UMA MIY (Hong Kong)

There seems to be a certain irony in the fact that in a city like Hong Kong, where Louis Vuitton is more ubiquitous than Zara, you can spend a ton of money on high end goods and still end up wearing the same outfit as everyone else. When luxury goods, which back in the old days were meant to be exclusive, no longer are (except perhaps for the price factor, which few locals seem to have an issue with), you can't help but crave something a little more unique, especially in a country that doesn't embrace vintage shopping. Even though I've complained about the lack of local designers in HK, quite a few of them have popped up with their own little stores, and the most popular area for emerging talent seems to be Central's Soho area. I had been following the label Among Strangers for a while, and when I discovered that the brand's founder Grace Yow had opened a small boutique that sells not only her own designs but also stocks other harder to find labels, I knew I had to pay it a visit.

A selection from Among Strangers' FW08 lookbook (images: Among Strangers). For some odd reason these are the most current pics available.

The store's name UMA MIY, derived from the Japanese word "unami" - an "elusive fifth taste, denoting something with its own character, rather delicious, yet indescribable" - pretty much sums up the kind of style and fashion Yow was going for when she decided to open her own store. Tired of the same old brands, which can be found on every HK street corner, she made it her mission to scour the London, NYC and Paris fashion scenes to bring locals a more distinctive and edgier selection of clothing and accessories, with which discerning fashion lovers could better individualize their look. Having graduated from New York's Parsons School of Design, she also completed a three year stint designing both women's and menswear in a Manhattan studio. Her love of sharp lines and flattering silhouettes is evident in Among Strangers - a range of clothing that contains both menswear inspired tailoring and feminine draping.

Top: Entrance to the store on the first floor (image: UMA MIY). Bottom: The first shelves near the entrance, incl. shoes, a vintage sewing machine, bags and belts.

The boutique is situated on a small street in the middle of the bustling financial district. Surprisingly this alley is never that busy, despite the flagships that have landed here in recent times (everyone from Louboutin to Ann Demeulemeester can be found here). Nevertheless, you'll have to know the address to locate UMA MIY. In a city where retail space is a luxury, this store is located on the first floor of what looks like an office building. The very unsexy shot at the top of this post will give an indication of how well hidden it is, and it didn't really help that scaffolding obscured the view of the storefront (not that anyone every really looks up when window shopping). Accessible only by elevator, the store itself is unexpectedly quaint. Sleek white furniture, a few rococo elements as seen on the mirrors or stucco walls and old fashioned props, such as the leather sofa or vintage sewing machine, give the interior a modern yet inviting atmosphere. The shop is relatively tiny, but full of fantastic things to browse, so you might just end up spending more time here than expected.

Overview of the store from the front (top) with it's beautiful ceiling, and a few Camilla Skovgaard heels (bottom).

Approaching the first rack of clothes (left) and the charity travel pouches for Mother's Choice, which were designed by the children themselves (right).

There was only one SA present, who was very helpful and in general you can pretty much expect a personal shopper experience when you arrive. Occasionally Yow herself will be in-store and you can rest assured that all stock is hand selected by the designer herself. The first few pieces I saw included colorful dresses by Josh Goot, darker flowy pieces by A.F. Vandervorst and a cool edgy range of Meadham Kirchhoff and Ohne Titel clothing. In collaboration with local children's charity Mother's Choice, UMA MIY is also selling a selection of cosmetics bags, with all proceeds benefiting the good cause.

More clothes and accessories towards the windows (left), which is where I found these lovely knits (right).

Overview of the store from the back (top, image: luxury-insider.com) - note the stunning wall details - and more beautiful garments, incl. this lattice dress.

While most of the clothes can be found on either side of the room towards the wall, the more tempting items are displayed in a few of the shelves and on the center table. Yow has managed to procure some very eye catching and droolworthy pieces, most notably the fetish inspired leather cuffs, corset belts and very hyped cross-body bag with a shoulder piece (as seen on Rihanna) by London label Fleet Ilya. In addition, I spied a wide range of clutches and jewelry by Parisian label Nuit N12 (a favorite among performers such as Beth Ditto) and something that's bound to appeal to your inner goth. And if that's not enough to personalize your look, you should get hold of the beautiful body jewelry from Bliss Lau, which will transform any simple outfit into a a stunning statement piece. Thankfully the Bliss Lau items can also be purchased directly online.

The center table full of jewelry and bags (lower left). It also featured the Fleet Ilya, Bliss Lau and Nuit N12 catalogs (top). Below right, a detailed shot of the elaborate shoulder piece that's part of the iconic Fleet Ilya bag.

A selection of edgy pieces by Nuit N12 (right column & bottom left, i.e. anything with a skull on it) and Fleet Ilya (everything else - images: Fleet Ilya, Nuit N12).

For shoes and bags, a nice range of items from Camilla Skovgaard and Andrea Brueckner is available as well. Suspended from above, a few more dresses hang by the window and some of the tops and knits are laid out for easier browsing. I was enamored by the watercolor prints of Cathy Pill's designs, while the quirky motifs of Swash were a little too bold for my taste... until I saw the scarves.

Another view of the boutique (top, image: UMA MIY) and more lovely items, such as the watercolor dress, along with another Fleet Ilya belt (left) and colorful scarves from Swash (right).

A selection of cheerfully bright looks from Cathy Pill (top right, lower left) and Swash (the rest - images: Cathy Pill, Swash).

Last but not least, I did of course take a look at the Among Strangers range and was not disappointed. The modern pieces are more simple and subtle than over the top, but it is Yow's philosophy that her customers will find their own inspiration and self-expression by wearing her clothes and letting their own personality shine through. The very cool tuxedo jacket with it's misplaced lapels was edgy yet chic and the silk dresses fit the body like a second skin but still retained their sophistication. The attention to detail was what I loved the most - not immediately visible, but once you took a closer look, you'd notice the asymmetric hemline or cut-outs on the side.

A slightly more colorful palette of clothes, taken during the Summer (top image: stardoll.com), an edgy tuxedo jacket with asymmetric lapels (lower left) and a dress featuring a Bliss Lau body chain (lower right).

A selection of body jewelry from the Bliss Lau lookbook (images: Bliss Lau).

A lot of the items you see here aren't just hand selected and difficult to find elsewhere, but are of the best quality (in many cases also handmade), so even if the price hurts your eyes at times, you are getting your money's worth. Definitely a more unique fashion experience in a city that's obsessed with big name brands and if you're not in Hong Kong anytime soon, many of the labels mentioned in this post can be found in smaller boutiques around the world.

A selection of the SS07 and FW07 range from the Among Strangers lookbook (images: Among Strangers).

Address: 9 On Lan Street, 1st Floor, Central, Hong Kong
Opening Hrs: Mon-Sat: 11:00-20:00, Sun: 12:00-18:00
UMA MIY Homepage