The Shoe Library.

Stepping through the Canton Road entrance of the store you find yourself in the 'Great Room', the mainstay of the entire space, featuring a soaring 5m high ceiling, library armoires in bronze and abstract French panels. Floors are finished in Romano marble and covered with elaborate rugs from the Andre Fu Collection for Tai Ping Carpets. There are also eighty-something bespoke pieces of furniture dotted around the entire Library, among them The Salon's 5m long table with Alberto Giacometti inspired legs, and hand-embroidered silk wall panels echoing the work of French fashion illustrator Christian Berard, in warm shades of solferino and lilac.The entire experience is somewhat surreal considering the quietude and sophistication of the space (not to mention all those shoes!) in contrast to the chaotic streetscape just outside.

Andre Fu

Mia Mui Ne " the Sailing Club ".

Located on the swaying palm tree lined shores of Mui Ne, Binh Thuan province, the charming Mia Mui Ne (previously known as the Sailing Club) boutique resort combines a perfect blend of traditional grace and style with attentive friendly service and facilities to match.

The resort is set on the beachfront, with restaurant, bar and pool area facing the South China Sea. The beautiful mosaic pool is enveloped by the restaurant on one side thus creating a unique charm.

Set on one hectare of beautifully manicured lawns and lush gardens, rooms and bungalows are spread out to allow a feeling of space yet retain an intimate experience. All rooms and bungalows feature beautifully designed furnishings and decoration (most of which is made by our carpentry team!), en suite bathrooms, individually controlled air conditioning, cable television, international direct dialing telephones and working desks. Furnishings and fabrics have all been exclusively selected and designed to compliment the fusion of traditional culture and modern convenience that defines the resort. All bungalows have their own private terrace whilst the Sapa house rooms have balconies overlooking the gardens.

Also set in the gardens is Xanh Day Spa - aiming to pamper and relax the soul, our facials and body treatments are designed for ultimate relaxation. Using a natural product, treatments are soothing and therapeutic. Fresh aloe vera from the gardens is used in soothing after sun burns, as is fresh coconut milk and flesh, using traditional Vietnamese recipes for skin ailments and discomforts.

In the hamlet of Ham Tien, we are exactly halfway (14 km each way) between Phan Thiet and Mui Ne. Nguyen Dinh Chieu Street runs parallel to the ocean and following this road you reach the fishing harbor of Mui Ne just North of us, an interesting outing to observe daily activities on boat life!

Binh Thuan province is the primary farming area for dragon fruit, a member of the cactus family actually, these red-skinned fruits can be seen growing in farms alongside Highway 1 all the way up to Mui Ne.

Phan Thiet is situated 170 km North East of Saigon and 210 km South of Nha Trang. Both these journeys take 4.5 hours by road trip. The Phan Thiet area is renowned for its famous fish sauce – a major fish sauce factory is set on the outskirts of the city and upon driving by, one can smell the strong essence! The population of the city is estimated at around 205 333 people (2004 census) and is well known for its fishing and abundance of fresh seafood. The traditional blue boats can be seen clearly when driving through the city and over canals.

Few tourists know that Ho Chi Minh himself taught at a school in Phan Thiet between 1907 and 1911, the school has been rebuilt by some of his scholars whom are still alive today!

Mui Ne, a sleepy fishing village, was discovered and made famous by kite boarding. Being one of the best spots in Asia (if not the world) for this adrenaline-rush sport, hundreds of kiters and aspiring students flock to the sandy beaches seeking the ultimate thrill. There are two wind directions, NE November to April) and SW (July - September) making it ideal for cross on-shore winds and thus wind sports such as windsurfing, kite boarding.

The province lies in the monsoon tropical area with two distinct seasons. The rainy season: from May to October and the dry season: from November to April following year. The annual average temperature varies between 27°C and the yearly rainfall is 800mm - 1,500mm.

None of our bungalows feature interconnecting rooms, thus mostly families travelling together may reserve two rooms or bungalows next to one another.

David Irwin.

Born in N.Ireland in 1986, David Irwin graduated in Three Dimensional Design at Northumbria University in 2007. He completed a fellowship on the Designers in Residence Programme at Northumbria’s School of Design in 2010 and subsequently went on to establish his own Industrial design Studio in 2011.

As a practice David Irwin works for leading manufacturers and design led companies such as Habitat, Deadgood and Gardiner Richardson and operates specifically within the spectrum of contemporary furniture, product and lighting design.

The studio’s design focus is rooted in material exploration and driven by a desire to assign purpose to both traditional and contemporary manufacturing processes. The goal with all of David Irwin’s work is to combine a strong concept with fundamental usefulness.