Who started it? Working in a family business was not something Lauren Mead had envisioned until her mother, Karen, returned from London having finished a master’s degree in multidisciplinary printmaking and wanting to take her work into the commercial sphere. Lauren, having been part of the start-up team that brought Jack Wills to Hong Kong, knew how to launch a brand in Asia and so, in November, the mother-daughter team launched Louella Odié, a boutique brand that makes bags and accessories, such as stylish beach wraps.
Why we love it: both women were brought up in Hong Kong and their print designs are inspired by the city’s iconic sights and motifs. When Karen returned from a decade spent abroad, the fusion of traditional and contemporary in the city was even starker than it had been before she left, providing an excellent backdrop for her designs.
What we’d pick: the Skyline handbag (centre; HK$1,940) is simple yet eye-catching with a shoulder strap that allows for versatile wearing. We also love the Bauhinia bag (left; HK$1,242), laced with prints of blue-tail Chinese magpies and bauhinias. The silk beach wrap (right; HK$930) is a favourite for the coming junk season.
Where can you get it? Louella Odié is available from Fang Fong Boutique, 69A Peel Street, Central, tel: 3105 5557.