Fashion people
What Barney did next
So successful was Hong Kong designer Barney Cheng's show last month he's planning a second in September. We hear it's going to be much bigger than the last one, which caused several tai-tai tantrums when 300 people squabbled over 180 seats. There should be plenty of space for their designer-clad bottoms at the September event - a combination of fashion show, dance party and Cheng's birthday celebration - which is being planned for 500. It's obviously Cheng's year. Singapore's slickest retailer, Tina Tan Leo of The Link group, was so impressed by his April show that the pair are now working on a couture trunk show. And Cheng's evening wear line has just been picked up by Japanese retailer United Arrows Change. The range will go on sale in August alongside cutting-edge stuff by the likes of Jeremy Scott, Helmut Lang and Chloe, so Cheng sees it as a big move forward.
In their elements
Social types won't have to wait until September to put on their party frocks. On Thursday, Chanel is hosting a cocktail bash at Mezz, in the Prince's Building, to show off pricey baubles from its '5 Elements' collection - inspired by air, water, fire, earth and love. About 250 guests are expected at the invitation-only event, after which there will be another two days of private appointments. The 14 pieces of jewellery will be worn by models in haute couture dresses designed by Karl Lagerfeld for the occasion. Prices will range from $169,000 for a Le Feu ring to a $5.32 million for the L'Eau necklace. And what do you get for the price of a Hong Kong flat? A coil of 326 diamonds, 11 pear-shaped diamonds and an edging of rock crystal.
Tapping the market
Feeding Hong Kong's obsession with watches, another new brand makes its appearance here next month. Swiss make Dubey & Schaldenbrand (which Hong Kong agents SiberHegner admit is a bit of a mouthful) uses vintage movements in some of its limited-edition pieces. There will be a jazz-themed launch party at Cyrano in the Island Shangri-La on June 14, complete with tap dancers. Z Saddle up for Tokyo Less than a year after the grand opening of Hermes' New York flagship boutique, the French brand is planning an equally splashy event in Tokyo, where it is to open an 11-storey building in late June. Located in the heart of the Ginza, it will have four floors of selling space and another dedicated to the company's history with facilities for special orders and repairs. The other floors include an after-sales service floor, a showroom, an exhibition space, a movie theatre and a terrace with a garden and small pond.
Big Boss
The new Hugo Boss women's collection is evidently on a roll: due to open are a Boss Woman store in Ocean Terminal and a Hugo store in Causeway Bay. These will be followed by a flagship store in Seoul, featuring both the men's and women's collections - expect 'a spectacular event' - and the mainland's third Boss Woman boutique at the China Hotel in Beijing next month. What will be in store? Look for long-sleeved shirts in stretch cotton and silk, a kimono shirt paired with low-waisted trousers, and trouser suits featuring diagonal borders and '80s retro touches like low necklines.