On style, she rules
I was intending to buy myself an Acca Kappa bath brush when I visited Kuala Lumpur last week but sadly Acca Kappa stores have disappeared from The Pavilion and KLCC (Kuala Lumpur City Centre). Help!
The Brush Off, Central
The Dictator rules: Why does it need to be from a particular brand? I've looked up the Acca Kappa hand-finished beechwood natural bristle bath brush, with detachable handle (right), that you covet. In fact, you've highlighted an interesting fact. The Acca Kappa brand may now be admired by beauty addicts for its charmingly scented bath and beauty ranges, but it was actually a brushmaker when it was founded in Italy in 1869. The brush is nice, but not really worth obsessing over when you can find countless other good back scrubbers (cue The Smiths) around Hong Kong. For example, Kent, the famed British brushmaker founded in 1777, makes excellent brushes with the same materials and which are sold in Hong Kong (HK$250 to HK$325; Fanda, 19 Des Voeux Road, Central, tel: 2311 6168). You'll find that more of the old-school pharmacies rather than the new-fangled beauty shops carry bath brushes, but check out the options at Muji, Franc Franc and Sogo while you're at it. Just out of curiosity, which miraculous transformative powers do you expect said brush to hold? We do believe there is some credence to claims that brushes help to exfoliate and even improve circulation, but the beauty industry has come a long way since then. Let me know when you're ready to move into the 21st century and I'll recommend all sorts of exciting alternatives.
What is this Meadham Kirchhoff brand that's suddenly in the fashion mags? I like to think I'm up on my fashion, but I've never heard of it and I'd like to pick up on the pastel trend.
Kirchhoff - Need'em? Shouson Hill
The Dictator: You might 'like to think' you look like Angelina Jolie, too. That doesn't make it so. The London-based label designed by Central Saint Martins graduates Ed Meadham, an Englishman, and Ben Kirchhoff, a Frenchman, was founded in 2006. Fine, it takes time for brands to get off the ground, but you might have taken notice when they won the Emerging Talent Ready-to-Wear prize at the 2010 British Fashion Awards. Ever heard of Kylie Minogue? Yeah, the very publi- cations you referenced began showing photographs of celebs and models in their feminine dresses circa 2006. So you're not a fashion expert. So what? Pastels are a spring-summer trend and Meadham Kirchhoff is the darling of fashion editors right now, especially in Britain. When I last checked the official website, www. meadhamkirchhoff.com, it didn't offer much. In fact, it listed a Hong Kong stockist that won't actually carry this season's collection. But you'll find the brand's expertly executed, pretty, intricately detailed, theatrical pieces at Joyce (Pacific Place, Admiralty, tel: 2523 5944). Please stop and re-read the adjectives in the preceding sentence. Now, prepare yourself for the prices. When last we checked, they ranged from about HK$11,900 to HK$46,500. In a way, its girly, quirky style reminds us of the young, 'cute' Asian brands you'll find on and around Causeway Bay's Paterson Street or in Tsim Sha Tsui's Sun Arcade (28 Canton Road). Sure, the quality may be lower, but so will the prices.
