Pop-Up Shops Becoming Regular Sight In Hong Kong#
Museum Context in Hong Kong
Running now at The Landmark on Queen's Road Central, the Scottish design and retail brand CONTEXT Interiors is bringing its unique curated home furnishings and accessories to Hong Kong in the form of a pop-up "museum" through January 21, 2012. A partnership with Hong Kong Land, "Museum CONTEXT" comes just in time for the holiday season, and is designed as a "boutique micro-department store" carrying a range of retro home interior pieces and gifts. With an eye on craftsmanship, the 46 square meter (500 square foot) pop-up crams a surprising amount of quality furniture, classic items aimed at "hard-to-buy-for men," vintage home accessories and curios into a small space.
As CONTEXT Interiors founder and curator Andrew McRae said at the launch of Museum CONTEXT, "We believe that Hong Kong is a great opportunity for us," adding that "the combination of the 'treasure trove' store concept and the unique and distinctive collection of products that visitors will find inside is unprecedented." Museum CONTEXT is the retailer's first foray outside of Scotland, where they currently have two permanent stores: CONTEXT Interiors and Old Town CONTEXT.
Items available at the pop-up include a hand-picked selection of rare pieces like a classic Marconi Spotlight Tripod Floor Lamp, hand-crafted vintage Marie Galante ladies make-up trunk, and hand-made solitaire sets made with individually blown Venetian glass marbles. According to the company, the Hong Kong pop-up is "designed specifically to give an authentic experience of discovery that is totally lacking in today’s shopping experience."
Museum CONTEXT launch event (Photo: CONTEXT Interiors Facebook)
While today's shopping experience may be lacking an experience of discovery, it seems Hong Kong is far from lacking pop-up retail. Last month, the Richemont-owned Hong Kong brand Shanghai Tang launched its temporary "loft" above its previous flagship in the Pedder Building, and earlier this month debuted a second pop-up, a themed "Mongolian Village" atop Central Ferry Pier 4. Also last month, the British Fashion Council’s (BFC) LONDON show ROOMS pop-up introduced some of London's rising fashion stars to Hong Kong's fashion-inclined, and next week Christmas designer Jim Marvin will kick off a month-long pop-up Christmas shop at Stanley Plaza.
But Hong Kong's pop-up trend isn't limited only to apparel and gifts: last weekend, chefs Armin Leitgeb from Singapore's Les Amis and Sebastien Lepinoy from Hong Kong's Cepage showed off their skills at the Singapore Takeout pop-up restaurant at Cyberport.
Museum CONTEXT#
(through January 21, 2012)#
Shop B-10, The Landmark
15 Queen’s Road, Central, Hong Kong
Hours: 10:00 AM-7:00 PM, Monday - Sunday
www.museumcontext.com