You may have heard of the term Hypebeast, not only as a digital platform but as a verb itself to describe the trend-setter with the most coveted drops on the streets. Starting as a sneaker blog in his college days, Kevin Ma is now the CEO of the most influential lifestyle media group Hypebeast, earning Forbes’ ‘Asia’s 200 Best Under A Billion’ title, twice. Apart from its digital media arm, the group is also a creative agency and has a retail brand – HBX – offering men’s contemporary fashion and streetwear, both online and offline.
The lifestyle brand has recently attracted the investment of Japanese entertainment group Avex Inc. as its long-term strategic partner and shareholder. The synergies of both will help further develop its business segment in Japan through the group’s strong domestic connections to unlock untapped market potential. With their support, HBX looks to co-develop apparel products and global brand collaborations by leveraging Avex’s roster of artists and talents to coincide with Hypebeast’s own in-house product and merchandise team, and to further utilize Avex’s warehouse and logistics infrastructure to empower its e-commerce operations.
After several partnered pop-ups, e-commerce site HBX has finally set up shop in Hong Kong.
An influential platform of its own, Hypebeast became the major source for millennial sneakerheads, predominantly in the U.S. and the growing APAC region. As a strong market leader for lifestyle and fashion curated content, HBX was created to further bring the latest emerging trends to their readers in hopes of becoming a leading shopping destination. With over 200 brands from highly coveted designers and exclusive products of the season, the reception of their curations drove the brand to build its presence out of the user’s screen, and into tangible experiences.
From its first pop-up with Places+Faces, to collaborations with Loewe, Asics, and more, HBX opened its first-ever permanent space in the heart of Hong Kong, Landmark – a luxury mall catered for the city’s socialites.
The 167 square meter space has four distinct areas divided by modular partitions to set themes. “We’ve stripped unnecessary design to give the impression of an empty museum of curated contents so that the space is universally applicable to any brand. Our recent revamp and expansion is inspired by the concept of a ‘Corporate Lobby’, where we have created zones to display our curations more effectively, such as a dedicated sneaker wall for greater visual impact” explains Ma.
Consumers are greeted with digital tablets at the entrance to browse through their content and new arrivals before stepping into its main space, where luxury meets street fashion. Consumers can also try-on products in-store from their online purchases as part of the omnichannel experience. Knowing most of its customers are influenced by its editorial platforms, Ma and his team have designed the HBX store as a story-telling space by creating different installations and experiences in-store that cannot be replicated digitally.
Henceforth, Ma has dipped his Jordans into the café scene with ‘Hypebeans’, the group’s first foray into food & beverage. “I love hanging out at coffee shops. I can chill or work on my own there, meet up with friends, or have meetings. It’s a kind of space I enjoy being in so much that I wanted to create my own version of a community like this” shares Ma. Collaborating with world-class barista Hiroshi Sawada who also shares a passion for fashion and culinary experiences with Ma, Hypebeans was created for like-minded individuals to gather and nurture creative collaborations, embodying the spirit of the Hypebeast community itself.
The fashion industry has also seen a new wave of luxury brands opening their first café concepts, such as the case with Louis Vuitton’s ‘Le Café V’ in Osaka, and the Emporio Armani Café in India. Cafes enable brands to expand their physical presence but also to provide a full range of sensory experiences, extending from shopping, to taste. Millennials gravitate towards these experiences, especially those that are unique to other markets and thus place a premium on such novelty.
However, with a market that is saturated with coffee stores (particularly Instagrammable ones), Hypebeans is another trending café that has to compete with the growing lot. Yet, Ma sees differently. “Our mindset, whether for Hypebeans or in other aspects of our business, is to stay away from comparisons with others. It may sound simple, but it is key that we focus on doing what we think is best, starting with the goal of presenting what we prefer and define as the perfect coffee”. Hypebeans plans to further differentiate itself leveraging its network and community to build out new joint ventures and collaborations. Right now, the café has collaborated with Italian chocolatier Venchi to offer a special affogato and a selection of hand-drip coffee brew for the summer.
Despite dining restrictions as part of the Hong Kong’s social distancing measures, the pandemic has not dampened Hypebeast and other individual roasters in opening new cafes amid turbulent times. “COVID-19 has definitely affected how customers interact with us physically. However, I’ve always treated our offline space as less of a retail joint but more as a gallery, a showcase of our brand” says Ma.
With frequent product drops driving in loyal customers regularly, Hypebeans will be able to grow organically as it raises its own awareness as a new café concept within the Hyepbeast community. Ma has further revealed a New York project is in the works, where HBX will make its initial debut in the U.S. market with Hypebeans adjoined to the space, continuing on their storytelling and brand curation where one can experience fashion, art, and coffee, all in one.