The buzz: Founded in the early 90s in Japan, Francfranc has become synonymous with modern and colorful home decor. To celebrate its tenth year in Hong Kong, the Japanese lifestyle brand is launching a new store in iSquare on May 10, as well as a summer line, “Les Vacanes de Francfranc,” that emphasizes laid-back, Mediterranean vibes.
The buzz: Look Upstairs is a new little lifestyle shop (read: one that stocks everything) situated in Sai Kung’s busy main pedestrian square. Open since March, the first floor venue (“Look Upstairs,” remember) makes up for its less prominent location by offering knick knacks, household goods and even jewelry at competitive prices. Owner John Jarman first came to Hong Kong in 1986 to set up the English department store chain, Habitat, at Ocean Terminal (the shop has since closed).
The buzz: At homeware and furniture brand Casa Capriz, designer Irene Capriz handpicks unique home furnishings and ornaments from her travels across the globe. Her Italian-Malaysian background and personal style provide inspiration for the pieces that fill her new vintage furniture and design store.
The buzz: A fixture in the Hong Kong world of concept stores ever since the trend got on the up-and-up a few years ago, Kapok specializes in eclectic emerging brands from around the world, with a special focus on simple yet high-quality and creative design. Well-known by hipster types since its establishment in 2006, the company has added a third space to its little collective—Kapok Tools.
Unlike its St. Francis Yard boutique, which is mostly fashion and accessories, Kapok Tools aims to urbanize the ol’ small-town “general store”, where members of a neighborhood can go and find various household and personal goods all in one place. Reflecting that idea, the shop offers apparel, accessories, beauty products, home and office supplies, and sundry pantry items.
Designer Alex Daye owns Moustache, a small shop that specializes in bespoke tailoring and ready-to-wear clothing. In addition to chic, classic attire, Daye also sells “The Moustache Guide to Hong Kong”—a round-up of his favorite haunts.
What started as a pet project for boutique owner Alex Daye has turned into a handy compilation of Hong Kong’s funkier sights.
Known for Chinese aesthetics and flourishes creatively reinterpreted for the modern shopper, homegrown luxury label Shanghai Tang is the epitome of Hong Kong chic. Its brand-new flagship finally opened its doors last month, after the brand was elbowed out of the much-loved Art Deco space on Pedder Street that it had called home for 17 years. Luckily, the new Shanghai Tang Mansion lives up to its predecessor.
Known for Chinese aesthetics and flourishes creatively reinterpreted for the modern shopper, homegrown luxury label Shanghai Tang is the epitome of Hong Kong chic. It’s a stunning piece of artistic design and a destination in itself—a meticulously decorated store sprinkled with beautiful craftsmanship.
This is the place for modern design classics, including Eero Aarnio bubble chairs, 1970s Curve lamps, Marimekko fabrics and Philippe Starck’s Victoria Ghost chair. Like most Hong Kong shops, its four locations are not exactly spacious, but they are definitely packed with objects of desire.
Entering this SoHo treasure trove is like wandering into an old aunt’s attic full of kitschy knick-knacks, intriguing antiques and vintage clothing. Art Deco handbags rub shoulders with classic Disney trinkets, old buttons, figurines, dolls, clocks, pictures—you name it.
A dream for homebodies with an eye for unusual pieces, Bals Tokyo sells everything you need for the home, from uber-modern furniture to sleek, contemporary espresso makers—all with that distinctively Japanese edge. (Which is odd, because much of the furniture is designed in Europe.)
