Discovering Swedish design and Scandi style in a pair of retail spaces and a small but eclectically furnished fl at in Sheung Wan.
Stockholm native Alexis Holm is describing his countrymen’s fondness for surströmming, or rotten herring: “The fermentation process expands the can, so when you open it, it explodes!” he explains. “It smells like a sewer, and tastes like it smells because of the fermentation: a mixture of ammonia and a little bit of spice. I only tried it recently, and hated it!”
He may not be a fan of this particular delicacy, but you’d be hard-pressed to find another Scandinavian in Hong Kong so wholly absorbed in all things Swedish. Arriving in Asia six years ago at the suggestion of a fellow designer, Alexis began by designing funky footwear and quickly diversified into making sunglasses, jewellery and watches – all unmistakably original, and with an elegant Scandi vibe. Now his original retail space in Sheung Wan’s Square Street has been joined by a second premises around the corner, to showcase his current passion: antique Swedish ceramics. Alexis sources each unique porcelain piece from an online auction site in Sweden, his father wraps and posts them, and Hong Kongers can purchase a beautiful little piece of Swedish history to sit on their own coffee table.
“I owned a collection of exquisite cobalt blue ceramics from the 1940s called Blue Fire – coffee cups and bowls – which inspired me to start importing pieces,” explains Alexis. “Once I’d been in Hong Kong for a while, I suddenly became interested in everything Swedish. When you live in Sweden you don’t appreciate your surroundings, but I go back to Stockholm now and think how beautiful everything is: the landscape, the architecture. I’d love to return permanently but I need to save some cash, so I can buy a place there, and a place here – then I can divide my time between Sweden and Hong Kong!”
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Esta historia es de la edición August - September 2016 de EL Hong Kong.
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