The Signal of Hermes

Economic crisis? What crisis?

Bucking the trend, Hermes announced to open its new flagship store in Hong Kong, doubling the size of its orignal shop in Tsim Sha Tsui in Kowloon, part of the giant HarbourCity shopping mall.

Is the latest expansion of Hermes in Hong Kong, one of the best-selling markets in the world for many luxury brands — at least before Covid-19 changed everything — a vote of confidence to Hong Kong’s economic recovery, or more to the hope of recovery of Hong Kong-Mainland China tourism?

Sources: Nothing But Thirty, Zhihu

For many Chinese fans of Hermes, Hermes is Hermes. Nothing else will do. This can be proved in a viral screenshot of the popular 2020 Chinese TV drama “Nothing But Thirty” (三十而已), featuring a group of wealthy housewives and their Hermès Kelly and Birkin bags. The TV drama brings the authoritative sense of Hermes in the fashion business to a new level in China as the hidden message from the screenshot is simple: the rich only buy Hermes. Nothing else.

Hermes is a miracle.

Even during the Covid-19 pandemic, there has been always a queue of shoppers in front of Hermes stores in Hong Kong. Some say buying Hermes bags can generate even higher return than buying stocks.

To a certain degree, Hermes is more than a luxury brand; it’s already a kind of investment option.

Hong Kong's Star Ferry

香港那麼多交通工具，我還是最鍾意搭天星小輪，維多利亞港灣兩邊來來回回，時而在海面上輕輕搖擺，時而清風徐來，她亦會和她追蹤的夢一齊遊戲人間。時間和空間都只是相對的概念，一世紀，出來混，遲早都要還⋯⋯

我愛妳，香港。

Among all means of transport in Hong Kong, my favourite is still the Star Ferry, sailing across the Victoria Harbour. The little and historic ferry sometimes follows the wind, and sometimes plays with the wave. That’s life, isn’t it? Time and space are all in the theory of relativity. After a century, what remains, and what has been gone?

I love you, Hong Kong.