Joyce Ma, considered Asia’s Empress of Fashion, was the driving force behind making Hong Kong the shopping capital of the region. In the ’70s, she was responsible for introducing designers such as Giorgio Armani and Prada who were, at the time, relatively unknown in the region.
Over the next four decades, she would also introduce Asia to the likes of Dries Van Noten, Yohji Yamamoto, Missoni and Marni.
Joyce’s now-iconic Joyce Boutique is owned by the Lane Crawford group, but it continues to reflect its founder’s impeccable sense of style and keen eye for fresh trends.
For this reason, the recent relaunch of its flagship store at Queen’s Road Central had a gala dinner for A-list designer guests in honor of Joyce Ma.
In the glamorous crowd were guests of honor: Dries van Noten; Italian interior designer Paola Navone, who was responsible for Joyce Central’s new design; Joseph Bennett, designer of Alexander McQueen’s Savage Beauty exhibition and creative director for the Joyce exhibition; Sébastien Meyer and Arnaud Vaillant of Courrèges; designer Rick Owens, a collaborating partner in the Joyce exhibition; designers Haider Ackermann and Peter Lim; and Visionnaire’s Cecilia Dean, among others.
The dinner was organized by Joyce’s sister, Asian style icon and queen of confectionery Bonnae Gokson, at her au courant restaurant Sevva.
When I asked Joyce how she felt about this glittering tribute, she said, “It was very nice to see my friends again, whom I have helped discover, and I am glad for their individual successes.”
Originally 20,000 square feet, the floor area at the redesigned Joyce Central has expanded to 25,000 sq ft with a VIP loft for its most important clients.
Navone’s eclectic design includes bold, eye-popping combinations of texture and color, as well as the juxtaposition of everyday things with unusual works of art. The result: The store is now a masterpiece that combines the right amount of theatricality with sheer opulence—a visual homage to the trailblazing woman who started it all.
