Just when the cozy, sweater-clad pine trees at Hong Kong’s IFC mall had put me in a festive holiday mood (and erased the image of post-coitial Michael Young from my mind) I came upon this Christmas-decor abomination: The Brown Oxford Shoe Encased in Ice:
A good, hard slap is due to the marketing genius who thought that luxury Christmas gifts encased fake blocks of ice would bring out a jolly holiday feeling. Central Hong Kong is already bulging with upmarket branded boutiques that take themselves far too seriously. Their products showcased in ice is sad. Adjectives that pop to mind include: vapid, tedious, grasping, hollow and pretentious.
Why couldn’t they just stick to their non-denominational, but also non-consumerist (ah, there’s the rub), ski gondola motif?:
These holiday abominations can be viewed in The Landmark, as well as in the adjoining Prince’s Building (look for the black, glittery evening bag encased in ice on the third floor!) and The Alexandra House (where the sad Brown Oxford Shoe is located).
Love the ski gondola motif. Looks just like Switzerland. Does it blast out cool air?
That would be a good idea! I also love the ski gondola decorations.
The shoe is hilarious. And come on, definitely great fodder for your blog! Made me smile.
Too true! What would I write about this month without a sprinkling of ridiculous Christmas decorations?
It is interesting to see how non-Christian societies around the world have latched on to the marketing bonanza of Christmas over the last 10-15 years. When we first moved to Dubai in 2000 expats worried about whether Christmas decorations in their shipments would be confiscated, now the Dubai malls are more decorated than anywhere in Europe or North America. Tolerance some might argue, but I think dollars have more to do with it. Bah humbug! 🙂
How interesting that you feared your Christmas decorations might be confiscated in Dubai only 12 years ago. And now the place is covered in decorations? Swift (strange, commercially-oriented) change indeed!
With Hong Kong’s love of shopping and it’s British heritage, it’s no wonder that it’s festooned with Christmas decorations. At times — the shoe for example — it does become crassly commercial.
The mountain and ski gondola are really an eye sight – but I prefer last year’s train wonderland. So much nicer and not that consumption-focused!
I also really like the ski gondola, so I’m sure I would have loved the train wonderland. (and like you, I also liked the lighted white and blue dresses at the IFC).
Only in HK! 🙂
I should have also gotten a picture of the handbag in ice! Priceless.
There’s a display in an outdoor equipment store in Taipei where a Gore Text boot is encased in a plastic display case and subjected to endless streams of water. THAT makes sense. An outdoorsy looking boot encased in a display case that resembles ice tells me I may not survive my trek in the Himalayas, but my boots sure as hell will?!
There was also a glittery handbag encased in ice; it too would apparently survive a sub-artic trek.