"What's in My Life Bag?" Featuring Victoria Tang-Owen

by / Apr 23, 2020

Victoria Tang-Owen stars in the second video in SENREVE's latest "What's in My Life Bag?" campaign

At SENREVE, we are constantly in awe of the strong, multifaceted women that make up our Octopi community. SENREVE women are elegant, sophisticated, inspirational, and bold. In celebration of our first standalone pop-up at Pacific Place in Hong Kong later this year, we wanted to feature some of the inspiring women in our Octopi community. 

We're so proud to share our "What's in My Life Bag?" series featuring women we admire, with each clip giving you an intimate look into everything they carry – physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Their SENREVE bags are daily companions that allow each woman who does it all to truly carry it all, too.

About Victoria Tang-Owen
A powerhouse career woman who juggles her roles as the Creative Director of Shanghai Tang (the first globally recognized Chinese luxury brand, founded by her late father David Tang), President of the Hong Kong Down Syndrome Association, Co-Founder of creative agency Thirty30, and mother to her adorable son Rocco, Victoria is the embodiment of every ideal we stand for. She’s creative, uninhibited, generous, and has worked incredibly hard to get to where she is today – so it was an easy decision to include her in our “What’s in My Life Bag?” series.

In her video, Victoria talks about the importance of staying energetic while also remaining responsible and imaginative, all while keeping her family’s roots and heritage close to her heart – so we took the opportunity to learn even more about what makes her who she is today, and how we can take these lessons into our own lives.


WATCH VICTORIA'S FULL VIDEO 

SENREVE: As an entrepreneur, designer, photographer, businesswoman, and mother, there are so many different parts you have to play in your day-to-day life. Do you ever struggle trying to balance all of these roles?
At times it is a struggle to balance work and family life. In both roles you never feel like you have ticked off all the things on your “to-do” list and so it's important to make a conscious effort to press pause. All my working roles blend into one and I have a team around me who can help push my creativity forward. As a mother I just try to focus on spending quality time with my son, exploring his passions and learning about what makes him happy and excited. There's nothing more rewarding to me than having my son smiling.

SENREVE: How has the experience been for you, taking up the mantle of your family business at Shanghai Tang, and what are the most important things you’ve learned?
Growing up in and around Shanghai Tang was definitely formative for me. It wasn't just a brand, it was a way of life for my father and it went beyond just the products in the stores and touched on what it meant to be Chinese in the modern era. I learnt about heritage and authenticity from my father – he loved to wear Chinese styles in his day-to-day life at a time when many others thought that was just a costume.  

I have that same sense of pride in Chinese silhouettes and the skills of Chinese makers. Having said that, my father's connection with the brand ended a long time ago so as I grew up and developed my skills as a designer and photographer, and formed my own tastes, Shanghai Tang was only on my radar as an outside observer. I think that puts me in a unique position to take the brand forward now – the brand is in my DNA, but I am bringing my own ideas and perspectives to the table.  It's a challenge I'm throwing myself into.


WATCH VICTORIA'S FULL VIDEO

SENREVE: You mentioned a sprinkle of irreverence as one of the most important things you carry with you in your day-to-day. What does innovation and creativity mean to you?
When I talk about irreverence I want people to think about humor, positivity and storytelling. We always try to inject a creative take into our designs – a layer of humor or a quirky take on a Chinese idiom can really jump out and speak to a customer. For example we launched a shoe wear line this year with a talented shoe wear designer Bing Xu, who is a friend of mine. We came up with a design called “Catch Me If You Can” – with an embroidered design of a cat chasing a mouse, which was my take on the Chinese Year of the Rat. I want Shanghai Tang to have a living voice, and point of view. And our personality will always have a sprinkle of irreverence.


SHOP VICTORIA'S MIDI MAESTRA IN DENIM CHAMBRAY


READ MORE FROM OUR "WHAT'S IN MY LIFE BAG?" CAMPAIGN:

"What's in My Life Bag?" Featuring Grace Chan

"What's in My Life Bag?" Featuring Margaret Chung

"What's in My Life Bag?" Featuring Jenn Lam & Tawnia Lai

"What's in My Life Bag?" Featuring Ines Gafsi