C + Y is a fashion brand known for their bold designs. Designer, William Choi named his label C+Y after his Chinese name, Choi Ka Yau. Choi started first in fashion by making dresses that are worn by Hong Kong’s celebrity and socialite. He is best known for taking apart designer pieces from brands like D&G, Burberry and Yves Saint Laurent, and putting his own spin on them with a few special touches.

For Fall, he has extended his passion for creating customize jewellery for himself to design an entire collection of costume jewellery for On Pedder Joyce Boutique. Each of the Couture pieces are hand sewn  with special Swarovski crystals by Choi personally, each piece will be unique and represents Choi’s personal style.

How much?

Price range from HK$1800 for a silver cuff  to HK$3200 for a necklace

Where to buy?

• On Pedder At Joyce- 1/F New World Tower, Central, Hong Kong. Tel: 2118 2323

As shoe lovers, we know a lot about Nine West but what about the man behind the famous label? Fred Allard is Nine West’s Creative Director and his whole life is about shoes. He has more than 25 years of experience in fashion and design and recently won the “Influencer of the Year” title at the ACE AWARD 2009, so we can trust him when he tells us there is no such thing as the ultimate shoe, it’s what we like and what looks good on us.

Butterboom sat down with Fred who was in Hong Kong recently for an insight into the man behind the brand.

Butterboom: Why do you design footwear – what is it about shoes to you that make your life’s work?

Fred Allard: I started in fashion but my dad worked with shoes and I spent a year working in a shoe factory with workers in China and I learnt so much about footwear. I gained so much respect for the shoe-making process and now as Creative Director I get to take a pen and a piece of paper and design shoes! When you learn the actual technical aspects, your eyes open up to a completely new world of shoes and it’s absolutely satisfying.

Butterboom: You have chosen the more traditional path of designing for an existing label as opposed to starting your own line. Why is that?

Fred Allard: I previously worked with big shoe houses around the world and it was time for me to work with a younger, hipper shoe house with a keen eye on trendy shoes as that’s what my experience opened me up to do. Nine West chose me to direct their next step forward.

Butterboom: You’ve increased shoe sales tremendously since you started at Nine West, how do you know what women want to wear each season?

Fred Allard: It’s all about the vision – having your eyes and ears open all the time is key. Associating fashion and shoes is very emotional, you should be able to smell it. Being able to combine this in a very creative, fresh way is what I do and it’s working very well! I just make sure not to kill it by overdoing it.

Butterboom: Where does your inspiration for footwear come from?

Fred Allard: From everything – movies, exhibitions, an everyday object, architecture, children, plates, textures, vintage shoes and bags and even something as simple as movement can be very inspiring.

Butterboom: Tell us your personal favorite three pairs of shoes from Fall 2010 collection that no woman should be without.

Fred Allard: Platform pump with a square toe and a big metal lock (known as the confident pump) – it is undoubtedly a great statement shoe, the lace-up and fur footwear are the other two big hits that I love!

Butterboom: Which celebrity do you think has great taste in shoes? Is there anyone you would like to personally design shoes for or collaborate with?

Fred Allard: Marion Cotillard has fantastic taste and she personally picks out her shoes for a big red carpet event. Scarlett Johansson and Lady Gaga are two other very fascinating women I would love to work with.

Butterboom: Who is the Nine West woman in your eyes?

Fred Allard: She is every woman in the world – the working class woman who knows what she wants, 25 – 45 years old, sexy, loves going out and is very fashion conscious.

Butterboom: What are you obsessed about when you are not thinking about or designing shoes?

Fred Allard: Home décor, architecture, paintings and music.

Butterboom: What shoe design are you working on right now?

Fred Allard: Spring 2011 which involves straw and basket weaves, 1950s vintage classics, wood bottoms and natural, rich textures.

Butterboom: What is your personal style on the shoes you wear?

Fred Allard: I love Pierre Hardy sneakers and the best part is that my job allows me to wear them!

- Interview conducted by Monisha Daryanani

A native of Poland, jewellery designer Gosia Orlowska‘s Gosha Jewellery offers pieces in a wide selection of flirty and bold accessories in unique textures exuding girlish elegance. Butterboom caught up with Gosia to delve a little deeper to learn more about the designer and her new fashion jewellery line.

Butterboom: Since Gosha Jewellery is new to Hong Kong – tell us about your brand and what it is all about.

Gosia Orlowska: Gosha Jewellery is a new fashion jewellery brand that debuted in New York in Autumn 2008. It’s fun jewellery for women who are not afraid to make a fashion statement and have their pieces noticed. Our jewellery is often big, shiny and bold and is certainly very different from other fashion jewellery currently in the market.

Butterboom: What materials and ornaments do you use to make your jewellery?

Gosia Orlowska: We use a variety of materials ranging from plastic to shells, rope, wood, chains, Swarovski crystals, coral and amethyst. We currently have seven collections, each of them different; however, three of them have similar features – polyester tubes filled with different materials depending on the line. They’ve all become our most popular selling items and customers like them for their exceptionally lightweight materials, large size and unusual shapes.

Butterboom: How would you best describe your jewellery?

Gosia Orlowska: Bold, fun statement pieces.

Our most recognized pieces are made out of polyester tubing filled with chains, crystals, glass in various colours and combinations with some unusual gatherings or clasps, sometimes asymmetrical. They are light yet often big and very eye-catching.

Butterboom: Where does your design inspiration come from and what is the uniqueness of your design?

Gosia Orlowska: Inspirations come from my daily surroundings – it might be a colour combination of a fabric or the materials that I source but I find a way for them to work best together. I have a good eye for combining various materials in a unique way and I bring the most out of colour and form.

Butterboom: What does your Spring 2010 collection mainly feature and what theme did you work with?

Gosia Orlowska: Spring 2010 collection is big yet very light. Colours are mostly silver, gold and gunmetal cluster necklaces combined with crystals and ropes or chains.

Butterboom: Do you do private orders or is everything sold at your showroom?

Gosia Orlowska: We do private orders as well as working with shops and designers to make collections for their shows. Showrooms can make changes to a design of a particular preference of a single buyer too.

- By Monisha Daryanani

Where to buy?

• Gosha Jewellery, Suite 1105, 11/F Yu Yet Lai Building, 43-45 Wyndham Street, Central, Hong Kong
• Tel: 2521 7128

Acclaimed London jewellery designers, Butler & Wilson, are famous for their loud, statement pieces that are nothing short of unique, flamboyant and definitely “out there”!

With over 40 years in the business under their (bejewelled) belts, Simon Wilson & Nicky Butler got their start in the antique business back in the late 1960s selling art deco jewellery on Portobello Road. Pretty soon, word got out of their stunning and one-of-a-kind pieces and the pair opened shop in Fulham Road.

From there, they started designing pieces that echoed the same sensibilities as the jewellery they dealt with. Nowadays, everyone who’s anyone can be spotted wearing a Butler & Wilson piece, from Madonna, Paris Hilton, Paul McCartney and Kylie Minogue.

And, for the first time ever, On Pedder has brought Butler & Wilson jewellery to Hong Kong! At their special launch event, guests were able to see select pieces from the latest collection and meet Simon Wilson who flew in especially for the event.

Where to buy?

• On Pedder At Joyce- 1/F New World Tower, Central, Hong Kong. Tel: 2118 2323

Qeelin was set up by founder Dennis Chan and Gulliame Brochard in 2004, with the aim of creating a contemporary fine jewellery brand that expresses China’s cultural aesthetics but with French craftsmanship. For those who are not familiar with the brand, you might have seen their store in ifc and their ads with Maggie Chung on billboards at some point. According to Dennis, Maggie is the perfect person to represent the brand as his muse and ambassador for Qeelin jewellery since its inception.

Today, with stores from Paris to London, Los Angeles to Tokyo, Hong Kong, Taipei and many other major cities, Qeelin has fulfilled its ‘raison d’etre’ which is to bring modernity to China’s art and to let the world discover the best that China has to give. In a recent Q&A with Luxury Insider, Dennis shared his inspirations and aspirations.

Name: Dennis Chan

Age:50

Occupation: Creative Director, Qeelin

Workplace: Paris and Hong Kong

First creation: A toy airplane as a teenager which took top honors in a Hong Kong model-making competition

Favourite creation: All of Qeelin collections – Wuli, Tien Di, Bo Bo, Coeur de Lotus, Ling Long and Qin Qin

Inspiration: I had a revelation when visiting the famous cavies of Dunhuang along the Silk Road in 1997, determining to inject modernity into China’s arts and craftsmanship, and to create an international brand

Aspiration: To bring the best of China to the world

Barney Cheng is one of Hong Kong’s more famous designers, best known for creating beautiful gowns on some of Hong Kong’s leading ladies and society set.  After studying textile at the Royal Academy of Arts in London, and costume at Parson’s School of Design in Paris, Barney returned to Hong Kong to set up shop designing bridal gowns, evening-wear and cheongsams here in the city. In a recent Q&A with Luxury Insider, Barney shared his inspiration and aspirations.

Name: Barney Cheng

Age: 41

Occupation: Glorified tailor, seriously…. I am not a fashion designer really

Workplace: Studio in Wnydham Street, Central

First creation: A wedding gown made from toilet paper for a Sindy doll

Favorite creation: I don’t do favoritism, all my creations are my babies

Inspiration: My clients, a love of life and a spirit of fun. One can’t be too serious, after all, it is just a dress!

Aspiration: To find a kick-ass partner/manager/good cop to my bad cop, to bring the business to the next level

* Interview of Barney Cheng is from  Luxury- Insider.com‘s “Hong Kong Trendsetter series”.

Jerome C. Rosseau,  31 year old French Canadian shoe designer is currently the hottest thing in designer shoes.

With nightlife, modern art and European design as inspirations, Jerome’s creations have a distinct and unique style that can be described as seductive, edgy and very now. With a meticulous eye for detail and a one-of-a-kind aesthetic, Jerome’s stand-out shoes are a hit with some of the Hollywood’s most stylish. Katie Holmes, Charlize Theron and Drew Barrymore are fans.

Having studied in London’s Cordwainer’s college, where fellow shoe maven Jimmy Choo hails, Jerome is learned in the art of footwear design. He has honed his design sensibilities and skills working alongside big names like Matthew Williamson, Isabella Fiore, John Richmond and John Rocha over the last 10 years.

Where to Buy?

• Harvey Nichols at The Landmark Hong Kong

How much?

• HK$ 4,800- HK $6,990

Look up seventies fashion and no doubt you will come across the name Roy Halston Frowick. Simply known as the brand Halston, Roy has revolutionized women’s dressing and fashion with his slinky and sophisticated silhouettes. Unknown to many, Roy Halston Frowick did not start out as a clothes designer. He first made hats and catapulted to fame when he was asked to design Jackie Kennedy’s pillbox hat which she wore to John F. Kennedy’s inauguration.

The designer took it to the next level in the 1970s. He launched his own clothing line and became the US’ first ready-to-wear brand. Women instantly fell in love with his modern  jersey gowns, his bold use of color and his choice of quality fabrics. Celebrities and the stylish like Bianca Jagger, Liza Minelli and Lauren Bacall were often seen in Studio 54, donning Halston’s creations.

Today, Halston is reincarnated with the help of Tamara Mellon of  Jimmy Choo fame and Harvey Weinstein. The sexy silhouettes’ are still present, and so are the fabrics and colors.

Ladies, its time for a Halston gown.

Where to buy?

• Lane Crawford iFC, 3/F, IFC Mall, 8 Finance Street, Central
• Lane Crawford, 3 Canton road, Tsim Sha Tsui

The designer behind Jay Ahr is 32 year old Belgian born Jonathan Riss.  Jonathan’s rise to fame can be attributed to his gorgeous and exquisite dresses designed for rock chicks, think Bianca Jagger and Anita Palleberg, that are as comfortable as they are show-stopping. He loved the idea of women wearing dresses all the time and decided to focus only on designing dresses.

Launched in 2005, Jonathan Riss, started designing jersey T-shirt dresses and later evening wear where he discover his niche. Paris-based, Reiss is a genius when it comes to dresses. Based on the philosophy that dresses are to be worn everyday, Riss has dedicated his talent to creating beautiful dresses that are equally comfortable and easy to wear. The results,  a wide range of dresses for day, show-stopping numbers and an exquisite wedding and evening gowns line that we would gladly cramp our wardrobe full of, one for every day…

His dresses are stocked at Bergdorf Goodman,Harrods, Net-a-Porter and at over 40 stores worldwide including his private salon at 801 Madison Avenue and at Harvey Nichols in Hong Kong.

Where to Buy?

Harvey Nichols
G/F – 5/F, The Landmark, 15 Queen’s Rd, Central
Tel: 3695 3388

Alexis Bittar is an award-winning jewellery designer and member of the Council of Fashion Designers of America. Based in New York City, this Brooklyn native first launched his eponymous jewellery collections in 1988.

Bittar is completely self-taught. He posses a keen sense of form, texture, colour and light which makes his jewellery, beautiful and interesting pieces that has every major fashion magazine from Harper’s Bazaar, Vogue, New York Times buzzing with excitement. The success of Alexis Bittar stems from the fact that is a master of at mixing unconventional materials and style into pieces of jewellery that are always relevant. His early jewellery pieces featured materials like Art Deco Bakelite, Lalique glass and Lucite.

Today, Alex Bittar’s pieces are coveted by the likes of Karl Lagerfeld, Madonna, Cameron Diaz, Alicia Keys and sold at Berdoff Godman, Neimen Marcus and Harvey Nichols in Hong Kong.

Check out his Miss Havisham line, 80’s inspired jewellery inspired by Constantin Brancusi’s architectural sculptures and Grace Jones.

Where to Buy?

• Harvey Nichols
• G/F – 5/F, The Landmark, 15 Queen’s Rd, Central
• Tel: 3695 3388