Breaking with the traditionally accepted notions of the fashion world is no small feat, but a few hot young Hong Kong fashion designers have done just that. Channeling true creativity and independence, they are paving a new path for younger generations to explore the sartorial arts as an avenue for not just to express their inner visions but also to explore gender and cultural identity. Below are some local designers who are redefining the industry.
Anaïs Mak, founder of Jourden
Internationally-acclaimed Anaïs Mak is a Hong Kong-raised fashion designer who was trained in the heart of all things luxury, Paris, at the famed Studio Berçot. This young designer founded her own label straight after graduation. Today, her brand, Jourden, is beloved by superstars such Ariana Grande and Gigi Hadid, and was the only Hong Kong label to be included in the line up of the 2018 Paris Fashion Week. Her ultra-feminine and avant-garde designs feature an experimental play of fabrics and textures, as well as the use of traditional craft techniques like smocking and embroidery. She calls her distinctive style: “a subtly perverted take on formal femininity” that aims to empower women to take on bolder styles.
Jason Mui & On-yang Lai, founders of Yat Pit
Hongkonger On-Ying Lai, and Britain-born Chinese Jason Mui are founders of the clothing brand Yat Pit. Putting Chinese culture at the forefront of fashion design, the fashion label adds a modern and youthful twist reflective of their mixed Western and Chinese backgrounds. Striking and eclectic, their designs speak to the city’s youths who are finding their places and defining their identities in an increasingly cross-cultural landscape. After their first showcase at the 2015 Shanghai Fashion Week, they have picked up rapid attention from around the world and paving the way for other aspiring Hong Kong fashion designers.
Alex Po & Derek Cheng, founders of Ponder.er
Setting out to make some noise in the world of fashion – especially in Asia where the topic of gender and sexuality are still not openly discussed topics – Alex Po and Derek Cheng founded Ponder.er, a clothing brand that challenges gender stereotypes through the creation of gender-fluid clothes that diversify the world of menswear. The dynamic duo met in London, where they both attended the prestigious Central Saint Martins. Their recent SS20 collection, Liquid Masculinity, features traditional male tailoring skills that have been paired with unusual, avant-garde details that breaks the rules and aim to make menswear “less masculine and less structured”.
Harrison Wong
From New York and Milan to Shanghai, Hong Kong fashion designer Harrison Wong has had his designs displayed across the catwalks of such highly anticipated international fashion shows as the New York Fashion Week and Centrestage. After a decade of designing women’s and men’s seasonal collections, as well as directing numerous fashion houses in Hong Kong and China, he narrowed his focus to creating contemporary menswear by opening his eponymous fashion brand. Striking, edgy yet elegant, Harrison Wong’s designs add a tasteful and stylish contemporary choice to well-tailored menswear, which oftens is lacking in variety.
Johanna Ho, founder of PHVLO
Passionate about creating meaningful fashion, British-Chinese fashion designer, Johanna Ho has dressed the likes of celebrities such as Eason Chan and Hilary Tsui, and is already an established name in the city. But she’s not done yet. After two years away from designing, she returned in 2017 to launch PHVLO, a functional yet fashionable line of active wear that aims to change how the fashion industry contributes to sustainability. Aiming beyond being just a fashion label, and to promote sustainability and counter wasteful and exploitative practices within the fashion industry, Ho then opened PHVLO Hatch, a three-storey old textile shop renovated into a sustainable coffee shop, exhibition floor, and workshop space promoting sustainability through upcycling and training underprivileged women and youth from the local community.