Beatrix Ong
Encyclopedia
Beatrix Ong MBE
is a London-based British luxury fashion accessories designer, known for her 'classic with a twist' shoes .
She has often been touted as 'The New Choo' and in 2004 was named by The Independent newspaper as one of the Top Ten leading shoe designers amongst Manolo Blahnik
and Patrick Cox.
Beatrix Ong founded BEATRIX ONG in 2002 and the debut collection, was featured in Vogue
, Elle
and Vanity Fair
and continues to have a constant presence amongst international fashion press as well as television and film.
in Brighton, Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design
in London, London College of Communication
, Fashion Institute of Technology
in New York and Cordwainers College in London.
in New York. At age 22 she became Creative Director at Jimmy Choo Couture. After assisting British handbag designer Lulu Guinness design her much acclaimed first footwear collection, Beatrix Ong launched her own label by the same name - BEATRIX ONG in 2002.
For Spring Summer, Beatrix Ong collaborated with Dover Street Market
with shoes exclusively for London's leading style emporium.
2009 also saw the launch of the new limited edition shoe boxes are launched. Illustrator Neal Murren, who has previously worked for Jil Sander
, Prada
and Levi's, has created the new boxes inspired by Beatrix Ong. Sure to be a collectors item, as with the previous boxes illustrated by Natasha Law, the new packaging is available from February 2009.
The second half of 2009 saw Beatrix Ong customise Nike
iD Blazer Trainers that were available for a limited period only.
Ong also joined forces with handmade luxury luggage brand Globe-Trotter to create an exclusive special edition range of travel cases.
In November 2009, the BEATRIX ONG concept store was launched in London’s Newburgh Quarter Carnaby Street in Central London for a limited period only.
To finish the year and after being a Corporate Partner of the English National Ballet for a year, Beatrix Ong accepts the role of one of ENB’s Gala Committee members.
In the Spring, after providing the Autumn/Winter 2010 show shoes for British heritage brand, Aquascutum
, Beatrix Ong announces her commission from Aquascutum to design and produce shoes for both men and women. It would be the first time in the brands history that a footwear collection is designed for them. This was followed by a BEATRIX ONG shop-in-shop being opened within the Aquascutum flagship shop on Regent Street, London.
In this year, Ong started to gain profile recognition when her portrait was taken by acclaimed musician and photographer, Bryan Adams
. Ong was photographed again by another legendary musician - 80s icon Boy George
for the Hep C Trust’s ‘Get Tested’ Campaign, launching in February 2011.
In May, Beatrix Ong delivered a speech at The Clothworkers’ Hall, London as Guest Speaker at The Worshipful Company of Cordwainers annual white-tie Dinner. She was later invited to become an honorary liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Cordwainers
(one of the City of London’s most historic and long-established livery companies), denoting Ong's achievements in the craft of footwear.
In November, Beatrix Ong hosted a special screening at the Apollo Piccadilly of a movie that depicts her great uncle, Dr Sun Yat Sen. Supported by Asia House, the screening featured a special talk and Q&A with Beatrix's uncle, Mr Peter Sun, great nephew of Dr Sun Yat-Sen, Director of Sun Yat-sen Foundation, Director Soon Ching Ling Foundation, Advisor Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Education and Charity Foundation.
In the growing stable of BEATRIX ONG short films, Beatrix commissions Director Mark Jubber, co-founder of EXIT Magazine to shoots and edits a film entirely on the iPhone 4
. The concept created by Beatrix resulted in a campaign film starring World Pole Dancing Champion, Elena Gibson in her studio, uncovering some of Beatrix Ong's key styles of the season. .
The end of 2010 saw the opening of the Beatrix Ong store at 188 Pavilion Road, Chelsea, London.
In 2011, at only 34 years old, Ong was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2011 New Year Honours for services to the fashion industry.
Ong presented the Royal Wedding of Catherine Middleton to Prince William in April with James Chau for Central Chinese Television. It made history as the first broadcast of a Royal and religious event to China and is said to have captured an audience of 200 million viewers in China alone.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
is a London-based British luxury fashion accessories designer, known for her 'classic with a twist' shoes .
She has often been touted as 'The New Choo' and in 2004 was named by The Independent newspaper as one of the Top Ten leading shoe designers amongst Manolo Blahnik
Manolo Blahnik
Manuel "Manolo" Blahnik Rodríguez CBE, , is a Spanish fashion designer and founder of the self-named, high-end shoe brand.-Biography:Born to a Czech father and a Spanish mother and born and raised in the Canary Islands , Blahnik graduated from the University of Geneva in 1965 and studied art in Paris...
and Patrick Cox.
Beatrix Ong founded BEATRIX ONG in 2002 and the debut collection, was featured in Vogue
Vogue (magazine)
Vogue is a fashion and lifestyle magazine that is published monthly in 18 national and one regional edition by Condé Nast.-History:In 1892 Arthur Turnure founded Vogue as a weekly publication in the United States. When he died in 1909, Condé Montrose Nast picked up the magazine and slowly began...
, Elle
Elle (magazine)
Elle is a worldwide magazine of French origin that focuses on women's fashion, beauty, health, and entertainment. Elle is also the world's largest fashion magazine. It was founded by Pierre Lazareff and his wife Hélène Gordon in 1945. The title, in French, means "she".-History:Elle was founded in...
and Vanity Fair
Vanity Fair (magazine)
Vanity Fair is a magazine of pop culture, fashion, and current affairs published by Condé Nast. The present Vanity Fair has been published since 1983 and there have been editions for four European countries as well as the U.S. edition. This revived the title which had ceased publication in 1935...
and continues to have a constant presence amongst international fashion press as well as television and film.
Early life
Beatrix Ong was born in London, England. She was then brought up in Hong Kong and then was educated at Roedean SchoolRoedean School
-Roedeanians in fiction:* Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward * Dawn Drummond-Clayton * Emily James...
in Brighton, Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design
Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design
Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design is a constituent college of the University of the Arts London. The school has an outstanding international reputation, and is considered one of the world's leading art and design institutions...
in London, London College of Communication
London College of Communication
The London College of Communication is a constituent college of the University of the Arts London, located in Elephant and Castle. It has about 5,000 students on 60 courses in media and design courses preparing students for careers in the creative industries...
, Fashion Institute of Technology
Fashion Institute of Technology
The Fashion Institute of Technology, generally known as FIT, is a State University of New York college of art, business, design, and technology connected to the fashion industry, with an urban campus located on West 27th Street between Seventh and Eighth Avenues in the Chelsea neighborhood of...
in New York and Cordwainers College in London.
2002-2008
Beatrix Ong began her career in fashion as an intern at Harper's BazaarHarper's Bazaar
Harper’s Bazaar is an American fashion magazine, first published in 1867. Harper’s Bazaar is published by Hearst and, as a magazine, considers itself to be the style resource for “women who are the first to buy the best, from casual to couture.”...
in New York. At age 22 she became Creative Director at Jimmy Choo Couture. After assisting British handbag designer Lulu Guinness design her much acclaimed first footwear collection, Beatrix Ong launched her own label by the same name - BEATRIX ONG in 2002.
- 2004, the first BEATRIX ONG boutique opened in London's Primrose Hill. Later that year she was commissioned by the Financial TimesFinancial TimesThe Financial Times is an international business newspaper. It is a morning daily newspaper published in London and printed in 24 cities around the world. Its primary rival is the Wall Street Journal, published in New York City....
to design a boot that was displayed in their London offices.
- 2005, Beatrix created an illustration for Buena Vista International and its film release Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. The illustration was showcased at ‘The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Science Museum Exhibition’ in London.
- 2006, Ong worked with acclaimed artist, Natasha LawNatasha LawAndrea Natasha Law is an English painter and graphic designer. Currently residing in London, she was educated at the Camberwell College of Arts in South London. Law is the daughter of Peter and Maggie Law and the older sister to actor Jude Law....
on the design of her limited edition shoe boxes.
- 2007, The BEATRIX ONG flagship boutique moved to the oldest arcade in the world, Burlington ArcadeBurlington ArcadeThe Burlington Arcade is a covered shopping arcade in London that runs behind Bond Street from Piccadilly through to Burlington Gardens. It is one of the precursors of the mid-19th century European shopping gallery and the modern shopping centre...
, in Mayfair, London. The launch party was attended by British socialites such as Poppy Delevigne, Hon Sophia Hesketh and Violet von Westenholz. DJs were Lisa Moorish and Al Doyle of Hot ChipHot ChipHot Chip are an English electronic indie band. They have released four studio albums—Coming on Strong, The Warning, Made in the Dark and One Life Stand.-Formation:...
and LCD SoundsystemLCD SoundsystemLCD Soundsystem was a prominent American dance-punk band from New York City. It was fronted by American singer-songwriter and producer James Murphy, co-founder of record label DFA Records...
.
- 2008, The men's shoe collection is launched under the name ONG LONDON. Named after British film directors, the collection was an instant success. In the same year, Ong entered into a partnership with Chairman of the British Fashion Council, Harold TillmanHarold TillmanHarold Peter Tillman CBE is a British retail entrepreneur and investor. His current investments include Jaeger and Aquascutum.-Early life:Tillman was born into a Jewish family living in Brixton Hill, the only child of a Yorkshire-born tailor father who trained at Montagu Burton, and milliner mother...
and Chief Executive of Jaeger, Belinda Earl to make BEATRIX ONG "one of the UK's leading luxury brands.".
2008-Present
- 2009, In StyleIn StyleInStyle is a monthly women’s fashion magazine published in the United States by Time Inc. Along with advertising, the magazine offers articles about beauty, fashion, home, entertaining, charitable endeavors and celebrity lifestyles. Launched in 1993 , InStyle currently has a circulation of 1.7...
magazine's Style Prediction for 2009 names BEATRIX ONG the 'Hot Accessories Label of the Year'.
For Spring Summer, Beatrix Ong collaborated with Dover Street Market
Dover Street Market
Dover Street Market is a multilevel fashion retail store created by Rei Kawakubo of Japanese fashion label Comme des Garçons. It is located in Dover Street Mayfair, London.Dover Street Market Tokyo opened in 2006 and is a smaller version of the London store....
with shoes exclusively for London's leading style emporium.
2009 also saw the launch of the new limited edition shoe boxes are launched. Illustrator Neal Murren, who has previously worked for Jil Sander
Jil Sander
Heidemarie Jiline 'Jil' Sander is a minimalist German fashion designer and the founder of the Jil Sander fashion house....
, Prada
Prada
Prada S.p.A. is an Italian fashion label specializing in luxury goods for men and women , founded by Mario Prada.-Foundations:...
and Levi's, has created the new boxes inspired by Beatrix Ong. Sure to be a collectors item, as with the previous boxes illustrated by Natasha Law, the new packaging is available from February 2009.
The second half of 2009 saw Beatrix Ong customise Nike
Nike, Inc.
Nike, Inc. is a major publicly traded sportswear and equipment supplier based in the United States. The company is headquartered near Beaverton, Oregon, which is part of the Portland metropolitan area...
iD Blazer Trainers that were available for a limited period only.
Ong also joined forces with handmade luxury luggage brand Globe-Trotter to create an exclusive special edition range of travel cases.
In November 2009, the BEATRIX ONG concept store was launched in London’s Newburgh Quarter Carnaby Street in Central London for a limited period only.
To finish the year and after being a Corporate Partner of the English National Ballet for a year, Beatrix Ong accepts the role of one of ENB’s Gala Committee members.
- 2010, Beatrix Ong's customised Nike Blazer for women became available on Harvey NicholsHarvey NicholsHarvey Nichols, founded in 1813, is an upmarket department store chain. Its original store is in London. Founded in 1813 as a linen shop, it sells many international brands of clothing for women and men, fashion accessories, beauty products, wine and food...
' new 4th floor dedicated to street fashion, while the BEATRIX ONG collection was also launched at Liberty of London.
In the Spring, after providing the Autumn/Winter 2010 show shoes for British heritage brand, Aquascutum
Aquascutum
"Aquascutum" is a UK-based luxury clothing manufacturer and retailer, owned by Jaeger.-Company history:Aquascutum was established in 1851, the year of the Great Exhibition, when tailor and entrepreneur John Emary opened a high quality menswear shop at 46 Regent Street...
, Beatrix Ong announces her commission from Aquascutum to design and produce shoes for both men and women. It would be the first time in the brands history that a footwear collection is designed for them. This was followed by a BEATRIX ONG shop-in-shop being opened within the Aquascutum flagship shop on Regent Street, London.
In this year, Ong started to gain profile recognition when her portrait was taken by acclaimed musician and photographer, Bryan Adams
Bryan Adams
Bryan Adams, is a Canadian rock singer-songwriter, guitarist, bassist, producer, actor and photographer. Adams has won dozens of awards and nominations, including 20 Juno Awards among 56 nominations. He has also received 15 Grammy Award nominations including a win for Best Song Written...
. Ong was photographed again by another legendary musician - 80s icon Boy George
Boy George
Boy George is a British singer-songwriter who was part of the English New Romantic movement which emerged in the early 1980s. He helped give androgyny an international stage with the success of Culture Club during the 1980s. His music is often classified as blue-eyed soul, which is influenced by...
for the Hep C Trust’s ‘Get Tested’ Campaign, launching in February 2011.
In May, Beatrix Ong delivered a speech at The Clothworkers’ Hall, London as Guest Speaker at The Worshipful Company of Cordwainers annual white-tie Dinner. She was later invited to become an honorary liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Cordwainers
Worshipful Company of Cordwainers
The Worshipful Company of Cordwainers is one of the Livery Companies of the City of London. Cordwainers were workers in fine leather; the Company gets its name from "cordwain" , the white leather produced from goatskin in Cordova, Spain...
(one of the City of London’s most historic and long-established livery companies), denoting Ong's achievements in the craft of footwear.
In November, Beatrix Ong hosted a special screening at the Apollo Piccadilly of a movie that depicts her great uncle, Dr Sun Yat Sen. Supported by Asia House, the screening featured a special talk and Q&A with Beatrix's uncle, Mr Peter Sun, great nephew of Dr Sun Yat-Sen, Director of Sun Yat-sen Foundation, Director Soon Ching Ling Foundation, Advisor Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Education and Charity Foundation.
In the growing stable of BEATRIX ONG short films, Beatrix commissions Director Mark Jubber, co-founder of EXIT Magazine to shoots and edits a film entirely on the iPhone 4
IPhone 4
The iPhone 4 is a touchscreen slate smartphone developed by Apple Inc. It is the fourth generation iPhone, and successor to the iPhone 3GS. It is particularly marketed for video calling , consumption of media such as books and periodicals, movies, music, and games, and for general web and e-mail...
. The concept created by Beatrix resulted in a campaign film starring World Pole Dancing Champion, Elena Gibson in her studio, uncovering some of Beatrix Ong's key styles of the season. .
The end of 2010 saw the opening of the Beatrix Ong store at 188 Pavilion Road, Chelsea, London.
In 2011, at only 34 years old, Ong was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2011 New Year Honours for services to the fashion industry.
Ong presented the Royal Wedding of Catherine Middleton to Prince William in April with James Chau for Central Chinese Television. It made history as the first broadcast of a Royal and religious event to China and is said to have captured an audience of 200 million viewers in China alone.