In this issue, we welcome PLACEBO, a shore store from Hong Kong. Inspired by English style, rock music, youth culture movie, it was established in 2012. As a leather shoe store, PLACEBO integrates youth culture into traditional styles with flexible use of color, which has breathed unlimited vitality into the brand.
Nana: What is the story behind PLACEBO.
Oscar: I started PLACEBO in 2012 in Hong Kong. I had this idea because there was very limited choice of men leather shoes in the market and I wanted to create something different. I always love Rock music and youth culture movies. They inspired me on my designs. I also added some English style elements to them.
Nana: Why did you initially create the brand and name it “PLACEBO”?
Oscar: It started from the font. Then, I learnt about the meaning of “placebo effect” and found it fascinating. Design and creativity are my placebo in life.
Nana: In what way do you promote your brand the most?
Oscar: We used to have physical stores, but online shop became mainstream in recent years. Online shop gives me more freedom, I can focus more on designing rather than how to pay rent.
Nana: How do you come up and decide on the themes for your collections?
Oscar: It’s all my personal interest. Hong Kong is actually a cyber punk city with diverse culture, mixture of old and new, these elements can be seen in my recent designs.
Nana: Can you tell us about some of the most challenging experiences you have had during the process of building your brand?
Oscar: It’s the 10th anniversary of PLACEBO. We went from physical store into the digital world. Pandemic had made everything very difficult, people goes out less so they are consuming less fashion products. The world was changed by the pandemic.
Nana: Do you have any advice for our readers who are seeking to find a way to build a brand just like “PLACEBO“?
Oscar: Just do what you like then it will attract like minded people. Don’t think about the practical things.
Don’t think about the practical things.
placebo
