Fashion designer Erbert Chong talks about his work over lunch at French restaurant Ivy
Designer Erbert Chong discusses how his career path led to Paris over Riviera-inspired dishes at Ivy
Walking into Ivy at IFC Mall is like being transported to the French Riviera. The restaurant evokes daydreams of the sun-drenched shores of southeastern France, where the Mediterranean shimmers in tones of emerald and turquoise, umbrellas in nautical blue and white stripes line the beaches, and stone cottages dot the hillside.
Newly opened on the second floor of the mall, Ivy is one of Gaia Group's latest innovations along with eateries Greenhouse and Townhouse. The restaurant's rust-coloured floor is like sand under your feet. The white marble tabletops and soft cushioned chairs in shades of blue and green match the colours of the ocean. With floor-length windows overlooking Victoria Harbour, Ivy is bright and airy, bearing all the hallmarks of a luxurious beachside resort along the Mediterranean coast.
Up-and-coming luxury leather designer Erbert Chong takes in the setting and says: "I haven't been to the south of France yet. I really want to go to Marseille and Lyon." He splits his time between Paris and Hong Kong.
Chong, whose work has taken Asia by storm and is now sought-after around the globe, hasn't always wanted to be a fashion designer. As a child, he only knew he wanted to make an impact in the world one day. He met Spice Girls singer Emma Bunton at her first CD signing in 2001 and told her that he wanted to one day become as famous as Baby Spice, her musical persona.
"She wrote on the CD, 'To Fame'," he recalls, laughing. "But I didn't know I was going to be a fashion designer - not until I was in my early 20s. I never touched before that. I never did sewing. It came a lot later."
