Leading the way

Founder, The Fabrick Lab
Elaine Ng

How do you turn the taste of whisky into a vibrant, multisensory experience? Well, first, you call Elaine Ng. That’s what historic whisky producer Macallan did in September when it wanted to create an installation at Macallan House on Hong Kong’s vibrant Stanley Street.

Ng is the founder of The Fabrick Lab, which experiments with materials and collaborates with engineers to create bold and unusual installations. At Macallan House, she unveiled an art piece composed of woven textiles, LED lights and 200 3D-printed polycarbonate elements. The display morphed according to the stage of the whisky’s ageing process and swirled as visitors swilled their glasses.

The Fabrick Lab has built a reputation for telling stories about brands that resonate in unexpected ways, often using colour, sound, light and texture. Ng began her career studying textiles at London’s Central Saint Martins, before bringing her vision back to Hong Kong. “Geographically, it’s great for business,” she says. The Fabrick Lab’s clients are mainly in Europe and China, while the consultancy arm of her work requires trips across Asia. The city’s proximity to manufacturing hubs in mainland China was also a major draw.

In 2015, Ng obtained government funding from the Design Trust to grow The Fabrick Lab. “Hong Kong has made it a lot easier, especially recently, for entrepreneurs,” she says. Taxation is low and government investment opens doors for creatives whose work pushes boundaries.

Today Ng has international clients including Swarovski and UBS, while also establishing a strong reputation at home in Hong Kong. “There’s an openness to ideas here that is so important for the work that we do,” she says.

CEO, OVOLO Hotels
Girish Jhunjhnuwala

In 2002, Girish Jhunjhnuwala spotted a “for sale” sign on a corner property in Hong Kong’s Central district. It was opposite the house that he had grown up in and, conveniently, he’d just sold his family’s watch business, so he was in the market for a new venture.

The era was ripe with opportunity in Hong Kong and Jhunjhnuwala had spotted a gap in the market: serviced apartments designed for the countless global travellers passing through the city.

The house would become Ovolo’s first property, one that would kickstart Jhunjhnuwala’s mission to reshape independent hospitality in Asia and beyond. When the global financial crisis rocked the world, Ovolo shifted focus to hotels but Jhunjhnuwala’s vision – for a fun, comfortable and modern city base with a distinct emphasis on design – remained constant.

“We didn’t see anyone else doing what we were doing,” he says today. “At the time, everyone was charging for wi-fi; we gave it to guests for free. We gave them free breakfast. The minibar was complimentary. We created spaces for people to socialise, to relax. No one was doing anything like this in Hong Kong – or anywhere else nearby.”

Ovolo Hotels remains proudly headquartered in the city’s Central district, using it as a base to expand the brand further. “We noticed that Australians really liked what we were doing,” says Jhunjhnuwala. “So, we decided to go to them.” In 2013, an outpost opened in the artsy laneways of Melbourne’s East End, which was soon followed by properties in Sydney, Canberra, and Brisbane. Today, the company operates 10 hotels in Hong Kong, Australia and Indonesia.

While it hasn’t been the easiest few years for Hong Kong’s hospitality industry, Jhunjhnuwala is hugely optimistic for what the future has in store. “Tourism is coming back,” he says. “We have a lot on the horizon.”

Far from unsubstantiated optimism, Jhunjhnuwala’s claim is built on a clear understanding of the many benefits of his home city. “Here in Hong Kong, we’ve got the transportation, the infrastructure, the rule of law – and the food,” he says, proudly. “I always think, ‘Why would I want to be anywhere else?’ We’ve got it all.”