#ARTBASELHK13: Art Fair Month Kicks Off With JMR at JOYCE Gallery

JOYCE Gallery, located inside JOYCE, one of Hong Kong’s premier fashion boutiques, kicked-off the Art Basel fair season with their in-store exhibition of JM Rizzi (JMR), a highly celebrated Brooklyn-based street artist whose unique works reflect a neo-abstract expressionist influence but with a twist of pop art.

While a selection of JMR’s works are available at the gallery for sale, the artist was also able to collaborate with the shop to create unique site-specific works which are based on the theme of “escape”. 

According to the gallery, “JMR views painting as a medium through which he can escape the frustrations and the monotony of daily life”… and for most of us city dwellers, these black and white graphic lines may reflect exactly that kind of urban angst.

Other works on display plus a mural specifically for the On Pedder bags and accessories shop upstairs utilize bold colors as an added layer to the “scribbles”. The whole expression feels musical.

A little color IS fun… and a little fun doesn’t hurt anyone. The crowd was sold on Thursday night, with a few pieces already purchased by opening day.

I met up with a few pals in the crowd including, Marika of Lane Crawford, stylist Laura Li, bag designer Michelle Lai of MISCHA, W Hong Kong’s DJ Angus Wong, DJ Miss Yellow, The Armoury’s Alan See, Fashion Blogger Cindy Ko of Cindiddy, Artist Simon Birch, Disney’s Katrina Tran, and bag designer, Grace Chan editor of LUSHGAZINE.

Also met up for the first time with artist, DJ, and director, Mischa Hollenbach, the creator of Perks and Mini, an iconic Australian street fashion label.

One champagne is not enough.

Hood Rats.

AND also met up with street artist and graphic designer, Mark Goss from the UK. Like all things in my life these days, Mark and I met on Twitter/Tumblr/Instagram. And now we collaborate via his blog Curious Fiend, part of Fiend Projects. You’ll see some of my posts on there, and his posts will pop up on my website as well. Together we’ll do our best to cover the region’s art + design shows and exhibits. 

We’ll both try to keep it fun and non-pretentious. Exactly like these crazy glasses we’re trying on at On Pedder.

On the way out I saw that JMR painted on these iconic bags, one from Proenza Schouler and the other from Pucci. 

Prices upon request.

Of Coz.

VISIT JMR at JOYCE Gallery, G/F New World Tower, Central HK, Opens Daily 10:30am - 7:30pm, +852-28101120, Until 13 JUN 06

JJ.

#JJStyle: Tea With VNIKALI, 7 FAM, and Woobar

Last Sunday a friend of mine, stylist and fashion blogger Veronica Li of the Vnikali Blog, and I finally got together for a life update and a chat with friends, Priscilla and Angus. The tea/coffee get together amongst us was long overdue, and it didn’t hurt that cakes at Woobar in W Hong Kong was part of the equation.

The last time I saw Veronica was at the Black Fleece Flagship launch in town, and it was then that she and I decided that it was time to really schedule a meet up. 

Veronica has been working hard with her clients as well as religiously updating her wildly successful blog. Just two months ago, she flew to Vienna for her website’s coverage of the watch brand Omega. She had an opportunity to blog from the Garden Palace Liechtenstein while meeting up with actress, Nicole Kidman.

W Hong Kong pastry chef, Andrea Bonnafini, from Turin, served us an amazing Tea Set just for this month and in collaboration with Le French May, an annual citywide initiative by the Alliance Francaise to spread French culture in Hong Kong via art, entertainment, and F&B channels.

Andrea is like a kid in a candy shop… except his kitchen IS his candy shop, and he invents everything inside it.  If you’re lucky you can get dueling edible chocolate robots…

Or potted Tiramisu plants.

After tea, we all headed up to the Pool Wet Deck upstairs to check out the view and take a few shots for the denim brand 7 For All Mankind as part of their Spring/Summer 2013 Social Media campaign.

It was a tad bit cold and windy then… but everyone found a way to warm up. Like Priscilla and Angus below.

Thanks so much 7 For All Mankind and W Hong Kong for a great Sunday get together. I can’t wait until the summer when it gets sunny and hot and the hotel’s famous Sunday DJ pool sessions are in full effect.

WEAR 7 For All Mankind / EAT WOOBAR at W Hong Kong / CULTURE Le French May

JJ.

Much Ado About A Boy Named Sue, Bringing The World’s Greenest Fashion To You

Unless you’ve been living under a rock lately, you already know that while Asia and Hong Kong maybe rolling out the red carpet for High Street consumerism from brands like GAP, Zara, Topshop, and H&M, unfortunate accidents like the garment factory disaster in Bangladesh are starting to happen more and more frequently, and producers just can’t keep up with consumer demand for Fast Fashion. I’m as much to blame as anyone else. The lure of a trend or a certain look at an unbeatable price just cant be beat sometimes. That said who knows if even the luxury items we purchase at Lane Crawford or NET-A-PORTER come from a sustainable ecosystem… even if it is a high price? Maybe it just means a high return on investment. There are no guarantees that one item comes from a different factory from another in this day and age. 

This is exactly why organizations, such as our friends at REDRESS and the new online shop, A BOY NAMED SUE, are seeking to help consumers re-think their options and what they wear. Every purchase we make goes directly into some eco-system. You can either feed more of the exploitation of human and ecological resources or the fostering of one. REDRESS seek to help us re-use and re-cycle our clothes, and A BOY NAMED SUE goes all over the world to source the best in sustainable fashion products. And what’s best… all these initiatives are based in Hong Kong.

Samantha Wong: I think the ASOS event was more like a test on event management and gathering food sponsors and creating a video to match. So it was more like a one-off thing to test our own skills and taste. 

 

theW+: Tell us about “eco-chic” and the “sustainable fashion industries”. People expected all of this to just be a trend, yet here we are and you have launched a new website devoted to it. Do you see longevity in this business?

TR: I think there is longevity, as we run our of resources, pollution rises across Asia and the rest of the world, the climate change becomes more acutely felt and there is more awareness about the dirty business of fashion, businesses will become more keen on introducing sustainable practices and governments will hopefully become more stringent. 

theW+: What are the brands to watch out for and will you carry some of them on your online store?

TR: I love The Sway, Isabell de Hillerin and Hien Le. Although I really love all the brands we stock as Sam and I spent 4 months researching them. For the next season I am really psyched about Svilu and L’Herbe Rouge

SHOP A Boy Named Sue Online / VISIT A Green Home Shop. A Sustainable Pop-Up Store. May 5-12th, 2013, Fuk Sau Lane off Third Street in Sai Ying Pun. Open Daily from 12PM - 7:30PM 

theW+ HK Spring 2013 Shops Guide: Sun Street, St. Francis Yard & Sau Wa Fong

Based on the weather in Hong Kong lately, it seems like the city is not yet ready to give up on Spring (ie. rainy and chilly). So therefore, while it is still Spring out in the city, take your umbrella and go to some of these shops I checked out with friends, MacArthur and Peter (as in SOM, one of the US’s hottest designers today.) 

Peter and Mac getting along just fine!

Not knowing how to spend the Sunday, I decided to meet up with Peter and Mac post-brunch for coffee. Soon after some gossip updates, we all decided that it was best to do some exercise .. and by exercise we mean a walking tour of one of my most favorite neighborhoods… the Sun Street / St. Francis Yard / Sau Wa Fong (triangle?) in Wanchai Admiralty.

+ CARVEN / Moon Street

Our first stop of the tour, straight to Moon Street to check out the latest Spring looks at the newly opened CARVEN boutique.

For those who do not know, CARVEN was founded in 1945 at Rond Point des Champs-Elysees by Madame Carven to house her collection of Haute Couture. The shop has had a few transformations since the 90’s when Mardame CARVEN retired from the label, and since then the brand has been building a collection inspired by CARVEN’s very clean, elegant, and youthfully romantic approach to the “CARVEN” aesthetic.

In 2010 Guillaume Henry joins the CARVEN house as its newest Art Director. His biggest change? Adding the brand’s first men’s collection for the Summer 2012 line.

And by the looks of what’s on offer at the Moon Street CARVEN, this season it’s all about neon tangerines, electric greens, and florals. (A different interpretation of Spring than what we’re all stuck with in HK.)

Im loving the collaborative pieces with PORTER Bags and Zespa Shoes.

The friendly neighborhood CARVEN guy said “Hi”.

+ KAPOK / Sun Street

Next stop, we wanted to show Peter the original KAPOK shops. I know these days there are other locations… but I still think the Sun Street and St. Francis Street shops are the best. KAPOK is where you can go to find labels and goods before they they show up anywhere else in Hong Kong. They’re the true purveyors of fine goods in the city.

This time around we checked out sunglasses by Smith & Norby, the latest wallets by Jack Spade, and card cases by MAKR Carry Goods.

That said, i’m a big fan of these easy to carry Wm.J.Mills&CO. Sailmakers Bags from Greenport NY. (According to the label).

They have KINFOLK!

+ THE MEN’S SHOP by CLUB MONACO / St. Francis Yard

I’m a Club Monaco addict. There I said yet. I think my friend, Whitney and I buy at least one thing from this store every week.

Men in Hong Kong get an an extra special treat with The Men’s Shop concept on St. Francis street because they do ship in some extra special items only found in this store from some independent labels in the states. I’m loving the “needlepoint belts” from Smathers & Branson above.

We we all loved these great pair of loafers from Mark McNairy.

I was also tempted to get this umbrella from London Undercover.

Meanwhile I wore my new Club Monaco blazer for this season. It’s got green and yellow flowers printed all over it like wallpaper… but that’s exactly why I love it. It’s quite quirky.

+ WDSG Art & Craft Department / St. Francis Street

Around the corner we we went to check out the newest goods at the WDSG Shop… which looked more like a General Store from the wild west… That… or Williamsburg today.

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#JJStyle: Yo JJ, Where Are Your Glasses From?

Everyday I get asked, “JJ, where are you glasses from?”. And I mean everyday. By friends, work colleagues, followers on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook…and if I did allow questions to be asked on Tumblr, I’m sure I would get asked then too. And just yesterday during an intense meeting with a corporate developer client (everyone over 45 years old), one guy closed out the meeting asking me where my glasses were from. He really loved it. It was quite random.

Me. I love my glasses.

They’re so versatile. They go with everything. And they go with all kinds of looks I can put together. 

This look below wearing my glasses with a Zal Paleri Jacket, Club Monaco Shirt, Gap Chinos, and Puma Black Label Mirayasuhiro loafers for Blue Carreon’s dinner.

And then this look below with a Suit from TCNY and a pocket square from Jim Thompson.

They even go with my schleppy airport look.

The glasses were actually purchased in Beijing at WUHAO as I’ve mentioned in an earlier post. And they were actually Sunglasses originally. They were an investment then, but today… it’s a gift that keeps on giving.

The glasses are under the Thierry Lasry brand from Paris, but a collaboration with Garrett Leight based in Los Angeles aka Paris meets Los Angeles Collection.

Born in 1984 in Venice Beach, Garrett Leight (below right) is actually the son of Larry Leight and Cindy Lieght, founders of the famous eyeglasses brand, Oliver Peoples. So he pretty much grew up surrounded by eyewear.

GLCO or the Garrett Leight California Optical was created in 2010 and is defined not only by Garrett’s iconic silhouette which aims for strong long lines as compared to Oliver People’s unique round shapes, but the plastic frames of Garrett Leight glasses are produced from custom made cellulose acetate, and handmade at the Mazzuchelli factory in Italy, or sourced from vintage acetate in Japan.

My glasses, titled “The Harding”, is actually part of a first batch of prototypes for his recently released Garrett Leight Icons collection and was inspired by prominent American playwright and essayist, Arthur Miller.

Check out this video below on the process of the design:

“The Harding’s” unique profile is characterized by its flat top bar, wide keyhole bridge, and smoothly rounded rims, to achieve the clean and modern look according to GQ Online.

Thierry Lasry, like Garrett Leight, was also surrounded by eyewear. His father was an optician and his mother, a designer. The brand, based in Paris, was launched in 2006, and is defined by the concept of “Futuristic Vintage” and goes more for the “avant-garde” approach to things. The metal on the sides of my glasses are a signature of the Thierry Lasry look.

(image via HENNYANDMYBLOG)

Some of my other favorite glasses I own… this one by Warby Parker. (Paired with a shirt from COS, and a tailored tux jacket.)

Purchased at their pop-up in New York last year.

And I also own these glasses from Robert Geller from a few years ago. (Paired with PUMA Black Label Hussein Chalayan)

I can go on and on… because for those who have been to my flat… there’s a whole glass bowl of glasses and sunglasses. Some cost 5 USD and other cost 600USD all thrown in and mixed together.

As long as the style is right. You’re good to go! 

Above: Carrera x Lane Crawford BLITZ

WEAR Garrett Leight / WEAR Thierry Lasry / WEAR Warby Parker / WEAR Robert Geller

JJ.

Seen&Scene: At Home at Casa Capriz

It was a tough week overall with terrorist attacks in Boston, my sister’s hometown. The attacks plus tighter than usual deadlines at work almost brought me to the end of my rope. So it was quite refreshing to see a “TGIF”-style invite on Facebook for a little get together at Casa Capriz in Chai Wan, an artist’s haven in the industrial area aka. the last stop of the MTR’s Blue Island Line.

The Capriz part of the name refers to studio owner, Irene Capriz, pictured above, the lovely lady of Italian-Malay descent who came all the way to Hong Kong from Bologna, Italy, her hometown. The traditional lifestyle/retail space in Hong Kong’s more central districts maybe tight and expensive, but Casa Capriz’s roomy 2,600 square-foot showroom showcasing curated vintage furniture from around the world, is a breath of fresh air for those who are in a no-pressure mood to search of something different and with a curatorial eye. (Ie. not cheap metal, plastic, flat packed, and mass produced.)

Irene shares the space with Claudia Albertini, director of Platform China, and Paola Sinisterra (below) and Ignacio Garcia of the Tangram fashion label, to create a haven where one can go from trying out furniture, to perusing edgy art, while walking around in one of many Tangram clothes… again just a try. It’s a new way of experiencing shopping for a variety of things at one go while supporting independent creative initiatives.

This past Friday, the Chai Wan collective of artists and designers, known as Chai Wan Mei, organized a neighborhood shindig which included galleries like A0 Vertical Art Space, Latitude 22N, and YY9 Gallery. At Casa Capriz, a selection of erotic art curated by Platform China was on stage with kinky accessories by Sally Coco, a new line of lingerie from Tangram, and an amazing feast of fresh bread and pate from the bespoke bakers at Bread Elements.

The husband and wife team from Bread Elements, sharing their classic “Campagne” Loaf.

I was there with Time Out HK Editor and RTHK Radio Personality, Arthur Tam. We were fresh off our taping of his weekly show “From Top to Bottom” focused on queer issues locally and globally. 

I met milliner, Jay Cheng, for the first time, whose studio was also in Chai Wan. Cheng’s hats were on sale and on display around the gallery and the space.

The biggest surprise of the evening was meeting theWanderlister+ reader, Norbyah, a cool mother of three, teacher, and an overall stylish lady… who like Irene, is half malay as well. She wore her market finds from Stanley Market. It’s lovely.

I had such a great time that night. For me a trip to Chai Wan is a creative re-charge, but for these artists and designers who work and live here… this is their everyday. And fingers crossed/pray to God, that the Hong Kong government does something to support all their endeavors.

Enjoy the rest of the photos!

Okay, so Chai Wan wasn’t the last stop. Arthur and I met up with DJ Angus Wong in Central to have a bit of classic Cantonese food at Lin Heung. (We were supposed to go to Ngau Kee, my favorite local cantonese dive, but this weekend they were closing shop and there was a line… so Lin Heung it is.)

I really miss Ngau Kee, but eating in Lin Heung is quite nice as well. The decor takes you back to mid-century life in Hong Kong. The food and sea-food is amazing as per usual. I love the Dim Sum here, but I think I prefer dinner where I can really appreciate the atmosphere and the old-style hospitality without the manic crowd.

Thanks to Chai Wan, Casa Capriz, and Lin Heung for being the light at the end of the dreary tunnel that was last week.

DESIGN Casa Capriz / ART Platform China / WEAR Tangram / WEAR Jay Cheng Milliner / PLAY Sally Coco Intimate Lifestyle Store / EAT Bread Elements / EAT Lin Heung Tea House 

JJ.

Bangkok Photobook, April 2013

I’m just so in love with Thailand Style right now, It’s crazy. The country has a good balance of history and culture reflected in its architecture and urbanism, a great amount of personal taste in the way everyday people dress, and a sense of design flare in public gathering areas. Thai people are generally happy with a good disposition about them and are for the most party open for a chat or to offer assistance, despite their limited English speaking skills.

The way Thai people invests in trends quickly, whether it be fashion, architecture, interior design, visual merchandising, or social media, and the way global trends are appropriated then translated within a local context is pretty fascinating to me.

I love places like the Talad Rod Fai (Rot Fai) Railway Station Market or the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) because the organic growth of these new urban gathering places are obvious. In relative terms, the projects seemingly appeared out of nowhere, but are now buzzing with life and activity because there is a certain “want” for them to exist. The stories may be different, for example Rod Fai Market is a community initiative, while the MOCA is a museum of Thai Contemporary works established by one collector, but the commonality lies with the fact that these destinations are new initiatives by local Thais for a local Thai audience. A Tourism draw would just be an added bonus.

When they create things, they create things because they want to, they appreciate the act of creativity, and they do it to please themselves. Nothing is overtly fake about these new places. Even the new Asiatique Complex complete with a now necessary urban Ferris Wheel attached to the master plan make some say that it’s merely Bangkok’s version of “Marina Bay Sands”. But even then, Asiatique has managed to formulate its environment around how Thai people want to spend their leisure hours, designing the “new” around a Thai aesthetic, and keeping things vibrant with that open air market environment. It’s all very interesting.

We thank again Pullman Bangkok Hotel G in Silom and Medium Asia for the hotel stays.

VISIT Talad Rot Fai Weekend Market TRIPADVISOR, Opens Weekends Only after 7PM / VISIT MOCA Bangkok ONLINE / 499 Moo 3 Vibhavadi Rangsit Rd., Ladyao„ Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900, Thailand / +66 2 953 1005 / Open Daily 10AM - 6PM, Closed on Mondays

JJ.

#JJStyleExclusive: Lorenzo Boglione Takes 100 Year Old Superga To Asia

Tonight Italy descendes upon Hong Kong with a celebration for the world’s first “Rubber Shoes”, and I mean this literally, when Superga launches it’s first flagship store at Harbour City with a harbour side party… where you can see this unusually large Superga shoe.

In 1911, The Superga brand was launched withen a company in Turin started producing waterproof rubber-soled boots for agriculture, and vulcanized rubber-soled footwear. And by 1934, Superga models expanded for use in sports activities like tennis, basketball, yachting, and fitness training, for example.

I got my first pair this past Christmas, when the folks at Superga HK sent me my first ever in this blue color. (via theW+ Instagram)

Safe to say… i’ve pretty much been hooked since then.

That said this week we were able to have a quick 5 minute chat with Lorenzo Boglione (pictured above), Business Developer for the brand, and son of Marco Boglione, whose company, BasicNet Group, owns Superga and other brands like Kappa, Robe di Kappa, Jesus Jeans, Lanzera, K-Way, Anzi Besson, and Sabelt. We discussed his thoughts on Superga, the lifestyle, his expansion to Asia, and being 27 years old.

————————————————————————————

theWanderlister+ and Lorenzo Boglione, April 2013

theW+: Lorenzo, congrats on opening a store in Hong Kong! So what excites you the most about Superga?

Lorenzo Boglione: That it’s a brand with more then 100 years of glorious history… but that in the next 5 years we are ready to write the best pages of this wonderful story. Superga with its typical Italian classic and stylish vibe can become the real alternative to the American sneakers.. (it’s so real and genuine that can compete - and beat! – any other shoe brand).

theW:  The Superga brand and shoe has had a very long history and has had a great influence on leisure and sport fashion for more than a century, yet it is still quite fairly new and unknown in Asia. How do you see this brand expanding in the East?

LB: The brand changed hands few times in the 90’s… and the international expansion started a little bit late compared with other Italian Brands. Now it’s in our hands… and after a successful repositioning in Europe, It’s ready to expand globally. The Italian DNA of the brand, together with the taste of the designers will make the difference in the Asian market. I see the brand first gaining a strong position in the coolest/ younger part of the market and after that, expanding to a broader public. 

theW+: You are fairly young, at 27 years old, representing the further growth of a 100 year old fashion brand. How did you get to where you are now and what motivates you and your work?

LB: I started 3 years ago.. in the Business Development at BasicNet just after graduating in a French University. The Superga team is a very young and dynamic and I was immediately given great opportunities. The motivations are huge when you see such a great potential and you have in your hands all the tools to exploit it. I just see fantastic opportunities in front of me and I can’t wait to grab them all! The fact that my family is the main shareholder of the company adds even more motivations to my job… if needed!

theW+: Not to mention the pressure! So the Superga lifestyle… how do you define it?

LB: Yes indeed! I do live and love the Superga lifestyle because at the end it’s the Italian lifestyle! Italian lifestyle means work hard and have a lot of fun! And that is what we do out there.

theW+: Hong Kong needs more of that fun haha… Do you wear Superga’s and what is your favorite style?

LB: I always wear Superga’s and for sure my favorite style is THE Superga.. the 2750 Cotu Classic.. The question should be what is my favorite color! For Summer white with no doubt.. And I would say Full black in winter.

theW+: The Superga look is quite iconic, will we see more of the same style or will we see different designs in the future?

LB: For sure today Superga is recognizable with one style, but Superga back in the 70’s was a proper tennis shoe and in general a sport shoe, today we already have in our collections many different kind of sneakers together with some Italian style and sailing moccasins.

 theW+:What are your favorite places in the world to travel to? Any place in Asia you dream to visit?

LB:I like to say the one I will visit the next! But if I had to chose a few, I would say South America first. All of it, every time I go I discover something new, people are friendly and positive and obviously the nature is amazing. Asia… I am really looking forward to better know the South-Eastern part of Asia… Indonesia and Philippines are places I never had the chance to visit and they are at the top of my wish list!

theW+: Well i’m from the Philippines, and I’d definitely love to give you a few notes on where to go! So anyway, in your opinion, what is the one thing a man can’t live without?

LB:I think that man can’t live without loving and knowing! We can’t live alone, so we need somebody to love that lives this life with us and we can’t live in ignorance, so we must have access to information, culture, education.

theW+ Thanks so much Lorenzo. See you more in Asia we hope!

So Italian…

Music’s latest sensation, Rita Ora, is now the spokes model for Superga.

Check out these ones for kids I saw at Lane Crawford last year.

WEAR Superga / Shop 2607, Level 2, Gateway Arcade, Harbour City, Kowloon, 2175 0228, Open Daily 10am-10pm

JJ.

There’s Just Never Enough To Wanderlist in Bangkok

While the first part of Easter was spent quietly with family in the Philippines, I actually finished the last weekend of Easter Week in a different country altogether, for a third trip back to Thailand in Bangkok this year alone. The occasion was special, we went to celebrate the marriage of my friend, Jiki (above), with my sister, Bernadette (below), coming along for a chill weekend of sightseeing, shopping, and spa, just us three. And because Jiki never got a proper hen’s night pre-wedding, we thought we’d just do a last minute trip out to celebrate the nuptials.

It’s been a while since I’ve been on a proper trip with Jiki, and never with Bernadette since she moved to Hong Kong a couple of years ago. This was a great opportunity to bond and spend some quality time with my real sister, and my adopted sister….especially now that Jiki went from Ms. Jiki Lim to Mrs. Jiki Ford last month.

Good timing too. With proper holidays for easter and the husband being away back in London, well… I guess here we all are. Always eager to relax.

Overall, it was a pleasant couple of days back in a vibrant and creative city I love, which I’ve pretty much established in an epic post about Bangkok a few weeks ago.

Check out the view from our hotel room!

Almost a near perfect trip really, thanks to Pullman Bangkok Hotel G Silom and Medium Asia for hosting all of us for those two nights. I say “almost” because the taxi situation in Bangkok has gone from bad to worse. Good luck getting a cab with a driver willing to drive you with a meter on or to take you anywhere for less than 200 baht!

Speaking of taxis, as per usual, traffic in SIAM SQUARE is horrendous. 

But the shopping in the Square itself… always a treat. Check out my new favorite brand, Common-T which I’ll do a post on soon.

And another #JJStyle kind of place, Headquarter The Fifth… which I think made it to this month’s issue of Monocle Magazine.

Beyond the square, in Siam Center across the street… of course there’s always Level 3 Thai Indendent Designers where everything is just divine. The girls did pretty well at PEDZ.

… and my favorite, Greyhound where Bernadette purchased this skirt.

Staff at Greyhound are just so slick.

I on the other hand, picked up a pair of camo swimmers from TIMO, my favorite brand of the moment at The Selected Boutique on Level 3.

It was a tough choice… especially with this number…

Word on the street is… TIMO is doing a collaboration with Hong Kong’s, Kapok. Now that news is just epic. Don’t believe me? Ask Arnault.

Meanwhile I had to stop by CONTAINER Bags to drool.

And then a quick nibble at Greyhound Cafe. (Much MUCH better in Bangkok than in Hong Kong, FYI. Cheaper too for better quality food.)

Other places we were able to check out on this trip for the first time… the Jim Thompson Outlet! There are two of them in Bangkok, with one location only two blocks from the Pullman Hotel we stayed in. I was so excited I lost my wallet between getting out of the taxi and getting into the shop. Not so “outlet” after all.

We also went to check out a brand spankin’ new, family friendly, Drag Show at the Calypso Theatre at Asiatique, Bangkok’s new version of Marina Bay Sands on the river. Everything was a complete homage to cabaret and Hollywood-esque stage spectacles from the 20’s to 50’s. Very glam. And very talented these women.

The best thing about our hotel is the 24-hour burger joint on the ground floor, called 25 Degrees, a concept imported from the Los Angeles original located within the Roosevelt Hotel.

We ate here very late, and had breakfast here very early a few hours later.

I loved our hotel. It was chic. And the staff was even chicer.

While having sunset drinks at the roof top bar, Scarlett, a wine and cheese tapas bar run by 2 Star Michelin Chef, I bumped into a friend of mine, Pao Patpongpibul, who is the mother of a uni friend. Pao owns a hospitality interior design firm in Bangkok called P49 DEESIGN… the same firm which gave the hotel its fresh look. They designed pretty much all the public areas, ie. all the lobbies and restaurants at the Pullman Bangkok Hotel G. It was great to catch up with Pao over a glass of wine.

Would I return to stay at Pullman Hotel G? Most definitely. From P49 DEESIGN’s amazing interiors, the hotel’s central location, on top of the excellent service, I would definitely return in heartbeat. Main advice… have the American Breakfast at 25 Degrees, and skip the hotel buffet. The buttermilk pancakes at 25 Degrees is really something else. Also make use of the Pullman “Welcomer”. They’ll take care of ALL your Bangkok concierge needs. 

That’s all folks!

STAY Pullman Bangkok Hotel G / DRINK Scarlett Wine Bar & Restaurant / EAT 25 Degrees Burgers, Wine, and Liquor Bar / EAT Greyhound Cafe / WEAR Common-T / WEAR Headquarter The Fifth / WEAR TIMO / WEAR Greyhound / WEAR PEDZ / WATCH Calypso Cabaret / SHOP Jim Thompson Outlet

JJ.