The King of Culture

Douglas Young, founder of GOD, is determined to preserve the city’s history

From a small furniture shop to a well-known lifestyle brand bridging East and West, Douglas Young’s Goods of Desire (GOD) captures the essence of Hong Kong and celebrates its creativity. Born in Hong Kong in the Sixties, Young moved to the UK aged 14 to attend boarding school and studied architecture at university before returning to his home city in 1991. In 1996, he and his business partner Benjamin Lau originally sold furniture in Ap Lei Chau until they began focusing on homewares, clothing and souvenirs. Today, GOD, which has six stores and three shop-in-shops, is known for its quintessentially Hong Kong collectibles that reflect the city’s grassroots culture. Here, Young discusses his love of cars, the novel he is working on and why he’ll always be a proud Hongkonger.

You’ve spent your whole career trying to push the culture of Hong Kong forward. Why is this so important to you?

When I returned from university in the UK, I had been out of Hong Kong for 15 years. I suddenly rediscovered Hong Kong: what I thought was ordinary before became special. I also saw our unique culture being eroded by globalisation. Hong Kong was becoming more westernised at the expense of local culture, in terms of food, fashion, music and architecture. When I was young, things were more of a hybrid between East and West. I am determined to help preserve our culture for the next generation. All brands—whether Apple, Louis Vuitton, Ikea, Mercedes-benz or

Clockwise, from top left: Young, aged one on Christmas Day in Hong Kong in 1966; Young and his mother Carol Yu in Hong Kong in 1969; a 13-year-old Young at 10 Downing Street in London. Opposite page: Young at home in Mid-levels with his rescue mongrel, Mi