Outlet Shopping, Hong Kong Style!

There exists a place on earth where everyday is a sample sale and the place goes by the name of Ap Lei Chau. Ap Lei Chau (literally: duck-tongue island) is an area on the island side of Hong Kong still not directly accessible by subway train, hence, taking a trip there is a short, yet sufficiently taxing pilgrimage. But a pilgrimage of fashion finds not of this earth---here you'll find outlet stores stacked so high they scrape the heavens, filled not with the usual Polo Sport outlet duds of American suburbia, but limited-edition runway pieces from the Belgians (Dries, Ann and Martin) and the Japanese (Rei and Takahiro), and a shrine to Prada with all the goodies deeply, deeply discounted.

I knew I was in for a journey, so I had to start the day right.

A bowl of udon and mushrooms in miso broth, the breakfast of champions, and of those who wish they were half-Japanese.

I gobbled up the noodles while soaking in the grandeur of the Peninsula Hong Kong's meticulously preserved 1920's lobby architecture.

Then I took the MTR from Tsim Sha Tsui to Wan Chai,

the mad dash through the doors of Hong Kong's incredibly efficient subways

and a 40-minute bus from Wan Chai to Ap Lei Chau.

Make sure you have coins or an Octopus card to pay for your fare!

The bus stops close to the Prada outlet, a humongous glossy boutique filled with both classics and past-season items by Prada and Prada group brands such as Miu Miu and Church's, all heavily discounted. Never has outlet shopping been more pleasant and worth the trek.

Hong Kong's "Space" Prada outlet, nearly twice the size of that at Woodbury Commons in New York (photo via The Fash Pack)

I then took a cab to Horizon Plaza, a high-rise in the area filled with outlet shops for fashion, home, and baby things too.

top picks for me would be the outlet stores of Hong Kong's best department stores: Joyce, Lane Crawford, and I.T.

And for the loot. Another pair of Number (N)ine shoes to add to my collection of pieces by the defunct label, all acquired posthumously:

Number (N)ine x Charles Peterson "Touch Me I'm Sick" jazz shoes

I was completely happy with my purchase thinking that I had scored a pair of Number (N)ines in printed canvas. When I read the label and learned that they were in fact made out of a specially made wool jacquard and trimmed in silk, any traces of cognitive dissonance dissolved into thin air.

the buttonhole silk-and-leather pull tabs and the textured photo-print jacquard

Charles Peterson is an American photographer known for his prints depicting the rise of the independent music scene in and around Seattle.

And a Prada nylon toiletry bag that I just had to have owing to a slew of very valid reasons:

Prada toiletry bag in tessuto with saffiano leather trim

because (1) I'm Asian, (2) I carry around lots of toiletries, and (3) I like Prada.

Space Warehouse (Prada Outlet)

2/F, South Horizons Plaza (East Wing)

Ap Lei Chau

Hong Kong

Tel: +852 2814 9576

How to get there: Take the MTR to Admiralty. Then take the bus 590A or M590 from the Admiralty station and get off at South Horizons.

Horizon Plaza (I.T. outlet - 5th floor, Joyce Warehouse - 21st floor, Lane Crawford outlet - 25th floor)

2 Lee Wing Street

Ap Lei Chau

Hong Kong

How to get there: From the South Horizons bus stop, take a taxi to Horizon Plaza.