Interview: Joanne Ooi of Plukka.com on China chic and the best and worst of Hong Kong's fashion industry

Joanne Ooi, founder of jewellery e-tailer Plukka, talks China chic and juggling her myriad interests.

"I make it a point to be plugged into different ecosystems and keep abreast of developments in different areas of artistic and commercial activity. It helps me keep my finger on the pulse of the zeitgeist and detect trends in advance. The thread between all my activities is a desire to influence the consumer mind. When confronted with any marketing challenge, I ask myself, 'What's the best way to hook the consumer?' In the case of the environment, we got to the public by talking about health."

"I always try to do everything with sincerity and intellectual integrity. When I decide to draw on a theme, I don't want to create a pastiche out of thoughtlessness or laziness. In general, I find that 'China chic' is done in a superficial, facile way, drawing on obvious graphic tropes. The result is a lightweight form of cultural tourism that disappoints me. There are 5,000 years of Chinese culture to draw upon, [so] there's no reason to keep on trotting out the same three themes. What interests me more is fashion design from mainland China - and its potential to draw upon Chinese history and culture without referencing the trite viewpoints of Western observers."

"Plukka is about uncompromising creativity and [creating] a world-class platform within an industry that's seriously Stone Age. Let's face it, Hong Kong isn't a powerhouse in tech. It's a powerhouse in manufacturing and logistics. It happens to be the epicentre of the jewellery industry, so my partners and I thought, 'Let's disrupt it.'"

"I look for originality, legible DNA, a serious work ethic and control over manufacturing. It's a major investment to launch a brand on Plukka, so signing up a new designer is a long-term, two-way commitment."

"Environmentalism has gained momentum since we founded CAN - largely because the degradation of the mainland environment has stayed on the front page for the past few years - a great help for Hong Kong activists."