Text: Vincent Lau | Translation: dilettante
Photo: Kimio Ng

VISUAL CULTURE OPTICAL FLAGSHIP STORE
G/F No.21, Lan Fong Road, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong
+852 2881 8291

visualcultureoptical.com

Hong Kong’s high fashion retailer JOYCE has introduced a men’s grooming boutique under the JOYCE Beauty umbrella. The concept store is situated in the Landmark Men area of Central’s Landmark and will provide expert grooming solutions for its male audience. To support the modern man’s growing commitment to daily grooming routines, the space offers a sophisticated selection of top grooming services and brands such as ReVive, Omorovicza, Aesop, Creed, Functionalab, Lenor Greyl, Marvis and WAM Hair. The shop’s wooden interiors and light fixtures also add to the overall experience, creating a pleasant destination for shoppers. To help its customers to understand more about health and other related issues, services such as product testing, skin diagnosis and personal advice are available from the space.

Text: iemi | Translation: noble pauper
Photo Courtesy: Joyce

JOYCE GROOMING
Shop B-26, The Landmark, 15 Queen’s Road, Central, Hong Kong
+852 2522 2886
www.joyce.com

Obscura has recently released its 2011 winter issue. Tries to bring out the same message in every issue, we are hoping to share the things we believed should be valued. With ‘Travel With Time’ as the main theme, the cover story introducing different antique machineries including cars that from the 20th century and rare watches with special stories behind, we hope to bring out its historical stories and its manifest beauty in shape, let our readers feel them in a different way, together will find inspiration in our presentation.

We’ve also brought our readers to the Hong Kong Space Museum that was built thirty years ago. The locals in our generation share great memories with this place, we bring you back to the museum and introduce the facilities and the exhibits. In addition, we have also reported the Hong Kong test driving event held by Aston Martin, that founded last century has recently developed a small city car Cygnet. We’ve also interviewed an outstanding designer, Michael Leavitt from United States, who most widely known for handmade action figures of artists and politicians, and Angela Hill from IDEA Books that had been invited to work with Dover Street Market recently.

And finally, the gift for this issue is a woollen iPad case. The thick and soft material protects the iPad from damage. The claret color fully fit in with the festive season and brings out a sense of retro aesthetic at the same time. Obscura is now available at bookstores, and have also made it to the China market, our readers from China can now find Obscura available at the PageOne store in China’s capital city — Beijing.

Photo : Kimio Ng
Text: iemi | Translation: Elibe Wong

OBSCURA WINTER ISSUE 2011
HKD$98
obscura-mag.com

STOCKISTS:

HONG KONG:

THINK SILLY STORE | Unit 8, 18 Ka Yip Street, Chai Wan, Hong Kong | +852 2898 2199

PAGE ONE | pageonegroup.com

HMV | hmv.com.hk

DYMOCKS | www.dymocks.com.hk

HONG KONG RECORDS | www.hongkongrecords.hk

CD WAREHOUSE LANGHAM PLACE | Shop 1, 12 Floor, 8 Argyle Street, Langham Place Shopping Mall, Kowloon, Hong Kong | +852 3428 8880 | cdwarehouse.com.hk

EXI.T | 5 Pak Sha Road, Causeway Bay | +852 2895 2303

TASSELS | B64 – 65, Basement The Landmark, Central, Hong Kong | +852 2789 9911 | tassels.com.hk

BASHEER | 1/F, Flat A, Island Building, 439 – 441 Hennessy Road, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong |
+852 2126 7533 | basheer.com.hk

KAPOK | G/F, 3 Sun Street, Wanchai, Hong Kong. | +852 2520 0114 | ka-pok.com

MOUSTACHE | G/F 31 Aberdeen Street, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong | +852 2541 1955 | moustachehongkong.com

OVERSEAS:
COLETTE (Paris)  | colette.fr

QUBIC STORE (Auckland) | qubicstore.com

SURRENDER (Singapore) | surrenderous.com

INCU (Australia) | incuclothing.com

ROBERU (Tokyo) | roberuground.com

WP LAVORI (Italy) | wplavori.com

UNIONMADE (San Francisco) | unionmadegoods.com

SOTO STORE (Berlin) | sotoboutique.com

HAVEN SELECT (Canada) | havenshop.ca

WHITE MOUNTAINEERING FLAG SHOP (Tokyo) | whitemountaineering.com

GROCERYSTORE. (Tokyo) | the-soloist.net

Museum CONTEXT is a new concept established by Andrew & Alice McRae, the husband-and-wife duo of the award-winning Scottish lifestyle label CONTEXT Interiors. The retro & vintage themed store, Museum CONTEXT, is located on the LANDMARK MEN floor of the shopping complex and it’ll be open until January 2012. Known for their expertise in sourcing retro home interior pieces from Europe, the range includes furniture, home accessories, architecture goods, travel items, nautical objects, traditional games, grooming products, postcards, maps and even recipes from the War Years. The space hopes to provide unique gift ideas for men and the ambiance of the shop definitely round off this distinct shopping experience.

Text: iemi | Translation: noble pauper

Photo: Yeung Chi Kin

MUSEUM CONTEXT
Shop B-10, The Landmark, 15 Queen’s Road, Central, Hong Kong
+852 9376 2736

museumcontext.com

The video clip released on the Panasonic website a few months ago had caused major discussion, the newest model from the Micro 4/3 lineup-the Lumix GX1 is finally launched in Hong Kong. The external design of Lumix GX1 carries forward the form factor and styling from GF1, such as the prominent mode dial and the metal body. GX1 is further improved with a faux leather handle for steady grip as well as enhancing the texture of the camera. It features a 16.01 megapixel Live MOS sensor and the powerful Venus Engine image processor which allows low light images to be taken at ISO 12800. The focus speed clocks in at an astonishing rate of 0.09 seconds and is able to produce full-resolution images at a speed of 4.2 frames per second. In addition, GX1 is the first G-series camera with AF-F to avoid out focus and less predictable movements. By half pressing the shutter, GX1 can detect the subject’s movement and minimizes the chance of a blurring image. Without a doubt, the mirror-less compact Lumix GX1 can surely perform at a professional level.

Text: Vincent Lau | Translation: Elibe Wong
Photo: Kimio Ng

HKD$ 5,390

PANASONIC HONG KONG
www.panasonic.hk/gx1

SPECIFICATIONS：
Sensor：16.0MP Live MOS Sensor
Memory Cards：SD / SDHC / SDXC
Monitor：3″ TFT LCD with touch panel
ISO：ISO 160 – 12800
Size：116.3 x 67.8 x 39.4 mm (excluding protrusions)
Weight：318g (SD card, Battery, Body)

His slim silhouettes and simple color schemes sparked off a revolution in fashion, but since his departure as the creative designer of Dior Homme, he has moved away from designing and shifted his creative outlet to black and white photography. The style of his recent work resembles to his fashion sensibilities. His subject’s personalities are clearly displayed without any interventions, and through this, Slimane has created a new visual language of his own by bringing out the beauty of imperfections. His latest exhibition “California Song” is presented at the MOCA Pacific Design Center, showcasing works that portray the youth culture of the local scene. The exhibition is divided into two parts, an installation and a series of black and white photographs from his California years will be presented on the ground floor. A motion-photography installation produced specifically for MOCA will be featured on the second floor which highlights the playful years of California in the eyes of Hedi Slimane. The exhibition is on from 12th November 2011 to 22nd January 2012.

Text: Vincent Lau | Translation: Elibe Wong
Photo Courtesy: The Museum of Contemporary Art

THE MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART
250 South Grand Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90012 
+213 626 6222
moca.org

Urban renewal programme is becoming increasingly important in developed land and it’ll remain to be an issue of how to transform the busy cities into an eco-friendly environment. The Japanese Culture Convenience Club (CCC) has recently worked with NTT Urban development, the CCC project involved in transforming the 12,000 square meters of land in Daikanyama, Tokyo into a green city with new cultural elements and lifestyle. Having previously designed for Undercover Lab in Tokyo, VERTU flagship store in Ginza and Google’s Tokyo office, Klein Dytham Architecture will be responsible for this new project. The concept of “a library in a forest” is surrounded by beautiful greenery whilst providing a relaxing atmosphere ideal for holding art galleries, photography exhibitions, seminars and other different types of cultural activities. Tsuyata opened in November 2011 is targeted at the younger generation; there is a wide selection of books, music and movies as well as vintage works and valuable goods. Coffee shops, restaurants and property development are in the plan for the future, providing a full-set of advanced facilities to promote the idea of new culture and lifestyle.

Text: Vincent Lau | Translation: Elibe Wong
Photo Courtesy: Culture Convenience Club Co., Ltd.

DAIKANYAMA PROJECT
17, Sarugaku-chou, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
www.ccc.co.jp/daikanyama

The founder of the brand – Margarete Steiff suffered from Polio since a young age, and she was dependent to her wheelchair throughout her life. In 1879, she opened her own shop selling felt garments and switched to toy making in 1880. Her first collection of plush toys was released in 1883 and the store was officially registered as Steiff in 1903. Within the same year, Margarete Steiff introduced her high quality toys at the Leipzig Toy Fair, along with the company’s motto “For children, only the best is good enough” had rewarded her international recognition and soon Steiff became the world famous manufacturer for teddy bears. Through the years, the trunk logo had evolved to the letter “S” and the metal button design was added into the logo in 1904. The different colored ear tags were introduced later on the years, the original range is identified with a yellow tag with the product code and materials information printed on the other side. The tag for the limited editions is white with red and the description of the product is printed at the back of the tag. The replicas have a white tag and black writing; on the other side of the tag it shows the product code, the limitation number, the year of release and the name of the original version. 

Steiff has collaborated with many world-famous brands in the past years, including the Swiss-exclusive Toblerone bear in 1999, followed by the issue of Mercedes-Benz bears in 2000, the limited edition bears for Coca Cola, Chanel, Karl Lagerfeld and Hello Kitty. In addition, Steiff had also worked with different regions of the world by releasing limited edition bears for special occasions, including Hong Kong’s repatriation with China in 1997, the Millennium bear for United Kingdom in 2000, the special Netherlands edition and etc… The brand established its collectors’ club in 1992 and in order to become a member, the person must purchase a specific item from the collection and then they’ll have access to the members-only limited editions.

The current head designer of Steiff, Dietmar Simon was born in Germany and had been working in the company since 1993. In this detailed interview, we’ll go behind the scenes to learn the process of teddy bear production.


How would you describe Steiff bears? How does it differ with others?

Steiff bears have a character of its own, and this is based on the 131 years of experience in creating plush toys and teddy bears for children. The designers from each generation pass on their knowledge and experience to the next generation. The building designed by Richard Steiff in 1903 can still be seen today, and because it has been standing for over a century, you can almost feel its history.A teddy bears’ character is created by its unique facial expression and it is hard to describe it in simple words, but to conclude, Steiff brings out a sense of kindness and friendliness, not only in the bears, but in all our products.

You have designed so many different styles of teddy bears in the past years, where do your inspirations come from? Are there any specific rules to follow during the design process? 

My creativity comes from the things around me, and my inspiration is maintained by keeping an open mind and watch the world with open eyes. Most importantly, I really enjoy what I do, and I have maintained the enthusiasm and passion for my work in all these years. There are always restrictions when it comes to design, and as for Steiff, the designers would mainly have to consider about the production cost. Though personally, I see this as a challenge rather than rules to follow and for me, it is the matter of how to make the best products under certain terms and conditions.

How do you feel about the past collaborations with Chanel, Hello Kitty, Karl Lagerfeld and other brands? How do you choose your working partners? 

In the very best case there is a lot of synergy throughout the design process between Steiff and other brands, or designers. By this I mean, how to interpret the classic designs at a new angle, the development of new materials or how the designer’s improve their design creativity. In addition, collaborations require a purpose and the cooperation from both parties to make it happen. 

The material of Steiff’s teddy bear is so soft and tender, what kind of fur are used?  

Well, the classic Teddy Bear material used since over 100 years is woven plush made from mohair and until the recent decade, Steiff’s natural hair plushes are made from alpaca. Both mohair and alpaca plushes came from the Reinhard Schulte Company, located in Duisburg, Germany and the company became a part of Steiff in recent years. In addition, Steiff also use the best available synthetic plushes for the very soft and cuddly childrens’ range. But regardless of the type of materials we use, it is guaranteed that all materials pass the International Toy Safety standards.

From 1893 until now, can you estimate the number of different materials used for Steiff toys? Do the company have its own production factory? 

That is a tough question! Wool felt was used at the very beginning and it was later replaced by mohair plush. After World War I, the supply of resources was highly scarce, Steiff had to make plush toys from paper and now these paper-plush toys became Steiff collectors’ target. After the second World War, Steiff plush toys used artificial silk to replace mohair. During the 70s, Steiff used synthetic plushes like ‘Dralon’ plush and this was later improved with acrylic plush in the early 80s. Steiff is currently the proud owner of the oldest mohair weaving factory in the world, the former Reinhard Schulte GmbH, now known as Steiff – Schulte. 

What do you think Steiff’s teddy bear mean to children and adults? 

Steiff bears may represent different things to each individual, they can be a guardian, a protector, a listener, punching ball, a haptic experience, a collector’s favourite item, a comforter in a sad moment, a partner in loneliness, and etc. Maybe children do not need a teddy for their collecting purposes, but other than this, I think there isn’t much of a difference between a child’s emotion and an adult’s intention towards a teddy bear. 

Text: iemi | Translation: Elibe Wong
Photo: Sin Ka Keung 

Steiff
Shop 104, The Arcade, Cyberport, Pokfulam, Hong Kong
+852 2989 6181 

steiff.com 

The designs from Yosuke Aizawa’s label – White Mountaineering heavily emphasize on the functionality of the garments. The label’s women’s clothing line “Porlar” also follows this philosophy while focuses on tailoring and the use of materials at the same time.

Both male and female fans of the brand always long for Yosuke Aizawa’s Fall/Winter collections, and for Porlar, this season’s lineup is based on neutral colors such as brown and grey, while selected pieces are accessorised with black chiffon, wool, zippers and fringed designs to bring out the femininity and maintaining the functional elements of the garments. In addition, Aizawa also included weaved patterns onto coats, dresses and trousers and are accompanied by various patterns and geometric shapes. The layered sleeves and pants further enhance the level of change in shape, while the zippers are added to the round off the designs. These pieces fully demonstrate the designer’s attention to details. The collection is now available at THINK SILLY Store.

Text: iemi | Translation: Elibe Wong
Photo: Kimio Ng

THINK SILLY Store
Unit 8, G/F, Block B, 18 Ka Yip Street, Chai Wan, Hong Kong.
+852 2898 2199
1-8pm (Closed every Monday)

WHITE MOUNTAINEERING
porlar.whitemountaineering.com