Designer-conscious Hongkongers know international brands bring prestige in addition to being symbols of the latest fashion, exceptional quality and attention to detail. We drool over Italian shoes, handbags, suits, outfits and leisure wear. For reliability and state-of-the-art engineering on the road, the biggest names in town are German - look no further than Mercedes-Benz and BMW.
When it comes to kitchens, these two outstanding national seats of design are also at the forefront. One recent advertisement for an upmarket apartment told its own story, highlighting a 'Poliform Varenna kitchen with Miele appliances'.
The long-established German brands of Gaggenau and Poggenpohl also have showrooms in Hong Kong catering to the high-end of the kitchen market. Poggehpohl is known for 'putting the kitchen at the centre of home architecture' and has a showroom in Sunning Plaza, Hysan Road, Causeway Bay. The kitchen range brand has a history stretching back over 116 years.
Gaggenau, with a showroom at Lippo Leighton Tower in Causeway Bay, has an even longer history of 327 years. The craftsmanship may be steeped in tradition, but the designs are distinctly modern as seen with its range of wine coolers and the CM 210 coffee machine which brings professional beverage making into the home.
As for Italy, like many of the nation's significant contributions to modern lifestyle - from fashion and food to culture - the name Varenna, the kitchen brand of influential Italian design house Poliform, is at the cutting edge. Fusing style and innovation, Varenna is a pioneer of combining materials, such as wood, stone, glass and steel, with modern open-plan kitchen design and efficiency.
Underlining its designer credentials, Varenna's latest kitchen range, Twelve, was styled by leading international architect Carlo Colombo. Digressing from traditional chunky design, he sets the latest trend with a concept of slick, slimline kitchens of minimal thickness and maximum width of worktops - with a notable absence of handles allowed by an intelligent electronic sensory opening system. The brand's dream kitchens are showcased at ViA-Varenna in Wan Chai's fashionable Star Street precinct.
