A great business idea isn’t always enough to make the cut as
a successful entrepreneur, especially in a city like Hong Kong that’s teeming with creative, enterprising individuals. So what does it take to get a new business off the ground? These top Hong Kong fashion and beauty influencers – who have gone on to found their own show-stopping brands – have the answers.
Being friends with
Virgil Abloh, Kim Jones and David Beckham is no big deal for fashion influencer, art lover and entrepreneur Kevin Poon, AKA
@kpee, who started his streetwear label Clot with
Canto-pop celebrity friend Edison Chen in 2003. Since Poon has had a strong passion for youth culture for many years – maintaining an impressive trainer collection of his own – he jumped on the opportunity to start his own label as soon as he could. Today, you can find Clot stores across the globe in major cities such as Hong Kong, Beijing and Los Angeles.
A pair of Air Diors might be
worth at least US$20,000 now, but trainers didn’t always convert into dollar signs. Poon has shared how challenging it’s been to maintain his business in multiple interviews with local media outlets. But Poon’s persistence paid off – as the trainer trend took off, so did demand for the shoes, and Poon has since partnered with well-known brands like Nike, Fragment and Air Jordan. Michelle Obama even also wore a pair of Clot x Converse trainers on an episode of Ellen Degeneres’ eponymous show. That Poon played the long game rather than lucking out on an overnight success is why he tops our list.
Wil Fang for Cookie DPT
Move over, Mrs Fields – a new, homegrown cookie brand is in town. Cookie DPT’s chunky, gooey cookies have been a hit among foodies and the general public alike, resulting in long queues winding in front of its hometown Hong Kong pop-ups at Landmark, Upper House and BaseHall.
But who’s the man behind the cookie, and how did his baked treats get so much hype? We met Wil Fang (
@fang2k) earlier this year at the Cookie DPT x Upper House pop-up, where he explained that he thought traditional baked goods were missing from Hong Kong, and so the homemade cookie concept was born.
Fang began baking while juggling his job at Ralph Lauren. Gradually, he expanded the business, designing sleek, minimalist logos and packaging and bringing in tailored cookie flavours like Boston cream, banoffee and red bean mochi. Now, Cookie DPT is a successful start-up and a full-time endeavour for Fang, delivering freshly baked cookies every day and introducing exciting, limited-edition flavours every week.
