American fashion brand J. Crew recently launched their international Hello. World! campaign, featuring worldwide tastemakers profiled by the CFDA-winning couple — fashion bloggers and photographers Garance Doré and Scott Schuman (aka The Sartorialist). Local stylish icons include Hilary Tsui (owner of boutique Liger) and TK Mak (founder of Milk magazine) were part of the feature.

In addition, the Hello. World! campaign introduces international shoppers the opportunity to become a J.Crew Insider with various benefits like expedited shipping until the end of the year, duty-free shopping and access to their personal stylists!

To celebrate the power of blogging and local style, we asked some local bloggers about their must-have piece from J. Crew. They seemed to have a hard time narrowing it down to one item from the massive J. Crew collection so… good luck fellow shoppers…

Graphic designer doubles as fashion and style blogger, Denise Lai aka SUPERWOWOMG only has good things to say about the Saint James Galathée Tee: “I think a stripy sailor top is required in every wardrobe. Wearing a classic three-quarter sleeve cut in white and navy instantly makes you feel like a cool Parisian summering on a beach-y coast. Despite the stripy print, the iconic sailor top is still a versatile staple piece and can really make an outfit feel put together.” Her other choice is the Blythe Blouse in Silk because of its flattering cut and the soft and comfortable silk that is perfect for Hong Kong’s insanely hot summer weather.

For the architect-designer JJ. Acuna behind the Wanderlister+ Asia, the Patchwork plaid sportcoat in Ludlow fit is the all-rounded coat for any occasion: “I like that it’s super casual. You can wear it to work on a casual day and take it out with you at night for cocktails or even wear with t-shirt and shorts when you're out for a boat trip or barbecue. Also because it's Indian cotton, it's really great for Hong Kong weather and the summer time. I love this.”

The Hong Kong weather is not exactly layering-friendly, so lifestyle blogger (as well as foodie, InDesign addict) Sam Wong of Sam Is Home relies on a steady rotation of accessories to add texture and graphic interest to her outfits. She picks the Cabochon fan necklace: “This summer I'm really into fun and colourful jewellery to dress up a grey tee or worn under a collared chambray shirt. You can pile on different necklaces together depending on the occasion and not work up a sweat!”

Fashion photographer Carmen Chan of How I Met Your Style, a collection of intimate portraits of fashion bloggers and the like, chooses the Sperry Top-Sider Authentic Original 2-eye boat shoes in twill. Chan finds them to be “the cute and really comfy alternative to the basic white sneakers, a must-have for any wardrobe. Perfect with shorts for a trip to the beach or with cuffed denim to stay comfortable for a day with lots of errand running around Hong Kong.” Oh, by the way, she means the Natural colour and “not any of those funny colours.”

Summer hasn’t even officially started but Jason Lam of TOUGHLOVE is already prepping for winter: “I can't help but imagine myself running around on a cold night in Tsim Sha Tsui, wearing this Barbour Bourne camo jacket from J.Crew's In Good Company Program. This unique brand partnership program from J.Crew is meticulously curated based on heritage, quality and craftsmanship, featuring brands like Nanamica, Woolrich and Mackintosh.”

Want more than international shopping from J. Crew? Starting in October 2012, Hong Kong shoppers will get to purchase from a curated selection of the J. Crew Autumn/Winter 2012 collection at select Lane Crawford stores.

Jessie Lau