Andy Wong discusses fur and fashion

_MG_6166Andy Wong is a director of both Mandarin Fur and the Hong Kong Fur Federation.

Your childhood was split between Hong Kong and Toronto. How was growing up in Canada different to growing up here?

First of all, the weather is completely different. One is freezing and the other is humid. I was raised in Toronto from when I was seven years old. My whole family emigrated in the run-up to 1997, along with many other Hong Kongers.

As my father still worked in Hong Kong, though, he travelled back and forth quite frequently. In my case, I didn’t come back to Hong Kong permanently until I was 22 and had graduated from university.

Initially, it wasn’t easy to adjust to life in Canada, especially with regards to the language differences and the need to learn English. It took me about a year to adapt to Toronto’s culture. As I was the youngest, it was easier for me. My older brother and sister found it more of a struggle.

Click here to watch footage of the interview

How would you describe your university experience?

I was a student for one year at the University of Toronto. I was studying economics, but then I realised I didn’t really like it. I found it boring and it really wasn’t me. Fashion, though, was something I’d liked since I was a teenager. When I was about 13, I started following designers, reading fashion magazines, going shopping and doing a lot of fashion research. So, after one year of university, without telling my family, I transferred to another school – the International Academy of Design and Technology. There they taught vocational programmes in areas such as interior design, fashion design and computer graphics. I graduated from there in 2002.

It was quite a fun time. I made a lot of new friends at college, especially in the fashion design department. I came to realise you could wear whatever you wanted to. I used to wear skirts and dresses to school and had my hair in dreadlocks. I can’t even begin to describe how I looked back then. After turning 30, my look became a little more mature. As you age,your fashion tastes change in line with your advancing years. It wouldn’t be so easy to wear a skirt now.

After I graduated, I moved back to Hong Kong, believing I would have better chances of work here. My family had already returned, which was another incentive.

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How did your family get started in the fur trade and what made you join the family business, Mandarin Fur Limited?

My grandfather worked in Nanjing, one of the centres of the mainland fur industry. Way, way back the emperor of China was said to have commissioned workers from Nanjing to make fur items for the royal family, believing them to be the most skilled in his kingdom.

Sadly, my grandfather passed away when my dad was just 14. He then travelled to Hong Kong on his own and found work under a master who taught him the secrets of the fur trade. After that, he got married and, in the 1970s, he started his own business – Mandarin Fur.

Once I had graduated, he asked if I wanted to work for the company, recognising that I was already working in the fashion sector. Although, initially, I feared it might be a little dull, in the first two years of working for my father I had to travel all over the world for work. It was then that I realised what a fascinating role it was.

I wasn’t expected just to look at the business angle. I also had to consider the factory requirements, current fashions, available fur materials and the role played by auctions. All fur is bought through auctions.

There are a lot of misconceptions about the industry. Some think that the animals are skinned alive, but I can tell you that’s not true. Some 97 percent of all fur is sourced from farm-raised animals. They die painlessly and their fur is then sent to auction. Once we have successfully bid for particular fur pieces, we send them to a semi-dressing factory, where they treat the skins and make them softer. They are then sent to another factory for the processing to be completed.

_MG_6079“My favourite designer would have to be Hedi Slimane, Yves Saint Laurent’s former creative director”

As you travel extensively for work, do you still enjoy leisure travel?

Before I went to college, I visited Japan with my father on a couple of occasions in order to meet customers, which was a great experience. After I joined the business full-time, travel became something of a burden. Now I don’t fly if I can possibly avoid it.
I work alongside my brother, so he tends to do the travelling while I stay in Hong Kong and take care of business here. In the first two years, though, I couldn’t even speculate as to just how many miles I covered.

The most painful experience – and hence the most memorable – was when I went to Milan for a trade fair for a week. As soon as I arrived back in Hong Kong, my father told me I had to go to Denmark for another event. That was really draining and I have been reluctant to fly ever since.

While I used to like travelling, as I get older I tend to like relaxing and spending time with family and friends far more. I still love Japan, so that’s maybe my number one choice if I have to travel. I used to like going to Western Europe, too, but I came to realise that Eastern Europe is fascinating when it comes to sightseeing. There are still a lot of Eastern European countries that I haven’t had a chance to visit.

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You are also involved with the Hong Kong Fur Federation. What does that entail?

I am actually one of its directors. It involves quite a lot of meetings, most of them related to fur fairs. The next one is taking place in February – the Hong Kong International Fur and Fashion Fair – which is the largest event we organise. Aside from that, we’re also responsible for the general promotion of fur in Hong Kong.

When people think of fur, they tend to think of Italy or Europe as being the focal point of the industry. Hong Kong, though, is actually number one in the world when it comes to fur exports. Our international fur fair is a four-day event and, on the first day, we always hold the Hong Kong Fur Gala. This is a huge event with about 140 tables. It’s the biggest event of its kind in the world, never mind just in Asia. It’s far bigger than anything Milan can offer.

During those four days, it’s basically an open exhibition, allowing overseas clients and buyers to shop for furs. More than 100 companies and buyers from around the world take part, visiting each booth and selecting pieces that they like. It’s a hugely important event.

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Is it a seasonal business? Do Hong Kong’s hot summer months see a downturn in sales?

Actually, our primary market is not in Hong Kong at all. So, in terms of sales, the weather here doesn’t affect us. Overall, some 95 percent of sales do not come from Hong Kong, but from our export markets instead.

In Hong Kong, we tend to mostly sell to friends or to someone who is looking for a particular luxury item. As Hong Kong is quite warm, people wear fur mainly to parties or high-profile events. They don’t wear it on the street. Looking beyond Hong Kong, though, the market is immense. People still wear a lot of fur in Russia, for example, where they really need it. It’s freezing there and the same applies to northern China. In fact, most of our buyers are in Korea, Russia or America.

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As a self-confessed fashion fan, which designers do you most admire?

My favourite would have to be Hedi Slimane, Yves Saint Laurent’s former creative director. He left the brand in March last year and now I’m looking forward to seeing where he ends up. He’s definitely my number one, the closest I get to having a fashion idol. My second choice would be Raf Simons, the chief creative officer of Calvin Klein. He’s simply amazing. Essentially, he incorporates architecture into his design. He doesn’t follow trends, so his collections are always one-of-a-kind. The last one would be Thom Browne, the founder of the Thom Browne menswear line. He’s always my first choice for suits.

When you are not working, how do you unwind?

In addition to spending as much time with my family as I can, for the past 10 months I’ve been a regular visitor to Zerve Bar in Causeway Bay. I come a few times a week and always play beer pong. It’s got to the point where I don’t even have to come with my friends because they’ll already be here when I show up. Back in September, some friends asked me to join their beer pong tournament. At the time, I declined, thinking I was too new to the game. The next one is going to be held in June and then I will be taking part. It will be my first ever beer pong competition. I regret never having tried it in college. It really is hugely enjoyable.

Thank you.

Primo Supremo

Andy Wong is the founder and chairman of the Primo Group, one of Hong Kong’s leading creative and design businesses.


Click here to see Andy Wong on video

Can you tell us a little about the history behind the Primo Group of companies, in particular how they have evolved over the years?

I had worked in the interior design field for some five years and learned much about managing such a company. Then, in 2009, my business partner and I felt the time was right to go it alone. Every designer dreams of one day running their own business and making their individual mark. We began with Primocasa Interiors– a full-package interior design company, offering a wide-range of architectural services and technical back up. We decided to carve out our own niche in the luxury residential market. Just like a doctor, we wanted to specialise.

One of the problems I’d encountered along the way was sourcing kitchen equipment that fitted in with my design ethos. As I’d travelled a lot in Europe, I was able to source a number of high-end products that I felt were synergistic with what I was trying to achieve. This led to the launch of Primo Kitchen in 2014. This was the culmination of two full years of research in order to make sure I had got the balance just right.

Aside from the overall design of a luxury home, the accessories are the most important part of the look. A poor choice of decorations can ruin everything, just as bad make-up can spoil a beautiful face. This thinking led us to launch Primo Living in 2015. We now have a team that works with clients to help them choose those decorations that will complement the design as well as each other. These new ventures have both become integral to our overall business model.

Club Primo, one of our more recent ventures, was started almost by accident. One day, while I was out having a drink in Lan Kwai Fong (LKF), a friend asked me when I was going to open a bar of my own. I suddenly thought “Why not?” Our establishment is very different to most of those in LKF. I designed the layout, but also created a special drinks menu, chose the music and worked on the whole ambience. I wanted to create something unique. I think I’ve achieved what I set out to do. Now I am thinking of opening another one.

My latest venture, though, is acting as the pan-Asian distributor a well-known watch brand called Snyper. I was lucky enough to meet the company’s CEO and, after getting to know each other, he asked me to represent the brand for him. We recently opened our first shop in Hong Kong, with a Beijing outlet coming very soon. These are mid-range watches that sell for between HK$60,000 and HK$800,000. We act as the distributor and sell through agents in each region.

How would you define your particular management style?

I like to ensure my team is happy. This means they will perform at their best. We tend to group solve issues so that we are all on the same page. I monitor what’s going on from wherever I am and take care that all parties have everything they need. To me communication – internally and with clients – is absolutely essential.

Which person, living or dead, do you most admire?

I would have to say my parents. Sadly, I can’t spend that much time with them as they live in Toronto. Despite this, we still communicate regularly. I owe them a great deal and, despite the distance, we are very, very close.

What’s the strangest food you’ve ever eaten?

I ate mealworms in China once. I wasn’t keen, but a friend pushed me into it. Actually, it wasn’t that bad. They are quite sweet, which makes it bit easier on the palate. I only ate one, though, and wasn’t tempted to go back for more.

Have you had a near-death experience?

When I was a teenager, I was involved in a horrendous car accident in the deep snow. I smashed my forehead as the car crashed. I was in hospital for about three weeks with a broken leg. It was a real wake-up call and one that really inspired me to make the best of my life. You have to live it to the fullest and not waste the time you’ve been given.

Did you enjoy your school days?

I did. I enjoyed the interaction with all of my classmates. I am quite a social person and always like to be part of a big group. I like company and sharing good times with people. I also enjoyed the learning process and found my studies very satisfying. The seeds of my interest in a design career were sown back then. I was always full of ideas and used to bounce these off my schoolmates, usually taking on board the feedback and suggestions that they offered.

What was the least useful part of your education?

I learned many good things at school. While school doesn’t teach you everything, it is a very good training ground in how to apply those things you learn in later life. I suppose most of what I learned early on has helped in some way or another, particularly with regard to formulating ideas, analysing problems and making the right decisions.

 

Do you have a favourite colour?

Personally, I like black. Of course, being a designer I also like a wide range of other colours, but my first love would always be black. If I buy a car, it’ll be a black one. I think it’s because I am a guy and want to look cool. I also have a preference for shiny colours rather than mattes.

How would you like to be remembered?

When the time comes, I want all my friends to think of the great times that we had together. I want to be remembered by my family as a good and loving son and I want people to think of me as a happy person, one that was always trying to make others happy too. In terms of my work, I’d like people to remember that I did everything with a 100 percent commitment. I’d also hope that my designs would form part of my legacy.

What is your favourite book?

I like biographies. I found Steve Jobs’ life story very inspirational. He really did change the world. There is also a book called Secret by Rhonda Byrne. It’s all about psychology, self-help, spirituality and the power of positive thinking. It is one of those inspirational books that makes you feel everything is possible if you only want it badly enough.

Would you describe yourself as a sports fan?

Absolutely. I love soccer and I also love ice hockey. I still try to play soccer at least once a week.

When it comes to vehicles, any pet hates?

Motorcycles. I think they’re too dangerous. Having once had a bad accident I am opposed to anything that I feel is dangerous. With a motorcycle there’s nothing between you and the road. There just isn’t any real degree of protection.

When was the last time that you got lost?

I really can’t think. I have a very good sense of direction. Once, when I went jet-skiing way out to sea, I suddenly lost all idea of where I was heading. There were no real landmarks for me to work out my position. I just calmed myself down, tried to figure out where I’d gone wrong, then I quickly regained my bearings. You must always keep cool and not panic when this sort of thing happens.

What do you consider to be the most over-paid profession?

Lawyers. No matter whether they win or lose a case, they still get paid. They also charge you by the minute, even for quick emails and phone calls. It all rather unfair.

 

Favourite film star?

I think, amongst the Hong Kong stars, it would have to be Jackie Chan. He is so representative of the city. He’s a great all-rounder – a good actor, a great kung-fu star and also a talented comedian. He’s such a good ambassador for Hong Kong. He’s also had far more success in Hollywood than most other Hong Kong actors. I think that says a lot about his abilities.

Which words do you overuse?

“I see.” I reply to everything by saying: “I see.” I can’t really think of how else I could respond when people are trying to explain things. It does sound a bit repetitive and tedious though.

What was the scariest situation you’ve ever been in?

It must have been my car accident. I remember the doctor saying that I might never walk again. I was only about 17 years old and that scared the hell out of me. I might never play football again.

When was the last time you went to the cinema?

Last month. I went to see Room. It is a fantastic film based on a true story. It’s all about a girl who was kidnapped, then kept in a single room for seven to eight years. She had a son while she was kept prisoner. I like to watch a good movie. It really helps me relax.

Are you a good listener or good talker?

I’d say a better talker. Possibly because I have been on management courses to help me lead and inspire people. I am a very organised person and so like to get others doing things. I suppose I like to give orders. I have to talk a lot in my business, explaining my ideas and thoughts. I do listen well to other peoples’ advice and ideas, though.

Do you have a particular saying that resonates with you?

“Congratulations.” I like to use it whenever I can. It really helps to encourage and motivate people. It means so much and costs so little.

Thank You