Upon its inception in 1994 by Hong Kong entrepreneur Sir David Tang, Shanghai Tang quickly rose to fame for its East meets West aesthetics, and is widely recognised as the first luxury fashion brand in China. The brand soon skyrocketed to a global scale with the acquisition by luxury giant Richemont Group; after a decade and a failed partnership with Italian entrepreneur Alessandro Bastagli, it’s turned to its roots again, or more specifically, the hands of Victoria Tang-Owen, daughter of the late Sir David Tang, who’s been appointed as the brand’s creative director by new Chinese owner Lunar Capital.
Tang collaborated with Chinese artist Xu Bing — known for his ‘Square Word’ calligraphy that organises English letters to resemble Chinese characters — for her first collection for Shanghai Tang.
It’s a beautiful circle indeed, but Tang’s appointment did not come merely because of her identity. The Central Saint Martin graphic design graduate has been a strong member of Hong Kong’s creative scene for as long as everyone can remember. She made her name as a published fashion photographer in the early days of her career, succeeding at various design roles at fashion and lifestyle brands in London and Hong Kong along the way.
In 2015, she co-founded creative studio Thirty30 Creative with her husband, Christopher Owen, and attracted a supreme list of local and international clients such as Lane Crawford, Moynat and Dior Homme, all showing approval of her multi-disciplinary creative talent. For her new role at Shanghai Tang, Tang is determined to build on her father’s legacy by re-establishing the authentic Chinese DNA of the brand, and reinterpreting its aesthetics for the international taste of today’s younger generation.
Work aside, she is also the president of the Hong Kong Down Syndrome Association, giving back to society through generous support to various charitable causes. We recently managed to squeeze into her busy schedule, where the mother-of-one gave us a quick glimpse behind her impressive résumé.
Name: Victoria Tang-Owen Age: 35 Neighbourhood: Tin Hau Occupation: Creative director of Shanghai Tang and co-founder of Thirty30
