tai-tai tees LITTLE printed cotton T-shirts - similar to those that sell for next to nothing in the lanes - are the subject of the latest tai-tai obsession, the difference being that these sell for $890 and are designed by Stella McCartney for Chloe. The airbrushed T-shirts have sold out so rapidly (500 pieces in the first month) that Chloe general manager Fenda Chan has put in repeat orders. The 100 customers on the waiting list have been told not to expect their T-shirts for at least another month. Faye Wong started the craze when she was photographed in one of the tight tees on a trip to Shanghai. No doubt they will be cluttering secondhand stores by October.
a short engagement COMMITMENT-phobes should stay away from an exhibition of engagement rings to be held at Festival Walk from June 17-20. 'The Power of Love' (couldn't the copywriters have come up with something less soppy?), organised by De Beers, features 600 years of what used to be called 'betrothal' rings - ranging from quaint Renaissance rough diamonds set in gold to more mainstream flashy versions - flown in from London. Kicking off the event is a diamond wedding-jewellery show (gems from Chow Sang Sang, frocks by Bonita Cheung). It's a nice idea: shame about the commercial element.
floating venue PARTY organisers are forever complaining about the lack of cool locations in the SAR - does anybody need to go to another cocktail party at the Grand Hyatt? So news of a potential new venue is refreshing: apparently a mainland Chinese businessman has just bought a Russian aircraft carrier which he plans to gut and possibly use as a floating casino off Macau. My source, the head of a big luxury brand, says the ship would be a great place for a party: nip in on a helicopter, land on the deck, have a glass of champagne, and fly out again. Who said military-chic was over? tubular belles DESIGNER Philippe Starck has come up with a second product for luxury hosiery group Wolford. StarckNaked, a multi-functional tube dress he created last year, sold 36,000 pieces. Now he's created StarckNakedHOT, a 1.7-metre tube which can be folded back over a string and fastened with press-studs to create anything from a short dress to a long skirt. So far, so familiar. The difference is that it comes with a box of 'accessories' - sleeves, a bandeau top and a collar. Due to be launched in Hong Kong soon, it must be the only fashion item that needs an instruction manual.
zip up ZIP appears to be the buzzword of the season. It's the name given to a new Gucci men's fragrance, and also the name of a soon-to-be-launched Chinese society/lifestyle/fashion magazine (do we need another one?) set up by a group of former employees of City Magazine. Even Lancel, the rather conservative handbag people, have christened a new line Zip, presumably because of its focus on zippers. The bags will come in nylon and leather, and are priced from $990. The line is being launched in the Grand Hyatt (again) tomorrow, with an event that is promised to convey a 'Parisian lifestyle environment'. As long as there's Chablis, and a platter of brie, I'm a happy girl.
hi-tech hit THE army of photographers gathered at the recent opening of the Indivi store in the Landmark scared many guests away, but those who did brave the flashguns declared the collection a hit. A younger and more affordable line from Japanese designer Atsuro Tayama, most of the clothes cost well under $1,000 - a bargain for fairly hi-tech Japanese-made fashion - and the store is worth a browse. Indivi is part of the Sidefame group, which also runs Anteprima: the Italian brand is currently enjoying sales 160 per cent higher than projected at its new Pacific Place store.
luna leaves LUNA Soper, the Spanish beauty who burst onto the social scene and caught the eyes of press photographers with her low-cut blouses and skinny dresses, has shipped out. Soper and her British banker husband have been transferred out of Hong Kong. Before departing, she confided that the local social scene was tricky to handle. 'There is a boom, and then so much gossip,' she said. It was all beginning to go wrong for her, anyway, with her name being dropped from various party lists. It seems she wasn't really a 'spender' (along with many local social 'celebrities') and her 'I've-got-it-I'll-flaunt-it' attitude was beginning to offend delicate tai-tai sensibilities. The poor lambs. At least she was interesting.
