“Cheap. Glam. Fab.” That’s how Heidi Pun describes her motto for Seven Kee, her family’s clothing business in Hong Kong’s Kowloon City.
Eleven years ago, the 48-year-old took over the long-standing clothing retailer from her mother, SK Ho. Pun rebranded the enterprise, moving its flagship location across the street into a bigger, two-storey space.
“My cousins and I have worked together and made our dream come true … to provide … a good, cosy ambience [for] our customers and friends,” said the stylish third-generation shop owner.
While Seven Kee’s two stores burst with fabrics in nearly every colour, make and size, the business has more to offer than just attire: it is a living history, a representation of the rise and fall of Hong Kong’s garment industry.
From rice to Ralph Lauren
“We didn’t always sell clothes,” 83-year-old Ho revealed.
Established in Macau by Ho’s father in 1938, the store originally dealt in staple foods like rice and oil. To diversify their income, they began to sell cheap clothing with minor defects from factories in Macau and Hong Kong.
“In those days, Macau’s economy was quite bad,” Ho said. Hence, after a particularly successful clothing sale in the 1950s, the family moved to Hong Kong in search of better opportunities.
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During this time, Hong Kong was one of Asia’s biggest textile exporters with many in the city employed by the garment manufacturing industry.
“When we moved, there were already garment factories,” Ho recalled. “Still, we were one of the first to take advantage of that market.”
During the day, Seven Kee occupied a roadside stall on Lion Rock Road, which was a lively hub at the time for those in search of inexpensive goods.
“Our clients were mostly lower-income. Even so, some really knew how to pick the good stuff,” Ho confided, reminiscing about the great brands the shop used to sell, such as Polo Ralph Lauren and DKNY.
At night, the family left the stall to hawk their wares at an outdoor space near Kai Tak Airport, selling to the crowds that gathered to shop and eat.
“We didn’t have a licence or a stand there. So we would lay the clothes on the road in a big, square tarp. And when the police came, we could bundle it all together, throw it over our shoulders, and escape,” Ho explained.
Boom and bust
The 1970s marked the height of Hong Kong’s garment industry; in 1976, clothing made up 43 per cent of the city’s total exports. International brands such as Calvin Klein and Givenchy once relied heavily on the city’s factories.
“That was when we were most successful,” Ho said. “We started early on, so we had an edge because all the factories knew us.”
In 1974, Seven Kee moved from its stall into a shop on Lion Rock Road. At its peak, the business operated more than 10 stores across Hong Kong.
“Celebrities would also come to buy our clothes,” Ho smiled, remembering famous customers such as actor Chow Yun-fat, actress and singer Lydia Shum Din-ha and Cantopop legend Roman Tam.
“Back then, our clothes were all ‘Made in Hong Kong’,” Pun added proudly. “You can’t get that stuff any more.”
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But in the 1980s, the city’s garment industry began to lose momentum as China and other countries in Asia grew into global manufacturing competitors.
Then, the 1990s saw the Kowloon Walled City demolished and Kai Tak Airport shut down. Both historic events hit Seven Kee hard.
“After those good years, it got more and more difficult,” Ho said wistfully, explaining how she was forced to close most of Seven Kee’s outposts.
A new lease, a new chance
In 2012, the store’s future took an unexpected turn.
Pun, who had graduated with a business degree from San Diego University in the US, was watching her mother work tirelessly to maintain Seven Kee.
“At that time, we weren’t making nearly enough money to sustain ourselves,” Ho said. “But the store has so much heritage, and we wanted to keep the good memories alive.”
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So when Pun came across a newly renovated shop across from Seven Kee’s original store, the family took a leap of faith.
“It was the new space that made me think of rebranding,” the daughter said. “I really loved it.”
Pun wanted the new-and-improved shop – designed to look more sleek and modern – to emphasise that “shopping is more about happiness and sharing, rather than purely buying things”.
“I wanted to make Seven Kee a home,” she said, “a place that can cater [to] different customers, from infants to elders.”
Through many changes, the shop has stayed true to its roots: it still sells factory cast-offs and sits proudly on Lion Rock Road.
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“We rely on long-time customers and word of mouth, just like old times,” Pun said.
Though the Covid-19 pandemic has slowed down business, the mother and daughter maintained that their main goal was to preserve the shop’s history and spirit.
“At the end of the day, we do this for our people. So we just try to follow our traditions,” Pun concluded. “If people like what we have to offer, then they will come.”
