A yen for HK yarns

Japanese designer Eri Utsugi is in town this week but you won't find her schmoozing the scene in IFC or the Landmark. Instead, she is slumming it with low-profile visits in areas like Sham Shui Po and Lai Chi Kok to check out fabric outlets. The stylemaker is a hit with the youth crowd, first for her cutesy childlike designs for the brand Frapbois (seen on local idols like Fiona Sit Hoi-kei) and now her own label, Mercibeaucoup.

'We found suppliers in Hong Kong who have yarn from Europe and China,' Utsugi (below) said. 'It's so convenient to source them here. The yarn industry in Japan is shrinking. Also, they are mostly outside Tokyo.'

This 'secret' trip is her fifth visit. Aside from shopping for supplies - and visiting her retail partners at I.T. - the popular Japanese designer enjoys Hong Kong for other reasons. 'I like the dim sum very much,' she says. Though she's yet to achieve brand-name recognition, would she like to open her own standalone shop here? 'You would have to ask I.T. this,' she replied with a giggle.