Secondary's cool

London-based, Turkish-Cypriot Hussein Chalayan is the thinking woman's designer. Few expected a secondary label from the talent who gave us the table skirt (a skirt that literally transformed into a table) and dressed Bjork. Chalayan's contemporary Grey line label has simple, wearable pieces that reflect his love of architecture and futurism. The collection is fresh, great for daywear, and can be embellished with heels and big, bold jewellery for evenings. The designer has announced that from spring-summer 2014, both the Chalayan Black line (his main, high fashion line) and Chalayan Grey will be folded into one line, called Chalayan. All the more reason to buy Grey before it disappears: a piece of Chalayan history at an affordable price. The current collection has neon accents and sleek, mesh panel inserts. We love the dreamy signature print of this season and the handkerchief hem shirts.

Probably one of the most famous secondary lines, this more casual range is by the Asian-American designer who recently landed the coveted top spot at the French maison of Balenciaga. While embodying the tough New York girl aesthetic of the Alexander Wang main label, T by Alexander Wang focuses more on comfortable jerseys, cotton twill, silk blends and crepe de chine shirts. The look is sporty luxe, androgynous and minimal, and the feel is soft and supple. With stretchy slip dresses for hot summer evenings, panelled wide-cut shirts for work, unadorned basics and chic tailored jackets, 'T' provides a good, fundamental wardrobe for all seasons. For spring-summer 2013, Wang has opted for greys, blacks, whites, washed-out pastels and the odd inky shade, such as on the boxy blazer and shorts. We also love the array of simple shirtdresses, which are perfect for Hong Kong summers.