'I've always been interested in fashion, ever since I was a child. Even when I was little, I was very picky with my clothes,' the 49-year-old designer says, with a laugh. 'I would insist on certain shirts and special things from my parents. I'd ask them to buy this pair of pants and that particular shirt.'

Born in Reutlingen, Germany, Reiff attended a high school that focused on textiles, design and merchandising. In 1977, shortly after graduation, he joined Hugo Boss, and was given charge of the accessories range. In 1992, he was made creative director of the label, overseeing the design process for menswear, womenswear and a diverse range of licensee lines that include fragrances and accessories.

Reiff's long residence at the design house has enabled him to develop a balance between creativity and market viability. 'We don't dress the fashion victim,' Reiff says, peering through his silver-framed glasses. 'Hugo Boss is about modern clothes with uncompromising quality, and our design direction has always been stable, credible and consistent.

'Much has changed about fashion recently, especially in the men's fashion world. It's great to see the house constantly evolving.'

Hugo Boss has certainly undergone numerous transformations since it was founded by its namesake in 1923 as a manufacturer of work clothes for men.

It's been a bumpy - and sometimes controversial - ride ever since. Hugo Boss is one of a number of German companies accused of having had links to the Third Reich during the second world war, when its contracts included making uniforms for the Schutzstaffel (SS), Wehrmacht and Hitler Youth. (In 2000, Hugo Boss and some 6,000 other companies, including Daimler Chrysler, Bayer and Deutsche Bank, were asked by the government to pay US$4.5 billion in compensation to people who'd been forced to work for the Nazis.)

By the 50s, Hugo Boss had made a successful transformation into ready-to-wear business attire. Its focus on men's workwear reached its apogee in the 1980s, with the birth of the archetypal 'Boss Man'. In the hierarchy of style, a quality suit was a man's ultimate trump card, and Hugo Boss designs embraced the dress-for-success decade, when expensive suits, pressed shirts and ties became the standards for boardroom attire.

Hong Kong has witnessed much of the brand's evolution, and Reiff speaks highly of the woman behind Joyce Boutique, which handles distribution here. 'When I met Joyce Ma many years ago, we were just a suit brand,' Reiff says. 'But things have changed now.'

With the birth of the metrosexual, men's fashion has begun to forgo strict tailoring in preference for an individualist appeal. Reiff says Tom Ford championed the new look by democratising luxury fashion and blurring the once stark boundaries of high camp and everyday wear.

'I think Tom Ford has done a great job in changing the way people perceive menswear fashion,' he says. 'He has redefined our perception of what men could wear, and I have a lot of respect for his contributions.'

For Hugo Boss, this change in fashion direction signalled an emphasis on idiosyncratic, style-focused menswear that synthesised the trends into an all-encompassing brand. The new style caters to the eclectic way men dress, with independent sub-labels for different lifestyles.

The black label collection - featuring smart and quality business and formal attire - is the brand's major collection and accounts for 90 per cent of revenue, while the orange and green labels are growing strongly thanks to the boom in relaxed, casual gear. For those who prefer bespoke tailoring, the label's Baldessarini range features quality fabrics and fully canvassed suits (although it's sold in only a few countries).

Hugo Boss has long been regarded as a man's company, but the company has big plans to break into womenswear. It's a significant challenge, and Giorgio Armani is one of the few houses to have achieved the transformation.

Hugo Boss' womenswear collection, which was unveiled in 1999, shared minimal and austere aesthetics with the likes of Costume National, Helmut Lang and Jil Sander. But despite the consistency of its menswear, the initial women's range didn't match the hype, and sales were below expectations.

'In retrospect, it was difficult because our house has always been so masculine,' says Reiff. 'But things have changed and we're trying to make our womenswear collection more feminine. The collection will offer different facets. The woman is more emotional, she likes changing her clothes, and I want to give the collections more soul and make it more romantic.'

The latest spring/summer womenswear collection used a pastel palette with ballerina pink satin dresses, pinstriped trousers, lavender biker jackets and an occasional sprinkle of linear, black leather dresses. The shift in design direction has lifted the ailing line out of the red, and it is slowly acquiring a fan base, including Cate Blanchett, Penelope Cruz, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Rosanna Arquette.

'As the creative director, I need to be very sensitive to new ideas,' Reiff says. 'I need to look and smell what's around. We don't do sensational things every season because we want to find a balance between creative design and business. We need to be fashionable but remain market oriented at the same time.'

All of which is easier said than done, and keeps Reiff constantly on the move. 'I spend 40 per cent of the year travelling and the remaining 60 per cent working in my office,' Reiff says.

Does he ever get a break? 'Well, maybe a week or so every year,' he says. 'My life is Hugo Boss.'