founded in 1643, maison trudon is the oldest candle manufacturer. maison trudon extends its savoir faire and unveils a line of personal fragrance. substance accompanied the brand with its communication strategy, global branding, packaging, print and digital design. our challenge was to subtly express the rich brand heritage whilst reinterpreting a modern approach.
in the up and coming district of poho, a charming new château has set down roots. more than just a concept, château zoobeetle encapsulates the very essence of being french and carries it off with just the right touch of parisian insouciance.
we were given a split level store space of 1500 sq. ft. to dream up the effortless elegance of a modern apartment on the left bank, upstairs from a hip new brasserie. the architecture epitomises zoobeetle’s multi sensory brand experience; fixtures throughout the space accentuate the house founders’ handpicked vintage decor. the effect is one of a contemporary atelier, with a facade inspired by the old world elegance of parisian couturiers.
the origin of zoobeetle is the quintessential parisian experience expressed through a line of culturally crafted leather goods, woven by the founders with strands of the house dna including travel, art and photography.
downstairs, the bar’s lighting and shingled tiles convey you to the rooftops of paris. racks behind the bar echo the atelier’s polished fixtures, harmonising with the gleaming brass countertop. sate your tastebuds with a delectable selection of cheeses and charcuterie, while indulging in a sip of sauvignon.
the scene is set: circa 1940, somewhere along the mid-west, a group of circus performers are on their way to the next gig on their national grand tour and boy, do they have an appetite. an appetite for magic, milkshakes and more, that is. cue burger circus.
burger circus is a whimsical take on the classic mid-century americana diner. the space, inspired by edward hopper’s painting « compartment c, car 293 », encompasses train carriage accents like the curved stainless steel wall panels and warm tones casted by vintage lamps. the circus narrative in the branding content was derived from francis lawrence’s water for elephants and is pushed throughout the menus and circus posters, which vividly display the different characters’ quirks and talents. situated at the foot of soho, customers take a ride ( almost literally, as they dine in carriage booths ) to a nostalgic time filled with retro vibes and feel good food.
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.
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’.
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.
« Shape your knowledge » est une opération de marketing globale, intégrée, réalisée sur une année, destinée aux annonceurs et aux media-planneurs de la zone d’Asie Pacifique.
Afin de les sensibiliser à l’importance du monde digital, un bonsaï symbolisant à la fois la confiance, l’intégrité et la sagesse du Financial Times est envoyé à chacun d’eux. Un kit de soins ainsi qu’un ensemble de ressources en ligne sur les profils du lectorat du quotidien et des études de cas accompagnent l’envoi, liant allégorie et informations tangibles.
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.
“a boy named sue”, un multi-marques en ligne nommé ainsi en référence à la chanson de johnny cash, propose une collection d’objets socialement et écologiquement équitables. un système de formes nouvelles est adapté et décliné sur tous supports physiques comme numériques. au cœur de ce système visuel, le site internet a été ainsi pensé comme une pièce maîtresse, un espace interactif, de navigation facile pour une expérience intuitive.
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.
