the mills

find your thread in hong kong’s techstyle story.

when nan fung textile company first started weaving in the 1950s, cloth was the most important raw material. in today’s globalised fashion industry, the finished garment is one element in the complex, high-tech pursuit of making fashion. talent and creativity are the commodities in demand: talent for ideas, design and reaching consumers through brand and story. drawing on over half a century in the industry, the mills, a groundbreaking project from the nan fung group, recognises that today talent is the raw material that matters. it must be nurtured and developed in the same way that cotton must be woven into fine cloth. to that end, the mills, in the same building it has worked in for the past 50 years, provides aspiring designers, entrepreneurs, and fashion technologists with the tools, the know-how and the space to make a truly modern, global fashion business, through collaborations with other institutions, exhibitions, mentorship programs with skilled artisans and a cutting-edge fabrication lab.

these are the mills of the 21st century.

Identity

hotshot

the energy is electric, propelling a youth culture revolution. hotshot, the new all-day diner in Repulse Bay, is inspired by the restless attitude and exploits of surfers and skaters. the brand identity and interior design are direct reflections of fearless low-rider graffiti lifestyle – melding plucky west coast grit and timeless cool.

the restaurant’s hangar interior is modeled around a lifeguard station, with iconic surfboards – each a one-of-a-kind masterpiece – adorning the walls (alongside vintage comics and classic beer crates). the materials used were chosen to reflect the era’s easy going aesthetic, incorporating sun-bleached wood, industrial corrugated steel surfaces, a big ass fan and bright neon signage. every last detail, from the custom airstream catering trailer to the comics on the menu, was custom-made and painstakingly crafted to transport customers back to a simpler, groovier time.
the restaurant mascot, Hotshot, epitomizes the spirit: tough, carefree and more than a little crazy.

Interiors

the ocean

the ocean, protean and primeval, has enchanted many who have come before. along the coast of repulse bay beach, an oceanic sanctum has been imagined as a place of marvels, where one can experience beyond the surface of the sea and into the alluring depths of the unknown.

the restaurant’s interior invites you through a pool of dark blues and cyan, balanced with sandy brown finishes throughout. ceiling-to-floor windows offer a clear panoramic view of the sea-side on the horizon, diving into the deep through the portal frames flourished with silver leafs.

there is an emphasis on intimacy, as the ocean houses three private dining rooms for an added lap of luxury. magic is added with a backdrop of the ocean itself, while the walls of a jellyfish aquarium surrounding each private dining room, submerging each visitor into a pool of conversation as they observe the mystique of nature around them.

but the devil truly is in the details, with tableware and furnishings taking design cues from coral leafs, anemone spirals and fibonacci suites in shells – each designed to reflect the undersea organic geometry lives.

Interiors

hermès

Hermès, the paragon of French luxury, has consistently transformed itself for over 178 years. So when we were tasked with creating a showcase for Hermès’ latest theme, Metamorphosis, we took inspiration from the most powerful transformative force on earth: nature. Through the use of kinetic and mechanical structures, we endeavored to mimic various types of organic form and continuous movement – from the mesmerizing ebb and flow of ocean waves, right down to the elegant spirals of DNA molecules.

The installations employ natural materials such as wood and moss – juxtaposed with metal and fabric – to tell a story of transformation from the raw to the refined, organic to designed.
Dynamic morphing structures – rotating racks and undulating display platforms – each delicately framing the Hermès winter collection, revealing and concealing in a constant revolving sequence. 3 distinct window installations were then applied to individual windows in each Hermès boutique in Hong Kong and Macau, a visual display showing the beauty of transformation.

Installation

bibo

An elegant building stands on Hollywood Road amongst antique shops and art galleries. Discreetly opulent touches suggest this may be a smart regional office for a prosperous business. Yet inside the building, people gather to enjoy fine French cuisine in a setting filled with important and exciting works of modern and street art.

Substance were challenged to create a restaurant where modern street art, classic French gastronomy, and the space which contained the two could work together in harmony. The inspiration came in the form of 1930’s Art Deco – a design aesthetic modern enough to serve as a backdrop to constantly changing and extremely eclectic artistic expression, but also elegant and comfortable enough as a spatial environment in which to serve classic French gastronomy. The connection between the decade, art works, and cuisine was made through a craftily invented story of an abandoned office building of a formerly prosperous French tram company, now occupied by street artists who express themselves by layering their art on surfaces with a history, tagging their ideas on the physical space that has since become ‘Bibo’.

Identity

Interior

financial times

“shape your knowledge” was a yearlong integrated campaign directed at educating key media buyers and media planners throughout asia pacific.

the objective was to drive awareness and educate media buyers on identifying the financial time’s readership and profiles. a seamless campaign was created by sending a bonsai tree to key media buyers with an online media kit showcasing newsfeed, widgets on readership profiles and case studies on the financial times. to recapture their attention, a care package was sent 6 months later to convey the bonsai’s relation to the brand’s trust, integrity and wisdom.

Direct Mailing

Advertising

Digital

the krug room

the krug room is one of the world’s finest culinary experiences but also one of the hardest place to find…established in 2006 in a partnership between mandarin oriental, hong kong and krug champagne. the renovation was to celebrate the hotel’s 50th anniversary.

nestled in the heart of the mandarin oriental hotel kitchen, the volume of the room and its location were a perfect starting point to create the intimate surroundings of a train carriage, boasting stunning views of a fast-moving kitchen. the result is that of contemporary old-world elegance.

Interior

a boy named sue

a boy named sue – a multi-brand ecommerce store, offering a collection of socially and eco conscious for one’s sartorial desires. a boy named sue was inspired by a classic johnny cash song who’s father named him sue and faced ridicule his whole life. sue learns his name is to make him tough and strong-willed reflecting the brand’s promise of strong quality aesthetics and personality.

the identity was designed on a system by which it could be effortlessly redefined to create a series of new shapes. much like there is no one singular solution to eco-fashion, the form needed to be dynamic and transitional. the packaging and stationary also follow the system of the visual identity, with bold folds and bright patterns lining the seams, the visuals embrace a refined eclecticism. the website was the final piece of the puzzle, an interactive space that came together as a curated, easy to navigate and intuitive experience.

Identity

Digital

sal curioso

after the success of madam sixty ate, a european restaurant founded by a whimsical chef of great imagination, we were appointed to brand a second restaurant with spanish influences in the hub of hong kong’s vibrant culinary scene.

madam’s story centered on her strange journeys and encounters with surreal animals, so it seemed natural to provide her with a quirky companion who could share her discoveries. sal curioso is madam’s spanish ex-lover, an eccentric inventor and an uncommon genius. he meticulously designs and builds contraptions specifically to best broil, steam or pop the strangely shaped animals from madam’s travels into a delicious dish. his inventions include the duck bobber, caulitail steamer, guacaloco and squid pop, all displayed throughout the 2,000 square foot space. it is madam’s dishes, featuring among others, joseph the flower-headed duck and pedro the fish with a cauliflower tail, that inspire each invention.

each device is accompanied by sal’s personal annotations of his design, construction process and his creative scrawls of his registered trademarks. the collection of schematic drawings and documents fill the food menus as patents, the interior is his studio occupied by his machines, hung with business card as licensing labels for copyrights. even the coasters on tables are not immune from sal’s touch – they are designed to draw water condensation from cocktails, a piping system that transports the liquid when coasters are placed together to connect the pipes.

a great thinker, sal is a prolific writer who displays his wall of books written and illustrated himself, displaying a fascination for innovative cooking techniques and antiquated culinary history.

Identity

Interiors

la vache!

paying homage to the classic parisian steak & frites la vache! brings forth the parisian bistro culinary staple to hong kong’s restaurant scene.

we were inspired by the french cartoonist jean-jacques sempé’s humorous style and created a playground for him to express his witty la vache! moments: tables, walls, coasters, wine labels, toilet paper…

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