Two by two, they board the ark bearing gifts of joint creation: a svelte armchair made of bamboo, a hi-fi system inspired by an ancient string instrument, a dining set marked with elements of Chinese calligraphy, an urban treasure box made of stainless steel, silver jewellery, hand-decorated cashmere shawls and more.
While the biblical reference of the project title is incidental, the Creation 9707 project is indeed a pairing - of the who's who of the Hong Kong design world with an international brand - yielding 10 limited-edition products that represent a cross-section of Hong Kong's talent.
'Creation 9707 is an unprecedented union between Hong Kong designers and international brands,' says Allan Chiang, CEO of Hong Kong Design Centre (HKDC), the organisation responsible for the project. '[It] acts as an ambassador of our excellence and unique creative abilities ... in the global design area.'
Part of HKDC's sixth annual Business of Design Week, which ended on Saturday, Creation was also conceived under the banner of commemorating the 10th anniversary of Hong Kong's reunification with the mainland.
Two related components were Image 9707 - a commission of 10 T-shirt designs by local and non-local talents including Iraqi-British architect Zaha Hadid, and shoe designer Jimmy Choo, illustrating the vibrancy of Hong Kong - and Design 9707, a compendium titled 'Very Hong Kong', realised in conjunction with the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, containing selected works from the Hong Kong design industry over the past 10 years.
At the unveiling, prior to the product auction, the 10 Creation designers and their partner companies shared their views on what lay ahead for the industry.