Source: THE LOOP HK
Fashion designer Polly Ho is a co-founder of Loom Loop, a local fashion brand that focuses on traditional Chinese craftsmanship and fabrics.
What do you do?
I started my fashion career at the age of five; drawing princesses in different outfits was one of my favorite playtime activities. By the age of seven, I started draping blankets as dresses and setting up my own “fashion store” in the bedroom. [As an adult,] I continued drawing figures in different outfits, only this time at PolyU’s workshop. After four years of studying handcrafts during an exchange at the University of Central England, I became a professional fashion designer.
How does your business work?
Our approach is very East meets West. We develop contemporary Chinese collections with Canton silk and traditional Chinese needlework. We also have unique print creations for each season. Our inspiration comes from Chinese legends or other related stories. Our first three collections were inspired by Chinese legends, while our latest three collections come from the 24 solar terms of the traditional Chinese calendar.
How did your business get started?
Through a chance encounter with a 300-year-old heritage fabric. During a trip to Guangzhou, [co-founder Andy Wong and I] saw the heritage fabric called Canton silk and were bowled over by the artisanal techniques employed to dye it. It is eco-friendly, using plant-based dye, river mud, and solar power. The painstaking process transforms the delicate and fragile silk into something with more substance that can withstand the test of time. We saw the potential of this forgotten fabric, and with a low-rent studio space in Central and a little luck, Loom Loop was born in 2014 in PMQ, Soho.
Who are your clients?
Our customers are greatly varied, from local ladies to foreigners who admire local Hong Kong and Chinese culture.
What’s a day in your working life like?
I start my day with a strong pu’er tea and guzheng music which makes my mind so clear, just like after yoga.
Where do you see your business in the future?
After doing a few international fashion runway presentations, including Tokyo Fashion Week, New York Fashion Week, London Fashion Week and Beijing Fashion Week, we are getting more attention from different media across the world. Mainland China is a great potential market; we hope to explore the possibilities of developing some wholesale business with the right Chinese partner.
An elevator convo with Polly Ho.
