Yuen Man-tse unveils the first collection under her new label

trend for young designers is to create something quirky in the hope of getting noticed. But for Hong Kong-based designer Yuen Man-tse, less is more.

"I remember reading that French designer Sonia Rykiel once said she always wears the same clothes and has the same hair because it gives her a sense of liberty. She doesn't need to follow trends," says the 32-year-old. "I am very much into this mindset. This feeling of restriction makes designing more interesting."

This philosophy is summed up in her new label MVT, which launches in stores later this month for the spring-summer 2014 season.

Shorthand for the French word for movement, this is not Tse's first foray into fashion. She co-founded label Magnan & Tse back in 2009, creating bejeweled T-shirts decorated with handmade embroideries, such as glass, brushed metal, chains, sequins, beads and metallic yarns. While her new collection is free of ornamentation, she says it is still connected to her previous work.

"The common point between then and now is that I am still doing T-shirts, but it's more about luxury basics. I still believe in creating something timeless and versatile for all women," she says.

Tse's style philosophy is, no doubt, inspired by her upbringing in the fashion capital of Paris. Although ethnically Chinese, her grandparents moved from Hong Kong to France in the 1960s. She spent her formative years in the city, connecting with fashion through the industry's most creative platform: haute couture.