Matthews Asia: Korea's Gentle Monster

Korea’s Gentle Monster by Elli Lee, Matthews Asia

Not long ago, a colleague of mine here in our Hong Kong office came in brimming with excitement over a new pair of sunglasses she had just purchased. She was eager to show them to me and shocked that I had never heard of the brand: Gentle Monster, a South Korean luxury eyewear firm that recently opened its first flagship store in Hong Kong.

Called “The Platform,” the trendy Causeway Bay shop is designed to look like a train station platform, and this gallery-like appeal follows the company’s philosophy of “innovational high-end experiments.” Even with a high price point of about US$300 a pair, Gentle Monster had caused quite a sensation...