Founder and CEO of Lisa Von Tang
I'm most proud of my team at LVT. We're a tribe of passionate, problem-solving and fun humans. It's extremely rewarding building something from scratch.
Tell us your story, how did you get here?
It’s hard to compress this journey into a few steps! The brand was started with a desire to create an Asian, sustainable, sexy and fun label, and build it to an internationally appreciated level. Our growth has been in the daily hustle, refocusing and diligence applied to executing our business plans. For example, team-building in Singapore and now in Milan. Innovating with our product mix, trying out different manufacturers and techniques, pivoting to e-commerce during the pandemic, readjusting our retailer distribution strategy and fundraising requirements.
It’s been very satisfying laying each brick, ensuring we have solid foundations. Every day, we aspire to create beautiful products, to improve our processes, and to expand awareness of LVT. I really enjoy working with creative people who have integrity and bring their all to work. It sounds simple, but it’s very fulfilling to come to your work table determined to be a bit better than before.
I’m most proud of my team at LVT. We’re a tribe of passionate, problem-solving and fun humans. We’ve enjoyed this (often challenging) process of building the brand together. It’s extremely rewarding building something from scratch, with very little funding and a “brick by brick” mentality. From merchandising, operations, e-commerce and finance to design and art direction – the tribe makes the journey meaningful.
What impact have you made in Singapore?
We converted the majority of our collections to being bio-based, recycled and sustainable with how we screen sustainable suppliers. We also refined our method of on-demand production to be even more agile and reduce emissions and waste. We’ve become a local brand that ships globally on a daily basis, due to our retail partnership with Farfetch.
What does 2022 look like for you?
As we’re taking a more international approach to brand building, we’ll be travelling a lot more and pushing distribution in overseas markets like the US, UK, Europe and China. I foresee myself becoming a bit of a global nomad during this busy expansion period while keeping my cosy home base in Singapore.
What do you love most about Singapore?
I love that it feels safe, comfortable, world-class, and has a community of people who are similarly quite global in their outlook. I love that I have family heritage here as well, with my Chinese grandfather spending over 40 years in Singapore. I feel very close to the cultural fusion at its roots. I also adore the trees and lushness – every time I land at Changi Airport and drive into the city, I take in those rain trees lining the highway and it feels so good to be home.
What’s the one thing you’d wear for the rest of your life?
A 100% cashmere kimono, made lovingly by our artisans at LVT.
Who is your Local Legend, and why?
Andreas Chua is the local legend that comes to mind. She’s the founder of dance studio Limited Edition, and truly a legend in her field. Andreas is dancing and choreographing at a world-class level (think vogueing), and has mentored and built this scene locally. Beyond her business, she’s a living symbol of self-actualisation – she has vision and she executes it with all of her abilities. Respect!