Last Thursday, the fashion, media, PR and HK nobility descended upon the Lane Crawford Home Store for the Monocle pop-up store opening party. It will be there until May 23, when it will find a more permanent home in the more apposite Star Street precinct. Mr. Tyler Brûlé was there for the monumental event, and as the editor-in-chief of a magazine that offers an uncannily global perspective on international affairs, all-encompassing culture and design to rich readers, we asked him some really important questions. See our Ask an Editor, right. Immigrant’s Bossa Band, a brilliant band from Japan led by Nobumasa Kobayashi, played terribly cool jazzy music. I liked the dreads and the bongo-beating of their band leader.

Then we joined the HK nubility at ArtisTree in Tai Koo Shing for Hope and Glory, “A Conceptual Circus conceived by Simon Birch” sponsored by Diesel. Our Fierce Deputy Editor refused to attend, because the last time she decided to go to a Simon Birch thingie, she broke her knee. I went with a visual artist cum columnist, a curator and an arts editor, and they all left within 15 minutes for cake. Well, they missed a great PARTY. I loved the “freak show” with these very Gaga-esque figures, each made from all sorts of material (liquid-filled balloons, joss sticks, foam cubes, steel wool, toothpicks!) a collabo with local artist Alvina Lee Chui-ping. Then there was the hologram room, dark labyrinths that make me think of gay saunas, cotton candy, and a skateboard ramp with useless skateboarders. Go visit the space over the next seven weeks, only without drunken people and live music around you.

Speaking of which, New York producer/composer and multi-instrumentalist Gary Gunn was invited to do the music for the event. He enjoys collaborating with different vocalists because he can’t sing himself. And Hong Kong got the fiercely spellbinding Malene Younglao and Shayfer James. The glamazon voodoo priestess Malene, from Trinidad by way of Brooklyn, reminded me of our city’s own Djaka Souare (who’s at Drop every Wednesday night with other sultry jazz songstresses, like Ginger and Gigi). And Shayfer James, all guyliner and gothic folk-pop, creeped out most of the crowd with his intense, mischievous stare, but he lured me in with his bewitchingly smooth voice, with his eerie, silky siren song. Do check out these two amazing indie artists online.

I was talking afterward to the pleasant Gary Gunn, stylin’ in his red bead necklace that matched his red tie, and Simon Birch came up to us, practically offering me a quote, and said, “What a fucked up night! All these people I don’t know coming up to talk to me. I mean, I don’t give a shit about that—I just care about the art.” Oh really?

Ladies and gentlemen, say it with me now:

Birch, please.

Just saying.

Anyway, it was a really awesome party. Hong Kong hasn’t had a party on that scale for quite a long time. Thanks, Simon! Top hats off to you.

How was queen bitch of electropunk Peaches in Macau on Sunday? Sorry, you’ll have to wait until next week for the epic hot damn mess. Tee Tea Eff Effin’ En!