Tartan by Yuen’s Tailor: Preserving the Lion Rock Spirit with Hong Kong-Scottish tartan

There is a little shop tucked away within Central Market that is almost overflowing with colourful clothing and eye-catching accessories in tartan prints. This is Tartan by Yuen's Tailor, and the clue's in the name: they specialise in garments made with Scottish tartan. Its founder Bonny Yuen Bong-gun is also the only tailor in Hong Kong who knows how to properly craft a Scottish kilt.

Having started his tailoring journey around 14 or 15, Yuen learned the craft under a few teachers and had set up his own business before turning 20, founding the predecessor of Yuen's Tailor in 1975, named Colombo Tailor, right opposite the Shek Kong Barracks. Having struck out on his own, Yuen found himself uninhibited in how he wanted to work, even changing the name of his business as he saw fit, taking on the name of his father's old shop at one point. "I was young then, so I did it 'guerilla-style', taking whatever business came my way," Yuen laughs. "Sometimes I helped out my friends in Yuen Long, sometimes I'd see what needed doing in the Shek Kong Barracks – it was like doing freelance work."

Over the years, Master Yuen gathered considerable experience in tailoring for Western fashion and military uniforms, and towards the 80s he would go to the Stanley Barracks to make uniforms for the British troops stationed in Hong Kong. This was how fate had him encounter Scottish kilts for the first time. "The troops would get reallocated every 18 to 20 months, and when I met the Scottish unit, a quartermaster asked if I could make Scottish kilts." Under the guidance of a master tailor, Yuen picked up the art of kilt making without much trouble, and officially founded Yuen's Tailor some time later.

He worked with the British troops all the way up till 1994 when they left the Stanley Barracks, and moved his business to Central Market, where he rooted himself for over 20 years, attracting customers from all walks of life with his skilled craftsmanship. "Back then, there were customers from everywhere: Mid-Levels, expats, Sha Tau Kok, Wong Tai Sin... you name it," Yuen recalls. "In this trade, as long as your skills are good, there'll definitely be people who recognise that, who will come to you when they require your services."

When Central Market started being revitalised in 2017, Yuen's Tailor held on to their location until the last possible moment. They did eventually decide to move into Tai Kwun, but as soon as the extensive renovations were completed in Central Market, Master Yuen happily accepted an invitation to return to the premises. Yuen's Tailor was back in their original digs once again, but with a refreshed business model, debuting as Tartan by Yuen's Tailor and focusing on the Scottish tartan pattern. "Among the old shops in the original Central Market, we were the only ones that came back." Yuen notes that it's near impossible to find another tailor like him in Hong Kong, who still handcrafts each piece of clothing by himself – not to mention, he is also the only tailor in the territories who can make Scottish kilts. "That's why people want me to share my craft and experiences in tailoring with everyone," he says proudly.

They definitely thought it was weird that a Hongkonger would know how to make Scottish kilts.

Though technically a new brand, Tartan is the culmination of Master Yuen's decades of skills and experience in kilt-making, and also embodies the deep historical connection between Hong Kong and Scotland. "During the British era before '97, there were a lot of Scottish people in Hong Kong," Yuen recalls. "The ties between Hong Kong and Scotland are deep-rooted. Plenty of our streets are named after Scottish people – like the MacLehose Trail, Sutherland Street, the Wilson Trail." Back then, the local Scottish population would have needed Tartan's outfits considerably. Yuen laughs, "At first, they definitely thought it was weird that a Hongkonger would know how to make Scottish kilts." These days, the art of kilt-making entirely by hand is gradually getting lost, even in Scotland itself – which is why Yuen is all the more determined to safeguard this craft, while also thinking outside the box to further innovate.

Tartan is a woven pattern made from criss-crossing coloured stripes in fabric, and traditionally different patterns would signify different families. "In a multicultural place like Hong Kong, there's no need for us to wear family-based tartan like at Galloway or Smith." Our city has always been described as a mix of East and West, and this definitely affords us flexibility when it comes to tartan-based fashion choices.

In 2021, Tartan launched a brand-new Hong Kong tartan design called 'Passion of Hong Kong', and had the pattern officially catalogued in The Scottish Register of Tartans under the Scottish government. When asked why he suddenly decided to create a new tartan design based on Hong Kong, Master Yuen cheekily replied, "Must be the whisky kicking in." Everyone burst into laughter.

"It's actually because a few of my friends were bored with nothing to do during the pandemic, and they suggested that I make a tartan." Under the help and encouragement of his friends, Yuen successfully registered the 'Passion of Hong Kong' pattern that is uniquely steeped in local spirit. Its inspiration came from a classic Hong Kong item: the red, white, and blue nylon canvas bag. That's why Yuen's tartan contains red, white, and blue tones, representing clouds in the blue sky over Victoria Harbour, as well as the passion within Hongkongers. "The pattern ended up being fun, with a hint of nostalgia."

After the success of his first local tartan, Master Yuen came up with another design in 2023. 'Lion Mountain' comes from a photograph of Lion Rock at dusk which Yuen admired and ended up bringing to life as a manifestation of the Lion Rock Spirit. "This comes from a scene in my mind: Lion Rock against the dusk colours, with the city's lights shining below." The master shares, "When we worked with weaving factories in the past, every stitch and colour actually had meaning and stories behind it, which made the craft so interesting."

It's been decades in this industry, but Yuen shows no signs of slowing, still tirelessly passing down the art of classic tailoring and kilt-making. His brother Jeff Yuen started learning tailoring skills after his retirement, and now helps out with cuttings, clippings, and handbag making. Yuen has also taken on two apprentices, who he is coaching in the art of Scottish kilts, business management skills, and more.

"I don't know how to stop." The master is still constantly mulling over new products and, while chatting to us, revealed an ambitious wish: combining gambiered Canton silk, a special product of Shunde in Guangdong, with Scottish tartan. "A Sino-Scot collaboration!" Yuen laughs as he finishes, "I would be so happy to create something that the world has never seen before."