Part 1 of 2: The Silk Road to London

I met Ting Hsu, cofounder of London-based print studio, St. Piece, in passing at London Fashion Week Men’s where he invited me to stop by the his silk stand at Pitti Uomo. Founded in 2013, St. Piece specializes in luxury silk scarves and accessories which feature intricate patterns and rich colors. Ting shares the entertaining story behind the brand’s formation and demonstrates how the dream may be free, but the hustle is indeed sold separately. 

How did you get into the fashion industry?

I never thought about working in fashion until 2014 when I started this company with my business partner, Sandy. My career started in Restaurant PR which I did for a long time. So I went from an industry where everybody eats, to an industry where nobody eats. Haha!! No that's a joke. Everyone I know is really healthy but that is a common misconception.

8 different looks using St. Piece silk scarves and ties.

How did you and Sandy get introduced?

I've known Sandy for a long time as a friend. I think it was Christmas of 2013 and several of our friends decided to organize a Christmas dinner. At some point I got to look through Sandy's portfolio and I was amazed, I was mesmerized! I can hardly draw a straight line with a ruler so when I saw Sandy's artwork I said, "Oh my god they're so amazing I wish I could wear them." She offered to print them as t-shirts for me and as we were a little happy from the wine we thought it was such a great idea that we wanted to turn it into a business. The next day we talked about it again and said, "Why not?"

How did you come up with the name, St. Piece? Do you pronounce it like it's French?

No, we actually don't. The S and T stand for our names, Sandy and Ting. We originally used “ST PIECE” as a way to note that it was a piece of art by Sandy and Ting. People who saw the label thought our name was St. Piece, so we decided to go with the flow and use that name. 

Thank you to Ting for the interview! Additional information about St. Piece is available on the brand’s website and Instagram. Be sure to read Part 2 of 2: Working With Friends.