Pedder Arcade Launched! - the Speech

We had a great party, 500+ people! Check us out: pedderacade.com
Two years ago, when we were knee deep in the frustration of Covid, I wanted to do something new in Hong Kong. I was so tired of the inaction, of the feeling of slow decline. The Armoury felt a little stuck and I even considered leaving this building. However, I started The Armoury here thirteen years ago and I have always felt an emotional attachment to this place, I wouldn't leave it so easily. Instead of turning my back on this place, I wanted to bring it to life. On June 16th, 2021, I managed to get a meeting with one of the owners of the building and I pitched him the idea of the Pedder Arcade. I wanted to create something new in Hong Kong while fulfilling this longstanding dream of running a shopping arcade as well as creating a new home for The Armoury.
It took me six months of pestering and eventually the landlords decided that this was a gamble worth taking. For this opportunity, I am deeply grateful. From the beginning, I worked on this project with my interior design partner in crime, Katherine Wong, to create a compelling space that encouraged people to dwell, browse, and explore.
After we completed the designs and then the construction of the space, I had to figure out who would be the right neighbours to make this place feel a great neighbourhood. I spoke to Thomas Perazzi at Phillips who thankfully saw the potential of what we were doing and Phillips Perpetual was the second long term tenant signed. The other spaces were slower to rent. There was a lot of interest but because it was such a new, unproven concept, many brands were waiting on the sidelines. So, I decided to take matters into my own hands and create stores myself on behalf of my friends' brands. And thus, the Drapers pop-up, the Drumohr pop-up, the Nigel Cabourn pop-up and The Armoury Study with Davidoff was born. In fact, this Arcade was also made possible because of a great auction that Phillips held for me last year called The Beauty in Everything Sale where I sold most of my personal watch collection. That auction provided the funds to work on so many pop-ups at once. And now, here we are at the Pedder Arcade's grand opening.
But, why was I so determined to complete this project? There were probably many moments where we should have given up. It would have been prudent to scale down, aim for something smaller and easier to achieve. I kept going with this project. For better or worse, my projects always end up going against the grain. We launched The Armoury right after the global financial crisis in 2008 in a little unit in the Pedder Arcade at the end of a dark hallway that was considered no-man's land. Now, 13 years later, we are across Hong Kong, New York and online and surviving well.
I think there are great things that simply hide in plain sight. They can reveal themselves under just the right circumstances but it takes some effort to create them. The best watches I have owned came to me because I believed in them before anyone else did. In the same way, I believe the Pedder Building's true potential has yet to fully reveal itself. I believe this new building will find a new life. I also believe this way of shopping will find its place in Hong Kong. Sophisticated yet unassuming. Calm yet engaging. These are experiences that many of us are seeking.
For the last few years, every time I would visit other countries, work in my other shops, visit my other clients, I would constantly hear: "Are you OK? Is Hong Kong OK?" They would look at me with this slightly pitying look and a sad tone in their voice and it just drove me crazy. This isn't just "some city". This is Hong Kong. Despite everything we have gone through over the last four years, this is still a great city. And rather than complain about the government not helping enough or those outside of Hong Kong throwing us shade, I want us to change the course of our narrative ourselves. This project exists today because there are still people who really believe in Hong Kong. I think many if not most of you in this room believe in Hong Kong, too.
This is an amazing city. It has stunning natural beauty, it has incredible man-made creations but most importantly, it is the home of people with an unfatiguing, strong spirit that can and will just keep going and going through anything. I hope that the Pedder Arcade will live up to the promise of Hong Kong and leave its imprint in the region and in the world. And if you ever see the Pooder Avenuecade in Shenyang or whatever you will at least know where the original came from.
So, please, enjoy this place that many people have worked very hard to create and are very proud of. Come here, relax, enjoy, do some shopping, hang out, bring your friends, tell your acquaintances. And most importantly, tell the world that the story of Hong Kong is far from over.
Thank you all for coming, I am deeply grateful.
Pedder Building 5th Floor, 12 Pedder Street, Central, HK

[@dupontkoo4370]

Congrats and all the best, Mark. You are indeed "A man does what he can until his destiny is revealed" personified!

[@togo7022]

hong kong is now a top menswear destination thanks to you

[@AdamRomanoExplores]

Congratulations Mark. Best of luck.

[@famine92]

Man, that is awesome. Congrats, Mark!

[@monkeypawism]

Beautiful.

[@immanuelgooding8790]

Congratulations… looking forward to the experience

[@user-iz6rs1xb1j]

Mr. Mark, you are a great person

[@ryangoddu9653]

Congrats Mark, looking forward to coming by soon.

[@L4BEG]

Great speech and amazing grand opening!!!!!!!

[@babblelooify]

Congratulations Mark! Personally, I can't wait to visit. Would also have loved to find out about what you were wearing too :) I know the resilience of the people of Hong Kong, and you will all rise above the challenges of the last four years and beyond!

[@94870641]

Congrats! Really awesome!

[@WatchClyde]

Congrats! I love the concept.

[@sitingliu]

This is amazing, I can't wait to visit one day soon!

[@kenneth7826]

Congrats and good luck!!!!!

[@mikeybee6061]

Congratulations, can’t wait to visit the Pedder. Looking forward to it immensely!

[@kasperjohansen4177]

Congrats!!!!!

[@fabiancruz5895]

Congrats 🎉🎉

[@khandychannel]

awesome Mark! Congrats!

[@antoniohopson5287]

CONGRATULATIONS.. I Cant Wait To See The New Store.

[@aaronchounramany]

Congrats mark!

[@WatchReporter]

This arcade needs a ArcheeLuxury pop up happy ending salon. Patek & happy ending.

[@TheChrisBycz]

Bravo Mark!!

[@markchodotcom]

Thank you

[@Sitelatmobil]

O captain, me captain

[@desanctisapostata]

Mark Cho is a visionary

[@lamchan8674]

恭喜！totally agree with you about Hong Kong.

[@irawanwijaya7951]

Cool

[@Enrico-]

Mark Cho vs Shenyang

[@markchodotcom]

Shenyang gave me food poisoning 15 years ago and I have never forgiven it since.

[@dimadenis6575]

👍👍👍👍👍👏👏👏👏👏

[@WatchReporter]

ChoCha

[@user-ix5ld4ct9j]

What suit mark is wearing?

[@markchodotcom]

The Armoury Model 15 made up in some Kynoch sample cloth I had lying around