. hailing from paris, he has documented many parts of the planet and in china alone he has been on 20 occasions between 1956-2006. for his show the instinctive moment, which opens on fri - apr 30, his seminal body of work from china is put on display, in addition to shots made during the algerian independence war and the iranian revolution. this show is part of annual french cultural program le french may. location: hong kong city hall, exhibition hall, 5 edinburgh place [central].
urban art aficionados converge at the new above second art gallery on fri - apr 30 [6pm-8pm]. what’s on view? the gugaa & mugaa exhibition, curated by yuka nakamura and featuring over 70 original art works by tokyo-based artist duo anamachy painting. rsvp [here] for access. location: 31 eastern street [sheung wan].
hong kong may have an abundance of luxury [monobrand] stores, only few make the cut when it comes to fashion-forward brands. the peeps behind forest bird come to the rescue of savvy local shoppers with their recently opened concept store in bustling central. occupying two floors, the store interior is clean and basic yet creatively embellished with playful sections of white wood. next to carrying fashion labels such as rue du mail, bruno pieters. and sea, the forest bird boutique boasts a coffee bar and an eye lash corner [er...this has got to be a first?] . location: 39 staunton street [central].
savvy fashion retailer i.t has released the newest issue of its lifestyle magazine i.t post. issue #7 once again brings hot fashion news. from the trends in the planet’s leading fashion capitals tokyo, new york, london and homebase hong kong to this season’s best fashion collections and presentations of some pretty cool artists. i.t post #7 is available at all i.t stores in hong kong and china [hkd 99 / free for i.pass holders].
paris-based artist christian astuguevieille’s art installation useful or useless launched last week at comme des garçons under the ground [on until may 7]. heavily inspired by the 1960s arte povera movement, the work on display features cooking utensils from across the planet and from different eras, all hand-sewn in different textiles and then painted grey as to give them a new dimension.
these are juxtaposed with a series of brightly coloured jewellery pieces made from eclectic materials such as rope and paper, and also leather, rhinestones and metal. shoppers can purchase all of christian astuguevieille’s jewellery pieces on display. location: 10 ice house street, shop b2 [central].
hipster kids in hong kong jump for joy. tedious commuting to the nearest store in neighbouring boomtown shenzhen will be a thing of the past as american apparel is finally coming their way, opening shop soon in their bustling city. in order to celebrate the launch of the brand, an american apparel pop-up store, brimming with non-branded goodies, opens today at the lane crawford store at ifc mall [open until may 11]. location: 8 finance street, podium 3, shop 3025-3026 [central].
with a big bang y-3 recently launched a fourth store in hong kong at the city’s newest retail playground, the k11 art mall. located on the ground floor, the new outlet boasts a clean interior in a graphic all-black + white setting, spiced up with y-3 fashion photos and philippe starck’s transparent louis ghost chairs. the new outlet features the brand’s entire collection.
none other than creative director yohji yamamoto was in town to attend the opening, flanked by popstar/actor andy lau and top model du juan. simultaneously, the brand’s s/s 2010 collection and new media campaign were officially launched. store location: 18 hanoi road, shop 67-09 [tsim sha tsui].
this interesting book has been out for a while but only recently caught our eye. we’re talking portrait from above by architect rufina wu and photographer stefan canham, and released by berlin-based peperoni books. the 280-page german/english publication focuses on the self-built structures on top of five high-rise buildings in hong kong’s densely populated kowloon area.
rooftop settlements have been part of the city’s urban landscape for many decades and range from humble shelters to multi-storey constructions with modern amenities. portrait from above really delves into the subject, combining images, compelling stories of its residents and even measured drawings of each of the dwellings.
japan’s neighborhood label teams up with hong kong’s izzue, setting up a pop-up store in the causeway bay area for their special collab collection [open until apr 4]. neighborhood’s creative director shinsuke takizawa, a passionate motorcycle devil with a flavour for all things military, has cooked up series of exclusive items for the pop-up store. items include a limited-edition tee, special edition black jeans and a handy backpack.
as to complement the merchandise, the shop is a testosterone-infused affair, boasting a jet-black interior with subtle spotlights against a black wired ceiling. a homey back section features bauhaus sofas and round coffee tables and a genuine norton motorbike is used as prop. location: 5 pak sha road [causeway bay].
above second is an exciting new art gallery that recently opened its doors in one of the narrow side streets of the sheung wan area. the gallery hosted one of the shows of the recently held pow wow urban arts event and has a string of cool exhibitions up its sleeve. watch this place! location: 31 eastern street [sheung wan].
opening on wed - feb 24 [6.30pm-8.30pm] at fabrik gallery is the great british show, an exhibition that features a selection of works of four of britain’s most controversial artists: francis bacon, gilbert & george, damien hirst and banksy. location: yip fung building, unit 412, 2-18 d’aguilar street [central].
image: damien hirst - detail of lysergic acid diethylamide [2000]
already present on the block having its affiliated boutiques comme des garçons under the ground and martin margiela relocate there, edgy hong kong retailer i.t steps up the game with the additional opening of its latest flagship store on ice house street. designed by architect laurent deroo of a.p.c. fame, the 3,058 sq.ft. store is dominated by shades of natural wood, contrasted by black twist metal panels that lead customers from the ground floor entrance to the basement area.
stockholm’s tshirt store goes asia, opening a store in hong kong. hugely successful in scandinavia, the new outlet offers the same high quality tees with unique graphic designs at a reasonable price and aims to attract local tee savvies. the tshirt store collection not only consists of its own designs but also includes collab items with a variety of artists and designers. location: isquare, 63 nathan road, shop 402 [tsim sha tsui].
black eyed peas vocalist jaime gomez a.k.a. taboo teamed up with new york-based footwear brand jump for a limited-edition blinged-out sneaker collection. the rapper attended the collection’s asia launch events at roxie in hong kong and tokyo’s supersleek vector lounge earlier this week. sneakerheads in the u.s. should visit the jump flagship store in new york city. location: 89 spring street [soho].
hong kong’s popular comme des garçons store moved a few blocks down the road and reopened its spacious subterranean digs on ice house street earlier this month. now officially renamed comme des garçons under the ground, shoppers are met by a bombardment of bold graphics upon entering the store. these are featured on the walls and floor, continuing all the way down to the basement. once downstairs there are two entrances, one leading to the section with commes des garçons homme and junya watanabe comme des garçons collections and the other to the brand’s other lines.
innovative interior design redefines the boundaries of the retail space through different ceiling heights and seemingly meandering concrete walls. the shop additionally features a separate exhibition space which was inaugurated with a show by directional contemporary chinese artist ai weiwei. location: 10 ice house street, shop b2 [central].
presenting you hong kong: the eighth edition in the superfuture city superguide series has finally been completed!!! better still, you can purchase your copy right [here].
the shenzhen + hong kong bi-city biennale of urbanism\architecture launches on sun - dec 6. this third edition is themed city mobilization and aims to investigate the organization and balance of social life within urban china. in today’s globalized world, we are moving from nationhood towards the ‘city-hood’ model in which cities must consider themselves in relation to a global network of other cities.
in the case of shenzhen and its neighbor hong kong there exists the opportunity for these cities to creatively respond to the challenges of cooperation and interaction between one another across the pearl river delta. the biennale features an exhibition held at three venues in town in which approximately 60 international artists and architects present newly created works. main exhibition location: shenzhen civic square [downtown].
opening wed - nov 18 [6.30pm-8.30pm] at fabrik gallery is an exhibition dedicated to artist mel ramos. the artist belonged to the 1960s pop art movement and gained fame through his illustrations of pin-up celebrity women. on display are a series of limited-edition lithographs. rsvp [here] for access! location: yip fung building, unit 412, 2-18 d’aguilar street [central].
get ready for clockenflap 2009! this annual outdoor music and multimedia festival brings a slew of cool and innovative events and gigs from across the planet to hong kong on nov 7-8. click weblink for more info! location: cyberport, 100 cyberport road [pokfulam].
the untitled enemies exhibition opening on wed - oct 21 unites 25 international and local artists, designers and illustrators at the g.o.d. peak galleria store. the show is presented by apostrophe gallery and there’ll be affordable signed and numbered art prints on sale. mind you, some of the foreign creatives exhibit in hong kong for the very first time! participants include rex koo, charles glaubitz and ben allen. location: peak galleria mall, 118 peak road, shop 32-41 [central].
opening fri – aug 28 at vanguard gallery is getting accustomed to be impermanent, a show by beijing-based artist liu bo lin. a continuation of his previous urban camouflage works, in which the artist depicts how a fast-developed society envelops people, he now further explores the theme with a series of paintings. official opening party is on sep 6 and liu bo lin will do a live performance. location: r204, building 4a, 50 moganshan lu [zha bei].
balenciaga opened a new hong kong store at the landmark, the city’s ritziest shopping address. a franchise run by local retail institution joyce, it features both the womenswear and menswear collections and is designed by the brand’s creative director nicolas ghesquière in collaboration with artist dominique gonzalez-foerster. location: 15 queens road central, shop 204 [central].
the flesh mesh figurine sale exhibition by designer duo graphic airlines just launched at gallery de vie [on until sep 3]. on display is the madame vee & meaty character [limited set of 50]. location: 45 gough street, basement [central].
the planet’s appetite for a.p.c.’s cool styles keeps increasing, especially in hong kong where the brand just opened its third store. the small yet superstylish new outlet has been designed by a.p.c.’s house architect laurent deroo and features its men’s and women’s collections. location: seabrid house, 24 wyndham street [central].
we told you of the liquidated logos exhibition. recently artist zevs was the target of local media frenzy after being arrested for affixing a giant dripping chanel logo on the façade of the giorgio armani building, resulting in the italian brand’s claim of eur 650,000 worth of damages. zevs‘ sentencing has now been postponed to aug 14, the artist having to remain in town until then, and he may face jail time. liquidated logo location: chater house, 11 chater road [central].
