Cyrus and Julio, graduates of Central St. Martins and London College of Fashion respectively, also take pride in their Hong Kong heritage. The transformative nature of this cosmopolitan city is what they try to infuse into the spirit of id.
Ng explains: “We wanted to create a brand that had a feel of Hong Kong, but at first we couldn’t quite grasp what that was. Then we figured it out. From a tiny fishing village to an international city, Hong Kong is very good at adapting and surviving. It is this ability to transform and evolve that we want to capture.”
This transformation is reflected in the label’s styling, fabrics and details. Currently id is experimenting with a treatment of silk that makes it look worn down. “Silk is like red wine. It can age beautifully, just like denim and leather.” They say.
The two designers take their inspiration from different concepts. Ng is intrigued by the beautiful yet incomplete, while Cyrus is drawn to the spontaneous and ever-changing. Their contrasting personalities have provided the chemistry that makes id so refreshing and unique.
Despite a very good response from their runway experience in Paris, including a feature in
Vogue Italia, Ng and Wong are keeping their feet on the ground when it comes to marketing the brand. Represented by Ryodan Berg Showroom in Paris and its own showroom in mainland China, id is now being carried by boutiques in the UK, the Netherlands, Japan and the mainland. Recently added stockists include
UJ-NG London and
Ennu in Amsterdam. In addition, id is available online exclusively at
www.uj-ng.com.
“We want it to grow organically. Our brand concept always comes first so we want to keep things a bit artsy, and not too commercial,” They say.
Ng and Wong are now working on the Spring/Summer 2018 season. Inspired by air pollution, the collection will focus on the contrast between lightness and heaviness, and the transformation from airy to stiff and voluminous. As in previous seasons, id will collaborate with Danish artist Valeriya Olkhova, who will provide knits for this upcoming collection.
