G.O.D's founder and chief executive officer Douglas Young taps Hong Kong's ordinary street scenes and makes them into award winning goods of desire

Hong Kong designer Douglas Young, founder of the irreverent-sounding G.O.D boutique lifestyle store, has taken the city's mundane street scenes and created extraordinary products that have earned him an award at the recent Business of Design Week (BODW).

The articulate architect turned designer/entrepreneur took traditional market scenes in Mongkok, horse racing in Happy Valley and facades of tightly packed buildings in Yaumatei and made them into tote bags called the Hong Kong Street print series. The award was given for his "discordant but novel combinations with people carrying their culture in their hands and in their hearts" at BODW, which highlights the importance of good design for business growth. (Details in World's top designers gather in Hong Kong)

The G.O.D store, named after goods of desire and from a literal translation of the Cantonese words "to live better", was set up in 1996. Its aim was to sell products defining "Hong Kong culture which is a fusion of modern Asia and western lifestyle". Now, G.O.D has four stores across Hong Kong and sells to New York, London, Sydney, Singapore and the Netherlands.

Traditions with a twist

"The BODW award was an indication we were heading in the right direction," Mr Young said. "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."

Mr Young added that in many ways Hong Kong needs to reinvent itself as a design centre, and he wants to be part of this process. "Hong Kong is so visual and vibrant. All you have to do is to look at a street scene anywhere and know instantly that it is in Hong Kong."

The upbeat economies of the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong have turned global attention on Asian and Chinese culture and that has undeniably helped in the business. "Asia is truly a rich and untapped source. I want to use Chinese culture as raw materials and help to define what is Chinese," said Mr Young, who spent 15 years as an architect in the UK. 

Most of the products are sourced from the Chinese mainland and Asia. "I'm doing something that defines Asian lifestyle with a modern touch so I buy from these places. Craftsmen from these places interpret our designs and give them a 21st century tweaking."

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