Kevin Poon: Multifaceted maestro

AS POLYMATHS GO, KEVIN POON is a shining exemplar, celebrated in Hong Kong as a fashion designer, retailer, art gallerist, restaurateur and DJ all at once. His multifaceted expertise has earned him a place among the elites: he counts Fendi artistic director Kim Jones, football icon David Beckham, music mogul Pharrell Williams and hot graffiti artist Kaws as good friends. For evidence, look no farther than his Instagram account (@kpee) which commands a following of over 133,000 enthusiasts watching his every move. 

Poon’s successful ventures in Hong Kong – or “passion pursuits” as he calls them – include the streetwear label Clot, retail store Juice, art gallery Woaw and coffeehouse group Elephant Grounds. Among his newest projects is the fourth Woaw Gallery, opened at Singapore’s Ann Siang Hill just over a year ago to coincide with the launch of the new art fair Art SG in January 2023.

But if you were to ask Poon, he says his foray into entrepreneurship began not as a grand design but as a means of survival. He says: “I never really thought of myself as any type of entrepreneur, really; it was just making ends meet, and trying to support my Mom.” 

His parents separated when he was young, and he bounced around in different cities including Hong Kong, Chicago, Vancouver and Los Angeles. In his teens, he started various micro ventures such as T-shirt printing and party promotion with his friends – which all turned out to be stepping stones in his evolution as a lifestyle entrepreneur. 

Hard-won street smarts

Diversity defines his approach. His business strategies weren’t born in a boardroom but on the streets, where ideas unfolded organically. Through trial and error, he built a network of relationships, motivated by a genuine desire to support others and be supported in return. “When you start doing good things, organically things happen, and then you have ideas, and then you slowly build up your network of people and relationships,” he says.

It hasn’t always been smooth sailing, of course. In Hong Kong, his high-profile hip-hop music festival Blohk Party was discontinued after a couple of years when it made “no money”. He admits, too, that the Woaw gallery in Singapore has posed challenges as he tries to figure out what the art collector here wants. 

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“In Hong Kong, people talk about art all the time. The auction and gallery scenes are thriving. But I find the audience in Singapore to be quite cautious and conservative. They’re curious about art but most of them have not taken the plunge yet. They shy away from big-ticket items. So we’re still trying to figure out how to be relevant in this market and how to get people excited and build a community.”

This month, Poon will be in Singapore for a portion of Singapore Art Week, which runs from Jan 19 to 28. Woaw Singapore is holding a group exhibition of its favourite artists such as Georgiko, James Goss, UFO907 and Yi-Shuan Lee at its premises. It is also participating in art fair Art SG from Jan 19 to 21, with artists such as Charlie Roberts, Jon Burgerman and Kitty Ng.

Chinese New Year introspection

Although Chinese New Year is just a month away, Poon hasn’t had time to plan for it yet. He says: “Right after New Year, we’re going to be in Macau for Bruno Mars and MGM Macau, and then we’re off to Paris for Fashion Week, and then we’ll be in Singapore for Singapore Art Week. So it’s hectic.”

But Poon says that Chinese New Year will be when he takes time off to contemplate life. “The celebration is not just a cultural tradition – it’s an opportunity for family bonding, introspection and a break from the pace of life. With the first new moon of the lunar calendar, it’s a moment to reflect, recharge and refocus. As an astrology enthusiast, I think the moon affects us a lot more than we think it does.”

He is excited about the upcoming Year of the Dragon. “I think everyone – not just me – is looking forward to it.  Dragons are powerful and auspicious creatures; the year promises possibilities and opportunities. Obviously, I’m a Bruce Lee fan. So when I think of dragons, I think of his film Enter The Dragon, and I think of the Double Dragon video games I played as a kid… I love dragons.”

While previous Chinese New Year celebrations might have seen him partying hard from dusk to dawn, Poon says he’s a changed man since turning 40 a few years ago, marrying Chinese-Scottish model Fiona McLeish in 2020, and becoming a father to his two-year-old son. 

He says: “I’m up early every day now to take him to school. My priorities have shifted a lot as I think about how to be a role model to him, and how to balance work and family life.  If anything, I’ve learnt to be more patient. I’ve cut out a lot of unnecessary things like hanging out with my friends… I can’t stay up till 3 am and expect to be a good, functioning father at 7 am.”

Poon is the picture of an Asian renaissance man, balancing the demands of contemporary passion pursuits (art, music, fashion, food) and good old-fashioned familial responsibilities. His entrepreneurial story is not just one of street-smarts and business acumen, but also that of adaptability and a commitment to family. 

He says: “Being in business is hard. But at the end of the day, entrepreneurship is just a test of your character. Stick to your morals, follow your guiding light, and always, always treat people right. People may not remember what your achievements are or how much money you made, but they remember how you made them feel. To succeed in life, try to be nice to everybody.”