It's little wonder that his sources for inspiration are the late Jacqueline Onassis and Audrey Hepburn, two of the most elegant fashion icons of the 20th century.

Cajfinger says he started designing women's outfits when he was still a schoolboy, drawing silhouettes which he called Paule Ka (a combination of his aunt's and his mother's names).

Although he was passionate about designing even then, the turning point came in his teens. 'It all happened when John F. Kennedy died and Jackie O appeared on TV, wearing this black dress,' he says. 'She was so elegant, filled with dignity.'

From then on, he studied the way Kennedy's widow used to dress and how she created her unique style. It wasn't long before he discovered another important muse in Hepburn. 'Audrey is my inexhaustible inspiration,' he says. 'She is the Parisian woman of dreams. Her style is timeless. She is graceful, chic and sensual at the same time.'

Cajfinger says his latest collection is a tribute to women such as Hepburn and Grace Kelly. It blends into this year's autumn/winter trends of the 50s, focusing on a Hitchcock look, with clean and graphic silhouettes.

While his signature style has remained constant, Cajfinger has experimented with new collections for accessories, including bags and shoes. As well as the usual two collections a year, he has introduced early winter and late summer collections. 'I started out with a young couture line, a very small collection,' he says. 'I added knit and leather wear, letting the evening dresses evolve to daytime clothing.

'I'm expanding in every possible way, and I'm always thinking up new ideas to make the latest collection better than the one before. I might even start a diffusion line.'

Each of his collections has seven different themes or stories, based on fabrics and prints or divided into day, evening and sportswear. Cajfinger's retail empire is also expanding. He has 23 stores around the world, and this week will open a further two in Europe: one in St Germain and one more in Antwerp. He has a strong presence in Asia, having opened his first store in the region, in Japan, in 1995. Since then, he's built up a chain of 16 stores, mainly in Tokyo and Osaka. He opened two stores in South Korea last year (in Seoul and Busan), and plans to set up in Shanghai and Beijing soon.

'The brands here in Hong Kong are so powerful,' Cajfinger says. 'You can see that the economy is on its way up again. Also the market in China is rebounding, and I definitely want to be there when it takes off.' Nonetheless, he says Paris remains his inspiration. 'Paris is one of the most beautiful cities. I live right in the middle of it, in front of the Louvre and the Seine.'

He says he enjoys working closely with the eight young people in his creative team, because they introduce him to new ideas and help inspire him. In return, he teaches them how to adopt the Paule Ka style of clean lines and elegance in their designs.

Up to 70 people work for the company. 'I always had a dream to own shops in all the capital cities in the world,' he says. 'I've reached my goals. I make beautiful things for beautiful women, and I can travel around the world.' His hectic lifestyle may exhaust some, but Cajfinger says he thrives on the hard work. 'Working makes you grow,' he says. 'We're here to learn from each other and to develop together. We have to become stronger and more confident.'

His philosophy and attitude are reflected in his designs and collections, and Cajfinger says he lives his dream through his work. 'The woman I design for is happy and confident,' he says. 'She knows who she is and what she wants. She's ambitious and doesn't blindly follow each trend. She's true to her own style. She loves life, she believes in herself and she pursues her dreams.'

And for those few occasions when his muses are silent, Paris is solemn and his young team aren't sparking him? 'When I'm very exhausted in the morning and I lie in bed, I think of Giorgio Armani,' he says. 'That man works so much. He has dedicated his life to detail. He has had a dream and has followed it.'