In Michelle Lai's closet is a clothes rack that has several iterations of the little black dress, that staple immortalised by Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's.
'I have the LBD in all shapes and versions. I have one for meetings, one for dates, one short, one long,' Lai says as she shows some of her LBDs from French Connection, Robert Rodriguez, Zara, Nathan Jenden and Lanvin.
Lai is the designer behind the Hong Kong handbag label Mischa. She started her brand with a few clutch designs made from her collection of vintage obis. Most recently, she launched a travel collection, which boasts a chic hexagonal pattern reminiscent of David Hicks.
She started collecting obis and kimonos when her godmother handed her a vintage orange floor-length dress with origami cranes printed on the front panel. She has since developed a love affair with Japan.
Her collection of Japanese national garb, which she buys in Kyoto several times a year, shares closet real estate with her own clothes.
'I have several wrap dresses from Diane von Furstenberg and Topshop, which I wear all the time because they are so easy,' she says. There are vintage numbers, a leather biker jacket from 3.1 Phillip Lim, and a tailored grey and black blazer from her new favourite label, The Kooples, which she picked up during her summer holiday in France. 'I like to buy clothes when I am travelling, and I make it a point to go to the vintage stores and markets to find something truly special,' she says.