Growing up in a traditional shoe-making family in which my dad owns a shoe factory with most of the employees being my own relatives, I have realized my special interest in the fashion industry ever since my childhood. At the age of 14, my family moved to Vancouver Canada where I continued to pursue my passion in fashion and design at Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design upon the completion of my high school education. After studying fine arts for two years, I decided to quit college and moved to Florence, Italy where I had the chance to learn about leather crafts for the first time.

During my stay in Florence, my sisters (I have 4 older sisters) started a handbag business, and I had the opportunity to work as a part-time designer for them. Meanwhile, I also found myself an internship with Pauric Sweeney Handbag in Florence. Although I did not complete my degree in General Fine Art, with my portfolio and extensive design-related work experience, I have received offer from the Royal college of Art in London for postgraduate study starting fall 2007. Currently, my works are mostly inspired from traveling such as places I went, shows I’ve visited, flea markets, as well as vintage markets and so forth.

So far in my life, the most unforgettable event as a handbag designer would be preparing for my RCA entrance interview exam. I received the notice for the interview while I was on a business trip in Asia. As a result, upon returning to Italy, I only had 5 days to prepare for the interview. RCA asked us to design a new line with each design being fully illustrated, and there should also be a minimally one complete sample. So I literally spent 5 days doing non-stop drawing. The last night I stayed up until late midnight in order to finish my sample. At 3:45 in the morning I finally hopped on to a plane to London for the interview. During the two-hour flight, I restlessly rehearsed the interview over and over again until the plane landed. Fortunately, the interview took place smoothly, and by the end of the day, I was extremely exhausted. I fell asleep immediately after lying down on my bed in the hotel room. After such a long and hectic day, nothing tastes better than this particular moment of peace and tranquility, and nothing feels better than the moment of sweet dream.

I just recently finished my study in Florence Italy, and it still feels like just yesterday I was packing up and my family still doubted if I can make it through studying abroad and living on my own. I have to admit that this past couple of years haven't been easy for me. From quitting college and left all my close ones for Italy, it took a lot of courage for me to make the decision. However, I have always believed that one must take chances for things he cares. Although the upcoming challenges could be quite daunting for me at times, striking for something I am passionate about makes me feel confident that I will be able to take on all the challenges and at the same time transform myself to a better, more mature and all-rounded individual.