Our new series of online people profiles covers a wide range of backgrounds, careers and personalities ofย individualsย in Hong Kong. Here, we meet BRENDA HOJGAARD and find out about her sustainable fashion label, OctoberEighteen.
Where are you from originally?
Iโm born and raised in Hong Kong and definitely consider myself a Hongkonger, through and through!ย
Where else have you lived?
Doha and Dubai for a couple of years for work back in 2008 โ it was a good experience for the much younger me.
Is Hong Kong โhomeโ?
For sure! I didnโt think much about this before, but whenever I travel back here from outside, thereโs always a โgoing homeโ feeling. However, I do believe home is where the people I love are, and my husband and two younger sisters are all in Hong Kong, so I guess thatโs the definition of โhomeโ for me.ย
What do you do here? Tell us about your business.
I worked as a personal fitness trainer for almost 15 years โ fitness was (and still is) my passion. While I love being a fitness trainer and helping clients to achieve their goals, being so close to the fitness industry did take a toll on my physical and mental health. (Yes, fitness is very competitive, sometimes not in a good way!) Thatโs when I decided to take a break from it and shift my focus away.
Iโve always enjoyed doing things with my hands. I remember I would sit for hours knitting, drawing, painting and so on when I was a kid. But Iโd never touched a sewing machine in my life until January 2019 when I signed up for a beginner sewing course. I was hooked right away; the lessons were two hours but I would stay for six! Then I would arrive at the factory early next morning hoping that I could get more hours before they closed.ย
I was encouraged by my sewing teacher that I should start my own label. OctoberEighteenย is the result of my passion and love for dressmaking. As a person whose outfit was pretty much yoga pants and running shoes every day for 15 years, I was never really โfashionableโ. I just love putting on beautiful dresses, whether itโs a simple wrap dress for a brunch or a tunic dress for the beach. Dresses are always my go-to outfits, and they have naturally become the staple in OctoberEighteen.ย
After researching the fashion industry, I knew from the start that I wanted this label to be a sustainable and environmentally friendly one, using only deadstock fabrics (fabrics that are over-ordered and produced by fashion brands and factories) for production. Iโm obsessed with details and every item is handmade to order by myself; thereโs no mass production or waster, and no sweatshops. All the fabrics I use are sourced locally according to usage and cut cautiously to prevent fabric waste.
When I receive messages from customers saying they love a dress and that it fits perfectly, thatโs when I get butterflies in my stomach. At the end of the day, thatโs how I want OctoberEighteen to be: no fashion trends, no collections; just beautiful dresses that people can actually wear comfortably every day or for special occasions.ย
What have been some of the surprises and challenges of starting your business.
I do love a challenge and thereโs always something new to learn. Playing every role in running a brand made me learn a lot. I love sewing and making dresses but thatโs not the only thing to do. I find the day-to-day business stuff the hardest: learning how to build a website; setting up a payment system; writing product descriptions; setting up customer communication pages; taking product photos and editing them so that theyโre presentable; answering customer emails; managing all social media accounts; marketing the brand to different media; working on product development; plus pattern making, fabric sourcing and so on! Doing it all by myself is definitely very hard but also very rewarding at the same time.ย
Give us an insight into a typical working day for you.
Coffee โฆ and coffee! First, I have a morning cuddle session with my yellow Labrador, Coffee, in bed. Then Iโll wake myself up with a good cup of freshly ground coffee. After that, I do a workout.
The morning hours are usually for admin work, checking orders, updating the website, answering emails, updating social media โ all those day-to-day things I mentioned earlier. Once Iโve got them out of the way, Iโll start preparing for the sewing part of the day. A dress typically takes five to seven hours from start to finish; once itโs finished, Iโll check for loose threads, then press it and pack it ready for shipment.ย
Iโm a borderline workaholic, thatโs why I try to set a โstopโ button for myself โ the latest Iโll go is 10pm, otherwise Iโll be up sewing till next morning. And weekends are no-work days, for the sake of my marriage, ha!
What neighbourhood do you live in, and why did you choose it?
Iโve lived in Sai Kung and Clearwater Bay for years, but I made the decision to move to Ho Man Tin two years ago. I moved here mostly for the convenience, and now I absolutely love where weโre living. Itโs at the edge of the heart of Kowloon, close to everything, yet peaceful and quiet at the same time. Thereโs a huge green field just across the road where my dog can run free. This neighbourhood ticks all the boxes for me.
Describe your home to us.
Weโre lucky to have found an apartment in the middle of Kowloon with tons of outdoor space. I would describe it as minimalist, quiet most of the time, and doggo-friendly!
Outside of work, what are your hobbies in Hong Kong?
Hiking and boating! Weโll anchor our day-cruiser boat at random islands (there are 260 in Hong Kong!) and just spend the day absorbing โVitamin Sea and Dโ.ย
Quickย questionsย about Hong Kong: Whatโs your favourite โฆ
Casual restaurant? Bayfare Socialย
Date night restaurant?ย Amber at Mandarin Oriental
Local food? Bowl of noodles from Eat Together โ it doesnโt get any more local than this!ย
Thing to do with visitors? Hiking, sailing and showing them Hong Kongโs beautiful countryside.
Thing to do with kids? We recently discovered an RV campsite on Lantau and weโre waiting to try it out!
Nearby holiday destination? Phuket!ย
Like this? Read more in our Living in Hong Kong section:
HK People: 10 minutes with Janet Walker
Expat guide to where to live in Hong Kong
