HEARTS ON FIRE is lighting up the season with JOY UNLEASHED, a holiday campaign launched globally in stores on Nov. 14, 2024. Known for their modern, signature-cut diamonds, the brand invites everyone to embrace the magic and wonder that makes this time of year so special.

The campaign is complemented by a curated Holiday Edit of jewels that are perfect for gifting—or treating yourself. From everyday indulgences to show-stopping statement pieces, this curated collection is all about adding a touch of festive glamor.

Highlights include the BARRE collection, where modern design meets the pulse of the city. Its unconventional floating diamonds and graphic gold elements create a fresh, standout look.

For something timeless yet distinctive, explore the contemporary pieces from the VELA collection, showcasing a masterful French-cut pavé setting in sleek silver.

And don’t miss the AERIAL collection, where marquise and pear-shaped illusion settings bring every piece to life with a radiant sparkle. Classics from the Fulfillment and Temptation series are also here to add that signature HEARTS ON FIRE brilliance to your holidays.

Discover the joy of giving—and glowing—this season! To find out more, visit their website here, or follow HEARTS ON FIRE on Instagram and Facebook.

This holiday season, premiere skincare brand The Ordinary (part of DECIEM) is inviting customers to embrace thoughtful, intentional gifting through their “Slowvember” Campaign and Holiday Gift Sets.

The skincare brand is pushing back against Black Friday and will close all their stores on Nov. 29, 2024, marking a stand for mindful shopping. Instead of frantic flash sales, The Ordinary encourages customers to shop at their own pace with their Slowvember Sale, offering a 23% discount on all products through the month. This year, the offer is being extended till Dec. 6, 2024, both in-store and online.

For the holidays, The Ordinary is introducing its Holiday Collection: four specially curated gift sets, catering to a variety of skin concerns from hydration and brightening to age support. These sets feature scientifically crafted formulations, making them ideal gifts for both skincare beginners and aficionados.

The highlights include – firstly – The Resurface & Hydrate Set (HK$84), perfect for those seeking advanced exfoliation and hydration, this travel-sized duo includes the popular AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution 15 ml and Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 15 ml. For brighter, smoother skin, try The Glycolic Acid Set (HK$125). This set includes 7% Exfoliating Toner which comes in two sizes, the larger 240 ml and travel sized 100 ml.

If you have dry skin, The Nightly Set (HK$212) is ideal. This trio includes Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 at 30 ml, Retinal 0.2% Emulsion at 15 ml, and the 100% Organic Cold-Pressed Rose Hip Seed Oil (30 ml) for ultimate nightly nourishment.

Looking for the perfect introduction to skincare? The Mini Discovery Set (HK$225) has got you covered. This set includes pocket-sized versions of six of The Ordinary’s best-sellers, perfect for newcomers exploring The Ordinary’s range.

From Dec. 1-6, customers who purchase the Squalane + Amino Acids Lip Balm online or in free standing stores, will also receive a complimentary gift. The lip balm also features a unique keychain lid, making it easy to carry on the go.

What’s more, NIOD, a brand focused on skin optimization, is offering a 50% discount on two advanced hydration products: Multi-Molecular Hyaluronic Complex and Hydration Vaccine. DECIEM aims to make high-tech hydration more accessible, as it’s essential for optimal skin performance.

To find out more, visit The Ordinary on their website, or follow them on Instagram and Facebook.

Fashion and thrifting lovers should make a beeline to the newly opened Secondhand Pop-Up by Hong Kong environmental NGO Redress!

Running from Nov. 12 to 17, 2024, this event is an absolute must-visit for anyone who loves great style and sustainable fashion.

Every second, the world sends an entire rubbish truck of textiles to landfills or incinerators, according to a report from the Ellen MacArthur Foundation. But Redress is turning that grim statistic on its head with a bold, stylish solution. This event is your chance to take home a fabulous range of preloved clothing and accessories — from luxury brands to high fashion labels — starting at just HK$50.

The large assortment of clothes for sale is part of Redress’ Takeback Program, which collects unwanted garments from across Hong Kong and gives them a second life. With 26 collection points in the city, your preloved clothes could be part of this sustainable cycle, helping shape a future of circular fashion.

The pop-up also features the Redress Design Award 2024 Finalists Exhibition, where you can get up close to the latest sustainable collections straight off the runway, including the Winner Tiger Chung's design. Using discarded materials, these up-and-coming designers prove that “luxury” isn’t just about new – it’s about reinvention.

There is also the chance to shop the latest sustainable creations from Redress Alumni designers, Eric Wong and Lola Clavel. Check out Tiffany Pattinson’s Shell Scapes: Reforming Waste exhibition held at the pop-up, showcasing her stunning pieces made from unwanted garments collected through the Takeback Program. There is even a Kids’ Corner where your little ones can play and read books.

Redress accepts cash, Visa, MasterCard, UnionPay, and American Express. Pro tip: Bring your own bag to keep things green!

For more information, visit Redress on their website, or follow them on Instagram and Facebook.

Location: Redress Pop-Up, 7/F, Berkshire House, Taikoo Place, Quarry Bay, Hong Kong

Opening Hours: Tuesday–Friday from 11 AM to 8 PM, Saturday to Sunday from 11 AM to 7 PM.

The Beat Asia was privileged to attend the Redress Design Award 2024 Grand Final Fashion Show, exclusively catching up with Finalists and Jessica Wei, the Senior Director of Sustainability, at Tommy Hilfiger Asia Pacific, the program’s Exclusive Fashion Sponsor, to get an inside look into what it will take to build a more circular fashion industry.

Also serving on the judging panel for the 2024 Award, Jessica led workshops for the Finalists educating them on crucial industry knowledge and mediating an eye-opening pitching session. Throughout a week-long program, Jessica, alongside her panel, carefully assessed every element that went into each of the Finalists’ showcase collections, culminating in the Grand Final Fashion Show held on Friday, Sept. 6, 2024.

With a background in building sustainable product and packaging design, alongside implementing circular and renewable operations at Tommy Hilfiger Asia Pacific, Jessica is embedded in the brand’s “Tommy for Tomorrow” targets. Not only did she bring her crucial industry expertise to 2024’s Redress Design Award, but this year’s Winner Tiger Chung will also be working with Tommy Hilfiger to launch a sustainable retail collection in Hong Kong.

Read on as Jessica shares her experiences with the Redress Design Award 2024 and how Tiger will be joining her to influence the more circular fashion industry of tomorrow.

What led to your exclusive fashion sponsorship with Redress this year?

Tommy Hilfiger is committed to inclusivity and sustainability and our vision is a future of fashion that “wastes nothing and welcomes all."

We believe that this ethos aligns with the Redress Design Award, a fantastic competition that nurtures the next generation of circular design talent from different walks of life across the globe and unites them in a vision of sustainable fashion. Our goals are aligned, and Tommy Hilfiger is proud to be the 2024 exclusive fashion sponsor as we strive towards making circularity the industry norm.

What were you looking out for in the Finalists’ collections and what do you look forward to the winner bringing to a sustainable retail project in Tommy Hilfiger?

As a judge, I’ve been looking out for designers who challenge the status quo when it comes to sustainability, whether that’s in material sourcing, circular design technique, or having thought about the life cycle of a piece. What has set the winner apart is superior storytelling through their work.

We are very excited to be working with this year’s winner, Tiger Chung from Hong Kong, and we believe their inspiration and sustainable design techniques will inspire local communities, other designers, and industry alike.

Tiger will be working closely with our sustainability, design, sourcing, and store development teams to bring a unique sustainable collection to life for retail in Hong Kong, and we can’t wait to share this with our consumers!

What has been a positive experience interacting with this year’s Redress Design Awards finalists?

One of the best parts of this competition is that finalists are given several workshopping opportunities, at a manufacturer, at a packaging workshop, and of course, the pitching day with all the judges. Watching them develop through this process has been a rewarding experience!

With circularity at the core of Tommy Hilfiger’s sustainability efforts, what steps are you putting in place in your operations to facilitate building a more sustainable business model?

Our goal is that all of Tommy Hilfiger’s products will contribute to the circular economy by 2030 through design, use, and end-of-life. We are focused on the key pillars of circular design, promoting circular business models to extend use, and end-of-life management.

As about 80% of a product’s environmental footprint is determined in the design stage, we are educating our designers through our circular design guidelines internally and we also have sustainable product guidelines around material choices.

Read more about the Redress Design Award 2024 Grand Final Fashion Show and The Beat Asia's exclusive on Tiger and the other finalists here.

While sustainability is often discussed in the fashion industry, jewelry frequently gets overlooked. Not for Hong Kong-born designer Jeanine Hsu, though. She is leading the charge for eco-conscious practices in the jewelry sector with her brand, niin.

niin is fast gaining international acclaim thanks to its winning combination of contemporary and bohemian styles. niin designs were recently featured in the hit TV show The Bachelorette Japan and the brand’s pieces can be found at prestigious outlets in Hong Kong and overseas, including the Four Seasons, Lane Crawford, and Selfridges.

Jeanine’s designs are meticulously crafted using artisanal techniques from Southeast Asia, embodying her commitment to ‘tread lightly on the earth’ through ethical preservation and conservation practices. Each piece is handcrafted from natural materials like gemstones, driftwood, shells, and metal.

Having recently relocated to Bali, Jeanine is excited to introduce her latest collection, Bumi — meaning ‘earth’ in Bahasa — which is part of her innovative jewelry line Gentle Diamonds. In this exclusive interview with The Beat Asia, Jeanine gives us a sneak preview of her new collection and explains how sustainability is central to her work.

Can you tell us about your latest niin collection?

My most recent collection is a jade collection all made in Bali. Our goal is about recycled materials, and the Jade collection is all made with recycled silver.

I was struggling to find Jade in Hong Kong but now I'm based in Bali I am able to partner with artisans here. I met a stone carver at his home who showed me a whole bucket of stones — all jade! He now sources our jade from Indonesia and helps me carve it.

Why did you choose Jade for this collection?

As in most collections, the stones find me. My strong connection to Asia and my Chinese heritage was also a big part of it because my father was Chinese. He actually passed away last year, but in a way, I feel like using jade brought me closer [to him]. Jade is a very honorable stone with a lot of meaning; it’s all about purity and protection.

Is there a favourite piece you have in your latest collection?

In my latest collection, I like the drop pendant earrings a lot. Also, the Mother of Pearl piece is another favorite; it’s quite classic, using both shiny and matte materials, but it also has a twist.

Why is sustainability in this industry important to you?

We want to be mindful of every choice that we make. And jewelry is just my medium for my mission of being sustainable. The idea is to be circular. At the end of the day, I'm providing a product that requires selling. But there are also many more ways now to find recycled or natural materials, and the idea behind my brand is that it makes people think a bit more about how things are made. We’re offering an opportunity and an option to go with something that doesn’t harm the earth.

The name niin itself is a nickname, but in Finnish, it’s a positive affirmative word, so if you put niin in any sentence, it becomes positive in that language. niin aims to spread positive energy through the materials and how we use them. We upcycle from trash and make it into treasure and respect the healing energies that the crystals or just nature, in general, give us humans. That's my goal through my jewelry.

Do your customers relate to your gemstones on a spiritual level?

Absolutely. I was curious to see how the reaction would be because I've always pictured jade being worn by a different generation. My grandmother used to wear a lot of jade. I never gravitated towards it before, but I think that this year has been quite a tough year for many people, and I think gemstones mirror those emotions. Jade was a big hit in both Japan and Indonesia, in fact, our product launch in Tokyo was our biggest one for a while. It definitely seems jade is making a comeback.

Your jewelry line was recently featured in The Bachelorette Japan. How did that go?

The Bachelorette Japan was filming in Bali, and the producers were looking for an engagement ring. We had just launched this engagement collection called Bumi in London, which is our first collaboration with Gentle Diamonds.

These are non-mined diamonds, so they haven’t caused environmental, physical, or social damage. I had some of our diamond rings with me so was able to provide a ring for the show.

We were styling the Bachelorette, Aki [Aki Takei] throughout most of the program with our current collections. Aki is really warm and lovely, and she loves the brand as well, so she gladly did a video for us. She's a great ambassador for us in the new Japanese market.

How did you become interested and subsequently develop your passion for designing jewelry?

I studied fashion design and was always interested in sculpture at school. It was design or nothing, as far as I was concerned. I thought, 'If I get into Central Saint Martins, I'll do fashion,' and I did, and loved every minute of it.

I love the whole idea of how you adorn the body. When I was working in costume design in Vienna — I’m half Austrian — they made everything from scratch, from the gloves to the shoes, so I became interested in building items that could be worn. Jewelry was a natural choice, as it was fashion and sculpture combined.

The brand niin started with wooden bangles. A friend of mine was sourcing wood and bone items from India, and I began by selling her products and designing through that workshop. I realized how much wood just goes to waste and gets burnt. So then I developed my own partnership in conjunction with a luxury jewelry maker in the Philippines. It's been a journey of establishing good relationships with these artisans. Today, we make all our jewelry in Southeast Asia at a mixture of workshops, depending on the materials.

Why did you choose Hong Kong as the place to jumpstart your career?

My family was living in Hong Kong, and I grew up here, so it had always been in the back of my mind to come back. It’s a great place to start a business.

We opened our first showroom, which used recycled floorboards. I collected all the furniture [for the showroom] from various uncles and aunties. I made it my mission not to go to Ikea. I'm glad that it's now become a trend and people are more conscious about choosing things which have less impact on the environment.

It does take time though, and time is money. A real businessman would look at it and say, 'You wasted that whole month sourcing when you could have been up and running faster.' But we all know that fast doesn't mean ethical or sustainable. It’s about slowing down a little bit sometimes.

It’s not easy to make it as an independent designer – are you satisfied with your career journey so far, and what significance does this career hold for you?

I could probably have focused a bit more on making money. Now it's about turning it from building the brand and the ethos to becoming more commercially minded.

It’s taken me a while to embrace this concept, I've been learning a lot along the way. I think the process has been a challenge every day.

At the same time, it's inspiring, and I really hope to make some changes to give back to society.

Are you more hopeful about the future of sustainability from what you’ve seen with your consumers?

Definitely, it's increasing daily. There are a huge amount of entrepreneurs living in Bali trying to make a change. If you look at the waste situation in Indonesia, it's quite dire, but a lot of inspiring people are trying to help and make changes. Even in Hong Kong, I would say people are more interested in sustainability now than they ever were. If we all continue this trajectory, I hope we have a chance.

What does the future hold for you and niin?

We look forward to niin being distributed in more places and spreading more impact through artisans, the community, and also further afield. I hope we can bring some positive energy and make everyone a bit more mindful.

You can shop niin here, and stay connected by following niin on Instagram and Facebook for more information.

Fashionistas, get ready to shop till you drop this season! The South Korean designer fashion brand Matin Kim officially opened its first-ever store in Hong Kong on Oct. 25, 2024. The store is located on Kai Chiu Road, a vibrant hotspot near Hysan Place, in Causeway Bay.

Matin Kim specializes in stylish ready-to-wear clothing that showcases trendy Korean aesthetics. Expect to find chic pieces that incorporate elements like distressed denim, detailed stitching, hand embroidery, and striking metallic accents.

After gaining popularity in South Korea and other parts of Asia, Matin Kim is building on the success of its previous pop-up in Nagoya. This opening in Hong Kong is set to elevate its presence even further, attracting fashion lovers looking for unique and contemporary designs.

Last Friday, Matin Kim kicked off the excitement by inviting Ivy So from the girl group COLLAR to be the first to see the new store and scope out cute clothes from the early autumn collection. To add to the buzz, a classic Hong Kong double-decker tram, affectionately known as “Ding Ding,” was adorned in Matin Kim’s signature style, making its way around Hong Kong Island.

The new store is launching with the 2024 Pre-Fall Collection titled "Ready, Set, Ok." This collection features a diverse range of styles for casual everyday wear, including T-shirts, chic leather handbags, loafers, and stylish accessories like wallets and cardholders.

Matin Kim will also offer several exclusive shopping privileges during the opening period, which you can find on their Instagram. Visit their website here for more announcements.

Location: Matin Kim, G/F, Kai Chiu Road 10, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong