appConfigEntityId

bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

isVideo

articlePageQuery

article

articleSchemaContent

content

hooksArticlePageAdvertisementConfigArticle

hooksArticlePageFloatingButtonConfigArticle

appConfig

filter

json

liveArticle

Christina Ko

The Romans had their Colosseum, a brick and stone structure built to host audiences of 80,000 for spectacles from gladiatorial contests to mythological dramas, still standing almost 2,000 years on.
Casetify, the Hong Kong-based maker of those colourful phone cases you see everywhere, may not be as big as the Roman empire – yet – but now they too boast an amphitheatre of sorts. Made out of mobile phone cases, naturally.

This 21st-century show-stopper is the centrepiece of Casetify’s new corporate headquarters in the city’s Kwun Tong neighbourhood. It was designed by the very of-the-moment Crosby Studios, which besides being responsible for Casetify’s retail stores, is the mastermind behind spaces virtual and physical for Balenciaga, Valentino and retailer Dover Street Market, as well as a furniture collection for Nike, and covers for Hypebeast and Architectural Digest.
I wanted for people to enjoy coming back to the office
Wesley Ng, founder, Casetify
The brief Casetify founder Wesley Ng gave Crosby top dog Harry Nuriev was rather simple: “I wanted for people to enjoy coming back to the office, because we had a period when we were working from home. The second thing is I wanted the space to be very collaborative – because we’re about creativity, so collaboration is important. And the third thing was, we wanted the space not just to look cool, but to really speak of the brand. If we could do these three things right, I’d be happy.

“And Harry got it straight away. The rest was a no-brainer. As long as the production company could make it happen, it was a green light from me. I don’t think I rejected any of the designs in the project – I loved it at first sight.”
‘A Legendary Pair’? Nike and Tiffany & Co. are set to launch US$400 sneakers
The amphitheatre is ideal for company town halls but also proves popular for breakout meetings and small gatherings – being fun, functional and singing the brand’s values regarding sustainability, self-expression and simply being, well, cool. It’s Ng’s favourite spot (beating, it would appear, even his sea-facing private office decked out in plush millennial pink). “It’s made out of 20,000 used phone cases, so you’re sitting on a piece of history, with stories,” he adds. “Sometimes it’s emotional, because it’s [literally] your supporters.”

His subordinates would likely choose an alternative space as their favourite. Perhaps the coffee bar, with Nodi baristas churning out subsidised flat whites for HK$10 (US$1.3) a pop? Or, more likely, the colour-blocked pink and Klein blue karaoke room that, when we visit, is already set to blast a little (or a lotta) Taylor Swift.
“Our meeting rooms are unique, they don’t feel like meeting rooms. It feels like a karaoke room. But guess what? We do also have a karaoke room!
“In the first generation, all the start-ups had a table tennis table. I’ve been through that, and it’s not what people want, it’s irrelevant,” Ng says. “The reason we built a karaoke room is because that’s what people enjoy. It’s very Hong Kong, and part of our culture. So we have this room upstairs – and the ROI (return on investment) is really high.”

The rainbow hues splashed across the two floors of this harbourside space clearly echo those used in Casetify’s retail stores, and each doorway is rimmed in black to echo its phone cases. There are fun, occasionally functional installations sprinkled around as decor: a giant-sized Blackpink boombox taken from the brand’s pop-up with the Korean girl group. A carnival-style strongman game. A vinyl bench in a pastel gradient that snakes around in a figure eight and could probably seat 50. And of course, a mini retail space that Ng says was inspired by Steve Jobs.
The other side of Antwerp: why you should visit Belgium’s Eilandje in 2023
“Jobs built an Apple retail store very close to the Apple campus, and it’s because he wanted everything – the experience, the training – to be perfected before he rolled it out. And I found that very efficient,” he says. “Instead of having to go to the store to mock something up to see the results, you can see it right away here. Our retail team really found it helpful and efficient that way. It’s [great] for me to connect with the customers and it’s the fastest way to understand what the customer goes through without travelling to another retail store – we have everything in the office.”
Though up to 300 employees regularly commute to this space, Ng also wants it to inspire a wider circle of people. The company recently hosted a group of students from the Chinese University of Hong Kong to hear Ng speak. “We want to share our experience and we believe in the future of Hong Kong and promoting entrepreneurship. We want people to know, yes, Casetify is from Hong Kong, but it is a globally recognised product and brand. And that we did it, so you can do it, too.”

The onus on inspiring others and perpetuating Casetify’s success story obviously doesn’t rest on the office space alone, but it could prove an undoubted draw for an up-and-coming Gen-Z workforce that seeks meaning along with money, and is more enticed by a strong vision and community than a robust retirement plan.
“For me, why we invested in such a fancy office – it’s that we really want to see Hong Kong as a creative hub for Casetify. As an entrepreneur from Hong Kong I wanted to give a path for young people,” he adds. “You don’t have to only work in finance or insurance. There is a career path for creativity.
Sound art: 4 of the most beautifully designed speakers money can buy
“Ultimately I see Casetify as a digital lifestyle brand. So there will be product expansion – unfortunately I cannot share it with you today, but stay tuned. But honestly, it’s a lifestyle. How we interact with the mobile device is different from 10 years ago. Ten years ago who cared about your phone case? Now it’s a reflection of who you are. Now with the strap, it’s about mobility. It’s evolving with our digital lifestyle, and we want to make sure we have the correct products for our customers.”
What else have Crosby Studios done?
The innovative design house have worked around the world, including on these three colourful pop-up projects.
Crosby Café at 3537

A pop-up cafe and showroom at 3537, a 17th-century Parisian mansion turned cultural space by Dover Street Market. Featuring Crosby’s own furniture collection, it is laid out to contrast with the historical setting and intentionally designed to appear as though caught in mid-renovation.
Zero10 x Crosby Studios

A collaboration with AR tech firm Zero10 to create a physical space that allows for a virtual experience. Customers enter the box, in SoHo, New York, which is decked out in pixelated decor, and try on digital clothing using an app.
Web3 Cafe

This Paris Fashion Week pop-up Web3 Cafe by Crosby and jewellery designer Gaia Repossi was based on the bedroom in Crosby’s own video game, which allows users to design rooms using the studio’s furniture collection. The cafe and game share a bitmap aesthetic which extends to the furniture line.
Want more stories like this? Follow Style on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Twitter.


Trump says he will create ‘AI Force’, name AI tsar

China’s GoPro rival Insta360 opens first US flagship store in New York’s Times Square

Focused ultrasound could be the next big cancer breakthrough for hard-to-treat tumours

Hong Kong leader says firms must strive to survive despite government support

Technology

Back to the office, in style: for Casetify’s new Hong Kong HQ, Crosby Studios designed a vibrant Gen-Z-ready workplace complete with amphitheatre, Blackpink boombox, Nodi baristas and a karaoke room

Casetify founder Wesley Ng commissioned Crosby Studios to come up with a brash Gen-Z feel for his company’s new headquarters in Kwun Tong, Hong Kong. Photos: Jonathan Wong

Who wouldn’t want to work here? Vivid display presentation areas offer hyper-colourful inspiration at Casetify. 

The brief for the Casetify offices stressed they should be enjoyable, collaborative and cool.

Special cases: the amphitheatre is lined with a mosaic of 20,000 of Casetify’s phone cases. 

Functional decor includes this oversized Blackpink boombox from a pop-up with the group. 

Casetify’s new HQ in Kwun Tong, Hong Kong. 

Crosby Café at 3537. Photo: Handout 

Crosby Studios x Zero10 pop-up. Photo: Handout

Crosby Studios video game cafe pop-up. Photo: Handout

A rare Patek Philippe watch just sold for a record US$5.8 million in Hong Kong: the Swiss brand’s ‘Sky Moon Tourbillon’ sale marked the highest price ever paid for a timepiece in an online auction

Patek Philippe’s “Sky Moon Tourbillon” just sold for a record US$5.8 million at auction. Photo: Christie’s

The Patek Philippe Sky Moon Tourbillon. Photo: Christie’s 

This dazzling Patek Philippe watch, reference number 6002G-001, just broke records at auction. Photo: Christie’s

The Patek Philippe Sky Moon Tourbillon is made in 18k white gold and has a blue cloisonné enamel dial. Photo: Christie’s

Where to go – and stay – in China in 2023: close to Hong Kong, the mainland just reopened its borders to tourists and offers luxurious sojourns from Beijing’s Xitan Hotel to Yunnan’s Aman Resort

Stay at the Amandayan for an unforgettable experience in Yunnan, with stunning views of the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. Photo: @AmanResorts/Facebook

Amandayan’s tranquil outdoor swimming pool in Lijiang, Yunnan. Photo: @AmanResorts/Facebook

The serene rooms at the Jangala Dunhuang make for excellent winding down after a day taking in Buddhist art. Photo: 碧玥Jangala/WeChat

Wild and wonderful Gansu lies between the Tibetan and Loess plateaus and borders Mongolia. Photo: Unsplash

The Sunyata Wenyutan makes the most of its gorgeous bucolic surroundings with terraces throughout the design-led property. Photo: Sunyata 既下山/WeChat

Visitors make the pilgrimage to the summit of Anhui’s Huangshan (Yellow Mountain) before sunrise to witness the stunning sea of clouds effect. Photo: Unsplash

The view from Amandayan’s Tea House overlooking Lijiang Old Town. Photo: Amandayan

Spacious, high-ceilinged rooms await at the luxurious Amandayan. Photo: Amandayan

Lijiang’s stunning Black Dragon Pool boasts the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain as a backdrop. Photo: Amandayan

Temple Restaurant Beijing’s Michelin star-winning amuse bouche. Photo: TRB

Just a walking distance from the Forbidden City, TRB Hutong used to be a 400-year-old temple. Photo: TRB

Xitan Hotel is located in a Ming Dynasty village in Mentougou, an hour drive away from Beijing. Photo: @Xitan北京悉昙酒店/WeChat

The Jade Dove Vineyard Hotel is hidden inside the vast Xige Winery in Ningxia. Photo: Xige Winery

Meals served at the hotel include expert-led wine pairings with dinner. Photo: @XigeWinery/WeChat

The Jade Dove Vineyard Hotel allows guests to taste vintages direct from the surrounding Xige Winery. Photo: @XigeWinery/WeChat

11 billionaires trying to build their own utopias, from Elon Musk’s Mars colony and Bill Gates’ smart city Belmont, to Peter Thiel’s seasteads and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s Neom

Some of the world’s most powerful men are building their own utopias, from Elon Musk and Mark Cuban to Peter Thiel and Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Photos: TNS, @scoutible/Instagram, AFP, Reuters

Tesla CEO Elon Musk leaves the Phillip Burton Federal Building on January 24, in San Francisco, US. Photo: TNS

Elon Musk arrives to watch as Inspiration4 crew members prepare to leave for their flight on the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon at launch Pad 39A at Nasa’s Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, in September 2021. Photo: AFP

A screengrab from SpaceX’s live webcast that shows the Starship SN15 landing in Texas, US, in May 2021. Photo: AFP

SpaceX owner Elon Musk said he was highly confident his company could transport humans to Mars by 2026. Photo: TNS

Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk speaks about the Interplanetary transport system that aims to reach Mars with the first human crew in history in Guadalajara, Mexico, in September 2016. Photo: AFP

Former Walmart CEO Marc Lore attends an event in New York City, in October 2017. Photo: Getty Images

Marc Lore speaks onstage during Fast Company Innovation Festival at 92nd Street in New York City, in October 2017. Photo: Getty Images

Peter Thiel, co-founder of PayPal, Palantir Technologies and Founders Fund, holds hundred-dollar bills as he speaks during the bitcoin 2022 Conference at Miami Beach Convention Center in Miami, Florida, in April 2022. Photo: Getty Images

Peter Thiel speaks at The New York Times DealBook conference in New York City, in November 2018. Photo: AFP

The Seasteading Institute started the Floating Island Project backed by PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel. Photo: The Seasteading Institute

Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman attends the second edition of the summit of the Green Middle East Initiative held on the sidelines of the COP27 climate conference at Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, in November 2022. Photo: Reuters

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s extravagant US$1 trillion mega-project Neom in Saudi Arabia could redefine luxury holidays in the nation. Photo: Neom

Microsoft founder Bill Gates speaks during the Global Fund Seventh Replenishment Conference in New York City, in September 2022. Photo: TNS

Billionaire Bill Gates has high hopes for his smart city Belmont. Photo: @thisisbillgates/Instagram

Larry Ellison is the co-founder and CEO of Oracle. Photo: @OracleCloud/Twitter

The Oracle Waterfront Campus entrance. Photo: Shutterstock

Four Seasons Resorts Lanai is a popular destination for A-listers. Photo: @fslanai/Instagram

Les Wexner (left) and Stella Maxwell pose at the 2016 Fragrance Foundation Awards in New York City, in June 2016. Photo: Getty Images

Shark Tank host Mark Cuban. Photo: @scoutible/Instagram

Dallas billionaire Mark Cuban during his recent appearance at Venture Dallas 2022 at the George W. Bush Presidential Center. Photo: TNS

Italian designer Brunello Cucinelli. Photo: Guido Gambardella

Under Armour founder and CEO Kevin Plank speaking in Las Vegas, US, in January 2016. Photo: AFP

Quicken Loans and Rock Ventures founder Dan Gilbert is seen during a basketball game in East Lansing, Michigan. Photo: AP

‘I want to be Supreme successful’: Clot founder Edison Chen on going from Cantopop to streetwear king as his Hong Kong brand turns 20, with a The North Face collab in the works – exclusive interview

CLOT AND JUICE FOUNDER EDISON CHEN

Since his 1990s showbiz career, Hong Kong Cantopop star Edison Chen has redefined himself as a pioneer on the Asian streetwear scene with his brand Clot and the Juice chain of retail stores. Photos: Handout

Edison Chen rendered as an action figure, thanks to a Clot x Hackers x A Bathing Ape collab back in 2004. 

A wall display inside the flagship Juicestore in Los Angeles. 

The kung fu slipper-inspired Clot x Nike Cortez collab dropped in February. 

Edison Chen cast as Confucius, marketing 2017’s Clot x Converse One Star Confucian. 

 Disney x Clot x Mindstyle 3-eyed Mickey from 2011. Photo: Handout

Clot x The North Face socks. 

Since starting out in Hong Kong’s Causeway Bay, Chen’s Juicestores have popped up as far away as Honolulu, Hawaii. 

Drag Race star Courtney Act’s triumphant return to Hong Kong: after the city’s 2019 protests brought her show to a halt, Australia’s most famous drag queen finally returned to Sevva – interview

RuPaul’s Drag Race star Courtney Act performed at Hong Kong’s Sevva. Photo: @courtneyact/Instagram

Australian drag queen Courtney Act entertained the audience at Sevva in Central, Hong Kong this March. Photo: Xiaomei Chen

Courtney Act has been performing in Hong Kong for years, pictured here at alongside Marney McQueen at Sevva’s New Year Countdown party at the Prince Building in 2009. Photo: Handout

Courtney Act winning Celebrity Big Brother UK in 2018. WireImage

This February, Courtney Act – aka Shane Jenek when not in drag – was honoured with a Madame Tussauds waxwork. Photo: @courtneyact/Instagram

Courtney Act in an iconic moment on the RuPaul’s Drag Race main stage, which was later featured in The Simpsons. Photo: Handout

Groundbreaking drag queen Courtney Act released her memoir in 2021. Photo: @courtneyact/Instagram

Australian drag queen Courtney Act (Shane Gilberto Jenek) at Sevva in Central, Hong Kong, on March 23. Photo: Xiaomei Chen

Magazines

Style

Tech & Design

For the phone case manufacturer’s new HQ in Kwun Tong, founder Wesley Ng commissioned designers who have worked with Balenciaga, Valentino, Nike, Hypebeast and Architectural Digest
Crosby pop-ups include one at Paris Fashion Week with jewellery designer Gaia Repossi, with New York AR tech firm Zero10 and with 3537, a Parisian mansion/cultural space by Dover Street Market


Take a tour of the bright, brash and proudly contemporary HQ of the brand behind equally colourful mobile phone cases the world over
