Hong Kong Design Centre

Collaboration ignites possibilities. Hong Kong Design Centre (HKDC) and its two incubation programmes, the Fashion Incubation Programme (FIP) and Design Incubation Programme (DIP), are focused on nurturing local creative startup talent and design entrepreneurs. That includes encouraging inspiring and meaningful collaborations with like-minded partners. At the end of 2021, one such collaboration dominated the social media feeds of the city’s creative influencers. W Hong Kong joined forces with fashion designers and DIP alumni, SOMEWHERE NOWHERE, to deliver a truly unique staycation experience, the ‘Style-cation-Mode Series’.

SOMEWHERE NOWHERE’s SS22 collection 'Forbidden No-No' 

Founded by Rex Lo and Elly Cheng, SOMEWHERE NOWHERE is a streetwear brand that embraces a psychedelic world of floral patterns, colourful motifs, retro silhouettes and eye-catching accessories. The pair hopes to inspire people to be more experimental with their daily essential outfits—and their creative ideas extend beyond clothing. In addition to being fashion designers, their studio offers art direction, styling and photography—surpassing and blending the boundaries of fashion, art and design. SOMEWHERE NOWHERE has a distinctively fun, energetic and uplifting vibe that is echoed in the W Hong Kong brand.

The pair hopes to inspire people to be more experimental with their daily essential outfits—and their creative ideas extend beyond clothing.

The exclusive SOMEWHERE NOWHERE Pop-up exhibition on the first floor at W Hong Kong.

Lo and Cheng’s portfolio of work is a showcase of wearable creativity, and during the stresses of Covid-19, they knew there was no better time to share their energy and passion with the land-locked people of Hong Kong. After identifying SOMEWHERE NOWHERE as the perfect fit for the collaboration, FIP and DIP made the introductions with W Hong Kong—which as anticipated, turned out to be the perfect playground for their vision. The designer duo created themed rooms and photo spots at the hotel, an art installation and an exhibition in the lobby. They also extended the campaign by hosting a marketing event at their concurrent pop-up at HER, a retail-café in Causeway Bay founded by celebrity Hilary Tsui.

During the stresses of Covid-19, they knew there was no better time to share their energy and passion with the land-locked people of Hong Kong.

At the hotel, fashion-forward guests could step inside the runway of their dreams and release their passion for style with dazzling designer garments, against an interactive backdrop of Insta-worthy life-sized frames. Bold patterns and hues were splashed across walls and bedspreads, with a rack of extravagant and ethereal designer clothes available to make them catwalk ready. Chic fashionistas and freedom-chasers had a chance to escape reality and strut their sense of style, adorned and surrounded by SOMEWHERE NOWHERE’s kaleidoscopic artistry.

The designers’ signature patterns and hues were splashed onto the walls and bedspreads in the hotel room. 

The collaboration was a raging success, with guests eagerly uploading and sharing their own looks and poses on SOMEWHERE NOWHERE’s Instagram page. It was the perfect example of how HKDC cultivates a co-creation atmosphere to foster local creation, help cultivate professional networks, and take design businesses to the next level—sometimes with unexpected, but welcome surprises! Local celebrity Merry Lamb Lamb performed at the closing party, expanding the profile of the event further with coverage in respected fashion and lifestyle media.  

For DIP and FIP designers and alumni, the campaign demonstrates HKDC’s commitment to supporting designpreneurs through our networks and igniting limitless possibilities and potential collaborations with an enthusiastic audience and client base awaiting them. The benefits of connecting with the city’s wider design communities, and forging connections between those who design and those who love and value design, continue to fuel HKDC’s mission.

The benefits of connecting with the city’s wider design communities, and forging connections between those who design and those who love and value design, continue to fuel HKDC’s mission.

With Covid-19 putting a dampener on many aspects of life, it is a huge source of pride to see those who find the silver linings and continue to celebrate and share design excellence. We can’t wait to see what new inspiring collaborations might be next in store for our incubation programme designers.