Peter Lam established his namesake jewellery brand in Hong Kong in 1985. The brand owes its wide acceptance in target markets to its solid foundation, original design, diversified products and delicate craftsmanship. Royalties are also counted among its clientele. In celebration of the 30th anniversary last year, Peter Lam is rebranded to embrace the next 30 years.
At a young age Peter Lam started his career at an upscale jewellery shop located in the Hilton Hotel where he nurtured his love of high-end jewellery made in Hong Kong. He was so fascinated by the voguish design and exquisite craftsmanship that inspired him to bring local jewellery to the world. From messenger to manager, Lam garnered profound knowledge about jewellery sales, merchandising, promotion, design and production in the span of 14 years with the shop. The constant contacts with wealthy tourists from the Middle East and the globe had helped him develop a thorough understanding of people’s distinct preferences and requirements for jewellery. All these capacities had laid a solid foundation for his following venture.
“I encouraged the shop to go beyond Asia due to the limitation of retailing. But the owner didn’t see the need. It is wasting my time when things are brought to a standstill. So I decided to create my own business - Peter Lam.”
The brand made expansive chunky parures for the Middle East clients at the outset. In 1986 Lam set up his own workshop in Hunghom for effective quality control. In a year he expanded to Japan where his innovative and quality products went very well. Receiving the recognition from the demanding Japanese market was truly significant, Lam said.
His perseverance in original design and best production practice paid off when he was commissioned to design jewellery for a royal family from Asia.
In the face of the Asian financial crisis, the brand spent two years to pick itself up before venturing into the US market. Lam said: “I didn’t have a good impression on the American market where purchases were largely made on credit. As that’s the only way out at that time, we couldn’t but set foot on it. However, we only do business with those who have credit guarantees. We don’t have any bad debt so far.”
Disregarding the overwhelmed pavé-set diamond jewellery in the US market, Peter Lam launched a European-style design featuring four princess-cut stones which proved to be a huge success. It has even become a signature design of the brand. The founder’s orderly nature is reflected in product and factory management. “The uncompetitiveness of the old workshop was attributed to the production-focused management style. We hence built a five-storey factory in the Mainland under my direct supervision. The fully-computerised set-up has a clear divisional structure as good as an office. It gives our visiting clients full confidence in our products,” Lam said.
Everyone wants to gain a foothold in the mainland market which, however, is a pending agenda for Peter Lam. Lam said he will not take rash actions as he is not prepared, though many friends of his are already there. Nevertheless, the brand has been allocating necessary capital, designs and manpower for the right time.
After 30 years, the brand is entering into a new phase. According to Lam, he looks forward to seeing his two sons being the future leaders. He said: “One of them is taking care of the Hong Kong operation, and the other the factory. I hope they would bring the brand to another level with new ideas. They are very proactive. I believe Peter Lam will see a new horizon in the next three decades.”
← Back