Hong Kong is in the big leagues when it comes to shopping: it stands beside New York and London as one of the world’s premier destinations for people with serious spending power.
Shop ‘til you drop
Hong Kong offers the quintessential shopping experience: from its giant designer malls and packed street markets to its bargain outlets, you’ll find a product with your name on it. But the city is also home to a number of celebrated fashion designers, standalone boutiques, and quirky shopping malls often tucked away out of sight. Below you’ll find an insider’s guide to Hong Kong’s off-the-beaten-track shopping scene, plus you can explore the district of Yau Tsim Mong with our shoppers’ insight to this popular area.
Hong Kong is in the big leagues when it comes to shopping: it stands beside New York and London as one of the world’s premier destinations for people with serious spending power. But glitzy designer malls are not the city’s only attraction for shopaholics—it boasts a wealth of independent boutiques, local fashion brands and offbeat neighborhoods that help create a buzz you won’t find elsewhere.
If you’re after an iconic Alexander McQueen dress, Fendi handbag, or Chanel scent then you should make a beeline for one of Hong Kong’s swanky malls, such as the exclusive Landmark or prestigious Harbour City. However, there’s much more to the city’s shopping mecca than famous international brands and some of the best stores are a short walk away from this glitz and glamor. Tucked away in a backstreet of Tsim Sha Tsui’s shopping paradise is Granville Road, a hub of independent boutiques that showcase Hong Kong’s very own fashion designers. If you’re looking for quirky and fun gifts and household bits and pieces, Homeless, with branches in Causeway Bay, Tsim Sha Tsui and Sha Tin, should be on your list. Furniture and home accessories with a twist boast a strong design aesthetic which really catches the eye.
In the buzzing urban district of Causeway Bay, revamped shopping center Fashion Walk is making a name for itself among shoppers looking for locally designed apparel. Enter Liger: a funky fashion brand started in 2009 by designer friends Hilary Tsui and Dorothy Hui. The pair curates unique statement pieces from around the world as well as creating quirky items for their own label, Oh My God. In the same complex you’ll find Juice, a fashion and lifestyle store from local celebrities Edison Chen and Kevin Poon. From humble beginnings as youth brand Clot in 2003, Juice is now a respected voice on music, fashion and design and has grown into this Hong Kong flagship.
Despite Hong Kong’s buzzing modernity, there are still aspects of the city’s shopping scene that are timeless. Since colonial times, it has been one of the foremost destinations to have a suit made. Hong Kong’s tailors are famous world-over for providing inexpensive, well-cut suits and shirts, with new designers such as those at Hola Classic in the Caroline Hill neighborhood now taking up the mantle. Here you’ll find suits tailored by designer Raymond Lun: he creates elegant, tweed patterns that add hipster flair and are a nod to classic English tailoring. The best bit? You can get a peek into the workshop at the back.
Nearby you’ll discover another Hong Kong institution: the upstairs boutique. Historically tight on space, the city’s architects have always had to build up—and so you’ll find that many fashion designers, standalone boutiques, beauty salons and hobby stores are hidden away upstairs inside old commercial buildings. Hong Kong brand Volare Concept Shop is one such noteworthy example worth seeking out in Causeway Bay: the brainchild of leather specialist Franco Yeung, this small store sells customized, handcrafted leather goods with a twist—think lace-up boots, rustic iPad cases and old-school messenger bags.
Another trendy neighborhood worth a browse is the Starstreet Precinct area of Wan Chai. This collection of narrow lanes around Star Street has a distinctive fashionable vibe, being home to numerous Hong Kong designers, quirky boutiques, vintage shops, funky bars that spill on to the pavement, and top restaurants. Monocle—the hit international magazine—has opened up a quirky shopfront here that features some of the most exclusive luxury items you can get your hands on: with designer collaborations on accessories such as card wallets, linen notebooks, bags and even clothing. Just around the corner is the very modern Kapok on Sun Street, a cool brand that started with one shop in Wan Chai selling creative miscellaneous goods and that now has six stores around Hong Kong. Hours can be spent browsing the unique and lovingly curated fashionwear, accessories and gadgets.
