Embracing social and political themes, Necro Poon’s eponymous label has garnered a steady following. The designer recently opened his flagship store at The One, Tsim Sha Tsui.
“The Sound of Riot”, “Youth Earthquake”, “Gangster Club”… these past themes have rather succinctly told of Necro Poon’s tendency to take inspiration from political issues and social movements. While his designs are comfortable and wearable, he is able to express his thoughts through the clever use of prints and embroidery.
Poon graduated from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University with a major in fashion and textiles in 2011. Coming from a family of entrepreneurs, the designer was always keen to start his own business. Poon’s first venture was selling vintage bags sourced from abroad. After being crowned Contemporary Daywear winner at YDC 2015, the designer decided to launch his own label.
Calling his market positioning “contemporary advance” – he describes it as the middle ground between ZARA and the avant garde – Poon offers a middle ground between the avant-garde and typical high street fashion. There is a recognisable silhouette, but you may be surprised by the cut of his clothing, and choice of fabrics.
The NECRO POON collection is mostly made in Hong Kong in a workshop that has worked with top international denim brands. Only the knitwear is made in factories in Guangdong.
“Just like many other designers in Hong Kong, I was first intimidated by the idea of having a physical store. In 2017, I started looking at an online property platform and saw an opening for a temporary kiosk at The One. I ended up sharing it with another designer label, Lapeewee,” said Poon.
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The contract lasted a month and business was good, emboldening Poon to look for similar kiosk openings. Eventually, the management office of The One contacted him again in late 2018 asking him if he was interested in taking up a store space that became vacant. He took the leap.
“With limited budget, I ended up renovating the space myself, with the help of my friends. I only paid to have the wall painted and the electric work done, but everything else was done by us. We tiled the floor in three nights and made the shelves ourselves.”
The store has been open for four months now and has given Poon some new ideas on how to manage his brand going forward. With its location in Tsim Sha Tsui, the store has attracted a lot of mainland customers so Poon is now using WeChat to promote new products and is shipping to all locations in mainland China.
“When I used to do only wholesale, I had little idea of what customers liked because I was far away from them. Now I get to understand them more and know what they want.”
This has prompted Poon to launch his womenswear line, which now accounts for 70% of his retail revenue. Nevertheless, he intends to keep menswear his focus in wholesale and export markets. Poon’s family, who have a background in the hospitality industry in bars and restaurants, have imparted some sound business advice.
“Mostly they’ve given me advice on hiring and sales techniques. For example, you have to persuade customers to try things on or they’re not likely to buy anything. On the other hand, you have to give customers room to think and recommend things that look good on them. I don’t want anyone to buy anything that they don’t like but I’m also confident that they will look good in my designs.”
With the success of his first store, Poon is looking at more retail spaces and will be joining seasonal trade shows to expand into overseas markets. In addition to the the flagship Tsim Sha Tsui store, NECRO POON is currently available at D-mop, the notjustalabel online store and a few select shops in Taiwan.
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