HONG KONG – From the evil eye that guards guests at the entrance to bonsai micro-gardens that display jewelry, everything about Sonjia Norman’s new atelier is original. The designer, a mainstay on Hong Kong’s cutting-edge fashion scene for 13 years, has opened the shop to showcase her two fashion collections, Sonjia and Chibi.
The space also serves as Norman’s design studio and as a gathering place for clients. “I just wanted a place where my friends could come, hang out, listen to music and have a drink,” said Norman.
The 1,100-square-foot space is in an unusual location – tucked away in Wan Chai on a quiet street with no through traffic and no pedestrians. Its neighbors range from a well-known photography studio to a mechanic’s shop. Also nearby are trendy cafes and bars. “I don’t expect walk-in traffic,” acknowledged Norman. “My business has always been word-of-mouth.”
Shoppers need an appointment to browse the store; this was Norman’s policy when she sold directly out of her previous studio. Still, the unusual location did lead Norman to query her customers. “I asked my top 10 women if they’d come here and they said, ‘Sonjia, we’d go anywhere to see your stuff.’ But I also think others will come.”
Norman hired Three Dogs/Retail Design to create the interior; the look is industrial, achieved by exposing the original brick wall, stripping another wall to cement and scraping years of printing-press oil from the floor. Three Dogs also custom-designed all the store’s fixtures, relying on bolts, rusted steel and distressed wood to help create the ambience. Design director Sjoerd Hoekstra said the store “feels like it’s just started to bloom after a long, beautiful, eventful life.”
The store is on two levels. Norman’s production team works in the overhead loft, and the designer’s two collections are showcased together on the ground floor. Sonjia, a line of sophisticated one-of-a-kind designs, features a reversible hand-painted coat with weasel-fur lining and a rock-chic dress crafted from a vintage obi and European silk. Chibi, a collection of activewear envisioned with yoga enthusiasts in mind, has been worn by the likes of Gwyneth Paltrow and Angelina Jolie. It is shown alongside distressed leather trenchcoats and other unique pieces from the Sonjia collection.
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“The whole idea of Chibi is that one can wear it to work out, then out to lunch – it goes everywhere and with everything,” said Norman. Prices in the store range from 500 to 50,000 Hong Kong dollars ($64.49 to $6,449 at current exchange).
Norman is also using the store to introduce other brands. Shoppers will find Elisa Ferrari shoes, motorcycle bags by Los Angeles designer Henry Duarte and shagreen belts by Divine Tribe. Two miniature bonsai gardens feature a wide range of vintage jewelry and diamond watches.
Norman said that even if there aren’t any profits, she’s staying put. “I actually will pay for this space. I’m not planning on making ‘X.’ It’s not commercial. If this collection sells out, then we have no more stuff till next season.”