-
Advertisement

Michael Lau: Gardener 10th and Kindergardener

Reading Time:1 minute
Why you can trust SCMP
Richard Macauley

Michael Lau may not be an instantly recognisable name to all, but his influence on street style in Hong Kong certainly should be.

Unusually for a toy designer, Lau has been credited with shaping not only Hong Kong's skateboarding and hip hop culture, but street culture throughout Asia and in the US as well.

Made from vinyl and standing as high as 30cm, Lau's toys are not designed with young children in mind but rather - thanks to their wonderfully deformed shapes and hip hop styles - adult collectors.

Advertisement

Both Levi's and Nike have used Lau's designs in marketing campaigns in Japan, knowing that his name and style would improve their own among Tokyo's trendiest consumers.

More recently in Hong Kong, local streetwear label Fingercroxx worked with the designer to mark the 10th anniversary of Double Park, one of the city's biggest streetwear retail groups.

Advertisement

Over the next four weeks, Lau will host two exhibitions at Times Square: Gardener 10th, the 10th exhibition of his 109 Gardener toy designs that first cemented his reputation, and Kindergardener, which comprises 'cute' versions of the Gardener figures.

Advertisement
Select Voice
Choose your listening speed
Get through articles 2x faster
1.25x
250 WPM
Slow
Average
Fast
1.25x