Chubby Hearts: A Showcase of Love and the Power of Design

We sit down with fashion designer Anya Hindmarch and vice-chairman of the Hong Kong Design Centre, Viveca Chan, to learn more about the Chubby Hearts project that’s taken over the city in February.

Design has the power to transform communities, not just in Hong Kong but everywhere in the world. When Anya Hindmarch first launched Chubby Hearts all over London, it was her love letter to the city; the massive floating red heart-shaped balloons, hanging over major landmarks, nestled in parks and tucked between streets, were a symbol of simple joy and simple human connection.

Chubby Hearts had an impact beyond London. In February, in time for Valentine’s Day, the Hong Kong Design Centre (HKDC) partnered with Anya Hindmarch to bring Chubby Hearts to Hong Kong, installing the heart-shaped design in all corners of the city to spread love and joy in the city.

Viveca Chan, the vice-chairman of HKDC, is a lover of everything heart-shaped. “We’re very proud to be the curator and to bring this to Hong Kong,” she says. “It’s much bigger in scale this time, and we also involved a lot of local creatives in the local communities.”

The biggest heart installation, floating in the open space outside of the Mandarin Oriental in Statue Square, is 12 metres and four times the size of the one in the UK. Chan also helped with curating the places to display the other hearts, selecting a diverse range of landmarks that represent the culture and heritage of Hong Kong, including the Lam Tsuen Wishing Tree and the Flower Market in Mongkok.

There are huge obstacles, even though Hindmarch has had the experience of putting Chubby Hearts up in London. “Logistically it was quite complicated to do and it always is with the weather and the location. We had to work with the Civil Aviation Authority as well because anything above land is owned by them. It’s much more complicated than it looks but it’s worth it because it just makes everyone have a nice smile.”

“We have a shared vision with Anya,” says Chan. “We believe that design can bring joy, and good design can really uplift communities and connect people beyond retail. It’s not just a commercial good, but a social good.”