Timeless bridal couture

In building her bridalwear business, designer Viola Chan took a unique, east-meets-west perspective. Born in Hong Kong, she grew up in the United Kingdom and, after graduating from the London College of Fashion, was hired by a United States company which designs gowns for beauty pageants and special occasions.It was a dream job for the new graduate, who had been fascinated with film-star glamour since her early childhood, when Ms Chan’s grandfather, who was in the entertainment industry, would take her to attend premieres. “This opportunity brought me to develop my career overseas,” she explained. In the US, Ms Chan worked with celebrity designer Oleg Cassini, who remains a mentor and business associate, and over time has also worked with other famous fashion names such as Zac Posen, Vera Wang, Jenny Packham, Melissa Sweet, Galina and Galina Signature.

As well as making her mark with other famous designers, Ms Chan has also developed her own signature style, known for its intricate embellishments and spectacular design.In 2006, Ms Chan established her own eponymous brand, crafting beautiful gowns to suit a variety of silhouettes, styles and price ranges under four labels: Viola Chan Premium, Viola Chan, VC by Viola Chan and Oleg Cassini. Having built a multi-million-dollar international brand retailing in more than 400 outlets worldwide, Ms Chan decided that it was time to return to her roots. In June this year, the first Viola Chan bridal boutique opened in Hong Kong, to be followed in November by the launch of her online business.Hong Kong will thus become her platform for further business expansion and investment in luxury design within the Asia-Pacific region.

“Beside the fact that Hong Kong is my hometown, our business plan is to develop Asia and Asia-Pacific [markets],” Ms Chan said. “We launched our new business model in Australia a couple of years ago that has been well received. It is an online-to-offline [O2O] concept where customers can select their gowns online and make an appointment for fitting at a showroom location of their choice.” This model is now being rolled out in Hong Kong.Ms Chan believes her cross-cultural perspective gives her brand a unique edge. “I find that the tastes of brides in Asia are now not much different to those in the Western world,” she said. “Hopefully, I can bring a new perspective to the Hong Kong bridal market. With the experiences I have had, I trust it will help me to offer a unique bridal experience to our customers in Hong Kong and across Asia.” The 2,000-square-foot (186-square-metre) Asian flagship store, located in Kowloon Bay, is positioned to provide an unparalleled luxury shopping experience for brides-to-be and Hong Kong style mavens alike.“The House of Viola Chan’s point of difference is that we are a true one-stop-shop,” Ms Chan explained. “For brides, our collections cover modern classic to royal, red carpet to urban, edgy to boho [bohemian]. We also have a full range of collections for the mothers and grandmothers, bridesmaids, flower girls and even the guests. Needless to say, evening gowns are also our speciality.”