Goods of Desire () commonly known as G.O.D., is a lifestyle design and retail brand based in
Hong Kong
Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...
. Founded in 1996 by Douglas Young and Benjamin Lau, the brand is known for their tongue-in-cheek interpretation of Hong Kong design and culture. The English name 'G.O.D.' is a
homophonic translation
Homophonic translation renders a text in one language into a near-homophonic text in another language, usually with no attempt to preserve the original meaning of the text. In one homophonic translation, for example, the English "sat on a wall" i ...
of the
Cantonese
Cantonese ( zh, t=廣東話, s=广东话, first=t, cy=Gwóngdūng wá) is a language within the Chinese (Sinitic) branch of the Sino-Tibetan languages originating from the city of Guangzhou (historically known as Canton) and its surrounding are ...
"住好啲" (''jyu hou di)'' , which roughly translates as "to live better".
At the end of 2019, there are eight store locations in Hong Kong. The company also sells products wholesale or brand-license to boutiques or department stores in cities such as
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
,
Amsterdam
Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the Capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population ...
,
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
Film and television
* '' ...
, Los Angeles,
Sydney
Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...
,
Shanghai
Shanghai (; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ) is one of the four direct-administered municipalities of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The city is located on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the Huangpu River flow ...
, Taiwan and
Singapore
Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...
.
History
Architects by training, co-founders Douglas Young and Benjamin Lau wanted to do a lifestyle and home accessories store, with an aim to design and manufacture the products instead of shipping Chinese goods made in the West. They launched G.O.D. with their first store in an
Ap Lei Chau
Ap Lei Chau or Aberdeen Island is an List of islands and peninsulas of Hong Kong, island of Hong Kong, located off Hong Kong Island next to Aberdeen Harbour, Hong Kong, Aberdeen Harbour and Aberdeen Channel. It has an area of after land recl ...
warehouse (closed 2014) in 1996. Within two years, other locations followed including on Hollywood Road in
Central
Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center of some place or (mathematical) object.
Central may also refer to:
Directions and generalised locations
* Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa continent, also known as ...
,
Tsim Sha Tsui
Tsim Sha Tsui, often abbreviated as TST, is an list of areas of Hong Kong, urban area in southern Kowloon, Hong Kong. The area is administratively part of the Yau Tsim Mong District. Tsim Sha Tsui East is a piece of land reclaimed from the Hu ...
(closed 2012). The Hollywood Road store is now their flagship and is home to th
famous Instagram muraldone in collaboration with street artist, Alex Croft in 2012.
In 2001, G.O.D. opened its 20,000 square foot flagship store at Leighton Centre (closed 2013) in
Causeway Bay
Causeway Bay is list of buildings, sites and areas in Hong Kong, an area and Victoria Park, Hong Kong, a bay on Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong, straddling the border of the Eastern District, Hong Kong, Eastern and the Wan Chai District, Wan Chai ...
, as well as lifestyle mall 'Delay No Mall', also in Causeway Bay in 2008.
In 2008, the company introduced a 'Hong Kong Street Culture Gallery' at the
Jockey Club Creative Arts Centre
The Jockey Club Creative Arts Centre (JCCAC; ) is a multi-disciplinary arts centre in Shek Kip Mei, Hong Kong, housed in a converted nine-storey factory estate.
JCCAC was established through the co-operation of the Hong Kong Arts Development ...
in
Shek Kip Mei
Shek Kip Mei, is an area in New Kowloon, to the northeast of the Kowloon Peninsula of Hong Kong. It borders Sham Shui Po and Kowloon Tong.
History
At the time of the 1911 census, the population of Shek Kip Mei was 72.
A major fire on 25 ...
,
Kowloon
Kowloon () is an urban area in Hong Kong comprising the Kowloon Peninsula and New Kowloon. With a population of 2,019,533 and a population density of in 2006, it is the most populous area in Hong Kong, compared with Hong Kong Island and t ...
, also the location of their design studio and office. The studio remains at this location thought the Gallery is closed. In 2009, G.O.D. opened at
The Peak Galleria
The Peak Galleria () is a leisure and shopping complex and a tourist attraction located at Victoria Gap, near the summit of Victoria Peak on Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong. It is owned and run by Hang Lung Properties. It includes a bus termi ...
(closed 2015) and in Stanley Plaza and Sai Kung in 2011. In July 2012, they expanded overseas and opened a 6,000 square foot flagship store (closed 2015) in Singapore's historical riverside
Clarke Quay
Clarke Quay is a historical riverside quay in Singapore, located within the Singapore River Planning Area. The quay is situated upstream from the mouth of the Singapore River and Boat Quay.
Etymology
''Clarke Quay'' was named after Sir Andre ...
. In 2014, G.O.D. became an anchor tenant in
PMQ (closed 2020), the historic heritage building turned creative hub in Soho and in the same year returned to Causeway Bay (closed end of 2019).
In 2015, G.O.D. expanded in Asia once again by opening three stores in Taiwan (closed 2017) and two
pop-up stores in Hong Kong - one at the
Hong Kong International Airport
Hong Kong International Airport is Hong Kong's main airport, built on reclaimed land on the island of Chek Lap Kok, Hong Kong. The airport is also referred to as Chek Lap Kok International Airport or ''Chek Lap Kok Airport'', to distinguish ...
in the Departures Hall and the other i
Lab Concept(closed 2020) in Admiralty . In the beginning of 2016, G.O.D. opened a store in the MH Mall in
Shenzhen, China
Shenzhen (; ; ; ), also historically known as Sham Chun, is a major Sub-provincial division, sub-provincial city and one of the Special economic zones of China, special economic zones of China. The city is located on the east bank of the Pea ...
(closed 2019).
G.O.D. opened their second Hong Kong International Airport store in 2018 along with a store in the Hong Kong station (near Exit E / Tung Chung MTR line).
Concept
Taking inspiration from both the condensed urban centres and rural environments of Asia, G.O.D. is influenced by the concept of the eastern lifestyle as an alternative to the western way of living. The idea of such a cultural contradiction is especially prevalent in a city like Hong Kong, a city that boasts a modernised way of life combined with traditional Chinese practices. Young wanted to build a brand based on traditional images of Hong Kong and believes that "the most successful brands tend to incorporate national identity. Not many Hong Kong brands actually feel very Hong Kong. I want to do something different: to give ourselves some pride and some respect. Some of our signature items have a quirky Hong Kong feel – they are unmistakable."
Young also said in an interview with
Hong Kong Trade Development Council
The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is a statutory body established in 1966 as the international marketing dedicated to creating opportunities for Hong Kong's businesses. The organisation has 50 offices around the world, including ...
that "I'm trying to push Hong Kong traditions, to make the ordinary and mundane into something extraordinary. When I hear people saying 'wow' about my products, it's great because it shows Hong Kong's flexibility." The intention is to provide 'something desirable' that the customers 'have not even imagined before'.
Products
![HK GOD HollywoodRd](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/77/HK_GOD_HollywoodRd.JPG)
G.O.D.'s core range of lifestyle products are designed in-house, and their product range consists mostly of fashion, home accessories and premium gifts. The designs and prints are inspired by old and new aspects of Hong Kong culture, including products themed with Chinese "
Double Happiness" characters, newspaper classifieds, retro local product packaging, 1950s advertisements, old letter boxes. Such products includes "Bishop" and "Rook" bean bags, inspired by
Chinese chess
''Xiangqi'' (; ), also called Chinese chess or elephant chess, is a strategy board game for two players. It is the most popular board game in China. ''Xiangqi'' is in the same family of games as ''shogi'', ''janggi'', Western chess, ''chatur ...
and pencil case in the design of old-school Chinese ballet flats.
In 2003, the company introduced its trademark slogan, "Delay No More". The phrase is a
homophonic translation
Homophonic translation renders a text in one language into a near-homophonic text in another language, usually with no attempt to preserve the original meaning of the text. In one homophonic translation, for example, the English "sat on a wall" i ...
of the
Cantonese profanity
The five most common Cantonese profanities, vulgar words in the Cantonese language are '' diu'' (/), ''gau'' (//), ''lan'' (/), ''tsat'' (//) and ''hai'' (/), where the first literally means '' fuck'', "Diu" (or Jiu) is literally the word for fuck ...
díu néih lóuh móuh (
屌你老母) "fuck your mother", but in English it is a call to action; and it is emblazoned on T-shirts and other products.
Crossover projects
![Hong Kong Duddell Street Starbucks](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1c/Hong_Kong_Duddell_Street_Starbucks.jpg)
;Starbucks
In June 2009, G.O.D. collaborated with
Starbucks
Starbucks Corporation is an American multinational chain of coffeehouses and roastery reserves headquartered in Seattle, Washington. It is the world's largest coffeehouse chain.
As of November 2021, the company had 33,833 stores in 80 c ...
to create a store with a "Bing Sutt Corner" at their outlet on
Duddell Street
Duddell Street is a small street located near the Lan Kwai Fong district in Central, Hong Kong. Named after George and Frederick Duddell, it stretches from Ice House Street to Queen's Road Central. The street is noted for containing the city' ...
in Central. It is a concept that fuses the retro
Bing Sutt Bing sutt () is a type of traditional cold drinking house started in Guangzhou (Canton) that spread to Hong Kong. These bing sutts arose in the 1950s and 1960s. They are characterized by old furniture and settings such as the small tiled floors, han ...
, a Hong Kong teahouse, style with the contemporary look of a coffeehouse. The coffee company states that, "This very unique Starbucks store has been built as a collaborative project with the quintessential Hong Kong brand G.O.D. (Goods of Desire). It is a celebration of Hong Kong's roots and spirit".
;Rugby Sevens
For the
2012 Hong Kong Sevens
The 2012 Hong Kong Sevens was the 37th edition of the Hong Kong Sevens tournament and the sixth tournament of the 2011–12 IRB Sevens World Series. The host stadium was the Hong Kong Stadium.
Fiji won the title by defeating New Zealand 35–28 ...
, G.O.D. teamed up with sportswear brand
Kukri Sports
Kukri Sports Ltd (pron: "kuk-ree") is an international sportswear brand specialising in manufacturing bespoke sportswear for over 100 sports, including rugby league, rugby union, netball, hockey, cricket and football.
The name 'Kukri' is taken f ...
to produce merchandising for the tournament. The products, carried the specially designed "Kukri x G.O.D." logo, which featured elements of the original Hong Kong flag, and ranged from polo shirts, traditional Chinese jackets, boxers,
Cheongsam
''Cheongsam'' (, ), also known as the ''qipao'' () and sometimes referred to as the mandarin gown, is a Chinese dress worn by women which takes inspiration from the , the ethnic clothing of the Manchu people. The cheongsam is most often see ...
-inspired ladies polo, messenger and tote bags. A percentage of sales went to the Foodlink Foundation, supported by both companies.
;Cathay Pacific
Starting in October 2012, Hong Kong airline
Cathay Pacific
Cathay Pacific Airways Limited (CPA), more widely known as Cathay Pacific (), is the flag carrier of Hong Kong, with its head office and main hub located at Hong Kong International Airport. The airline's operations and subsidiaries have sc ...
introduced a new range of amenity kits for
Premium economy
Premium economy class, also known as elite economy class or economy plus class, is a travel class offered on some airlines. It is usually positioned between standard economy class and business class in terms of price, comfort, and available amen ...
passagers, designed by G.O.D. The kits were designed as collectible with each bag being able to hook onto each other to form a wall-hanging accessory. The first two available were 'Joy' and 'Fortune', with designs that depict Chinese gods relaxing in-flight and of auspicious clouds respectively. They include 90% recycled
plastic bottles
A plastic bottle is a bottle constructed from high-density or low density plastic. Plastic bottles are typically used to store liquids such as water, soft drinks, motor oil, cooking oil, medicine, shampoo, milk, and ink. The size ranges from v ...
and toothbrush made mainly from
biodegradable
Biodegradation is the breakdown of organic matter by microorganisms, such as bacteria and fungi. It is generally assumed to be a natural process, which differentiates it from composting. Composting is a human-driven process in which biodegradati ...
corn starch
Corn starch, maize starch, or cornflour (British English) is the starch derived from corn (maize) grain. The starch is obtained from the endosperm of the kernel. Corn starch is a common food ingredient, often used to thicken sauces or sou ...
and cellulose. Since then, G.O.D. has designed two bags every six months for the
Cathay Pacific
Cathay Pacific Airways Limited (CPA), more widely known as Cathay Pacific (), is the flag carrier of Hong Kong, with its head office and main hub located at Hong Kong International Airport. The airline's operations and subsidiaries have sc ...
.
Maxim's
From 2009 to 2014, G.O.D. collaborated with powerhouse Hong Kong bakery, Maxim's, to design
mooncakes
A mooncake () is a Chinese bakery product traditionally eaten during the Mid-Autumn Festival (中秋節). The festival is about lunar appreciation and Moon watching, and mooncakes are regarded as a delicacy. Mooncakes are offered between ...
for the Chinese
Mid-autumn festival
The Mid-Autumn Festival (Chinese: / ), also known as the Moon Festival or Mooncake Festival, is a traditional festival celebrated in Chinese culture. Similar holidays are celebrated in Japan (), Korea (), Vietnam (), and other countries in Eas ...
. They came up with presenting the traditional treats in the shape of
bottoms in eight different designs, but still filled with traditional white lotus seed paste and salted yolks.
In 2013, G.O.D. debuted the wildly popular Mahjong Box Pineapple Cake Gift Box, which were all snapped up within days of its debut. The Majong Box Pineapple Cake Gift Box was jointly created by Goods of Desire and Mei-Xin Fine Goods in Hong Kong.
Exhibition
In September 2012, the brand in co-operation with Sino Art, held ''The Street Market Symphony Exhibition'' at
Olympian City
Olympian City () is a shopping and residential complex built on reclaimed land in Tai Kok Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong, next to the MTR Olympic station. It is one of the main shopping and residential areas in West Kowloon. The shopping arcades, Oly ...
, their first solo art exhibition in a shopping mall. The exhibition used multi-media installations housed in large red lampshades, the iconic representation of Hong Kong's
wet markets
A wet market (also called a public market or a traditional market) is a marketplace selling fresh foods such as meat, fish as food, fish, greengrocer, produce and other consumption-oriented shelf life, perishable goods in a non-supermarket sett ...
.
From 2010 to 2014, Young and G.O.D. designed the Club Lounge at Art HK followed by its successor,
Art Basel Hong Kong
Art Basel is a for-profit, privately owned and managed, international Art exhibition, art fair staged annually in Basel, Switzerland; Miami Beach; Hong Kong and from 2022, Paris. Art Basel works in collaboration with the host city's local instit ...
, highlighting the icons of Hong Kong culture. The first year featured the Copper Towers
Controversy
In 2007, Young and seventeen employees were taken in by police for selling T-shirts bearing the logo '
14K', the name of one of the city's triad crime syndicates. "Police claimed the shop had broken a section of an 1845 anti-triad law called the Societies Ordinance, which allows for the arrest of any person in possession of 'any books, accounts, writing, lists of members, seals, banners or insignia of or relating to any triad society.' Triad members still often carry such insignia – usually worn on the backs of shirts – that they show to shopkeepers in exchange for protection money."
Authorities "confiscated 88 shirts and more than 500 postcards printed with a '
14K' logo – with the numbers written in Chinese characters – from the store's five offices and warehouse located in
Central
Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center of some place or (mathematical) object.
Central may also refer to:
Directions and generalised locations
* Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa continent, also known as ...
,
Causeway Bay
Causeway Bay is list of buildings, sites and areas in Hong Kong, an area and Victoria Park, Hong Kong, a bay on Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong, straddling the border of the Eastern District, Hong Kong, Eastern and the Wan Chai District, Wan Chai ...
,
Tsim Sha Tsui
Tsim Sha Tsui, often abbreviated as TST, is an list of areas of Hong Kong, urban area in southern Kowloon, Hong Kong. The area is administratively part of the Yau Tsim Mong District. Tsim Sha Tsui East is a piece of land reclaimed from the Hu ...
and
Yuen Long
Yuen Long is a town in the western New Territories, Hong Kong. To its west lie Hung Shui Kiu (), Tin Shui Wai, Lau Fau Shan and Ha Tsuen, to the south Shap Pat Heung and Tai Tong, to the east Au Tau and Kam Tin (), and to the north Nam Sang W ...
." Young states that "
twas all a misunderstanding and the shirts were actually referring to 14
karat
The fineness of a precious metal object (coin, bar, jewelry, etc.) represents the weight of ''fine metal'' therein, in proportion to the total weight which includes alloying base metals and any impurities. Alloy metals are added to increase hardn ...
gold".
The 18 employees, including Young, were released the next day, and "their
14K T-shirts, are now collector's items", according to CNN Travel.
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Goods Of Desire
Retail companies of Hong Kong
Hong Kong brands
1996 establishments in Hong Kong