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Meet Kay Kwok, the first Hong Kong designer to dress Beyoncé: he created a 3D-printed piece for the pop star’s Renaissance tour, interned at Alexander McQueen – and worked with Nike and Aaron Kwok too

Beyoncé wore an eye-catching piece by local Hong Kong designer Kay Kwok. Photos: Handouts
Hong Kong designers are no strangers to the international A-list set, but this month Kay Kwok, Kwk by Kay Kwok’s design director, became the first local designer ever to collaborate with mega star Beyoncé. Talk about a career milestone.
 

Beyoncé wore the piece for her Renaissance tour, which has grabbed plenty of attention not only for the music, but for Queen Bey’s stunning onstage style.

Here’s what you need to know about the designer, his brand and the coveted piece that caught Beyoncé’s attention …

Beyoncé’s Kwk by Kay Kwok piece is a custom work of art

Beyoncé wearing an iconic piece from Kwk by Kay Kwok. Photo: Handout
Queen Bey chose a show-stopping Kwk by Kay Kwok 3D-printed custom-made art piece for concert visuals for her new Renaissance tour, with the images featured in the official tour book.
Beyoncé’s 3D-printed, custom-made piece by Kwk by Kay Kwok. Photo: Handout

The epic piece is from Kwk by Kay Kwok’s Chapter 2 collection that was shown at London Fashion Week last year.

The piece from Kwk by Kay Kwok was shown at London Fashion Week in September 2022. Photo: Handout
Beyoncé’s futuristic look included a 3D-printed chrome helmet and sculptural body piece with arms wrapping around the pop legend.

Kwk by Kay Kwok is a unique Hong Kong brand

Beyoncé rocking the piece by Kwk by Kay Kwok. Photo: Handout

Not your typical designer label, Kwk by Kay Kwok combines elements of fashion, digital and future.

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Kwok has previously reinterpreted “the timeless themes of seduction, glory and power in the Chinese anthology with the theme ‘The Legend of Deification’, set in the distant future of the year 2100”, as described on his social media.

 
Genderless, digital, experimental and confrontational in their artistry and aesthetic, Kwk collections aim to challenge typical conventions.

Circumventing tradition and smashing stereotypes, the brand is known for being bold and unapologetic, and of course its digitally avant-garde and futuristic pieces that caught the eye of Beyoncé and her team.

 

The designer has a “distinctively futuristic touch” using “steampunk-inspired aesthetics, breathtaking silhouettes, exotic materials, and fluid, layered textures”.

Who is Kay Kwok?

Kay Kwok hails from Hong Kong. Photo: Show Studio

As the name suggests, the man behind the brand – and man of the hour – is local designer Kay Kwok.

Born in Hong Kong, he studied at Hong Kong Polytechnic before moving to the UK, where he did his master’s degree in menswear fashion at the London College of Fashion. In 2012, he was named the overall winner of Mittelmoda The Fashion Award, becoming the first Chinese winner in the award’s 20-year history, per the Hong Kong Design Centre.

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Drawing on his futuristic aesthetic and experimental style, he launched his eponymous label Kay Kwok in 2013. Kwok was the first Hong Kong menswear designer to showcase at London Fashion Week, and his debut collection earned praise from publications like The New York Times.
Kay Kwok is one of the hottest emerging fashion designers today. Photo: Handout

But that’s only the start of his many fashion design accomplishments.

His talent and unique approach to costume design have seen him collaborate with plenty of international brands, artists and musicians of the years, including Sony, Nike, Karen Mok, Coco Lee, Joey Yung, Dormeuil, Aaron Kwok and Muse.

He interned for Alexander McQueen

British designer Alexander McQueen acknowledging the audience after his autumn/winter 2010-11 menswear collection in Milan, in January 2010. Photo: AFP
Back when Alexander McQueen was still the creative director of the brand, Kwok managed to secure an internship there.

“Alexander McQueen influenced me a lot, both in terms of design and spirit. The message of expressing oneself so wildly through the runway was very important to me,” Kwok told Metal Magazine.

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However, Kwok’s style has developed over the years, and has very little resemblance to his McQueen days now.

“Throughout the years, I have been trying to develop my own aesthetic – mixing my interests, my views on the happenings in the world, my sense of beauty and my knowledge of fashion design,” he told Metal Magazine. “I mix all these to create a Kay Kwok style,” he added.

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  • Kwk by Kay Kwok, founded by Hong Kong’s Kay Kwok, is the first local fashion brand to ever work with pop icon Beyoncé – she opted for a futuristic, 3D-printed art piece from the label
  • He was also the first Hong Kong menswear designer to showcase at London Fashion Week and has collaborated with brands and artists like Sony, Nike, Karen Mok, Coco Lee, Joey Yung, Aaron Kwok and Muse