Wednesday night was the launch of the Adidas Originals / Diesel Denim collaboration. The event was held on Kingston Street in Causeway Bay in both the Diesel and Adidas stores which are adjacent to one another. With a live performance by 24 Herbs and a set by DJ Becareful (aka Sam Lee,) the party got off to a good start. The two large shops had been emptied out for the night’s party. Just how crowded was it inside? (more…)

Racks MDB, Hong Kong’s favorite casual hangout is holding the grand opening of their Shanghai branch this Friday and Saturday. Similar to their location near Lan Kwai Fong in Hong Kong, Racks Shanghai is located in Xintiandi, a major entertainment capital of the city. Despite the huge 16,000 square foot space, expect a packed party filled with Racks regulars, many of whom made the trip up for the weekend. Celebrity watchers can count on being dazzled by big name actors, singers and models from around the region. (more…)

Last week I booked a ticket to check out the Chanel Mobile Art exhibition on opening day, Wednesday, February 27th. Getting there today was easy. Starting from the Chanel store in Central, I walked under the footbridge to get to the pavilion. The way was well labeled with signs.

Once inside the tunnel you take the second right and walk towards City Hall. Near the beginning of the parking structure I found the entranceway staircase and proceeded up.

I arrived early so that I could admire Zaha Hadid’s contemporary art container before heading inside. From its perch on top of a parking garage in the middle of Central, the Chanel Mobile Art pavilion has some pretty famous neighbors. (more…)

Tuesday night Shanghai Tang held a fashion show for the launch of their Spring Summer 2008 Apsara collection. The venue was The Watermark, a new restaurant on the waterfront just above the Star Ferry pier in Central. The fashion show was a major event, bigger than their last few productions. The Apsara collection is made up of three sub-lines: Antique Romantic, Pop Art and Desert Explorer (make sure you spell that with one ’s’, not two!) (more…)

Despite a heavy rain on Saturday evening, a large crowd gathered in front of Pacific House to watch as accomplished comic book artist Pat Lee illustrated a scene on an exterior wall.

Using a combination of markers, paint brushes and spray cans, Pat created different textures and shades in his monochromatic work. The time-line to cover the entire wall was just two hours. From a little after six to shortly after eight he worked non-stop. Which super-heroes and famous villain made it onto the wall? (more…)

To celebrate the opening of their shop on the corner of Canton Road and Haiphong Road in Tsim Sha Tsui, Nike held an event for their Michael Jordan line titled “Respect the Legend of 23.” The number ‘23′ refers to Michael Jordan’s basketball jersey number which often appears on his shoes. The centerpiece of the event was a massive exhibition of Air Jordan’s. How many pairs of Air Jordan’s does it take to fill a room? (more…)

My first experience with MegaBox was a mad dash during rush hour to catch a film playing in the shopping center’s IMAX theater. I was so excited to make it in time for the movie (and get seats) that I didn’t have much of an opportunity to explore. Since my friend felt sick after the film - yeah the 3D was THAT good - I had to go straight home afterwards. I made a mental note to return and spend more time looking around. Recently I had a chance to go back and take a few photos.

Because I’m slightly different from normal people, I walked to MegaBox from APM, another relatively new shopping center in Kwun Tong on Kowloon’s Eastern side. The area between the two shopping centers is basically a no-man’s land without much in the way of scenery or sidewalks! Lots of old industrial buildings make up the barren stretch of Kowloon Bay where the complex is located.

MegaBox with its bright, shining lights and multi-colored facade stands out like an oasis. A central design factor that adds to the visibility is the massive eight-story see-through porthole that lets you check out the mall’s interior from blocks away. But what exactly does MegaBox offer? (more…)

Today I stopped by the Refabricating City exhibition that’s taken over the former police headquarters on Hollywood Road. The focus of the show is urban development in Hong Kong and Shenzhen.

The Hollywood Road police station parcel of land is unique in Hong Kong since it contains a large flat open lot in addition to a network of several massive old buildings. It’s also special since it’s located directly in the center of the city. As it was decommissioned last year, urban planners have been deciding what to do with the place. In that sense it’s the perfect venue to host such an exhibition. The large scale show is spaced out over several buildings and occupies over fifty different rooms.

If you’re into contemporary architecture and planning, particularly in Hong Kong and China, this exhibit is for you. I was more interested in checking out the old buildings. Surrounded by massive stone walls with broken glass spikes at the top, I’ve always sort of wondered what the place looked like inside. (Contrary to popular belief, I was never a guest!) But while exploring the exhibition I discovered some fascinating models of what parts of Hong Kong currently under development will look like in a few years. (more…)

I’ve walked past the aviary in Hong Kong Park for years without ever poking my head inside. I thought I could see it just fine from the outside, plus with the periodic threat of avian-flu I’ve never been too excited to check out the birds up close. Last week while walking around with some friends I finally had the opportunity to explore the place. Even if you’re not a bird lover, the aviary has a certain kind of Jurassic Park cool! (more…)

From the same owners as The Press Room comes The Pawn - a new restaurant in a semi-historic setting. Occupying one of the few old buildings left in Wanchai at 62 Johnston Road, the Pawn is located near the former site of “Wedding Card Street,” one of the casualties of this round of Wanchai’s redevelopment. (more…)