Working mum Victoria Tang-Owen of Shanghai Tang on being stylish yet practical
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Working mum Victoria Tang-Owen of Shanghai Tang on being fashionable nevertheless applied
Shanghai Tang turns 25 this year. What meliorate way to celebrate its heritage and cover the future than with the appointment of a new creative director, who just happens to be the daughter of the brand'south founder?
The late Sir David Tang'south daughter, Victoria Tang-Owen, was appointed Shanghai Tang's creative director in 2018. (Photo: Shanghai Tang)
28 Nov 2022 06:30AM (Updated: 21 May 2022 04:47PM)
When lifestyle make Shanghai Tang launched in 1994, it wowed fans with its unique take on Chinoiserie, riffing off 5,000 years of Chinese history, sprinkling everything with a tongue-in-cheek, pop-tastic irreverence, and a generous serving of luxe – all the while channelling the bravado of the Shanghainese underworld in the 1920s.
Recall Mao jackets featuring dragon-impress silk jacquards in so-bright-it-hurts neon shades. Severe yet sexy cheongsams in navy pin-striped menswear suiting fabric, featuring cherry piping that was oh-so-subtle, notwithstanding shockingly feminine – perfect for modern Dragon Ladies ruling boardrooms with steel fists encased in velvet gloves.
Fine porcelain objets d'art that remind one that the Chinese invented and perfected chinaware a thousand years ago, featuring imagery that was unmistakably Oriental, notwithstanding zilch similar what your grandparents might have endemic.
Virtually of all, the make was a personification of its larger-than-life founder, Sir David Tang. The hi-so, bon-vivant Hong Konger attended boarding school and university in the Britain, then went into oil exploration and gold mining, before venturing into the lifestyle business organization, creating tony member's-merely China Club, cigar retailer Pacific Cigars, upscale China Tang restaurants, and contemporary heritage lifestyle shop Tang Tang Tang Tang, which "embraced the new suburbia of modernistic China" with wares such as innovative rice cookers, Bluetooth speakers and monogram accessories.
Tang was as well director and adviser to Blackstone, Tommy Hilfiger, the Savoy Grouping of Hotels and British Airways, helmed a satirical Agony Uncle column in the Britain's Fiscal Times, and authored a 2022 book entitled Rules of Mod Life: A Connoisseur's Survival Guide, offering tongue-in-cheek advice on first world problems, such equally what polite lodge would think if you installed a massage room in your 2d home.
Tang passed away in 2022 at the age of 63.
Shanghai Tang was sold to Swiss luxury conglomerate Richemont Group in 1998, which in turn sold it to a group of investors headed by Italian entrepreneur Alessandro Bastagli in 2017.
It seems things take come total circumvolve. In 2018, the visitor was acquired by Shanghai-based private equity firm Lunar Capital, and the late Sir David's daughter, Victoria Tang-Owen, was appointed its creative manager.
Described by the South China Morning Post as "a regular on the international art and fashion circuit" (her 2022 Beijing wedding was featured on Faddy), she studied photography and graphic blueprint in London, and is co-founder of creative consultancy Thirty30 Creative, which does brand identity and design projects for the F&B industry, hospitality groups and retail customers. Its clients include section store Lane Crawford, style boutique Joyce and French handbag label Moynat. Her husband, British former lawyer Chris Owen, is Thirty30's other co-founder.
"I was lucky to take an international upbringing" she told CNA Luxury via email. "I was born in London only came back to Hong Kong as a young child and studied there until high school. I then had an opportunity to motion to Tokyo, which was a totally different way of life from Hong Kong.
"Afterwards graduating high school, I chose to return to London and do a degree in graphic blueprint and photography at Primal Saint Martins, which was an amazing institution for shaping inventiveness. I experience I have been blessed with a wide range of experiences and opportunities which enable me to express myself with an appreciation for the wider world we live in."
And what was it like growing with such a famously flamboyant father?
"I think of myself every bit a production of both of my parents," she replied. "My father was a larger than life personality, deeply generous and cultured and very proud of his heritage. I also learnt a lot from my mother who is patient, elegant and extremely stylish. Both my parents encouraged me to follow my passion, piece of work hard and treat people the right way."
Every bit artistic managing director of Shanghai Tang, she's responsible for "everything from design to marketing to brand image … a broad portfolio that ensures there's never a ho-hum twenty-four hour period".
"I set the overall direction of our product blueprint (both hard and soft goods), direct our campaigns and brand imagery – some of which I shoot myself – and lead our marketing team to ensure our audience hears about and sees our collaborations," she explained, recalling that growing up, her family home was decorated with Shanghai Tang homewares. The Tangs often wore Shanghai Tang wearing apparel, and, equally kids, she and her brother (Edward, from Tang'south first marriage to Susanna Cheung) had "a lot of fun exploring the iconic Pedder Street flagship store".
"My male parent lived the make and it was a reflection of his pride in his Chinese culture, with a big dose of his humour. But it'due south been more than 15 years since he had any interest in the brand. It'southward like the brand is in my blood, but I never had whatever involvement with it until last twelvemonth when I was offered the chance to accept over as creative director, with a vision to inject a fresh perspective on what made the brand so well loved with such a loyal following over the years," said Tang-Owen.
Ane might go as far equally to say the make is indeed firmly embedded in her Deoxyribonucleic acid, seeing how elegantly she outlines what it stands for: "We have 5 make pillars we lean on to ensure we are telling our ain story through our make image and our products. They are: Authentic; Heritage; Disruptive; Irreverent and Lifestyle.
"The essence of our brand is to be proudly created by Chinese. We are blessed with such diversity within Chinese culture, geography, design inspiration and adroitness that we tin draw on to express our vision as a modern Chinese lifestyle brand.
"By valuing disruption and irreverence, we can mix in some unexpected twists on classics, such as our newly-released Tang jackets in modern, technical fabrics, or pops of colour on traditional formalwear. We target customers with a sense of individual style, and the confidence to dress upwards or dress down according to their own routines."
To marker the brand's 25th anniversary, Tang-Owen spearheaded a special collaboration with renowned Chinese artist Xu Bing, commissioning him to reimagine the Shanghai Tang logo using his unique "Square Word" calligraphy way which, coincidentally was adult the same year Shanghai Tang was born.
A express edition Argent Jubilee capsule drove of silver-toned accessories and leather appurtenances was likewise created, and Shanghai Tang'southward bespoke and made-to-lodge services was re-introduced, "to tap back into the brand'south history as a tailor, while showcasing traditional Chinese garments in modernised fabrics and silhouettes".
"Right now it feels like my pes is firmly on the accelerator, always moving forwards," Tang-Owen explaind.
She travels two to three times per month to visit Shanghai Tang's 6 regional stores, to understand more than nigh what customers are buying, and how to serve them better. Her piece of work for her lifestyle clients at Thirty30 Creative provides her insights into trends in other fields, which she uses to inform her design direction at Shanghai Tang, considering "nosotros don't desire Shanghai Tang to live in a fashion vacuum, it's a make that should serve the lifestyle needs and aspirations of our customers".
"Downwardly time is family time for me," she added. "My young son is a source of smiles and gives me the energy to tackle a total 'In' tray".
And what nigh living upwardly to the name her family has built for being stylish regulars on the international art and fashion circuit?
"I'thou a working mum so although I try to be stylish, at that place'southward a big nod to practicality and comfort too!" she exclaimed. "I travel a lot and so lightweight, breathable fabrics are a must and nosotros've recently launched a range of travel accessories with super convenient pockets and pouches for frequent travellers."
But she added: "Over the years, I have built upwards a wardrobe with some pieces by favourites such every bit Chanel, Lanvin, Huishan Zhang etc. And I'g a big fan of a mix-and-match approach, where I pair a vintage Chanel blazer with jeans and gainsay boots."
Nosotros think the late Sir David Tang would take been proud to hear that.
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Source: https://cnalifestyle.channelnewsasia.com/people/victoria-tang-owen-shanghai-tang-176831
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