bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

moreOnThisArticles

urlAlias

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

paywallTypes

corrections

sponsorType

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

socialHeadline

headline

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

publishedDate

additionalInfoBoxes

images

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

createdDate

sponsor

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

Peta Tomlinson

Once upon a time 'fashionable' meant wearing the right label on your back. Today, it takes a lot more to be hip.

With some of the world's luxury fashion houses moving into the world of homeware,  people are looking for designer names on bed linen, sofas, crockery and candles.

The trend sees the likes of Donna Karan and Tommy Hilfiger doing bedding, Ralph Lauren doing furniture, and a host of interior products styled by European designer labels Versace, Armani, Bulgari and Trussardi.

Why are we such slaves to fashion, and now even in our kitchens and bedrooms?

Douglas Young, founder of the G.O.D. houseware stores (Causeway Bay shop tel: 2890 5555, or www.god.com.hk), blames it on the movies.

'These days people want a more complete lifestyle,' he says. 'When young people in Hong Kong lived with their parents, they spent more on their appearance, on their clothes. Now they are moving out, and many are buying their own flats. They are more concerned with the look of their home.'

The change in consumer mindset has been wrought by the media, Young claims. Style magazines  such as Wallpaper have expanded their coverage to dictate to readers not only what they should wear but also what cars to drive, what holidays to take, and what to have in their homes.

'Movies, and even TV series like Sex In The City, show people driving beautiful cars and living a fabulous lifestyle,' Young says. 'People aspire to that.'

However, they will not necessarily buy a homeware product just because it is designed by their fashion icon.

'Not everyone is a victim to these brands,' Young says.

Priorities, too, have changed, he says. People are no longer buying furniture based on a product's likely lifespan, or whether the colours complement anything in their homes, as their more budget-constrained parents probably once did.

'People are less concerned about quality. They don't want things to last forever. Consumers are more in tune with fashion changes, and want to update their homes almost as frequently as their wardrobe.'

Dior opened a new lifestyle store in Sogo department store in April (Dior store tel: 2833 8200 or www.dior.com), selling bed linen, towels, porcelain, crystal vases and glassware.

The most popular items, says product manager Irene Chan, are a Western dinnerware setting, and towels and bathrobes in the Trotter pattern. Dior-designed Chinese rice bowls, silver-tipped ebony chopsticks, silver picture frames and baby-care bath towels are also good sellers, especially to be pesented as gifts.

Upmarket department store Lane Crawford (tel: Pacific Place store 2118 3668 or www.lanecrawford.com ) suggests there is not much of a market for homeware designed by fashion icons.

'The most recent one we tried was Roberto Cavalli and his collection was fantastic, but perhaps a little too fashionable for our clientele, so we decided not to continue,' home department manager Julie Stern says.

'The best success we have had is in bed linen and soft furnishings, with products by Etro and Missoni. These two companies are famous for their textile designs, so it is natural to transition them into home furnishing items. This Christmas we will have some lovely scented candles by Elton John, with the proceeds going to a charity. They really are a great gift.'

Ms Stern says most Lane Crawford home-fashion goods focus on strong design, high quality, form and function.

'If there is a fashion designer doing this, we would welcome it in our collection if it was available.'

Interiors consultant Lissa Lam of Designer Workshop (tel: 2868 9311 or www.designerworkshop.com.hk ) questions the quality of fashion-label furniture.  She says few Hong Kong people want such items in their homes.

'Most Hong Kong people tend to like European furniture more than the current American designer furniture. They believe European pieces have an edge in style, size and make. Many American products are now made in China and Asian countries, and are not of the same quality as the European furniture.'

To Ms Lam, Versace's furniture is 'like its clothing - flashy and   gilded', and Armani furniture she considers  'ordinary'.

'None of my clients would want Versace products. As with the brand's clothing, the design and quality has gone down since Versace's death,' she says.

'As for Armani's furniture, it is much like the brand's clothing line. The colours  are primarily earth-toned and two basic wood colours - white washed oak and dark brown-stained oak. My view is that their designs are for a certain clientele. For the same price, there are many other choices that do not cost that much, and may be of better quality.'

Ms Lam says Hong Kong people are getting more sophisticated in their choice of home design and furnishings, and she believes they do care about labels, and more so with their furniture than with their clothes.

'They will not blindly follow their fashion icons into the arena of interiors. They are more likely to go for classical Italian furniture designers and antiques. They have taste, and they know how to mix and match,' she says.



Looking good at home