What happens when sustainable fashion meets haute couture? Mandy Fong, the designer behind Hong Kong brand Szman, strives to find a middle ground between the two, hoping to create a better future for the world. She has been selected as one of CENTERSTAGE’s EMERGING DESIGNERS this year not only because of her outstanding designs but also because of her overpowering love for the environment and the world — a love that lies at the heart of Szman.

1. What prompted you to place sustainability at the core of your brand? Why do you think sustainability is so important in Hong Kong?

Sustainable development is a global trend, but in Hong Kong, this topic has yet to receive more attention. We hope to produce a “limited-edition haute couture” clothing line, using sustainable materials to design products that have a deeper value and meaning. By doing so, we wish to raise public awareness about sustainability. With sustainability at our core, we can also enhance our brand’s image and recognisability. We believe we can still create haute couture with sustainable beliefs and values.

Sustainability is incredibly important in Hong Kong. Hong Kong is a highly developed city, but it is also facing a rapid depletion of energy and resources, environmental problems, and more challenges. Promoting sustainability can improve Hong Kong’s socioeconomic development and increase resource utilisation while simultaneously decreasing pollution. This in turn will increase the longevity of corporate operations and allow them to give back to society.

2. The greatest challenge or limitation that many sustainable brands face is their materials. How do you find a middle ground when considering your aspirations for both your designs and your beliefs?

For our “limited edition” clothing lines, our materials are sourced from dead stock. These leftover materials from various brands still possess huge potential for artistic development, and upon careful selection, you can find many different valuable materials, such as real silk, woven cotton, advanced prints and more. Using design methods and concepts such as patchworking, zero waste patterns and more also helps us optimise the use of these repurposed materials.

3. You described your own style as “classic romanticism”. How do you convey this in your designs?

I mostly incorporate grand colours, such as gold, purple, white or grey, into my designs while blending a range of textures, such as acetate, silk, sequined cloth, fringed fabric, woven cotton and more. I also make use of a lot of quilted fabric, prints, embroidery, hand-beading and various other embellishments.

This season’s collection is centred around intricate handicrafts. Gold and silver threads form floral patterns atop layered tulle, creating imagery of blossoming flowers and evoking the idea of rebirth and regeneration. Long suit jackets made from acetate are deconstructed, incorporating large amounts of openwork lace and fringed material to emphasise the contrasting dynamics and imbue the collection with a strong sense of couture. Each piece is intricately crafted to tell a refreshing, beautiful and moving story.

4. The theme for CENTERSTAGE this year is “Radiant Wellness”. How do you think clothing/fashion can help one achieve a feeling of physical and spiritual satisfaction?

I think the rich colours and soft materials of clothes are what create a feeling of contentment in the body and the mind. Through different modes of expression, such as printing or beading, we can express different feelings. The softness or boldness of a piece’s tailoring can allow people to express the gentle or confident sides of their personality, thereby enhancing feelings of bliss or satisfaction. When people wear clothes they like, they will feel happy or excited, and this will then improve their mental and emotional state.

5. What kind of impact do you hope your designs will have on Hong Kong?

I hope my designs can incite more interest in sustainable fashion. I also hope I can bring joy to people, be it physically or spiritually, and give them memorable fashion experiences.

At the same time, I am focusing on creating luxury fashion while staying true to my beliefs on sustainability, introducing more multifaceted fashion elements to Hong Kong while looking for more feasible ways to do so. This is not just a goal for the business, it is a duty we have to the future of our Earth. I believe that through hard work and perseverance, we can create a better future for the world.

6. What are your future plans for the brand?

To expand the brand into the global market this coming year. We will be producing a lot more everyday attire outside of evening wear so that even glamour can be incorporated into our day-to-day wardrobe. Aside from this, we also hope that our brand and its design philosophy will reach more people through fashion shows or online platforms.