ALFRED SIU:
We brought in a lot of entertainment. Artists like Kool and the Gang, Tom Jones, we brought in some ‘Playboy’ playmates and Marcel Marceau. And we just keep rotating, different artists to come in and perform. So, while it lasted, it was a lot of fun.
PRESENTER:
That’s Alfred Siu, the developer and art collector who founded the ‘I club’, a short-lived private members club that pioneered a cosmopolitan lifestyle in the early 1980s. He worked closely with New York designer Joe D’Urso on designing its interiors, art consultant Jeffrey Deitch to build an art collection for the club, and Hong Kong-based graphic designer Henry Steiner to create the club’s distinctive visual identity.
ALFRED SIU:
Yeah, it was a wonderful experience working with them. We collaborated, we shared, I needed to respect their input because they’re famous for having created beautiful things. And Jeffrey is famous for picking art, so I don't want to argue with these experts! I'm not like modern owners or developers that are really over-controlling the designers and it was… I think they enjoyed working with me! So, it was a good collaboration.
PRESENTER:
Alfred also told us how the name ‘I club’ evolved. Working with Henry, the letter ‘I’ became synonymous with the different sides of the club: its simplicity reflected the minimalist interiors; it stood for the international lifestyle the club promoted; and the varied manifestation of the ‘I’ represented the club members’ sense of individuality. This bold, ambiguous branding also offered a unique way to market the club ahead of its opening.
ALFRED SIU:
And of course, we got really good, teasing advertisements. We worked out a series of different designs for the letter ‘I’, which was not much other than this beautiful figure ‘I’, in this full-page ad in South China Morning Post, and it simply says, ‘“a lifestyle, coming summer… an international lifestyle coming summer’”. So, every week there’s a different ‘I’ coming out. And, this, people are so curious, what is this? A very smart way to get a lot of people’s attention.
PRESENTER:
Ultimately, the club fell victim to Hong Kong’s economic crash. But Alfred still thinks fondly of his bold vision in employing ground-breaking art and design –— as reflected in the materials on display here.
ALFRED SIU:
I hope the people who see the material will say, wow, you know, some people in Hong Kong were pretty crazy to do some exciting things… and it's nice! So, there should be more people who are into creative stuff and I hope there will be more people inspired to take such ventures. Maybe not only the financial, economic success is important. Having dreams, that you think would be a great idea materialised, it’s all worth it.
