Hong Kong, City Secrets: Hong Kong Guide

 

Start at the Landmark, home to Harvey Nichols, countless luxury shops, and the Landmark Mandarin Oriental (yes there are two of them in the home city – just about a few feet from each other!)  Wander your way northward to Lan Kwai Fong for something more eclectic and great places to eat and drink.  Finally, end up at the IFC mall, home to the legendary Lane Crawford.  

 

One cannot walk in Central without literally running into a brand owned by LVMH or

PPR. Prada and Chanel logos are so large and prominent, it must be the city planner’s secret agenda to make people lust for the latest Prada sandals. Love it or hate it, Central is the quintessential Hong Kong: luxury and commercialism.

 

Start at the Landmark, home to the Mandarin Oriental hotel and Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Dior, Bottega Veneta, Miu Miu and the like. Don’t miss Harvey Nichols, which recently revamped its fourth floor contemporary section. With visual merchandising so well done, it’s worth a look. Compared with other local department stores like Lane Crawford and Seibu, Harvey Nichols is edgier and features more up-and-coming designers, such as Prabal Gurung and Katy Rodriguez. Singaporean accessories brand Kwanpen makes impeccable, high-quality exotic leather goods in classic shapes. At first glance, you will think you accidentally walked into Hermès (without the Birkin price tag).

 

Hungry? Stop by LʼAtelier Robuchon for French food, good wine and celebrity-spotting; it’s like the pages of Tatler come to life. Looking for a place to party it up a bit and show off your new duds? Zuma is great for sushi and drinks.

 

Exit the Landmark from Harvey Nichols, and right across the street is the Joyce

Flagship store. Founded by Hong Kong fashion doyenne and socialite Joyce Ma, it carries the most fashion-forward collections in Hong Kong; the latest from from Jil Sander to Alexander McQueen to Moncler are always on display in the lobby. Upstairs, you’ll find a heavenly accessories department with of-the-moment costume jewelry and shoes from Christian Louboutin and Giuseppe Zanotti, as footwear god On Pedder was recently absorbed into this shop. Excellent service is a plus here.

 

Speaking of Joyce Ma, her equally famous sister, Bonnie Gokson, is the founder of hip upscale restaurant and bar Sevva. Housed on the top floor of Prince’s Building, it is a great place for a business lunch, meeting your girlfriends for afternoon tea – or before a night on the town. Step out to the rooftop for a great view of Central and Kowloon – and a nice windswept look for your hair. 

 

Make your way across to Pedder Street, where the Shanghai Tang flagship is located. Its three floors exude the modern-traditional Shanghai Tang aesthetic through and through. Its only made-to-order tailor shop is found here. With luxurious fabrics and modern styling, this would be the place to have a sexy, well-fitted cheongsam (is there any other kind?) made.

 

If there is one mall you must visit on Hong Kong Island, make it the IFC, conveniently located at the Hong Kong station of the Airport Express and near all the Central Ferry Piers. The IFC location of the Hong Kong institution Lane Crawford is the only Hong Kong shop to carry the coveted Herve Leger bandage dress, the Kate Moss Topshop collection, and most recently, host an American Apparel pop-up shop. With a full-time live DJ and central space dedicated to art exhibitions, all that is hip , all that is hip has a home here in Lane Crawford.   

 

For lingerie enthusiasts, don’t miss this department tucked away in the back of IFC Lane Crawford. It houses the only Agent Provocateur shop in Hong Kong, as well as an impressive selection of lacy underthings from the likes of 3.1 Phillip Lim and Kiki de Montparnasse.

 

 

You’ll also find a direct entrance to the Four Seasons Hotel, my favorite in Hong Kong if only for this one reason alone: it boasts the highest concentration of Michelin star restaurants under one roof. For Chinese that pulls out all the stops, Lung King Heen is the best place to bring family, friends or anyone you may need to impress. Caprice is the gold standard for business lunches and dinner marriage proposals. For the ultimate treat, check into the hotel for a night and order room service. Have breakfast by the pool the next morning. Take a dip before getting back to business, be it further indulging in all that Hong Kong has to offer or jumping on a flight back home.

 

 

 

Walk slightly uphill on Wydham Street, and you will find On Lan Street tucked away

next to Lan Kwai Fong, the popular hangout for drinking and clubbing — a hidden jewel tourists could easily miss. Compared to the generally more commercial taste of Central, here you’ll find interesting and edgy concept stores; artists and celebrities who want something different flock to this street. Rupert Sanderson, Christian Louboutin, DSquared, and Ann Demuelemeester, have all set up outposts here.

 

Don’t miss my personal favorite, Uma Miy. Started by designer Grace Yow, it houses her own collection, Among Strangers, characterized by high-quality basics with edgy design details, as well as hard-to-find up-and-coming designers such as Josh Goot and Ohne Titel. Be sure to chat with store manager Tannia Lam, who studied design herself and is very knowledgeable of all the collections. D-Mop carries a selection of fashion-forward labels such as Matthew Williamson and Ann Valerie Hash.

 

Back onto Wyndam Street, you’ll find Twist, a local favorite where you can find discount luxury goods from the previous season; everything from Prada shoes to Balenciaga purses.