Best Luxury Stores in Central Hong Kong
Coach Flagship Store on Lan Kwai Fong in Hong Kong
Following up from the Top Luxury Store Facades in Beijing and the Top Luxury Store Facades in Shanghai, below are Maosuit’s top façade/store design picks for Hong Kong’s Central District. The store facades are of supreme importance to luxury brands as much of their business is built purely on the ‘image’ and ‘beauty’ factors. For the throngs of mainland Chinese flocking to Hong Kong for business and pleasure the brands’ designs, heritage and origin are not in the forefront of their minds when shopping. For Chinese luxury brand purchases are ALL about image. Therefore the more impressive the façade, the better image is painted and conveyed to Mainland Chinese and all for that matter consumers.
Hong Kong’s Central district is the main business hub of the city and one of the financial centers of Asia if not the world. Most multinational companies with offices in HK are situated in Central district. Inside the four adjacent city blocks made up by Charter House, Alexandra House, The Landmark Tower and Prince’s Building you will find perhaps the tightest cluster of luxury brands and flagship stores anywhere in the world. All these building are owned by Hong Kong Land real estate company allowing them to connect and intertwine the buildings with elevated walkways, access escalators and stairways. As highlighted in the post about why HK mall are so successful these buildings all connect one way or another to the restaurants, subway and hotels. The end result is a network of building which receive a massive amount of pedestrian traffic passing through the building which all have luxury retail platforms on lower floors. Building by building here are the best stores.
Charter House
In a very clever move, the Armani group of brands has complete control of Charter House, with the Giorgio Armani, Emporio Armani, Armani Exchange etc. flagship stores all being located here. Armani has such an influence on the building that is also referred to as ‘Armani House’. The new Giorgio Armani bamboo façade is one of best new façades in Greater China..
Giorgio Armani Flagship Store Bamboo Themed Facade
Charter/Armani House in Central Hong Kong
Emporio Armani Facade in Charter/Armani House
Prince’s Building
The Prince’s building is the Richemont Group’s domain with the Cartier, Piaget, Van Cleef & Arpels, and Dunhill flagship stores all residents. The Dunhill store also includes and Alfie’s Bar and Restaurant which is often packed for lunch and dinner with office workers from surrounding sky scrapers. Chanel also has their impressive flagship store located in the northeast corner of the Prince’s building and facing Statue Square and Charter Road that gives them one of the biggest impacts in the area.
Cartier & Piaget Flagship Stores in the Prince's Building
Chanel and Van Cleef & Arpels Flagship Stores in Prince's Building
The Landmark Building
The outer corners of the Landmark Building are taken by Louis Vuitton and Gucci. Surprisingly the Louis Vuitton was store is rather subdued at night and did not have the dramatic lighting affects that many of their other global flagship stores have. Inside the Landmark building is one of Hong Kong’s better high-end mall featuring three floors of flagship stores including Fendi, Tod’s and Dior as well as the Harvey Nicholls department store.
Louis Vuitton Flagship Store in The Landmark Building
Gucci Flagship Store in The Landmark Building
Tod's and Fendi Flagships Stores Inside The Landmark Building
Alexandra House
Alexandra House is home to the Prada, Dolce & Gabbana, YSL, Burberry and Ermenegildo Zegna Flagships.
Dolce & Gabbana and YSL Flagships in Alexandra House
Prada Flagship in Alexandra House
Other Stores
Although not located in either of the main building two other stores worthy of note are the Coach and Shanghai Tang Flagships Stores. Coach’s impressive façade (see above picture) lies on the intersection of Queen’s Road and Lan Kwai Fong – HK’s most popular bar and nightclub street. Shanghai Tang is incumbent resident of The Pedder Building a charming heritage building right opposite Alexandra House, but unfortunately for Shanghai Tang they will soon be evicted after loosing a bidding war for the space to Abercrombie & Fitch who will open their HK flagship store there in 2012.
The Shanghai Tang Flagship Store in The Pedder Building in Hong Kong. (Soon to be A&F's Flagship)
It makes me so sad to learn that Shanghai Tang will be moving, and for A&F, too!
One of the most enduring memories I have from my time in Hong Kong over the years is emerging from the MTR Central station exit D2 and having the refreshing aircon and perfume hit me from Shanghai Tang’s alley entrance as I pass.