JOURDEN Born and bred in Hong Kong, Anais Mak has been causing ripples across the fashion world with her tough girl, sexy label Jourden since it launched two years ago. "I am interested in women in general," says 25-year-old Mak, who graduated from Studio Berçot in Paris. "I like to dress women who enjoy dressing up as a way to invent themselves." This autumn sees the evolution of the Jourden girl into a more mature version of herself; trapeze and marquee skirts mark a new, womanly silhouette, while cashmere wool, natural mohair faux fur and dark confetti fabric lend a moody twist to Maks' take on Perfecto biker jackets. "We are interested in pairing bold and audacious fabrics with disciplined, time-honoured blocks," she says. "This season I intend to make the Jourden girl speak up. I think to be 'proper' means to be very rebellious." Jourden has been selected as one of Vogue Talents 2014 by Vogue Italia this year, and its next spring-summer collection will be launched at Paris fashion week this September. Her clothes are stocked by retailers in Tokyo, Shanghai and Taipei, and from this season can be seen at Opening Ceremony stores in New York and Los Angeles. In Hong Kong, you'll find her at Liger. "I've seen more and more young designers setting up their own independent labels here, within just a few years," she says. "Buyers are more curious about young labels, regardless of territory origins." jourden.co KARA Born in California and raised in Hong Kong, Sarah Law worked as a designer at Gap before founding her own label, Kara, which offers simple, urban accessories with smart design touches. Law, who graduated as nominee for designer of the year from Parsons in New York, says she gets her entrepreneurial side from her father, and her creative side from her mother. "When I was a kid, my family spent Saturdays with my grandparents in Kowloon City. My grandfather had a linen business and he kept an office in his home where he would pack orders. There was always a lot of fabric around and my mother taught me to sew. She is incredibly skilled and my best memories come from projects we made together." Selected this year to be part of the Council of Fashion Designers of America's 3.0 Incubator programme class of 2014-2016, Kara is the newest business to be chosen, and Law is one of the youngest designers. Growing up, she says, she wasn't all that interested in fashion but enjoyed making things. "While I was at Parsons, I would sew portfolio bags over the holidays then come back to school and sell them from my dorm room. I have memories as a kid of volunteering to raise money for charities so I could make handicrafts." This season, she is exploring different textures, with the addition of new materials. "The dark suedes and boldness of the lambskin shearling brings a rich and luxurious element to the collection; not one of material value but rather of comfort and solidity," says Law. In Hong Kong, Kara is stocked by Lane Crawford, which has carried the label since its first collection. karastore.com FFIXXED Ffixxed delivers what founders Fiona Lau and Kain Picken call "enhanced" everyday basics. "For us, fashion is a way to elaborate on everyday experiences in new and unexpected ways. And maybe because we're not coming from a straight up fashion background we approach things from a different perspective," says Picken. The couple started working together in Berlin, though both are originally from Melbourne, and Lau's parents are from Hong Kong. They established their label here in 2010, and set up a production studio in Shenzhen. They recently won the Asian category of the International Woolmark prize, and earlier this year presented during Milan fashion week. "We never really intended to do a 'real' fashion label," says Lau. "But we realised there was a lot of potential in Hong Kong to develop our own working model." Their latest collection centres around the idea of the homebody. "We worked with textures and surfaces that reference the home or capture this feeling of comfort," says Lau. "We made bags that are basically scatter cushions that you can store things in and use as a really soft clutch." The winning dress from the Woolmark collection was boiled to give it a stiffness, based on the idea of wrapping yourself in a rug. Available at 60 stores internationally, Ffixxed debuts this month at Kapok's PMQ store. Next is the launch of their first dedicated womenswear collection, for spring-summer 2015, featuring a print collaboration with Portuguese design studio, Colonia. "The scene has evolved a lot," says Lau. "There seems to be a growing interest in local designers and more support, which is great. And there are some great designers here with an growing international outlook." ffixxed.com DYNAMEEK London-based, Malaysian-born designer Shen Sim thinks of herself as a bit of a joker, but we're taking serious note of her work. Reluctant to categorise herself with any specific label, she focuses on a new theme for each collection. For spring it was delinquent girl scouts; this season it's jellyfish. "I get my designs done by immersing myself in a certain role, and fun is always one of the characteristics," she says. The autumn-winter 2014 collection is dominated by silk chiffon. Floating transparent neons are adorned with spikes and sequins. "I love the layers and transparency of the jellyfish and hoped to translate that into wearable designs," says Sim. "Despite many being deadly, they are beautiful creatures. I use the contrast of hard and soft and extreme brightness with dullness." Sim moved to Singapore at the age of seven and spent much of her childhood travelling. She studied fashion and textile technology in Britain, and began planning for Dynameek in December 2012. Being based in London has influenced the way she expresses her creativity. "I get stared at often when I am in Singapore or Malaysia for being just a little different, and trust me, I'm considered underdressed in London. In Asia, it all comes down to confidence. In London, you just need a change of wardrobe every month." She launched Dynameek online in April and her clothes can be sent to 170 countries. "Introducing Dynameek to an international market is my primary focus now. There are collaborations under way, so stay tuned." dyna-meek.com