Stylish & Sustainable in Hong Kong
Destination Asia Hong Kong loves working with top personal stylist and shopping expert Carla Snajder when our clients come to the city in search of hidden shopping locations. We uncover some of the very best places for sustainable fashionistas to shop guilt-free during their stay in Hong Kong.
Carla and her team have access to exclusive designers and warehouses that can tailor your experience to suit both style and budget.
This month, we’ve asked Carla to focus on some leading designers and outlets that offer a sustainable alternative to mass-market clothing stores. Here are some of her top picks…
Rohmir, the only European luxury brand operating its own factory in Hong Kong and the winner of the Positive Luxury Award. This award recognises the luxury brand that has pushed the boundaries and proven that sustainable development can have a measurable positive impact on the planet, people and profit. Carla says; “Romir is my favourite location for shopping with factory prices for glamourous evening gowns and cocktail dresses, with collections that are worn by celebrities and making headlines at the London Fashion Week every year!”
On The List provide luxury brands a sustainable solution to clear past season merchandise and offers the best deals in town to its members who can shop. Discounts of up to 95% during the exclusive invitation only flash sales. Carla loved taking clients to their sales this year for eco-friendly Stella McCartney as well as other fabulous brands such as Jimmy Choo, Burberry and Salvatore Ferragamo.
Bamboa Home is located in PMQ, a heritage building that is a hub for many upcoming local designer brands. It is Carla’s go to boutique for great fit basic t- shirts, funky bamboo-made accessories like handbags, Ronda bags and sunglasses as well as eco-friendly homewares made from locally harvested bamboo.
Niin handcrafts nature’s treasures to create original jewellery and accessories featured on Hong Kong Tatler, Elle UK, Vogue, New York Times and the Financial Times. The usage of sustainable/recycled materials and production methods wherever possible, support small/family run businesses and collaboration with charities to raise funds and environmental awareness are part of Niin’s green values. Our guests love their special collection of keepsake bracelets that reimagines the iconic symbols of Hong Kong, which are said to bring good fortune and positivity to the lives of their wearers.
A Cambodian Seller with Boundless Dreams
Always smiling and always very well dressed, Chhorvin Liv spends most of her time managing the Soieries du Mékong boutique in charming Kandal Village in the heart of Siem Reap. She also does modelling work for many different brands and photographers, with many of the projects taking her to the region’s ancient temples. She is a lady with her aims firmly fixed on fulfilling her dreams.
Chhorvin has two great passions in life: dressmaking and modeling. Since taking a stitching class at the age of twelve, she has been fascinated by couture and the fashion world, and continues to learn through online tutorials and other independent studies. Today she imagines and creates her own clothes to give to friends and family, and aspires to create her own clothing brand which she hopes will be recognized both in Cambodia and abroad. The flagship model of Soieries du Mékong and a rising star in Cambodian fashion, Chhorvin is an inspiration to many young Cambodian women.
Upcycled Rubber in Indonesia
Indosole is a brand that tackles head on the issue of rubber waste. The founder broke his sandals during a trip to Bali in 2004 and changed upon a pair with soles made from repurposed scooter tires, from this incident Indosole was born and since expanded across Bali and the United States.
Just like the sandals that kickstarted all this, the label aims to help relieve Indonesia’s pollution problem by taking the country’s landfill waste tires and fitting the upcycled rubber into the soles of its durable products. Waste tyres sit in stockyards, illegal dumping sites, and even rivers. In tropical countries tyres can become breeding grounds for mosquitoes, which lead to nasty diseases like malaria and dengue fever. Tyres are also used as a cheap alternative for fuel. This, along with tyres that catch fire due to lightning storms, result in toxic oils and fumes that are harmful for human health.
The other parts of the footwear are crafted by Indonesian artisans and mostly made of natural materials such as organic canvas, banana leaves, and grass. The selection of footwear includes travel shoes, high tops, sandals, flip flops, and boat shoes.
PlanToys Thailand = Sustainable Play
PlanToys in Bangkok mainly focuses on safety wooden toys made of reclaimed rubber tree woods. Vitool Viraponsavan, one of the main players behind PlanToys, has been inspiring children and families all over the world while also determined to leave no negative impact on the environment.
The story of PlanToys is described in the three pillars of how they operate in a “Sustainable Way”. This includes; Sustainable Material, Sustainable Manufacturing and a Sustainable Mind. PlanToys only uses wood taken from the rubber tree, and only those trees that can no longer produce latex (after 25 years approx.). Surplus sawdust and branches from the trees is used to form PlanWood toys (another type of toy). Surplus wood pieces are then used in a biomass generator to produce electricity for the whole factory!
PlanToys is located in the Sathon district of Bangkok.