Entertainment> Style

Homegrown Fashionistas

By Rebecca Lo (China Daily)
2010-08-29 11:08

 

Sin Sin Man's creations are crafted out of hand-made Mongolian cashmere felt. Provided to China Daily

Shopping is one of Hong Kong's major attractions. And now visitors know enough to hunt down many of its most talented female designers. Rebecca Lo showcases just a few.

It may be argued that women, with their acknowledged superior multi-tasking skills, make for good designers because designing by its very nature means doing many things at once. Finding inspiration, communicating that inspired idea to a client, managing the people who will help bring it to life, and making sure that it reaches the right customers-all in a day's work for Hong Kong's talented designers.

Today, Vivienne Tam (www.viviennetam.com) is an internationally renowned brand name headquartered in New York City. Yet she got her start in Hong Kong during the heyday of the territory's manufacturing boom. The Guangzhou-born, Hong Kong Polytechnic University-educated fashion designer still finds inspiration from the city she grew up in. Though her creations can be found in New York City's Museum of Modern Art and London's Victoria and Albert Museum, the most complete line of her current ready-to-wear collection is available through the Hong Kong boutiques that bear her name. Like Tam, Sin Sin Man (www.sinsin.com.hk) began designing when Hong Kong was the world's garment factory.

Growing up in Diamond Hill, she found inspiration in the hills of Lion's Rock and visits to Kowloon City's Cantonese opera houses. Each year, Sin Sin's collection pushes the boundaries of fashion, with studies of exotic materials such as handmade Mongolian cashmere felt. Along with her Sheung Wan studio, she operates a fine art gallery in Mid-Levels and five-star villas in Bali. Originally from Fontainebleau, Chantal Rechaussat studied graphics design in Paris before embarking on a career in Hong Kong with partners Marc Cansier and Marc Brulhart.

Together, they form the multidisciplinary firm Marc &Chantal Design (www.marc-chantal.com). The firm's recent work includes graphics and signage for Swire Hotels' East in Taikoo and tableware for Hermes, available through its flagship shop in Central's The Galleria. Hong Kong-born Dora Tam (www.doratamdesign.com) studied jewelry design in Barrie, Canada before beginning her award-winning career with Hong Kong jeweler Tse Sui Luen. Now, she operates a studio and two shops in Macau featuring her own creations. Take a look at her fanciful sterling silver baubles the next time you head over.