For those with a keen eye for new labels, local fashion designer Susanna Ngao's S.Nine is likely to be on their radar screen.
The Parsons design school graduate, who has worked with fashion legend Diane von Furstenberg and couturier Anne Valerie Hash, started her womenswear line in 2009. She now counts local celebrities such as Kelly Chen Wai-lam, Gaile Lai and Karen Mok Man-wai as fans.
Yet despite having her own boutique, the designer works mainly on the wholesale side of fashion, while occasionally hosting trunk shows for her stylish friends.
Now, she's launching her latest spring-summer collection and previewing her winter collection at Central loft Upper East Side, a boutique inspired by New York-based television show Gossip Girl.
At the opening cocktail party on Friday, the designer and her husband Gene Soo - the creator of StyleNearby, a smartphone app that promotes lesser-known, cool brands such as S.Nine - mingled with guests over Belvedere cocktails
'My style isn't flamboyant,' Ngao said. 'It's sleek, and focuses on the cut and luxurious fabric. I want the autumn-winter collection to be darker, more mysterious and to showcase [women's] power and femininity.'
