Cover Design Trust launches the Winter Showcase as a follow-up to its Critically Homemade initiative (Photo: Courtesy of Design Trust)

The second phase of the initiative will engage the community and public with thoughtful and meaningful design through a citywide exhibition and 39 selected designs for sale

Design Trust is launching Critically Homemade Winter Showcase as a follow-up to their Critically Homemade initiative in September. This micro-initiative is borne from the desire to reconnect and to reduce the "distance" during Covid-19 lockdown and was spearheaded by Marisa Yiu, co-founder and executive director of Design Trust. It will foster the idea that design can enact positive changes during this challenging time.

Designers from Hong Kong and overseas are invited to channel their creativity and inspiration into unique homemade prototypes that address a pressing societal issue and need. This will enable designers and creators to build a dialogue with each other as well as our surrounding communities. Part of the second phase of the initiative is the upcoming Winter Showcase, its first-ever citywide exhibition that will bring together a thoughtful and innovative design to the community. It boasts an expansive reach across 18 locations in eight districts throughout Hong Kong, including the outlying islands.

Also part of their innovative response and for the first time, 39 designs have been selected to be available for purchase, with all the proceeds going back to support Design Trust's continued research, grant-giving and community initiatives. The launch of the designs is with support of seven 2020 Design Trust Champions such as kapok, COLOURLIVING, WOMANBOSS, K11, ZS Hospitality, Chinachem Group and VSFG, together with five collaborating partners.

See also: Design Trust Launches Its Critically Homemade Initiative At Soho House
 

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Above Critically Homemade Select Showcase at K11 Musea (Photo: Courtesy of Design Trust)

Among the 39 designs, 24 of them will be part of the Select Showcase that will be made into limited edition products by various Design Trust Champions and collaborators. The designs will be unveiled in a special exhibition at K11 Musea from November 10–December 6. On the other hand, the Collectors Showcase will present 18 original prototypes that will be sold through a silent auction as a rare collector's items which opens on e-PopUp from November 25–December 3 until 11 pm. They will also be available for preview at The Shophouse from November 25–27.

The sale and auction is part of Design Trust's "Give to Give More" call to the community to support them in their fundraising goals amidst a pandemic.

"In the challenging context of the ongoing pandemic, Design Trust: Critically Homemade was created with the drive to restore social connection and spark collaboration across the design community and to bring their fruitful creations to benefit the greater public. We selected prototype designs that responded to our curatorial brief with innovative, interactive and forward-looking solutions to today’s social, environmental and educational problems," said Marisa Yiu, co-founder and executive director of Design Trust.

Other than the Select Showcase and Collectors Showcase, there will also be an inter-island pop-up in Peng Chau and Mui Wo from December 5–7. More details will be announced. Stay up to date with the latest news on their website.

As a number of designs will be part of the sale and auction, we highlight the most notable ones to keep an eye out for.

See also: 6 Art Pieces To See At deTour 2020

1. kapok

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Above Hong Kong Brick by Florian & Christine (Photo: Courtesy of Design Trust)
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Above Hong Kong Brick was created from construction waste of shops taken down during Covid-19 (Photo: Courtesy of Design Trust)

kapok's designs reflect a distinct sense of Hong Kong's culture and even beyond. The four designs reinterpret and revive a chapter of Hong Kong's story into a more relevant contemporary expression such as the numbered limited editions of Hong Kong Brick, made by Florian & Christine and sold at kapok which was created from construction waste of shops taken down during Covid-19.

Selected merchandise available at ka-pok.com from November 18 and kapok locations from November 28.

kapok K11 MUSEA, Shop 205, 2/F, K11 MUSEA, 18 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui

kapok sun street, 8 Sun Street, Wan Chai

kapok PMQ, G/f, HG10 -12 PMQ, 35 Aberdeen Street, Central

See also: Christmas Gift Guide 2020: The Best Hong Kong Themed Gifts

2. COLOURLIVING

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Photo 1 of 2 Samurai Chopsticks by Li Fu (Photo: Courtesy of Design Trust)
Photo 2 of 2 Antibacterial Door Handles by Michael Young (Photo: Courtesy of Design Trust)

COLOURLIVING's designs reflect a unique sense of style that combines craft and personality. The strong aesthetic and deep insight into the latest domestic innovation is the pinnacle of its design selections. The works present a thoughtful and innovative response to the everyday challenges during Covid-19 such as Antibacterial Door Handles by Michael Young and Samurai Chopsticks by Li Fu that encourage proper serving chopsticks etiquette as well as delivering a creative and hygienic solution for serving cutlery.

Selected merchandise available at colourlivingshop.com from November 18 and at COLOURLIVING, 333 Lockhart Road, Wan Chai from November 28, 2020.

See also: Tatler Insiders On The Best Food And Drinks In Hong Kong

3. WOMANBOSS

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Above A special edition of Adonian Chan's Hong Kong Beiwei Zansyu Cookie Cutters (Photo: Courtesy of Design Trust)

WOMANBOSS's selection reflects forward-looking and socially conscious designs which feels right as a platform for female empowerment and entrepreneurship. They infused a unique perspective into the environmental theme as the designs reflect a growing awareness of irreversible environmental impacts while probing deeper into how design plays an essential part in shaping our future. A special edition of Adonian Chan's Hong Kong Beiwei Zansyu Cookie Cutters is created in collaboration with female-founder bakery, Cookieism which features the Chinese characters for natural and smart as a celebration of female empowerment.

Selected merchandise is available at shop.iamwomanboss.com from November 18 and at WOMANBOSS Community & Lifestyle Space at 82 Ap Liu Street, Sham Shui Po from December 2, 2020. With that, WOMANBOSS will also be hosting a series of interactive workshops in December. For more information, please visit their website.

See also: For Cookie DPT Founder Wil Fang, Sweets Are Serious Business

4. Goods of Desire

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Above Breathe Colour by G.O.D (Photo: Courtesy of Design Trust)

"G.O.D" or "to live better" in Cantonese, injects humour and creativity into their original designs. Goods of Desire turn everyday objects into truly incredible objects. As part of this initiative, founder Douglas Young reinterprets the face mask into a positive and creative way. Taking inspiration from Thai designer, Savinee Buranasilapin’s submission, Breathe Colour is a special signed box set of seven different coloured face mask for each day of the week—representing the multi-layered meanings of how colour codes express unique culture tradition as well as a reflection of how face masks have embedded their way into the new normal.

The masks will be available at ePopUp.

 

5. Covid-19 Sculpture Series Kacey Wong

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Photo 1 of 3 Covid-19 Sculpture Series Kacey Wong (Photo: Courtesy of Design Trust)
Photo 2 of 3 Photo: Courtesy of Design Trust
Photo 3 of 3 Photo: Courtesy of Design Trust

Kacey Wong drew inspiration during the beginning of the pandemic when people around the world were rushing to supermarkets to grab everyday essentials upon the impending news of a lockdown. Ordinary household items such as hand sanitisers, food and toilet paper became highly-sought after treasures and face mask prices skyrocketed beyond imagination.

Through this sculpture, she wanted to create a jewellery-like time capsule, achieved by casting an essential household item into resin. Each sculpture is cast into multiple layers, with virus-looking coloured dots meticulously drawn in between each layer. The rough resin is cut into a diamond shape to encapsulate the "shopping absurdity" during the pandemic and also reminding us not to take ordinary household items for granted.

The item is available for purchase from Design Trust's ePopUp on pre-order for HK$8,000.

See also: 10 Minutes with Honey Pro Handheld UV Sanitiser Founder, Carmen Yim

6. Future Fossils by Natasza Minasiewicz

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Above Future Fossils by Natasza Minasiewicz (Photo: Courtesy of Design Trust)

This piece by Natasza Minasiewicz seeks to capture the moment of discovery when pieces of concrete, old tiles or bricks emerge from among the pebbles and shells as if they were artefacts in the environment returning in a new form and co-existing with nature.

Also aiming to highlight the global problem of construction waste and building methods and materials that are neither reusable nor degradable, viewers can see articles suspended in clear resin and confront how it affects our environment.

The item is available for purchase from Design Trust's ePopUp via a public silent auction from November 25–December 3.

See also: Waste, Unmasked: How Covid-19 Masks Have Affected The Environment

7. What Goes Up Must Come Down by Alan Chan

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Above What Goes Up Must Come Down by Alan Chan and Andrew Kayla (Photo: Courtesy of Design Trust)

Renowned designer Alan Chan designed this pair of shoes in black and white to signify the binaries in life that go toe to toe. The piece is a reminder of the strength in all directions that life takes you. It's also a special collaboration between Alan Chan and Andrew Kayla and exclusively created for Critically Homemade.

The product is available from December 2020 at Andrew Kayla, 35 Aberdeen Street, S406, 4th Floor, Block A, PMQ, Central, andrewkayla.com

See also: Hong Kong's Creative Community Comes Together At Design Trust Charity Auction

8. Duality Invisible by Peter Yuill and Thierry Chow

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Above Duality Invisible by Peter Yuill and Thierry Chow (Photo: Courtesy of Design Trust)

This collaborative work between Peter Yuill and Thierry Chow emerged from the similarities of their work—Yulli focuses on the questioning and meaning of life while Chow's expertise in Feng Shui design heavily focuses on helping one find meaning in life through their environment. The two find duality in geometry, numerology and symbols which resulted in this art piece that symbolises the importance of balance, achieved through the use of circles.

The item is available for purchase from Design Trust's ePopUp via a public silent auction from November 25–December 3.

See also: Home Tour: This Apartment Combines Good Feng Shui With Colourful Interiors

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