Product Design Archives

Inside the Wattis Collection: Vintage Hong Kong Travel Guides

Annemarie EvansMay 15, 2023

Travel guides and advertisements on display at Wattis Fine Art are a window into Hong Kong’s postwar blossoming]...

BooksCultureDesignExhibitionHistoryProduct DesignSmall Stories & Secret StoriesWhere To Go, To Play, To Rest0 Comments 07 min read

Forgotten Hong Kong Icon: Painting Movie Posters by Hand

Billy PottsFebruary 24, 2023

A billboard painter looks back at a trade that once enlivened the streets of Hong Kong...

CinemaCultureDesignPeoplePortraitsProduct Design0 Comments 011 min read

Hong Kong Patterns, Part II: Silk City

Billy PottsJanuary 31, 2023

The arrival of Japanese department stores led to a boom in silk manufacturing – and some strange cultural blends...

DesignFashionHistoryProduct DesignSmall Stories & Secret StoriesWhere To Go, To Play, To Rest0 Comments 07 min read

Hong Kong’s Vintage Treasures Are Overseas

Christopher DewolfDecember 23, 2022

The fruits of Hong Kong’s industrial history can be found in second-hand shops around the world...

DesignHeritageHistoryProduct DesignSmall Stories & Secret Stories0 Comments 09 min read

Hong Kong Patterns, Part I: Daimaru’s Distinct Style

Billy PottsDecember 22, 2022

When the Japanese department store opened a flagship branch in Hong Kong, its gift wrap became a local icon...

DesignExhibitionProduct DesignWhere To Go, To Play, To Rest0 Comments 04 min read

Meet Two Collectors Whose Works Are On Show at HKMoA

Oliver GilesDecember 9, 2022

Leo Wong and Anthony Cheung have dedicated years to collecting Chinese art. Now it’s available to the public...

ArtCultureDesignExhibitionHeritageHistoryProduct DesignTraditionVisual ArtWhere To Go, To Play, To Rest0 Comments 09 min read

Dutch Design: Can Hong Kong Learn From the Netherlands?

Christopher DewolfNovember 23, 2022

This year’s Business of Design Week partner country has pioneered a holistic view of design...

ArchitectureDesignProduct Design0 Comments 010 min read

Hong Kong Wheels: Classic Comfort in Los Angeles

Christopher DewolfNovember 21, 2022

The only Toyota Comfort in the US is cruising the suburbs of Los Angeles as a mock Hong Kong taxi...

CultureDesignProduct Design0 Comments 05 min read

Hong Kong Wheels: What is a Hong Kong Taxi Doing in Toronto?

Christopher DewolfNovember 9, 2022

Al Wu’s mock Hong Kong taxi is a taste of home for Canada’s large Hong Kong diaspora...

CultureDesignProduct Design0 Comments 06 min read

For Chi Wing Lo, Design is Craft

Catherine ShawAugust 31, 2022

Born in Hong Kong, based in Italy, this acclaimed designer takes a hands-on approach to his work...

ArchitectureDesignInterior DesignPeoplePortraitsProduct Design0 Comments 011 min read

What Happens When Art and Design Collide?

Catherine ShawJune 30, 2022

Hong Kong-based designer Elaine Yan Ling Ng collaborates on a boundary-pushing work of art and design in Milan...

ArtDesignProduct DesignVideo art0 Comments 011 min read

Caroline Chiu’s Porcelain Cups Are An Homage to Hong Kong

Oliver GilesJune 29, 2022

Hong Kong’s spirit is channelled into a series of hand-painted cups made in China’s ancient capital of ceramics...

ArtDesignExhibitionPeoplePortraitsProduct DesignVisual ArtWhere To Go, To Play, To Rest0 Comments 16 min read

Jeweller, Inventor – And Now Artist: Wallace Chan in Venice

Oliver GilesJune 9, 2022

A Hong Kong jeweller-turned-artist is showing some of the most ambitious works of his career...

ArtDesignEventExhibitionPeoplePortraitsProduct DesignVisual ArtWhere To Go, To Play, To Rest0 Comments 07 min read

Hong Kong’s Industrial Objects: Red Market Lamps

Christopher DewolfJune 2, 2022

Red plastic lampshades are ubiquitous on Hong Kong's streets – and they've become a symbol of the city itself...

DesignProduct Design0 Comments 05 min read

Chair Island: The Story Behind Peng Chau’s DIY Street Furniture

Daisann McLaneJune 2, 2022

Why are there so many chairs scattered around this quirky Hong Kong Island?...

A Little BreakDesignProduct DesignWhere To Go, To Play, To Rest0 Comments 26 min read

Hong Kong is Haunted by Ghost Signs

Billy PottsMay 20, 2022

There’s a lot to learn from the old hand-painted signs that linger throughout the city...

CultureDesignLanguageProduct DesignTradition0 Comments 19 min read

Hidden Gem: 10 Years of L’ÉCOLE, School of Jewelry Arts

Ilaria Maria SalaApril 13, 2022

How Van Cleef & Arpels embraced the universal appeal of jewellery from Paris to Hong Kong...

DesignEventExhibitionProduct DesignWhere To Go, To Play, To Rest0 Comments 08 min read

Hong Kong’s Industrial Products: Watermelon Balls

Christopher DewolfMarch 30, 2022

A 1950s plastic ball inspired by two famous rivers still holds significance for Hongkongers...

CultureDesignFoodProduct Design0 Comments 05 min read

The Forgotten Masterpieces of Lacloche

Edith TerryMarch 11, 2022

How the exquisite works of a Parisian jewellery house were celebrated, forgotten, and finally recovered for a fascinating exhibition...

DesignEventExhibitionFashionProduct DesignWhere To Go, To Play, To Rest0 Comments 012 min read

Forgotten Hong Kong Icon: The Luthier of Sui Fai Factory Estate

Billy PottsMarch 2, 2022

As a factory block in Fotan is slated to be redeveloped into public housing, a master Chinese luthier considers his fate...

CultureDesignPeoplePortraitsProduct DesignTradition0 Comments 17 min read

Hong Kong’s Industrial Products: Holga and Diana, Homegrown Toy Cameras

Christopher DewolfFebruary 17, 2022

Made entirely from plastic, the Holga produced unpredictable images full of technical imperfections – which is exactly why it became so popular...

ArtDesignPhotographyProduct Design0 Comments 07 min read

Video: Lacloche in Hong Kong, A Rare Look at Art Deco Marvels

Zolima CityMagDecember 18, 2021

Discover the mesmerising work of renowned Parisian jewellers Lacloche at L'ÉCOLE Asia Pacific's newest Hong Kong exhibition...

ArtDesignEventExhibitionFashionInspring ItinerariesProduct DesignWhere To Go, To Play, To Rest0 Comments 01 min read

The Castle Peak Dragon Kiln: A Hidden Reminder of Hong Kong’s Ceramics History

Ilaria Maria SalaDecember 8, 2021

Tuen Mun’s soil once provided the raw material for a thriving pottery industry. Now, a single disused kiln is all that is left...

CultureDesignHeritageHistoryProduct DesignTradition0 Comments 06 min read

Lacloche: From Paris to Asia, a Fascinating Heritage of Jewellery

Zolima CityMagNovember 30, 2021

L’ÉCOLE Asia Pacific, School of Jewelry Arts brings a remarkable Parisian jeweller back to life in a mesmerising exhibition at K11 Musea. ...

DesignProduct Design0 Comments 04 min read

Modern Before Its Time: A Hong Kong Gallery Embraces Ming Dynasty Furniture

Billy PottsOctober 27, 2021

Once overlooked, the elegant simplicity of Ming Dynasty furniture is now highly coveted – and a Hong Kong gallery was at the front lines of its renaissance....

DesignHeritageInterior DesignInterviewsPeopleProduct DesignTradition0 Comments 010 min read

Via North Point, Part II: Reconnecting With Nature for a More Humane City

Zolima CityMagSeptember 22, 2021

Via North Point's installations have already been embraced by the neighbourhood. Can they inspire Hong Kong to bridge the gap between city and nature?...

DesignEventProduct Design0 Comments 011 min read

Via North Point, Part I: What Makes a Neighbourhood “Sticky”

Zolima CityMagSeptember 6, 2021

A new festival taps into North Point’s community spirit to explore how this beloved neighbourhood can be made better for its residents...

ArchitectureDesignEventExhibitionHistoryInspring ItinerariesProduct DesignUrbanismWhere To Go, To Play, To Rest0 Comments 09 min read

A Colourful Cure for What Ails Hong Kong’s Grey Public Spaces

Christopher DewolfJune 3, 2021

A new Design Trust project is bringing Hong Kong’s forgotten squares, plazas and playgrounds back to life. ...

ArchitectureDesignHistoryPlayProduct DesignUrbanismWhere To Go, To Play, To Rest0 Comments 09 min read

Meet the Young Master Keeping Hong Kong’s Neon Heritage Alive

Billy PottsJune 3, 2021

Hong Kong's neon heritage is fading away – but Karen Chan is doing her best to keep the tradition alive. ...

DesignPeoplePortraitsProduct Design0 Comments 010 min read

Telling History with Objects: The Mengdiexuan Collection

Edith TerryApril 12, 2021

An impactful new exhibition showcases China's overlooked gold treasures in a spectacular setting. ...

ArtCultureDesignHeritageHistoryInspring ItinerariesProduct DesignTraditionWhere To Go, To Play, To Rest0 Comments 09 min read

L’ÉCOLE Shares 3,000 Years of Chinese Treasures in The Art of Gold

Partner ContentMarch 30, 2021

Extraordinary gold objects from the Mengdiexuan Collection come to light in a new exhibition....

A Little BreakArtDesignHeritageHistoryInspring ItinerariesProduct DesignWhere To Go, To Play, To Rest0 Comments 03 min read

Hong Kong’s Perfect Street Furniture: Stackable, Foldable Stools

Ilaria Maria SalaMarch 4, 2021

Hong Kong wouldn't be Hong Kong without its stools....

DesignProduct Design0 Comments 02 min read

Hong Kong’s King of Commercial Calligraphy: Au Yeung Cheung of King Wah Signboard

Billy PottsOctober 22, 2020

Forced out of his bastion in the State Theatre, Hong Kong's most influential signboard calligrapher isn't giving up....

CultureDesignLanguageProduct DesignTradition0 Comments 010 min read

Video: Watch A Hong Kong Dragon Take Australia By Storm

VideoSeptember 24, 2020

A unique dragon has connected Hong Kong and Australia for more than a century. See how it comes to life. ...

CultureDesignInterviewsPeopleProduct DesignTradition0 Comments 00 min read

Design Educator Eve Mercier’s Favourite Hong Kong Object: A Pair of Cushions

Catherine ShawSeptember 17, 2020

The founder of a design school cherishes a unique set of cushions produced by an alumnus....

DesignInterior DesignPeoplePortraitsProduct Design0 Comments 08 min read

Architect Nelson Chow’s Favourite Hong Kong Object: A Wooden Cake Mould

Catherine ShawAugust 5, 2020

Why handcrafted objects provide a sense of place and authenticity....

DesignPeoplePortraitsProduct Design0 Comments 07 min read

Video: How We Saved a Classic Hong Kong Neon Sign

Zolima CityMagJuly 23, 2020

When a renowned Happy Valley dim sum parlour closed its doors, its vintage neon sign was headed for the landfill – until Zolima CityMag stepped in....