Out of caldron of historical conflicts, the tiny port city of Hong Kong attained a most extraordinary culture. Where 5,000-year old Chinese heritage coalesced with traditions of the once grand British Empire, city of modernity juxtaposed against Taoist temples. It now filled with languages of trade, finance, Chinese, English, and much more… Like the origin of the city itself, this mishmash of cultural elements helped to cultivate a vibrant creative community and a multi-media establishment like no other simply known as Silly Thing.
The word “silly” automatically conjure definitions of nonsensical ideas and absurd actions. In contrast, Silly Thing’s exploits have been well thought out. Each is a reference to the evolution of the company. From a humble beginning 10 years ago, the company now operates an expansive entity that shaped the urban culture of Hong Kong. Its publishing branch, which presides over 6 titles, includes the prominent urban culture weekly, MILK magazine, its monthly counterpart, MILK X, which targets affluent consumers, and other MILK franchises. Silly Thing’s design division managed to re-think the sometime contested boundaries of creativity and commercialism. In May 2005, the firm partnered with COMME des GARCON to open the first guerrilla store, +852, in Hong Kong. Subsequently, when designer Jun Takahashi thought of the first UNDERCOVER store outside of Japan, he sought out Silly Thing for assistance. Today, the joint venture known as UNDERCOVER HK is among the most innovative boutiques of Hong Kong.
Never rest on its laurels; Silly Thing continues to break new ground. Its most recent undertaking is the realm of interactive production. Stemmed from the 1999 Byss Bistrol, a large-scale mix media event where artist KAWS made his Hong Kong debut. Last year, a personal invitation by NIGO culminated the production of World Wide BAPE HEADS Live Show 2008 in Hong Kong. A sensational project saw performances by Kanye West, N.E.R.D., and Teriyaki Boyz. Leading up to the show production, Silly Thing also oversaw the event’s promotion, included a memorable television commercial with BAPE Milo caricatures.
Despite having such a vast reach, Silly Thing continues to adhere a simple principle throughout all its operations – to offer consumers unique and exceptional qualities through the products and services it offers. To better understand the dynamic aspects of this company, along with an overview of upcoming projects, we sat down with Silly Thing’s founder, TK, for an extensive look at this most interesting entity.
