It is fitting that Louis Vuitton would choose Central, one of Hong Kong’s most sought after locations, to launch its first by-invitation-only pop-up apartment. Titled “L’Appartment”, the pop-up space hosted fashion and art aficionados for a six-week period from 1 September to 16 October.

For the project, Hong Kong-based designer Andre Fu created a refined and chic interior, with an undertone of whimsicality that hinted at the fashion house’s creative spirit.

As design devotees would know, Fu’s designs are oft steeped in the art of storytelling. For the LV pop-up apartment, the Hong Kong-born, Cambridge-educated designer envisioned catering to the “young urban jetsetter who has travelled the world and has a deep appreciation for contemporary art”. Taking direct cues from creative director Nicolas Ghesquiere’s LV Fall/Winter 2014 collection (also his first for the brand), lush textures met a playful palette in the French maison’s one-of-a-kind pop-up experiment. Dark woods and pristine white dominated the expansive 3,500-square-feet space, with hints of tangerine orange, mineral blue and olive green popping up on the otherwise neutral canvas. The juxtaposition of materials – Turkish onyx against gloss lacquer and stained oak against cork upholstery – added to the eclecticism and as Fu says, imbued the space with “a strong tactile quality”.

Once inside the warmly-lit living room, patrons were invited to feast their senses on the bespoke furnishings and curated selection of merchandise: A printed throw is thrust nonchalantly upon a greyish-blue chaise lounge. A painting depicting the French fashion house’s ubiquitous travel trunks hangs on the wall opposite. In the dining hall, a long mahogany table sits twelve. A strong collection of art completes the scheme.

Speaking further of his design, Fu says, “It is also a curated experience to showcase a lifestyle that speaks of relaxed luxury, a sensibility that is very in sync with how Louis Vuitton has re-invented itself of late.”

Andre Fu
afso.net