Local designer Johanna Ho opens her first flagship store in Central

One of Hong Kong's pioneering designers reaches another career milestone this month, with the opening of her second space and first flagship store in Central.

Those in the know see the momentum building for Johanna Ho Chi-yan, who has made her name with a quirky aesthetic and innovative knitwear over the past decade. The two-storey 1,700 square foot store at 13 Wyndham Street looks sleek, modern and stocks her contemporary menswear and womenswear.

"This store is a dream come true for me," says Ho. "My store in Tsim Sha Tsui was more of a temporary fixture, more like a trial for us, since we never really did much direct retail business ourselves before, so this is our first flagship,"

When she first came back to Hong Kong a few years ago, after spending five years in Japan developing the brand with Sanyo Shokai (2004-2009), opening a shop was the last thing on her mind.

"Mainly because of the astronomical rent one has to pay in Hong Kong. It really put me off having a physical shop, so I went with the idea of e-commerce, and spent a good year and half developing this," she says.

The far-reaching platform online model had been working well for the label, receiving a good client response. Her blog also allowed customers to understand her style and design sensibilities.