ICYMI, we’ve got some seriously exciting news! In partnership with Teapigs Hong Kong, Green Queen will be hosting our very first Green Queen POP UP Concept Store this week from Wednesday January 15th through Saturday January 18th 2020 (4 whole days!) in the heart of Central. Located within a beautifully renovated pre-war shophouse building in the heart of Soho, right under the Central Escalators, we’re bringing you a selection of Hong Kong’s best eco-luxe fashion and lifestyle brands to fulfil your sustainable shopping dreams.
It’s a real honour to partner with Teapigs to create this one of a kind Green Queen POP UP Concept Store, particularly given that the cult tea brand has renewed their commitment to a plastic-free ethos.
The idea of a retail POP UP concept is something Green Queen Founder Sonalie Figueiras has wanted to pursue for a long time, but as Editor-in-Chief of an impact platform advocating for climate action and encouraging sustainable, low-waste, plant-based, toxin-free living, it’s not been easy to get off the ground.
“I myself am anti-shopping. I don’t believe in accumulating stuff. Anyone who knows me knows this. So you better believe that if I am going to be hosting a POP UP retail concept, the brand curation is going to be off the charts in terms of eco and social consciousness,” explains Figueiras.
Being loyal to our planetary commitments has made this challenging because like with everything we do and all our events, we choose to work exclusively with partners, vendors and brands that share our values and that are working to make a positive impact on our local community as well as the health of our planet and (all) its inhabitants. This is what we stand for and we refuse to compromise.
We’ve searched high and low to curate a very special vendor list of the most sustainable, plastic-free, vegan-friendly, cruelty-free, organic and upcycled brands to showcase, which will hopefully inspire visitors to make positive, impactful changes.
Below our handpicked fashion, beauty, home, and wellness lifestyle brands that you will meet at our Green Queen POP UP Concept Store.
Purearth is an award-winning ethical skincare and wellness brand creating fair-trade, toxin-free, vegan-friendly and cruelty-free beauty products. Made from wild-harvested ingredients harvested at over 7,000 feet high in the Himalayas, every single elixir, cream, lotion and face oil from Purearth is handcrafted in small batches, and is designed to nourish the skin in the most raw, natural, toxin-free way possible. Committed to making a positive ethical impact, the company has partnered up with microcredit and grassroots organisations to help local marginalised women engage with urban markets on fair terms.
We chose Purearth specifically because they are a brand that is completely free from toxic chemicals and is driven by a zero-waste ethos. In addition to being plastic-free, they have launched a Recycling Program where all used Purearth glass jars and bottles can be collected at your doorstep, free of charge, so they can be repurposed. For every empty container returned, the company also plants a tree as a part of their initiative to become a green business. In the future, Purearth hopes to be able to launch a Refill Program where customers can purchase their favourite natural clean beauty products with their reusable containers.
Lacess is an eco-friendly and ethical footwear brand making guilt-free fashionable sneakers. Their collection of minimalist-style sneakers are not only totally trendy, they’re designed to be easily paired with almost every outfit, making their shoes the perfect addition as a staple item in your sustainable capsule wardrobe. More than that, the brand is giving back: they donate a portion of their earnings to support victims of human trafficking through their partner charity Compassion First.
We chose Lacess because we’ve been on the lookout for sustainable yet fashionable sneakers, something that is pretty hard to come by in the swathes of footwear brands that seem to care little for the planet or people. Lacess’ sneaker collection is made from upcycled materials: they take off-cut trimmings from leather products that would have ended up in landfills, and weave them with recycled single-use plastic bottles and natural eco-friendly materials like cork, rubber and tencel to turn them into beautiful guilt-free minimalist sneakers.
Founded by two Hong Kong mums, ZeroYet100 is the local clean, vegan-friendly and cruelty-free skincare brand offering products that are formulated entirely from natural ingredients. Empowered with the knowledge that everything we put on our skin matters and can affect our health and wellbeing on many levels, the duo has strived to create everything from deodorants to body lotions and facial toners that are effective yet contain no synthetic ingredients – as their tagline suggests!
We chose ZeroYet100 because not only because their natural beauty products are clean yet tried and true, the company has been serious about building their eco-credentials. Unlike conventional deodorants and other personal care products on the market, the company’s toxin-free line won’t pollute our waterways or harm wildlife and animals. Their products are plastic-free, coming in metal or glass containers, both of which can be recycled.
READ: Everyday Giveaways, Daily Breathwork & Flower Workshops: Don’t Miss The Green Queen POP UP Concept Store
Heavens Please is Hong Kong’s ultimate CBD wellness and lifestyle platform, offering the best CBD products carefully curated from the US and the UK, from oils and tinctures for oral ingestion to topical skincare and body creams from brands like Khus Khus and Yuyo Organics. Unlike other companies, Heavens Please’s product line only features products that contain CBD isolates or broad-spectrum CBD, rather than full-spectrum CBD, which might contain traces of THC, the other compound in the hemp plant that is known for its psychoactive properties. We’re also thrilled to share that they will be debuting their brand new CBD Beer at our POP UP so don’t miss out!
We chose Heavens Please because they are fully committed to equip Hong Kongers with only the best and safest CBD products handpicked by expert founder Denise Tam and her partner Terry. As she demonstrated in Vol.1 of our wellness-focused Green Queen Release series, Denise is a true expert about the potential of CBD, thanks to its adaptogenic qualities which can help different individuals with different challenges, whether it is helping us sleep or relieving pain or supporting overall health. Plus, the brand is completely plastic-free – all their CBD products are offered in glass jars and containers and cardboard packaging.
Say hello to the perfect sleep! Sunday Bedding is an ethical and natural Asian bedding brand that believes that what you sleep on is key to a a great night of Zzzs. Half of the founding duo comes from a longtime home textile manufacturing family and is passionate about the power of great sheets. When he and his business partner realised that great linens were hard to find and inconvenient to buy, they saw a gap in the Asian market and created Sunday Bedding with a mission to pair every single customer with the perfect bedding and a focus on quality and personalisation.
We chose Sunday Bedding specifically not only because they’re all about personalisation (which we’re huge fans of at Green Queen), but also for their passionate commitment to produce their range ethically and sustainably. All their bedsheets are made in Hong Kong using only safe toxin-free chemicals and free from all synthetics. In addition, they’re committed to pay people fairly for their work, which has won them the “Made in Green” certification by OEKO-TEX.
LUÜNA Naturals is a Hong Kong and Shanghai-based startup offering monthly subscription boxes for toxin-free, organic and natural cotton sanitary pads and tampons, and a reusable menstrual cup product. Founded by Olivia Cotes-James out of a frustration of the lack of non-toxic menstrual products on the market, LUÜNA’s products are completely free from all toxins, synthetic fragrances, bleaches, colourants and other nasties that can affect your health and wellbeing in all sorts of ways.
We chose LUÜNA because their products are rare in Asia, where 90% of women use non-biodegradable synthetic feminine care products. Not only do these products wreak havoc on our own health, they come at a cost to the planet, as they are full of plastic ingredients and cotton that is grown with toxic pesticides and fertilisers. In addition, the brand is committed to helping empower women. Partnering up with Free Periods HK, they’re supporting low-income women with free sustainable and safe menstrual products. And with Bright & Beautiful, they’re helping break menstrual taboos in rural China with a menstrual education campaign.
Everybody & Everyone is the newest eco-fashion online label to hit the sustainable fashion world. Founded by textile and fashion tycoon Silas Chou’s daughter, Veronica Chou, the size-inclusive brand works exclusively with recycled or upcycled materials, contributes to tree planting projects, and showcases a collection of seriously trendy pieces. From sweaters and jackets to leggings and accessories, Everybody & Everyone is making a name for themselves helping eco-conscious fashionistas build their sustainable wardrobes.
We chose Everybody & Everyone because the company, unlike many other fashion brands, have taken the extra mile to reduce their environmental footprint as much as possible. They’ve collaborated with other sustainable labels such as Naadam and EcoAlf to create upcycled fabrics spun out of recovered ocean plastic, nylon waste, used tyres and recycled cotton. Some of their vegan-friendly products include their sweatpants and tees, which are spun out of renewable wood sources like eucalyptus and are biodegradable. They also use fermented sugar fibre extracted from agricultural waste to create leggings and blazers. On top of that, Everybody & Everyone is a certified carbon-neutral brand, offsetting all the emissions from their pre-launch activities and planting a tree for every order shipment since.
BYDEAU is on a mission to create the most perfect flower and gift-giving and receiving experience in Hong Kong and beyond. They make everything easier with their mobile ordering and on-demand delivery service, where users can simply choose which bouquet, blooms and gifts they want to order, where and when it should arrive, and BYDEAU pretty much does the rest. Their service is flawless, their partnership with local artisanal brands makes their gift boxes charming and unique, and their commitment to sustainability is second to none in an industry that struggles to offer any eco options at all.
We chose BYDEAU because they are the city’s most green-minded florist, market committed to wrapping and presenting their flower bouquets and gifts in sustainable packaging, completely free of single-use plastic and to showcase the most local and regional seasonal flowers on offer. While gifts are sent in recyclable corrugated cardboard boxes or in wooden boxes that can be reused, their fresh flowers are gathered in linen cloths and kraft paper and tied together with a grosgrain ribbon. We’re huge fans. Bonus: BYDEAU will be hosting some fabulous floral workshops during the POP UP- sign up here.
Tove & Libra is a Hong Kong-based conscious fashion brand showcasing a collection of high-quality sustainable garments. After being in the fashion industry for generations, the founders, equipped with an understanding of the life cycle of textiles and fashion garments, decided to do something about the wastefulness of the industry. From cozy cardigans to everyday essentials and workwear, Tove & Libra’s products created using sustainable materials, are stylish and will last a lifetime.
We chose Tove & Libra because they consider sustainability essential to their brand. They create thoughtful designs that everyone can wear for all occasions, and all of their clothing is made from carefully selected deadstock materials and yarns which would otherwise end up in landfills. Throughout their supply chain, they’ve strived to reduce the amount of single-use packaging used, and operate their own sourcing and production facilities to ensure that ethical and responsible production takes place.
Vinoble Cosmetics Asia is a clean skincare brand creating natural, sustainable and vegan-friendly products for both men and women showcasing the superpowers of the humble grape. Armed with their belief that the secret to healthy skin is natural, all their luxurious skincare essentials are entirely fruit-based and contain no synthetic, toxin-laden and animal-derived ingredients. From creamy moisturisers to cleansers and serums, their products are efficient and suitable for all types of skin.
We chose Vinoble Cosmetics Asia because they have a dual aim to protect our skin and conserve the planet. All their unisex skincare products are manufactured in their own production facility in Austria, and all the raw ingredients used are either locally sourced or come from European suppliers to keep transportation-related carbon emissions to a minimum. To add to that, Vinoble is a plastic-free brand, with their entire line coming packaged only in glass containers and wooden lids.
Founded by Hong Kong’s serial zero-waster Tamsin Thornburrow, Thorn & Burrow is the city’s homeware and lifestyle destination for a selection of the best low-waste sustainable brands and a range of homewares that highlight local & artisanal craftsmanship. Like her bulk food shop Live Zero (and sister shop Live Zero Bulk Beauty), Hong Kong’s very first packaging-free bulk food supplies store, Thorn & Burrow’s product line is full of goodies that will help you live more sustainably, from the entire collection (so gorgeous!) of reusable S’well bottles to KeepCup coffee cups and ziploc-alternative Stasher bags.
We chose Thorn & Burrow because many of us in Hong Kong live busy lives, making it a bit challenging to fulfil our low-waste duties on the daily, and the company is trying to help all of us lower our impact on the planet. Offering easy-to-use, convenient and reusable solutions for all our on-the-go needs, Thorn & Burrow is a brand that hopes to help individuals in the city say no to more waste.
Green Queen POP UP Concept Store, 36 Cochrane Street, Central, Hong Kong, 12-9PM daily from Wednesday 15th January 2020 through Saturday 18th January 2020 – RSVP NOW.
Sally Ho is Green Queen's resident writer and reporter. She studied at the London School of Economics and Political Science majoring in Politics and International Relations. A long-time vegan, she is passionate about environmental and social issues and hopes to promote healthy and sustainable lifestyle choices in Hong Kong and Asia.
Everyday Giveaways, Daily Breathwork & Flower Workshops: Don’t Miss The Green Queen POP UP Concept Store
Everyday Giveaways, Daily Breathwork & Flower Workshops: Don’t Miss The Green Queen POP UP Concept Store
Everyday Giveaways, Daily Breathwork & Flower Workshops: Don’t Miss The Green Queen POP UP Concept Store
Founded by serial entrepreneur Sonalie Figueiras in 2011, Green Queen is an award-winning impact media platform advocating for social & environmental change in Hong Kong. Our mission is to shift consumer behaviour through inspiring & empowering original content in Asia and beyond.
Green Queen is an editorially-driven media publication. Over 98% of our content is editorial and independent. Paid posts are clearly marked as such: look for ‘This is a Green Queen Partner Post’ at the bottom of the page.
Post time: Jan-13-2020