Boutique owner Gary Wong is tailor-made for tough fashion market
Gary Wong stays ahead of the curve by playing to the exacting - and evolving - tastes of his clients in the mainland and Hong Kong
Hong Kong fashion buyer Gary Wong opened his first boutique, Shine, in Beijing eight years ago, selling high-end foreign designer brands like Y's, Undercover, Comme des Garcons and Neil Barrett. The 35-year-old has since expanded to Shanghai, Hangzhou, Shenyang and Guangzhou as mainland consumers' thirst for fashion grows. He told the Sunday Morning Post how the market had changed and how customers' tastes evolved in recent years.
I used to study finance and business management at university in Canada. In my spare time, I loved reading foreign fashion magazines, especially those from Japan, and thinking over how to mix and match clothing. After I graduated in 2000, I decided to go out and see the world. After travelling in France and Britain, I found there were many nice European brands that had not entered Hong Kong. It appeared to me like a good business opportunity and I founded my first boutique in Tsim Sha Tsui. Some time later, my first store, Shine, opened in Fashion Walk, Causeway Bay. Many celebrities and film stars are our loyal customers.
There are some fashion weeks that we cannot miss throughout the year. In January, we go to Milan and Paris, where there are fashion weeks for men's wear. In February, there are fashion weeks for women's wear in both cities. Aside from that, I also visit Tokyo five to six times a year to join the trade fairs. My assistants go there more often.
At these events we get to look at the brands' latest collections, collect information about the order-making period, and take pictures and notes for the products. Then we need to decide on the styles, colours and sizes we are going to purchase based on our sales statistics.