It is ironic how easy it is to feel disconnected living in Hong Kong, a city of islands that accommodates almost 7000 people per km2. Air is often humid and thick, with dense pedestrians on every street at every turn. We enter a rustic industrial lift to ride up to the third floor. When the lift doors open again, you’re transported.
Welcome to HOW. An alternate dimension of calm that you won’t believe exists in Kwun Tong – the densest district of Hong Kong. The pace of city life halts to a pause. How?
We had a candid exchange on simple living and what it means to live well with the co-founder of HOW, the Japanese Lifestyle Concept Store, Fung Lan.
Good food is of course part of living well. This place fills up instantly every lunchtime with nine-to-fivers enjoying their hour of bliss.
“My product curation aims to provoke a level of self-reflection. To get a customer inspired in what ‘live well’ means to them, personally.”
1) What was life before HOW like?
I trained as a Graphic Designer so handled mostly website and branding. In 2007 I founded a clothing brand with two friends called Tee Locker. I left after a few years and started a branding design house, just a few floors above here.
2) Why Japan?
My childhood was an era where we were heavily immersed in Japanese culture. I truly respect how everything with the Japanese is a craft, an expertise, a meticulous passion. Unlike fast fashion, where all your hard work gets flushed out as obsolete every two weeks. There’s not even time to appreciate any of it.
“The change of seasons in fast-fashion is so irresponsible to the planet, and I couldn’t believe I was contributing to it when I finally had to get rid of overproduced clothes myself.”
3) How did the idea of HOW come to life?
The emotional trigger was that I wanted to sustain, or even reignite the Japanese influence in Hong Kong, where it’s been about pop-culture Korea for the last two decades and counting. One day, I heard this space a few floors down (from my old office) opened up; not expecting to find my next venture. The rest was history.
4) What is the future of HOW?
We want to keep raising awareness for slow living, in quality, responsible goods by doing more collaborations like this one with Grana. Brands with values that align with HOW.
5) What does “live well” mean to you?
Sustainable. Buying quality that lasts a hundred years. Aesthetics that are not trend or fad-led, which I think our furniture and Grana products demonstrate well.
Come by if you happen to be in town. Let's all aspire to live slow, and live well.
the simple life pop-up
HOW x GRANA
Hong Kong
HOW
Block AB, 3/F, How Ming Factory Building
99 How Ming Street
Kwun Tong, Kowloon
+852 2805 1708
Aug 10, 2018
5pm – 9pm
Aug 11 – 29, 2018
12pm – 8:30pm
Close at 6pm on Sunday
Event ends 3pm on Aug 29th 2018
Let’s Get Personal: with Kim Bui Kollar
08.24.18 / life