Korean fashion entrepreneur in Hong Kong Nikki Lee, of TAV, on her goal of designing timeless yet trendy clothes
- Nikki Lee was one of the first in South Korea to jump into e-commerce, in 2007. She’s brought that entrepreneurial spirit to her Hong Kong brand TAV
- ‘I am always aware of the trendiest styles Korean women are going for,’ says the designer, who says her goal is to make timeless clothes
“I absolutely hate lagging behind any kind of trend,” says Nikki Lee Hyuna, the creative director and designer behind Hong Kong fashion brand TAV. At the same time, she hopes her designs will be timeless.
TAV, which stands for “The Absolute Value”, is not only the brainchild of the 36-year-old South Korean native – it’s the culmination of her 15 years of fashion industry experience, too.
“I half-jokingly tell my close friends and family that there probably isn’t anyone in my generation who has touched, felt and tried on as many clothes as I have,” Lee says.
“When I moved to Seoul for university from my hometown, Wonju, a medium-sized city in Korea’s [Gangwon] province, I started an online fashion shopping website, D&shop, to pay for my tuition. I was part of South Korea’s first generation of online fashion retail operators,” Lee says.
That bold move was prescient – by 2021, South Korean consumers were spending some US$2.2 billion a month on fashion-related items online.
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Although D&shop ceased operations as Lee moved on to different ventures and places (first Australia, then Hong Kong), her entrepreneurial spirit has endured.
As designer and creative director, Lee is very hands-on, from designing and producing the clothes, which are manufactured in South Korea, to displaying the final products in store.
She says the goal is to accomplish the year-old brand’s ambition of making timeless clothes.
“Throughout my decade and a half in the fashion industry, I have touched and come across all kinds of cloth and materials. That experience helps immensely when I’m designing for TAV. Also, the fact that I am such a true Korean to my bones works well for the brand, as I am always aware of the trendiest styles Korean women are going for,” Lee says.
The positive response of Hongkongers to TAV was not something that Lee saw coming.
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“The timing worked out really well for the brand, because Hongkongers who miss travelling abroad and are looking for something fresh and exciting in their daily lives see our brand as a substitute. I am so happy they are enjoying our clothes so much, and I’m excited to see where this new journey will take me,” Lee says.
TAV’s shops can be found in PMQ, K11 Art Mall, K11 Musea and Harbour City. The products are also available at thetavstore.com.
