See how this successful London-based fashion designer and entrepreneur spends his day
Han Chong is the founder and creative director of Self-Potrait, which was launched in London a decade ago with a mission to provide women with accessible and affordable clothing. Since then, the fashion brand has become a fixture in the global fashion scene, especially with its recent penetration into the Asian market, and expansion into kidswear and accessories.
The Malaysia-born designer's aesthetic direction and woman-centric approach have also earned him a loyal clientele comprising some of the world's biggest names including Gigi Hadid, Naomi Campbell, and even the Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton.
Read more: Cover story: Can the fashion industry keep up with Han Chong?
In December 2021, Chong added CEO to his resume and acquired French label Roland Mouret under his holding company, SP Collection, as part of his effort to "discover, nurture and develop best in class creativity and design."
How does he manage these growing responsibilities? It's all about being organised, prepared, and ready to solve any problems, shares Han Chong. Tatler sits down with this fashion pioneer to investigate what that looks like in his day-to-day life.
7am
Chong wakes up and gets ready for work. He gets ready and grabs a coffee on the way to SP Collection's office in Clerkenwell, which houses both the Self-Portrait and Roland Mouret teams.
8am
He shares: "In the mornings, my phone is usually already full of messages from the people I work with in Asia. It takes around two or three hours to respond to them, more so during the sampling process."
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11am
As someone who wears many hats, every day is different for Han Chong. "Some days, fittings and campaign shoots can take up an entire day," he says. "But most times, I'm in meetings with my different teams. It can be the business side, where I talk to the sales team handling the budget, pricing and merchandising, or you can find me speaking to my art directors, planning and editing my collection to get our visual language right."
Chong points out that his responsibility for all of his roles remains the same: problem-solving. His approach? "I want to make a difference, whether it's inspiring my team or helping women achieve the best version of themselves, so I'm always working towards that," he divulges.