With a star turn as the designer of Daydream Nation, Kay Wong saw her brand sold to 80 shops around the world; dressed international celebrities such as Ke$ha and Juliette Binoche; was recognised with awards such as Vogue Italia’s ‘Vogue Talent 2010’ and even caught the eye of Chanel, with her pieces inspiring Karl Lagerfeld’s work.
After winning the Young Design Talent Award she spent a year in Copenhagen immersed in a much more sustainable way of working. She began to question her fashion journey and realised that the fashion industry was “sick”. Making it her mission to change design in order to design change, she co-founded Fashion Clinic to close the loop of the consumption cycle and show people the true cost of over consumption. By resuscitating dead stock and pre-loved clothing she’s now allowing people to live in style and re-discover things they once loved, without adding to the world’s landfills.
Here, Kay talks to PAKT about her favourite fashion projects, dream collaborator and why nothing is on her current fashion wish list.
1) Describe your style in 3 words.
Simple, quirky, comfy.
2) Earliest fashion memory.
So-En, the Japanese fashion magazine and Rei Kawakubo.
3) What’s the most precious/meaningful item in your wardrobe?
My late grandmother’s light self-made printed cheongsam top.
4) What’s on your current fashion wish list?
I think my wish list is not not wish for more, but rather how to keep my favourite pieces in great condition for longer.
5) Favourite item in your wardrobe that you will wear/keep forever?
A Comme Des Garcon shirt passed on from my good friend’s husband.
6) What is the best fashion advice you have received?
“Beauty begins the moment you decide to be yourself” — Coco Chanel
7) Who are your style icons?
Diana Vreeland and Li Edelkoort.
8) A recent shopping find is
A second hand oversized pink Cuban Guayabera shirt
9) If you could have anyone’s wardrobe whose would it be and why?
I love the Ghibli’s animation world, everything the characters wear I would love to wear! IF they had a wardrobe, that’s what I want.
10) If a museum asked you to donate one item from your wardrobe that represented you what would it be?
A reconstructed piece that combined my dad’s shirt and a t-shirt I wore as a child, it was made as a love letter to my late father after I grew up.
11) What will we never find in your wardrobe?
Sequins…. as much as I like to shine, this is something I can’t handle….
12) What is your favourite fashion project that you’ve worked on?
The bigger answer would be Daydream Nation, fashion arts house I created together with my brother Jing. That was the crazy times when we were in our twenties, bringing together fashion and theatre, telling a story each season through theatrical presentations, and bringing together lots of creative people in Hong Kong as well as internationally.
During that time, we created a jewellery collection for Peter Jensen in 2010, finally shot by Laurie Simmons, loved that.
Since the transformation, and shift to working only the upcycle way, my recent favourite project would be the upcycle project we’ve done for Calvin Klein, transforming 3000+ inventory into a capsule collection, window display and in store customer engagement.
13) Who would be your dream collaborator and why?
Junya Watanabe, would love to make upcycled textiles for him to make clothes with.
14) If you could go back in time with fashion era would you choose and why?
The roaring 20s. I love the flapper dress and hair style of the time!
15) Who would you invite to your dream fashion dinner?
Coco Chanel
16) What is your go to outfit
I would wear my Henrik Vibskov dress(es) to any outfit, be it a wedding or a funeral, it would still feel stylish, quirky yet appropriate.
17) Tunes to get ready to?
Pulp: Common People
18) Top 3 accounts to follow on social media.
@raeburn_design, @recode_, @fashionclinic_official.
19) Favourite fashion apps.
I don’t really use any fashion apps…
20) Less or More?
LESS
