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Carrie Chan

THE SOAP MAY be simply wrapped and unscented. The bags may be roughly sewn from  not the finest fabrics. But they're handmade by local crafts people and artists, and display the individual quirks of their creators. And it's that do-it-yourself spirit behind such products that a new flea market due to open on Sunday aims to promote.

The monthly market, which will be set up in the Island School car park off Borrett Road in the Mid-Levels, is  the brainchild of former marketing executive Tarlan Amigh.

An admirer of handmade products, she wants to give priority to vendors who have a hand in making what they sell by setting an affordable HK$600 fee for a stall space.

'It's contrary to Hong Kong's [trend of] instant gratification and mass production,' she says. 'My mother used to sell things at the local market [in Australia]. It was great for her as a creator because it gave her a sense of community.'

Amigh hopes the market will become a pleasant alternative for residents to spend a few hours on a Sunday, providing a place where they can pick up some unique pieces and chat with friends while enjoying interesting food. It's a great way to bring people together, she says.

Rather than compete with existing markets, Amigh views her venture as a complementary effort. The market will bring together more than 30 vendors from across the city and feature mostly handcrafted goods. These range from organic dog biscuits, children's clothing and embellished denim jackets to organic skin-care products to glass jewellery and table ware.

Most vendors were referred to her by  word of mouth, or discovered when she patronised their stalls. 'I've always kept cards when I found random shops [that I liked], and [this formed] a database,' she says. 'In the past six months, I really started hitting up people. Walking down Peel Street, for instance, I found this noodle-maker and decided he was what we needed.'

Local crafts people such as Winus Lee Yee-mei are heartened to have a regular - and affordable - outlet for their work. Lee, a potter, says it will help expand her clientele as patrons can only view her work at her studio in Peng Chau or from the catalogue of a Central gallery where she's represented.

'Ceramics fall in this grey area between arts and crafts,' she says. 'As a result, it's not as popular as paintings in the art world. This is why a lot of ceramic artists only work part-time.'

Gallery owner Kith Tsang Tak-ping sees an opportunity to draw more customers to Habitus, his shop at Western Market that promotes Hong Kong design and craftwork. 'I hope the customer base for local art and craft products won't be limited to people in arts circles, which is the situation now,' he says. The Borrett Road Market opening is timely for Habitus, which has had to cut store space under its landlord's new retail plans.

Vendors also see the market as a chance to mingle with fellow craftsmen  and designers, and for greater interaction with customers.

There's more time to chat, says Chow Lai-sheung, who's among a group of Tuen Mun housewives selling soap that they make from recycled cooking oil.

'Soap-making is also a craft. And I'm proud that I can tell others how it  can be environmentally friendly,' says Cheung, whose group only sells their products at a weekly organic market in Tai Po.

Wong Ka-ling, who helps manage the non-profit soap-making project under Yan Oi Tong community centre, says the venture has helped the housewives overcome geographical and cultural hurdles.

Until the market came along, a city outlet seemed unthinkable. And although originally concerned about their ability to  communicate in English, the group has since prepared English signs to greet potential customers.

'They are all supporters of green living, and they're excited at such opportunities because we've always confined our products to the New Territories community,' Wong says.

Design student Christy Chen Chiao-ying says the Borrett Road market is an incentive to create more of her own bags and sketchbooks, which she assembles in her room at a Polytechnic University hostel.  'I've always wanted to develop designs that are different from those in the [mass] market,' she says. 'But [at university] we're taught to think for our clients, so there is no room to really do my own stuff.'

Tsang, too, suggests the market could bring impetus to a growing recognition for Hong Kong design, with stores such as Kubrick in Yau Ma Tei and Mackie Study in Causeway Bay also starting to promote  local art and crafts.

He says that, over the past four years, visitors to his gallery have shown greater interest in their products, although most are less than HK$500.

'They no longer express surprise in finding Hong Kong design and craftwork here, even though they might not buy anything,' says Tsang, who also teaches at the Polytechnic University. 'I believe this has to do with all the talk on creative industries. More community colleges offering art and design-related courses also show public interest in this area has grown.'

Lee has a less rosy view. 'People show appreciation when they know that an item is handmade,' she says. 'However, only the middle-classes can afford them because most handmade products in Hong Kong are expensive.'

Amigh, who initially thought the market would mostly attract families, may find her customer base broader than she imagined. Since she started her website (borrett-roadmarket.com), there has been a surprising flurry of responses.

'There are a lot of people who [e-mailed] and they just arrived from overseas. They are happy that there's a market like the ones in Los Angeles and Sydney.'

It's hard to tell how well the venture will do, but Amigh has grand plans. She's already negotiating with the management at the Cyberport development to set up a similar weekend market next year, which will include outdoor film screenings. She hopes the market can be rotated in different locations each week (Clearwater Bay is another site being considered).

Amigh concedes the introductory fee of HK$600 for each stall means there is little chance of her making a profit. But she insists there are no plans to bring in corporate sponsors. 'It would detract [from the aim of promoting handcrafts] if I have a corporate sponsor,' she says. 'I don't need the financial rewards.'

Borrett Road Market will be held on the second Sunday of each month, 10am-5pm; Island School car park; 20 Borrett Rd, Mid-Levels



Spirit of flea enterprise