Visible and versatile

Some would be surprised to hear that Marisa Zeman, the girl-about-town, daughter of Lan Kwai Fong Group's Allan and Charmaine Zeman, makes her own dresses for red-carpet appearances and shops at sample sales.

'I like things that are easy, that you can just throw on and are versatile,' she says at her newly rented flat in Mid-Levels. It overlooks the harbour and houses her spacious walk-in wardrobes.

'If you buy something, and it only goes with one thing, it's a waste. It's the same if you spend a fortune on black-tie pieces that you can only wear once,' she adds.

Recently, she has been wearing cotton jumpsuits and maxi dresses from her resort-wear brand Nude is Rude, which has a standalone shop in Lan Kwai Fong.

'I believe you can look good without spending a lot of money,' she says. 'I wore this maxi number with flats to go to work. I wore it to a ball a few weeks back, too, with a belt, heels and jewellery.'

The designer and socialite also has a great selection of designer basics to mix and match with her own designs. Her favourites include a sequinned top from Vince, a knit from Missoni and fancy dresses from Thakoon and Barney Cheng, bought when she met the designers.

Zeman likes all of her things to be visible in her wardrobe. 'I don't believe in storage,' she says. 'It's out of sight, out of mind for me.'

All her accessories hang on the back of the wardrobe door. There are exotic necklaces from Bali, vintage Rolex watches, feather earrings and crystal-studded belts. 'For years, I put jewellery in bags, boxes and drawers and forgot that I had it,' she says.

She denies having a shoe or bag fetish, but Zeman has shelves of designer items. She says some of her stilettos from Jimmy Choo, Christian Louboutin and Sergio Rossi are years old. Her latest buy was a pair of lace, open-toed booties from Nicholas Kirkwood.

There are also some 'impulsive buys' from Choo.

She has a few Hermes Birkins, but her favourite is a limited-edition Longchamp bag by British artist Tracey Emin. It was bought during a trip to Greece.

'I'd had my eye on it for years, but I didn't buy it until then. I was stuck at the airport when I saw it, and I just had to have it,' she says. 'I've used it every day for three years.'

Zeman is planning to develop a bag line for Nude is Rude.