Three generations caught in trappings of luxury

Jennifer Fong, 22, the granddaughter of Hong Kong's first furrier, Stephen Fong Sun-tou, works in the family business in Central, the Siberian Fur Store.

Famous customers have included members of several royal families, actor Larry Hagman and singer Bing Crosby. The store's most expensive item is a full-length sable that carries a $1 million price tag.

Jennifer recently graduated from the University of California in Los Angeles where she studied fine arts. She is a fashion photographer, but has her sights set on a career in design.

What's on your mind? I've just finished my first line, which is exciting. It's coming out in the next couple of weeks. I've used velvet trimmed with chinchilla and fox. It's really luxurious, but less heavy so it's better for Hong Kong.

I've always wanted to design, probably because I was exposed to it so much when I was growing up. Isn't it a bit hot to wear fur? When my grandfather started the company in 1935 nobody thought it would work because it's too hot here. But he was very persistent. He saw the potential. The Cantonese had no idea about fur so it had a novelty value. They took to it very fast. In the 1960s a lot of GIs in the Vietnam War bought furs here during stopovers.

Trade goes down by about half in the summer, but we still get a lot of tourists. People wear fur in Hong Kong for beauty and abroad for warmth. A lot of people are emigrating to Canada. They also buy furs for trips to Europe or China.