Designer Fiona Kotur shares a lunch at Hong Kong’s first Brazilian-Japanese fusion restaurant DJAPA
Founder of Kotur, whose bold clutches and evening bags are often seen in the hands of celebrities, talks about her love of food
Fiona Kotur is a ball of energy. With her sunny disposition and elegant New York style, she has a way of lighting up the room - or, in our case, a two-storey restaurant.
We are at DJAPA, Hong Kong’s first Brazilian-Japanese fusion restaurant, the latest venture to open under the Le Comptoir umbrella, which has a string of popular eateries including Bibo, The Ocean and TRi.
The restaurant could also double as a boutique art gallery, with its sizable collection of artworks by renowned artists. Highlights include a giant lion sculpture by Takashi Murakami and a manga-inspired painting by Masakatsu Iwamoto on the first floor. When you climb up the colourful set of stairs - hand painted by the staff - you’re immediately greeted by a giant sparkly pumpkin structure by Yayoi Kusama. Turn around and you’re face-to-face with a sexy robot by Hajime Sorayama. Even the walls have been turned into giant canvases as prolific Brazilian artists Toz and duo Bicicleta sem Freio, all known for their graphic, colourful and avant-garde style, took over to leave their mark.
Kotur, the founder and creative force behind her fashion label of the same name, is blown away.
“I love the use of colour,” she says, as we tour the restaurant together. “It’s very eclectic.”
Kotur’s words aren’t empty. With a background in art, design, and fashion - she cut her teeth at major fashion houses, including Ralph Lauren and Gap, before helping her friend Tory Burch set up her own fashion company - she has a sophisticated, practised eye that can immediately detect what does or does not work.
