New | Hong Kong should promote itself as hub for design and creativity
Attracting artists and craftsmen to Hong Kong will help foster the city’s design industry, says James Kaplan, chief executive of Tai Ping Carpets
Hong Kong should let its artistic side come out and work towards positioning itself as a major design and creative centre, in the view of James Kaplan, chief executive of Tai Ping Carpets International.
“Hong Kong has been a very successful banking and financial hub while its stock market is one of the world’s largest fund raising centres. However, in terms of design and the creative industry, the city still needs to do more,” Kaplan told the South China Morning Post in an interview at the company’s showroom in the Prince’s Building in Central.
This will encourage more designers to feel comfortable to come and live in Hong Kong to set up their workshop
The government should host more arts shows, exhibitions and events to promote the city as a design hub.
“This will encourage more designers to feel comfortable to come and live in Hong Kong to set up their workshop,” he said.
The Hong Kong government should support more research and development projects to encourage people to develop new fabrics and techniques to create the new products so as to upgrade the creativity of the city, he added.
Tai Ping was founded in 1956 and is majority owned by the Kadoorie family. It has made carpets for royalty, movie stars and governments, and its work can be seen in hotels, including Hong Kong’s storied The Peninsula, and Mandarin Oriental, as well as in casinos in Macau, private jets, yachts and luxury homes.
