THE name smacks of privilege: Goodwins of London. The burgundy and gold van parked outside, the deep padded red leather lining the counters, and quaint round windows looking down on to Beach Road, Repulse Bay, show this is no ordinary Hong Kong sweatshop.
In the tireless quest for excess and extravagance, this must surely be the territory's most upmarket dry-cleaners, catering almost exclusively to clients on the south side of the island and The Peak.
It is not just the name that is posh, either: the staff look as if they have just stepped out of an advertisement for Ralph Lauren, and a uniformed chauffeur picks up and delivers your dirty laundry in the van, loaded down with burgundy and gold bags, and padded hangers.
For many of the deep-pocketed customers, Goodwins of London is a godsend. Its owner, Elaine Goodwin, said she set up the speciality dry-cleaning shop - which opened for business six weeks ago - because 'I tore my hair out getting things dry-cleaned to my satisfaction'.
A resident of Hong Kong for 25 years, Ms Goodwin, formerly general manager of the Far Eastern Economic Review, said she used to take her clothes to a dry-cleaner's in Britain.
'I eventually discovered there was much more state-of-the-art equipment to be used so I decided to do my own thing.' Inspired by her father and brother who were 'very beautifully valeted men, wearing only hand-made suits, shirts and shoes', Ms Goodwin named the shop after them.
