NEWS

SOLO HK, a citywide popup-shop platform with flexible lease options for entrepreneurs and small businesses, has opened a location in Stanley Market. Show your support for local businesses at SOLO Stanley Market, where they have a coffee and gelato shop as well as a laundry spot for pet products, amongst other stores. This is the latest to join its long list of SOLO locations including Causeway Bay, Wan Chai, North Point, Wong Chuk Hang, Tsim Sha Tsui and Mong Kok.

The popular British retailer opened its new flagship store in Cityplaza last month, spanning an impressive 30,973 square feet. The new store offers a wider range of products for those who are missing home, including 270 new chilled food lines, a cheese chiller, more organic and gluten10 | SOUTHSIDE

free baked goods and most excitingly, a dedicated Percy Shop for the beloved character. Shoppers can also enjoy the new coffee-to-go counter if they fancy a wellearned break mid-shop.

A total of 185 units in La Marina in Wong Chuk Hang were sold on the weekend of September 4. An additional 133 new units ranging from 320 to 1,420 square feet have been put on the market. Developers raised the price by 3.55 percent for the latest batch in La Marina, costing an average of $36,590 per square feet. Total transactions in Hong Kong’s property sector surged to a 24-year high led by a bounce in residential assets, as investors piled into the market amid the economic recovery this month. Buyers bought 88 percent of 455 flats on offer from three projects in one of the biggest sales weekends this year.

On a mission to reduce fashion waste, the Redress Design Awards is the world’s largest sustainable fashion design competition, showcasing what is possible when emerging designs are given an opportunity to innovate around sustainability. This year was the 10th awards and received applications from designers in over 58 countries and regions. The final 10 competed in a fashion show on September 11 where emerging designer Jessica Chang from Taiwan took home the first prize. “Entering this complex industry as an emerging designer is daunting because, so often, everywhere we look we see bad news and complexity. We know we can bring change. Yet it is hard to magnify our big ideas as start-up designers. This award has given me confidence - we are all in this together to make a positive change,” said Jessica.

Hong Kong’s lawmakers have voted in favour of classifying wildlife crimes including selling, buying and importing endangered shark fin species as organized and serious crime. This new law gives Hong Kong authorities the power to detect, disrupt, dismantle and ultimately deter the international criminal networks responsible for the unsustainable exploitation of endangered species. The city currently classifies 12 shark species as protected under this law including whale sharks, white sharks and hammerhead sharks. The Hong Kong Shark Foundation has stated this law as “a game changer in the fight against the illegal wildlife trade.” Hong Kong residents are slowly becoming more accepting of Covid vaccinations as the numbers of inoculated people climbs to 4.34 million, of which 3.81 million have received both doses. Local National People’s Congress Standing Committee delegate Tam-Yiu Chung says that he is optimistic that when Hong Kong reaches 5 million vaccinated residents by the end of the month, it would be enough to ease restrictions. The government also announced that they will allow vaccinated residents to return to the city from five additional countries and relaxed restrictions on travelers from mainland China. Of the 4.34 million, 1.57 million have received the Sinovac vaccine while about 2.41 million opted for the BioNTech vaccine.

Coleman Wong became Hong Kong’s first boys’ double grand slam champion at the US open in New York on Saturday. He played alongside his French partner Max Westphal. Back in 2019, Coleman excelled and won another tournament in Jakarta, Indonesia at the JIF ITF international junior tournament. His continuous victories just prove how devoted and dedicated he is to the sport. After getting knocked out in the second round of the Junior Championships in June with his American partner Ethan Quinn, Coleman has redeemed himself and made his city proud.