HONG KONG — Local politician Regina Ip emerged as a dark horse of this year’s ComplexCon Hong Kong as her meet-and-greet on Saturday afternoon sent hundreds of fans screaming and cheering, rivaling headliners, including the fair’s artistic director Kasing Lung, the creator of Labubu and The Monsters series, and Blackpink member Jennie Kim, who capped off the two-day fashion, art, culture and entertainment fair on Sunday night.
In recent years, Ip has amassed a considerable online following in Hong Kong as she underwent a successful image transformation from a stiff bureaucrat to a camp icon known for a great sense of humor, using memes to interact with followers online, and bold fashion choices.
In its third year, ComplexCon Hong Kong is the latest example of the city’s intention to cement its status as an international cultural hub and a prime destination for top-level global events, such as the inaugural WWD x SJ Global Fashion and Business Conference last December, which assembled an impressive lineup of speakers, including Kim Jones, Jason Wu and Robert Wun to share their valuable insight into the evolving fashion industry.
Regina Ip at ComplexCon Hong Kong.
Courtesy
Similarly, ComplexCon Hong Kong united star power, streetwear brands, contemporary artists, musicians and fans to celebrate the true meaning of living in the moment in a consumerism-first setting with global debuts and exclusive collaborations.
Buzzy drops, to name a few, included the Air Jordan 1 High OG x V.A.A. sneakers released within a special installation of former Louis Vuitton men’s artistic director Virgil Abloh’s archive; the new lifestyle-driven collection from Blackpink member Lisa’s fashion label Lloud, and the first collaboration between Clot and Gundam for the reimaging of the RX-78-02 humanoid robot model.
Then came the hard-to-get items from Lung’s latest round of collaborations.
The productive artist, who just announced the making of a feature film starring Labubu with Sony Pictures Entertainment and Paul King, the filmmaker behind behind “Wonka” and “Paddington,” teamed up with Globe Trotter once again for a 50-piece carry-on luggage set, a one-off hat for the upcoming charity auction organized by Joopiter and God’s True Cashmere, and a clothing range with singer JJ Lin’s fashion line SMG.
A collaboration between Kasing Lung, USM and Lane Crawford on display at ComplexCon Hong Kong.
He also teased a limited-edition display cabinet with a co-branded and signed Labubu and a dedicated seat inside in partnership with Lane Crawford and the Switzerland-based USM Modular Furniture. The furniture-art-collectible hybrid will be officially released during Milan’s Salone del Mobile in April.
Not to mention the three limited-edition Labubu figurines Lung specially designed for the festival, drawing long lines as soon as the doors opened.
The queue to shop for ComplexCon Hong Kong exclusive merchandise.
Courtesy
During the opening ceremony, Rosanna Law, secretary for culture, sports and tourism of the Hong Kong SAR Government, described this year’s fair as an “impressive and dynamic combination of pop culture programs.”
She said she was particularly pleased about Lung’s involvement, as well as the international music lineup led by Yeat from the U.S. and Jennie from South Korea, and was confident ComplexCon Hong Kong would reach a global audience while still feeling local.
Bonnie Chan Woo, founder and organizer of ComplexCon Hong Kong, stressed how much the fair has evolved since its debut three years ago, noting that what started largely as a showcase of trends has grown into a symbol of Hong Kong’s role as an international cultural hub, connecting global creative talent with the Asian market.
She described “community and co-creation” as the core ideas behind the festival and said the goal this year is to push the boundaries of fashion, art and music while creating an immersive space for inspiration and deeper dialogue.
