Shopping with . . .BONNIE GOKSON
Widely considered one of Hong Kong's most stylish personalities, Bonnie Gokson is Chanel's regional director for image and external relations for Asia Pacific and the sister of fashion guru Joyce Ma.
'I'm a fantastic shopper, but I don't necessarily have to buy. I love to just browse at new things for inspiration, particularly in art bookshops and furniture and lifestyle stores.
'Paris has the most beautiful art bookshop called Artcurial (61 avenue Montaigne, 75008. Tel: 331 4299 1616). I just bought a book there called La Terre filled with beautiful aerial photographs of earth structures. I also go to La Hune Librairie (170 boulevard Saint Germain, 75006. Tel: 4548 2585) which is a little more intellectual. Karl Lagerfeld loves to go there.
'For lifestyle, Galerie Gastou Yves (12 rue Bonaparte, 76006. Tel: 5373 0010) has handsome architectural furniture inspired from the 40s, and bold decorative things for the home. Another good store for decorative pieces like vases and beautiful boxes is Chahan (12 rue Beaune, 75007. Tel: 4296 8888). The owner, Chahan, is a decorator who mixes new and old to create a middle Eastern, Moroccan look.
'I find so many strong creative young artists at the Biennale des Antiquaires, held at the Carrousel du Louvre (Musee du Louvre, place Palais Royale, 75001. Tel: 4451 7474). It's a decorative trade show featuring the best of Europe including lots of stunning work from Belgium and Holland.
'When I'm in New York, I love going to ABC Carpet & Home (881 and 888 Broadway, East 19th Street, NY10003. Tel: 212 473 3000 or www.abchome.com). Although it's a huge mish-mash kind of place, it has a true talent in putting pieces together - silks and linens, towels with vases, contemporary with early 19th century. There's so much to see and it gives me much inspiration. Every section is different and some parts look junkish, but it's filled with beautiful items from the top makers.
'Wyeth (151 Franklin Street, NY10013. Tel: 925 5278), which sells 20th-century modern furniture, is one of my favourite stop-spots for total inspiration. And Moss (146 Greene Street, NY10012. Tel: 226 2190) has great 20th-century industrial furniture.
'I love going to E. Braun & Co (717 Madison Avenue, NY10021. Tel: 838 0650) where all the old establishment, old money shop for linen. It's one of the most special places in New York and has exquisite traditional sheets, which can be bespoke embroidered, and luxurious hand-loomed Maine blankets.
'Another great place is the flower shop within Takashimaya New York (693 Fifth Avenue, NY10022. Tel: 350 0100). The way the florists arrange flowers is beautiful and modern and I buy all my bouquets there. They know how to combine unexpected colours like lime greens with prune colours, though my favourites are huge white peonies.
'I border towards pretty things and a totally feminine store I love in London is Basia Zarzycka (52 Sloane Square, SW1. Tel: 4420 7730 1660 or www.basia-zarzycka.co.uk). It has beautiful turn-of-the-century accessories in feathered plumes and exotic laces.
'In Hong Kong I love going to very local places like Rise Commercial Building (5-11 Granville Circuit, Tsim Sha Tsui) and the Island Beverley Centre (1 Great George Street, Causeway Bay) for inspiration of the new. I love to see everything that creative people create.
'I get a good allowance allowance from Chanel (Shop 6, G/F Prince's Building, Chater Road. Central. Tel: 2810 0978 or www.chanel.com) so I can wear anything I like. A piece I love, that I haven't had the chance to wear yet as it hasn't been cold enough, is a French vanilla-coloured sheepskin coat with an ostrich plume shawl collar. I'll wear it with jeans. But my favourite store is still my sister's, the Joyce Boutique in Hong Kong (14 Queen's Road Central. Tel: 2810 1120 or www.joyce.com) and Taiwan (54 Taipei Metro Mall, 203 Tun Hwa South Road, Section 2, Taipei. Tel: 8862 2377 5090). She's always evolving and finds the newest things whether quirky or just beautiful. The last things I bought there were a steel and crocodile leather tray and a long Basia scarf, which is all pink netting with maroon pompoms and appliqued lace flowers. It's so feminine and looks like dreamland.'