What to see and wear this November in Hong Kong

CLOCKENFLAP MUSIC AND ARTS FESTIVAL

This year’s Clockenflap lineup sees the legendary Chemical Brothers headlining, arguably backed by the three-day festival’s most eclectic musical mix to date. Lovers of indie, funk, post-rock, raprave, reggae and more will all find something to tap their toes to.

Sharing the spotlight with the headliners will be Sigur Rós, an Icelandic band best known for its ethereal sound, and Foals, the English indie-rockers. Every year, Clockenflap – first staged in 2008 – seems to get a little bigger.

This year, the event relocates from its longtime home of the West Kowloon Cultural District to the Central Harbourfront space.

It’s not all about the music, though. Art exhibits and a variety of performances are also promised, all designed to amuse, perplex and intrigue viewers.

Venue: Central Harbourfront
Date: 25-27 November
Enquiries: Online submission
Website: http://www.clockenflap.com/

DOCTOR STRANGE

The latest addition to Marvel’s cinematic universe, Doctor Strange tells the story of a famous neurosurgeon (Benedict Cumberbatch) who makes some startling mystical discoveries after he loses the ability to use his hands in a car accident.

Venue: Cinemas HK-wide
Date: Now in theatres
Enquiries: N/A
Website: marvel.com/movies/movie/220/doctor_strange

RIHANNA’S FENTY PUMA COLLECTION

Divas and stylistas who have long dreamed of walking in Rihanna’s shoes now have their chance to take a glam class in Rockstar 101. The Barbadian-born singer has teamed up with Puma to create the Fenty clothing and shoe collection, now set to land in Hong Kong. The D-Mop shop, in Causeway Bay’s Fashion Walk, will host the city’s first pop-up Fenty Puma store – an exclusive event with the promise of free-flow wine. High-heel leather sneakers, lace-up corsets and kimono track jackets are all among the bold items in this rebellious collection.

For the “work, work, working” woman who likes to run errands in style, fur sandals in four incandescent colours are among the hottest items on Puma’s website. Men’s items in the collection, meanwhile, include a zip-up sneaker boot with a platform midsole, and a suede sneaker with a platform “creeper” sole.

Venue: D-Mop, Shop 3, G/F, 2-4 Kingston St, Fashion Walk, Causeway Bay
Date: 7 November, 6-9 pm
Enquiries: 2505 8982
Website: http://www.d-mop.com/eng/index.php

Jewellery inspired by the stars

Walking hand-in-hand with your lover along a promenade under a bright starry night is a scene straight out of a Hollywood movie, or your dreams. And only the luckiest of people will get to experience that scene in real life.

With that in mind, jewellers and purveyors of women’s fashion have been using scenes like the one mentioned for years to invoke images of romance and love to sell their products.

Carat London’s new Stella collection is no different. Inspired by bright starry nights, the jewellery brand’s latest collection includes earrings, bracelets, necklace and rings.

The collection is handmade using uniquely created hand-cut and hand-polished gemstones.

So pieces of jewellery like the Celestial Bracelet with an adjustable chain ball set in rose gold finish in sterling silver and the Mimosa Drop Necklace with its shimmering encrusted pendant which dangles from a chain of an adjustable lariat necklace have a classic look.

Dyson unveils purifier heater just in time for winter

Winter is coming — and that means coats and scarves will have to be worn indoors and outdoors. Sunny days spent frolicking on a beach/junk/hill will soon be nothing but a distant memory once the gloomy weather rolls in and consumes the city.

And with the gloomy weather comes a drop in temperature, which will turn a lot of homes into igloos or ice palaces, depending on where you live.

There are, however, a number of ways to keep warm when the temperature drops: wear lots of clothes, start a fire, embrace another person, but most people tend to buy a heater.

And with this in mind, Dyson has launched a purifier heater with a bladeless fan that is capable of warming or cooling the air in your home.

The Dyson Pure Hot + Cool also automatically purifies the pollutants in your home, while simultaneously reporting the indoor and outdoor air quality to the Dyson app.

The Dyson Link app, developed for iOS and Android, allows users to remotely monitor the air quality, which is perfect for people who have a connected home.

Walkman catches up to the future

The Sony Walkman has come a long way since Marty McFly used his to listen to rock music in the Back to the Future movie in 1985.

These days, the Walkman is not exactly a product from the future, but Sony has relaunched its iconic audio device with some serious upgrades.

The entry-level Walkman NW-A30 Series comes with support for DSD formats.

It is able to cut distortion and noise across a wide range of frequencies and it has two clock oscillators that are switched to provide optimal modulation for the sampling frequencies of each content.

The new Walkman only weighs 98g, and has Bluetooth and NFC capabilities which mean you can connect wirelessly to your speakers.

Sony is obviously well aware that poor battery life is the bane of our existence, so commuters and joggers can enjoy 45 hours from a single charge, unless you are competing in some hellacious running contest or commute to the ends of the earth.

The Walkman is available in 16GB or 32GB.

Tea is in the air

For a lot of people tea is everything. Starting their day without a cup is unthinkable, gossiping with friends has to be done in between sips and taking a well deserved tea break in the afternoon is compulsory.

But tea leaves are not just used to make something you drink.

A luxury tea brand from Singapore, Tea WG, has released scented candles that transform the fragrance and flavour of tea leaves.

The Perfume of Tea collection comes with a gilded rose cover which can be used either to extinguish or cover the candle and they can burn for up to 60 hours.

For tea lovers who must have the smell of tea float through their home as they sip on a cup of tea, the candles come in five flavours: Five O’clock Tea, French Earl Grey, Macaron Noir Tea, Silver Moon Tea and Emperor Sencha.

Park Lane Hong Kong refurbishes for tech-savvy travellers

To keep up with super-connected travellers, the Park Lane Hong Kong, a Pullman Hotel recently unveiled its refurbished executive rooms, executive lounge and function rooms.

All 68 executive rooms at the Park Lane, which is located in the heart of Causeway Bay, have been redesigned with wireless internet access, bed-side media hubs, high-definition TVs and DVD players.

The rooms have views of Victoria Harbour, Victoria Park and the city.

Also, to make life a little easier for executive travellers, guests enjoy exclusive check-in and check-out and complimentary use of the meeting room for two hours daily.

The hotel has been rolling out a series of renovations since 2013.

The Park Lane also has the SKYE bar on the 27th floor, with a swanky outdoor deck that features a futuristic illuminated bar and lounge chairs.

Glass Class

Sunglasses, of course, are an essential part of any discerning gentleman’s wardrobe. It is important to look chic, while protecting your eyes from any unwonted glare. Whether taking a sporty Jag coupé out for a spin on the bends on a dazzling day on the Isle of Capri or chilling out beachside on the Amalfi Coast, these rather sleek and streamlined shades from Cazal, the renowned German optical manufacturer, are the very thing.

The company’s newly launched 958 range is actually a reboot of one its most popular ever style of sunglasses, with a look that knowingly harks back to the vintage fashions of a quarter of a century ago. Billed by their manufacturer as “certain to cause a stir with their nonchalant coolness factor”, the high-contrast design of the 958’s light metal frame combines with the circular Lennon-reminiscent lenses to make a streamlined and snappy statement, while showcasing the wearer’s impeccable taste. In another plus, these unisex shades can be used as both an optical frame or as sunglasses.
www.opticon.com.hk

Tribù Offering

With Hong Kong about to enter the cooler months, it’s the perfect time for a little al fresco entertainment. Thankfully, Everything Under the Sun, that well-known provider of high-end outdoor furniture, seems to think so too. Hence the launch of the ever-so-timely Tribù Natal Alu sofa. A truly fetching item of furniture, it boasts a subtle frame with comfortable, curved armrests. These contrast nicely with the voluminous outdoor cushions, which are complemented by a weave in wide straps fashioned from textilene, a truly durable synthetic fabric.

Flexible and elegant, the Natal Alu sofa is one outdoor furnishing that will be at home on almost any terrace or patio. This is because it’s been craftily designed as 13 individual modules, all of which can be configured to any arrangement of your choosing. Special attention has been paid to the outdoor cushions, ensuring that they can be left outside during the whole of the outdoor season. They are also capable of withstanding the heaviest of sub-tropical downpours thanks to their ventilating filling, all of which is covered with a water-resistant laminated polypropylene cover.

www.everythingunderthesun.com.hk

On Hob’s Choice

Siemens Home Appliances, that most upscale of German household brands, has launched iQ700, a brand-spanking new built-in home appliance range. This timely collection includes a selection of state-of-the-art ovens, microwave ovens with grills, coffee centres and even a warming drawer. Its stylish and innovative design incorporates a delicate quadruple glass-cool touch-door. Temptingly, the whole of the oven can be used, giving it considerable extra capacity when compared with ovens of a similar size.

All of the iQ700 appliances are available in a range of sizes, with discerning homemakers able to take their kitchen to the next level with just the right size and mix of appliances to suit their home catering requirements. A true highlight of the range is the oven’s varioSpeed function, said to shorten cooking time by up to 50 percent, while the coolStart function, accelerates the cooking of frozen foods, preserving their flavours in the process. The sleek design fits snugly into any modern kitchen, with its impressive range of high-tech features certain to make life in the kitchen a whole lot less onerous.

www.siemens-home.com.hk

Maserartiness

The sleek lines of the new Maserati Levante may just as well have come courtesy of a fine artist as from a master of contemporary car making, such is their elegance and grace – pure poetry when in motion. Distinctively Italian in style, it comes complete with a number of breath-taking Maserati design features, including a signature concave grille.

This decidedly racy little number also features feline-inspired headlights and the Saetta logo on the rear pillar. Its fine leather seats give the interior of the Levante a truly sumptuous feel, while also providing superb lateral restraint during sports driving. Maserati’s sport steering wheel enhances the Levante’s sportiness and, coupled with the front seats and the brushed steel pedals, creates an environment that will satisfy any red-blooded sports GT enthusiast.

Its spaciousness is amplified still further by its panoramic electric sunroof. The Levante name was taken from a warm, Mediterranean wind, one that can change from a zephyr to gale force in an instant – again mirroring the car’s highly responsive nature.