Barney Cheng

with Laetitia Yu

Barney Cheng realised early on he wanted to pursue his interest in fashion and occasion wear. “As a young boy, I would see my mother feel better when she dressed up; there was a sense of happiness and joy that wasn’t usually there.” He thrives on seeing how fashion can influence someone’s mood. “It just lifts them up. I want to make women feel beautiful.” Cheng opened his business over two decades ago and has become the go-to designer for many of the city’s elite. His showroom in the heart of Central in Hong Kong attracts an extensive clientele from right around the region. Cheng has also dressed the likes of Michelle Yeoh, Isabelle Huppert, and Queen Margrethe II of Denmark on important red-carpet occasions.

From beaded gowns and embroidered qipaos to tailored skirt suits, Cheng can do it all. “I’m drawn to shiny things—sequins, crystals, beads, diamonds.” So it was a logical extension when he introduced fine jewellery to his offerings. “We help clients source jewellery or help them reset their existing pieces for a special event,” he says. Cheng chose longtime friend and god-sister Laetitia Yu as his partner for our shoot, with her posing in a creation he made specially for her. “Barney and I met in Toronto when we were in high school. Our mothers were good friends,” Yu recalls. “He’s so talented, and the best results often come when you give him carte blanche.”