Hong Kong design retailer Kapok, founded by Frenchman Arnault Castel, has been on a course of rapid Asian expansion lately. Its latest flagship, which opened this month in Tokyo's trendy Harajuku area, is a coup for the concept store that has made a huge name for itself in Asia with its "future classics" curation of cool brands from around the globe.
There you'll find a range of products, from clothing and accessories to household goods and fragrances - retro Swedish bags, modern Hong Kong graphic clutches, Israeli womenswear and British watches. "It means a lot to us to open a store in Japan, as the idea of Kapok originated from trips to Tokyo," says Castel. "I was getting lost in cool neighbourhoods and finding amazing small stores with products I had never heard of.
"It's also quite daunting to open here because this is country of select stores. The competition is really tough and we are a small newcomer."
While the brands Kapok has introduced to the Hong Kong market since 2006 have come to define its aesthetic, Castel's own tastes and forward thinking have enabled him to tap into a growing lifestyle and fashion market in Asia.
He finds brands through blogs and websites, his travels and referrals from his team and customers. However, "I make a point not to go to any trade shows; they are tiring, quite boring, and if you find something nice, very often many other buyers will, too."
Each of his six Hong Kong spaces has a distinct agenda. Kapok Voyage in Hysan Place, for example, is focused on travel.
"I started the shop as a reaction against chain stores, so I am obsessive about keeping each store different," he says. "It's quite important and fun for me to be a contrarian."
Kapok has stores in Taiwan, Singapore and now one in Japan.
"I think our future is really in Asia," he says.
