BANGKOK – How things have changed in the three decades since South Korean designer Lie Sang Bong brought his eponymous label to Paris in the late 1990s.
“At that time [immediately after the 1997 Asian financial crisis], the perception of Asia in Europe — particularly in Paris — was not very favorable, especially in the fashion industry,” he recalled in a panel discussion at the inaugural WWD x Siam Piwat Global Fashion Spotlight conference in Bangkok, hosted in partnership with leading retail and real estate developer Siam Piwat.
While the Lie Sangbong brand, which turns 40 next year, and Shanghai Tang, founded in 1994 in Hong Kong by the late David Tang, were forerunners of today’s Asia-based luxury labels, they are no longer alone as local talent has built brands for global consumers.
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“Today, many Asian designers are thriving and expanding internationally, and the significance of the Asian market has grown dramatically, leading to many changes,” Lie told WWD chief content officer Jim Fallon. “The fact that Bangkok is now hosting major forums and fashion weeks underscores the crucial role that [the city] and the Southeast Asian market play on the global stage.”
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While some designers may put higher value on international success, Lie felt that building a strong base in one’s home territory first was a “very positive approach.”
This is the strategy that’s reaped handsome rewards for fellow panelist Wannasiri Kongman, cofounder and co-creative director of of Bangkok- and Milan-based luxury accessories label Boyy.
Launched in New York City by Kongman and Jesse Dorsey in 2006 — “a totally different era” without social media or influencers, Kongman recalled — the brand took off through word-of-mouth, eventually landing Paris concept store Colette as its first international retailer. “It was a pretty big deal and being in Colette really [got] us attention,” she recalled.
But the independent brand’s next step was to head to Bangkok, Kongman’s hometown and where the first Boyy store opened in 2010. This afforded the brand the freedom to be in full creative control of its narrative, all the way to the retail floor.
Moving to Milan in 2018 was “starting from zero, totally zero, to crack open the European market,” according to Kongman. “We opened the boutique in Milan [in 2021] to really differentiate ourselves, to really tell [consumers] who we are,” she contined. “We have this crazy idea of retail, so they actually [became] really curious about the brand and slowly we [started to] interact.”
Parlaying one’s culture into a brand with international presence is also the approach taken by Shanghai Tang, the “first Asian luxury brand,” according to the brand’s vice president Octo Cheung Yan Yu.
“We have this rich history [and] we never abandoned a modern Asian aesthetic plus a touch of chinoiserie, implied in all our products,” he said. “This is [our] key to succeeding for 30 years and communicating to our customer globally.”
To that aim, social media platforms have become an essential conduit to touch consumers across geographies and demographics.
“It has helped us [show] the diversity of our designs, which is not just Asians wearing Shanghai Tang, but also different complexions to showcase the beauty of the brand,” said Cheung Yan Yu.
Although Lie Sangbong isn’t currently directly collaborating with influencers — it has in the past — the veteran designer said “both social media and influencers are very important and beneficial for new designers looking to break into the market,” given how it facilitates communication both locally and internationally.
And Boyy’s Kongman recently experienced how powerful the right spotlight can be.
Recently, hometown girl Lalisa Manobal, best known as Lisa from Blackpink, bought and subsequently wore a limited-edition design shaped like a helmet to the Monaco Grand Prix in 2024.
“Everyone tagged me and tagged us,” she recalled. “It really gave the awareness and attention to the brand globally [and] we immediately sold out of the item.”
But bombarding social channels with content and placing products too widely on influencers isn’t advisable, cautioned Kongman.
Not only does she want to work with people who genuinely appreciate the brand’s aesthetic, but consumers are increasingly savvy. “Nowadays, I think people know if it’s genuine or not when people wear your products,” she added.
The panel also addressed whether outside investment was truly necessary to springboard from domestic success to the international market.
For Kongman, that decision depends on each company’s goals, whether revenue growth or retail expansion. In Boyy’s case, own retail is a winning strategy for the fully independent label and one they enjoy so much that the company is “shrinking down the wholesale business to focus on retail,” with a plan to open stores in capitals around the world to unfurl the brand’s narrative fully.
While an investor may be needed for that next step, Kongman remained cautious. “Money is not the biggest concern because [an investor] can really give you what you need to get there — or you might have to start over if you didn’t find the right one.”
Cheung Yan Yu likewise said that an investor that understands a brand’s identity but also the right growth pace were key.
For Shanghai Tang, the 2018 acquisition by Chinese private equity firm Lunar Capital, which is also behind the prominent UCCA Center for Contemporary Art in Beijing, gave a sense of continuity to the direction wanted by the late founder.
“[The investor] needs growth but they will set a goal with a reasonable target according to the economic cycle,” said the Shanghai Tang executive, adding the brand was experiencing “significant growth” and building back toward its heyday.
While success with an investor is possible, provided there was “mutual trust in the relationship,” in Lie’s opinion, it’s not a route he has chosen for his brand to avoid constraints on his creative decisions.
Asked if trust was difficult to establish, he said that like artists, designers could face moments of doubt.
“I’ve noticed that when designers feel lost, investors tend to prioritize brand value from their own perspective, which can sometimes lead to the replacement of designers,” he continued. “This can be very challenging for designers, as what truly matters is having a strong conviction and a clear vision of the kind of brand they want to create. This, I believe, is the most important aspect of being a designer.”