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SCMP Reporter

ROBERTO Conte was in a celebratory mood the day he met Karen Holt. ''Come and have a cup of tea in my new showroom,'' he urged the vivacious young Briton working in Graffiti's.

  She did and one thing quickly led to another. ''That's how I poached her,'' the designer grins, looking just like the cat who got the cream.

  Actually, he got another designer. ''Electrical circuits, mostly for submarines,'' says the most unlikely fashion assistant in Hongkong.

  ''At the time I was finishing school, Margaret Thatcher was big on women in industry and I was one of those girls who was targeted through being good at sciences.

  ''I trained as an electrical engineer, then spent eight years working for a ship-building company in Barrow-in-Furness.''  The city in the north-west of England is a far cry from D'Aguilar Street, Central. As for that shining example of women in industry - well, Mrs Thatcher should see her now.

  ''Better than crawling around submarines,'' said Mr Conte's right-hand woman the other day, looking like the perfect advertisement for Chiaroscuro in her smart summer pants and sleeveless top.

  The man behind the label could have been made-to-order. Designer with a capital D you'd think, eyeing that braid of red hair.

  His workman-like clothes are a better guide. Roberto Conte, product of an Italian diplomat father and an English mother, is every bit as down to earth as his assistant - and what a team they make.

  ''We're booked solid this month. Up to our eyeballs in orders,'' said the 29-year-old designer who moved to Hongkong in October 1991.

  His first collection was a hit. Next step, a showroom, Mr Conte promised and delivered just under a year ago - ''a very soft opening, with the paint still drying on the walls.''   It's on the third floor of a building at the top end of D'Aguilar Street and there's no elevator, but it's worth the climb even on a steamy summer's day: all very laid back, with daywear displayed on racks along the walls and a table and chairs in the middle.

  Rather like an on-going tea party, said the designer, reaching for a butter cookie just as a couple of unexpected visitors arrived.

  ''I've come with my friend to see that wedding gown, if that's all right Roberto,'' said the client.

  ''Everyone seems to be getting married in this town, especially models,'' said Mr Conte as the flushed pair disappeared into the back of the showroom.

  ''Off-white is the favourite. Much gentler on the figure than pure white which tends to glare.

  ''Frills and fuss are definitely out. Most clients want practical styles which can later serve as evening wear.''  The nuptial gear is the icing on the cake. Daywear is the big attraction at Chiaroscuro; mix-and-match classics in excellent natural fabrics which are cut to fit European curves.

  ''Tailoring off the peg, I call it,'' says the designer whose winning formula - strictly limited lines, separates for all seasons, handmade touches like welted buttonholes and affordable prices - has brought relief to Hongkong's expat women.

  ''It's crazy that in a city full of clothes, Western women are practically left out, but that's how it is here. Even the imported designer labels come in Asian sizes and the dimensions are all wrong for European bodies.

  ''There's also far too much glitz, though I think people have finally rebelled against labels and realised that some designers are making fools of them.

  ''Only a few like Armani have got it right by keeping to simple lines and playing with shapes and texture.''   That Italian flair for understated elegance is written all over Chiaroscuro, if not the designer with the crisp English accent. Island School is responsible for part of it.

  ''I went there from 1977-80 when my family lived in Hongkong and couldn't read or write English when I started.''  ''Before that, I went to school in Venice and later I did drama at the Academy of Live and Recorded Arts in London where they ground out the rest of my accent.''   That's the short version. He's lost count of the number of schools he attended, says the diplomat's son who was born in Kuala Lumpur and grew up in a dizzying number of cities including Damascus, Brussels, Rome and Geneva.

  His real education finally came at the American College in London where he majored in fashion design. In 1990 he won the coveted Moda Marche, the annual fashion competition sponsored by the Fashion Guild of Italy.

  A successful stint in Europe followed, but memories of Hongkong beckoned and he took the plunge and hasn't looked back.

  ''I'd like to open a couple more shops and maybe export to Japan and China, but right now I have my hands full here.

  ''Since I started my custom-made service two months ago - that's mostly thanks to a couple of brilliant Shanghainese tailors I found - things have been frantic.''  The wedding gowns have been largely responsible, though escalating word-of-mouth has definitely contributed. There aren't many places in Hongkong where you can get quality ready-to-wear for such tempting prices - around $800 for skirts and pants, and $1,600 for jackets - or in your size.

  The personal touch continues after hours. ''I do all the beading for the fancy stuff myself,'' says Mr Conte.

  ''Nothing more relaxing than sitting in front of the telly with my sewing.''   And, with the nifty Ms Holt keeping a sharp eye on his showroom, he sure doesn't have to worry about fuses.



Conte sizes up the expat market