Handmade Hong Kong Souvenir

My embroidered souvenir from Hong Kong 

Miru Wong gets her entrepreneurial genes from her grandparents. Now in her early 30s, she is the third generation to run a small business making embroidered slippers and shoes in a shoebox store in a rundown arcade in Jordan.

It was started in 1958 by her paternal grandfather, who learned how to make shoes and slippers in a factory and his wife embroidered them with traditional Chinese designs.

This tiny shop is located in Jordan, Kowloon

When she was in primary school, Wong began learning how to embroider from her grandmother and liked learning the craft. After graduating from Polytechnic University in visual communications in 2012, Wong took over Sindart from her parents.

One of her most famous customers was Iris Apfel, the fashion plate New Yorker who was known for mixing and matching accessories, and died in March this year at the age of 102. In 2017 Apfel visited Hong Kong and one of her shopping stops was to Wong's tiny shop where she bought several pairs of footwear.

On my recent trip to Hong Kong I made a quick visit to Sindart. Wong wasn't there, but the shop was busy with a mainland Chinese customer, who called her friend to come too. 

Fashion icon Apfel visited Hong Kong in 2017

Unfortunately there weren't many slippers in designs that I liked in my size, but came away with this pair of pandas. 

Glad the store is still around and happy to support it!