Marco Visconti dresses and tops are designed to pair with jackets but don't match too obviously. The overall aesthetic is feminine while not being too sexy in a boardroom environment. Photos by Joyce Yung / For China Daily

Hong Kong label Marco Visconti prides itself on providing flattering silhouettes for professional women. Rebecca Lo chats with creative director Angela Shen.

Angela Shen has the graceful stature and high cheekbones of a Shanghai native. The Hong Kong-raised designer is the embodiment of a stylish professional woman, making her the ideal spokesperson for women's apparel brand Marco Visconti, where she is creative director.

Yet Shen is also a Stanford-trained electrical engineer and formerly marketed semi-conductors for Analog Devices.

"I've always enjoyed designing," Shen says. "And my training allows me to conduct mathematical modeling and data manipulation, which is important for the business side of fashion."

She gives an example. There is a general assumption that there is a one-to-one relationship between tops and bottoms: That for every blouse sold, a pair of pants or skirt surely follows. In reality, the proportion is more like three to one, as women tend to change their tops frequently and require more variation from the waist up.

"We offer trousers and skirts that are simple but not too simple," she says. "They match easily."

Shen leads a team of four designers and has overseen every collection since the Hamburg brand founded by Peter Tessner was taken over by a Hong Kong-based design and manufacturing firm in 2011.

"Our company started as an OEM (original equipment manufacturer) and Marco Visconti was one of the brands we worked with," she says. "When Peter decided he wanted to retire, it was natural that we take over since we already had a good working relationship.

"We purchased the brand and relocated everything to Hong Kong, though we still maintain customers in Europe. Our apparel is available through multi-brand stores in London and Greece."

Tessner named Marco Visconti after the Turin-based architect, who is noted for his work in sustainable design. The label is comprised of ready-to-wear pieces targeted at working women aged 30 to 50 and made from predominantly silky Italian fabrics that feel comfortable against the skin.

"We still work within the box of designing business wear for women but Peter gave us completely free rein when we took over," Shen says. "A large part of my job is sourcing fabrics from all over the world. Our fabrics have always been how we differentiated ourselves."

Marco Visconti uses fabrics from Japan and South Korea as well as those made from sustainable materials such as tencel and its heavier cousin cupro, both from regenerated wood pulp. "We will use sustainable fabrics for certain pieces in our collections," Shen says.

She elaborates that the current Spring/Summer 2013 Equestrian Elegance collection was inspired by the English countryside and what women wear outdoors.

Instead of the stripes and polka dots found among the horsey set, patterns are refined with a contemporary metallic sheen and the color green takes precedence. The Emma jersey blazer, for example, is cut like a traditional riding jacket, contains tencel fabric and comes in a rich amethyst color to evoke English royalty.

In keeping with the brand, pieces are flattering to an older clientele. Hemlines vary between mid-thigh to above the knee to elongate the leg. Semi-fitted or empire waists draw attention away from less than perfect figures.

Thoughtful details abound in every piece, from unusual buttons, embroidery or edged collars. Different textures are often paired together, such as linen with leather, or a stiff jacquard with silk, for something new to catch the eye upon repeated wear.

Dresses and tops are designed to pair with jackets but are not too obviously matching, and can be easily accessorized with jewelry or scarves for an impromptu night on the town. The overall aesthetic is feminine while not being too sexy in a boardroom environment.

Marco Visconti also offers a range of scarves and jewelry. Shen personally sources the latter from around the world.

She explains that the typical Hong Kong woman leads a busier life than her counterpart in Europe and designs have become more feminine after the brand moved to Hong Kong.

"Hong Kong women go out quite often at night and their outfits must be very versatile," Shen says. "Ladies here have a wide knowledge of what's available on the market and can accept many different styles. We now offer a more colorful range, with each collection consisting of 30 to 40 pieces."

Shen is very excited about Marco Visconti's latest collection, which is inspired by the tribal patterns and saturated hues of Africa. There is a pair of sheer trousers in a flowing floral print, a top with a crochet-inspired neckline and a graphic color-blocked shift with a subtle A-line silhouette.

Walking through Marco Visconti's studio in the San Po Kong district, dressmaker's dummies and racks upon racks of sample clothing dominate. Yet it is much quieter than expected, with sales people and designers efficiently going about their business.

In a workshop within the studio, technicians are busily composing patterns on a computer or ironing out a seam on a mock-up top. The rear storage facilities are packed with huge rolls of fabric from around the globe, ready to be delivered to the label's factory in Shenzhen.

The boardroom contains hundreds of hanging fabric samples neatly arranged by material. Shen explains that one of the challenges of designing a collection is that Marco Visconti's price point is very competitive, and the choice of fabric is crucial to ensuring a successful profit margin.

"I go to Europe about six times a year to visit trade shows, for an overview of upcoming trends," Shen says. "For inspiration, I like watching movies and shopping. Many window displays are like art pieces themselves."

Though Marco Visconti is a relatively new brand in Hong Kong, it has already garnered loyal customers evenly split between local residents, mainlanders working in the city and expats. There are expansion plans after an encouraging Hong Kong Trade Development Council initiated retail trade show in Xi'an recently.

"I think our brand would work well in Beijing and Dalian, where there are many fashion conscious working women," Shen says.

Contact the writer at sundayed@chinadaily.com.cn.

(China Daily 04/28/2013 page13)