Three Golden Decades

Eddie Lau holds legendary status in the Hong Kong fashion industry’s hall of fame. Classic elegance and good taste are the guiding principles of his fashion design, and his insistence on his personal perspective and interpretation of elegance has ensured that the clothes he has designed have become classics. His area of expertise was high fashion and haute couture. Eddie once said: “My designs are simple, but attach importance to the silhouette and the cut; my style is grand elegance, so only those with good taste can appreciate my works. Hong Kong is a very practical place, but no matter how famous you are, you will never be on a par with the French or Italian designers. So I never believe my clients wear my designs simply because of my fame. Instead, they have to be people who really know how to understand my designs. My designs are more suitable for women who enjoy life and have a certain level of experience socially and in life.” These are not words any designer could speak, or would want to, but in the case of Eddie Lau, they show the confidence of a highly experienced and supremely talented designer.

Eddie Lau was the first fashion designer from Hong Kong to have his own workshop and boutique that were established to house his own creations, the ‘EDDIE LAU’ and ‘KAI’ collections. In the late 1970s, Eddie began to work closely with the Hong Kong Trade Development Council in a collaboration that sought to open up new markets in mainland China and overseas for Hong Kong’s fashion industry and thus stretched across continents and oceans. These achievements are the dreams pursued by all fashion designers. Eddie once recalled: “Since I started my career, the one thing I am proud of is that I have never done one single thing which brought shame to the industry. It would never occur to you that I brought shame to the industry. The Hong Kong spirit means to be diligent, but you have to have perseverance and a certain stubbornness, and you must remain faithful to your beliefs. Of course I have the Hong Kong spirit. How could I have achieved so much otherwise?” Again, there is only one person who could describe his struggles and achievements in this way: Eddie Lau. The personification of the Hong Kong spirit, he has always maintained his position – without creating a noise or a fuss – in line with the territory’s economic development. With the variety of perspectives that we can now enjoy from the creative designs and the interviews with Eddie that are showcased in this collection, we can gain a fascinating insight into the journey to success of this Hong Kong legend.