Yvonne Roe and Gene Miao launched Ro in New York, in the United States, shortly after they graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design in 1999. Informed by Miao's eye for architecture and Roe's fashion-design experience, their collections featured fine lines and beautiful materials, with the New York City urbanite as muse. Miao left Ro in 2005 to establish 1:1, an architecture and interior-design practice in Hong Kong; in 2012, Roe went off to Italy to start up Ivory, a design-development company. Ro has continued apace, however, and recently opened its doors in Hong Kong, with Miao being brought back on board as design director.

we're suckers for beautiful leather and smart shapes and, thanks to Ro, we don't have to sacrifice one for the other. The muted hues and balance between form and function transcend fashion fads. If a new year is about going back to basics, we're putting our clean slates into Ro's timelessly chic and unisex bags.

we're torn between satchels for work and totes for play. The Graziano (top right; HK$3,980) is perfect for the office and would look divine with a duck egg-blue suit. The Renee satchel (above right; HK$4,480) is a stylish answer to the tired old briefcase and, thanks to the dual strap, can easily transform from day to night. For something more casual, there's the Elena Hobo (left; HK$4,580).

Ro is at 47 Gage Street, Central, and at K11, 18 Hanoi Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, tel: 3118 9490.