Living a model life, like her muse of a mother

Fashion runs in China Chow's genes. While her father Michael Chow is founder of the Mr Chow restaurant chain, her mother Tina Chow was known for her inimitable style. A prominent model and fashion influencer in the 1980s, Tina played muse to the likes of Helmut Newton, Andy Warhol, Issey Miyake and Karl Lagerfeld - a quality that she clearly passed on to her daughter.

While growing up, Chow was always surrounded by fashion (her godfather is shoe maestro Manolo Blahnik). She has appeared in countless editorials in magazines such as W and Vogue China while working with the likes of Karl Lagerfeld.

Like her mother, she is a regular fixture on various best-dressed lists, although China's sense of style is quite different.

"Having come from a family that's very involved in the arts, I feel that I look at fashion through an art filter," she says. "I am interested in ideas, concepts and shapes. There are certain brands that live on the edge between art and fashion, such as Viktor and Rolf, Hussein Chalayan and Rodarte. I gravitate towards them because it's about an experience. So I like to choose sculptural pieces, not just pretty dresses."

Although she has her favourites each season, Chow insists on investing in pieces that she can love and keep forever. "When I love something I always hold onto it. I'm not the type of person that wants a shiny new thing and gets rid of it after six months," she explains.

"A good design is a good design. My mum taught me that." Divia Harilela