Four must-follow Gallic Instagrammers in the Far East.

London is often regarded as France’s sixth biggest city, such is the size of the French population in the British capital. Hot on its heels is Hong Kong, which is home to more than 20,000 français, who make up the fastest-growing ex-pat community in the city (increasing 5 per cent year on year).

To celebrate this diverse group of creatives, restaurateurs and entrepreneurs, MR PORTER is hosting an event in Hong Kong as part of our Vive La France campaign to shine a light on the French designers we have on site. The event will take place at Bibo, a restaurant that serves innovative French cuisine in an art gallery setting, and the attendees will include Messrs Arnault Castel, Laurent Segretier, Maxime Gilbert and Antoine El Iman, four Frenchmen you should follow if you really want to get to grips with this “futuristic jungle island”. We spoke to them to get an idea of what’s so exciting about Hong Kong’s thriving French community and for their insights into the city.

After years heading up the Michelin-starred Amber restaurant in Hong Kong, Mr Maxime Gilbert is now executive chef at the city’s new French restaurant, Ecriture, where the food is driven by seasonality and inspired by Japanese produce.

What’s the best thing about your job?

Being able to do what I love. Cooking is my passion and nothing brings me more pleasure than being able to evolve it into a whole experience, from the personalised knives from France to the plates I handpicked from Akita to the style of service and restaurant design.

How long have you been in Hong Kong?

I moved here in April 2013 after almost two years in Beijing.

What do you love about Hong Kong that you can’t find back in France?

_For now, I see Hong Kong as a long-term base for me because I’ve fallen in love with the dynamism of life here, with the convenience of a world-class city but with a rich and colourful culture that can be found in everyday life. _

What do you miss about France?

Nostalgia is all about the ingredients we grew up with, so I most miss the local simple produce and ingredients that I grew up with and were found at normal markets in France.

Who is your favourite Instagrammer?

My everyday life is so consumed by working – more than 16 hours a day, six days of the week – that when I have time to look at Instagram, I prefer to look at purely funny and entertaining posts.

What’s your favourite place to eat in Hong Kong?

I love eating out at restaurants old and new. One of the newer restaurants that I really enjoy is Yannick Alléno’s Terroir Parisien, and I always take out-of-town guests to TokyoLima.

And your favourite bar?

La Cabane is a boisterous bar that I frequent and of course Bibo, because it is reminiscent of my Parisian neighbourhood wine bar.

What is your favourite piece from the Vive La France collections?

De Bonne Facture does some of my favorite pieces because it takes classic styles and combines them with modern details and flattering lines. It’s in my French blood to always make an effort to look good, but I prefer to maintain a balance with form and function.

A retail guru who has spent half his life in Hong Kong, Mr Arnault Castel operates Maison Kitsuné and the Buly 1803 flagship store and is the founder of Kapok, a lifestyle shop in Hong Kong and Singapore.

**What’s the best thing about your job?    **

Discovering new creations that can make our life better and more beautiful and getting to meet and know the designers behind these creations.

How long have you been in Hong Kong?

Twenty-two years now – half my life.

What do you love about Hong Kong that you can’t find back in France?

The speed at which an idea can become a reality.

What do you miss about France?

The slowness, the pauses we take to enjoy life more.

Who is your favourite Instagrammer?

@michelgaubert for his wild imagination and for making me laugh every single day.

What’s your favourite place to eat in Hong Kong?

Happy Paradise. May Chow makes Chinese cuisine that is rooted in tradition, but very modern and fun.

And your favourite bar?

Any of my best friends’ places, with a few bottles of champagne.

What is your favourite piece from the Vive La France collections?

This cotton-jersey sweatshirt from Maison Kitsuné. I wear sweatshirts most of the time for comfort and a casual touch, and I am into modern art, which the brand captures well.

Artist and photographer Mr Laurent Segretier has collaborated and worked with luxury brands such as Louis Vuitton, Calvin Klein and Hong Kong’s Lane Crawford.

What’s the best thing about your job?

Photography is my life passport or backstage pass. It helps nourish my interests by being able to photograph backstage, workshops or talent. It always starts with a conversation. Curiosity is a big side of my personality. Being able to tell people they are great as they are and showing how I perceive their radiant energy is the best part of it.

How long have you been in Hong Kong?

Back and forth, almost nine years.

What do you love about Hong Kong that you can’t find back in France?

The verticality of the architecture. The food is the best. And even if we complain all day about the humidity, I am in love with my futuristic jungle island. For a lot of European nerdy boys, Asia was a symbol of futurism. I grew up watching sci-fi, which was directly inspired by Hong Kong life and architecture. It’s like a feeling of a big déjà-vu, almost as if I jumped in a TV screen and am playing a real-life platform game. Don’t call me Mario or Luigi!

What do you miss about France?

My wife mainly. The music, too. And my morning routine where coffee and a cigarette define the start of the day. I miss museums, too, but on the other hand I feel like everything can be done here, whereas in France I feel slightly undermined by French art and photographic history. It’s the country of masters. How can I compete? But France remains a strong source of inspiration.

Who is your favourite Instagrammer?

_I recently cleared a lot of accounts I was following. I kept mainly my close friends and cute animals. Who doesn’t like to wake up and see a bird playing with a dog? _

What’s your favourite place to eat in Hong Kong?

Elephant Grounds in Causeway for my and healthy food. Once I like something, I remain loyal and lazy to change. Also, it’s owned by my great friend Kevin Poon, so I’m supporting the gang, I guess.

And your favourite bar?

The Pawn for its cocktails and The Iron Fairies for the kitsch holiday-cruise-boat vibe.

Since moving to Hong Kong in 2014, entrepreneur Mr Antoine El Iman has founded eMotion Screen, a digital media and innovation agency. He also manages and produces the French-American electro pop artist Ms Margaux Avril.

What’s the best thing about your job?

I really enjoy creating new experiences and emotions, and digital media is a wonderful tool to do that.

How long have you been in Hong Kong?

Already nearly five years. Time flies.

What do you love about Hong Kong that you can’t find back in France?

I think it has a lot to do with the contrasts you can find everywhere here and which creates positive shocks and power sources: people, culture, food, music, art, landscapes.

What do you miss about France?

Family and friends.

Who is your favourite Instagrammer?

@margauxavril. She’s not only a great author and singer, but also a talented photographer who sees beauty when we don’t and who’s able to tell a story with a picture of an empty bed.

What’s your favourite place to eat in Hong Kong?

My not so original number one: Yardbird. Perfection exists. Recently, I also tried and liked Uma Nota and Beet.

And your favourite bar?

Nothing beats a glass of red wine with good friends at Château Zoobeetle in Tai Ping Shan. Guilty pleasure: Le Jardin in Lan Kwai Fong. You have to drink a few glasses before you go there.

What is your favourite brand from the Vive La France collections?

It’s not an easy one, but I will choose Maison Kitsuné. Its style is transgenerational and is a perfect mix of tradition and modernity, of classicism and cheekiness. I witnessed its first store opening in Paris a few years ago, its first one in Hong Kong in 2015, and I am amazed by the considerable distance it has covered so far.

Shop the Vive La France collections here

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