Diana Chan is your average luxury shopper - she's in her mid-30s, has a steady income and is happy to spend it on clothing and accessories from her favourite luxury brands such as Yves Saint Laurent and Givenchy. Although price is not a problem for her, availability is - only a handful of boutiques in the city cater to her curvy French size 44 figure.
'I am willing to spend but the majority of boutiques and department stores in Hong Kong don't carry larger sizes,' says Chan. 'Most of the time I do my shopping when I am in Europe or in the US, since their designer boutiques carry a full range of sizes.'
The demand for larger-size clothing appears to be growing in countries such as the US, where the plus-size market increased 1.4 per cent in the 12 months to April 2010 compared with the same period the previous year, according to market research firm NPD Group.
In Hong Kong, however, the same market - which by definition caters for women around a US size 12 and up (Italian 48 or French 44) - is virtually non-existent.
'I'm generalising, but it seems that many women who wear larger sizes are expats thus there is less demand for their sizes,' says Kathleen Sweeney, owner of Tiare boutique in SoHo. 'It also seems that many stores are concentrating on the mainland market and their sizes, which are much smaller.'
A quick survey of luxury department stores reveals that smaller sizes predominate. Audrey Sun, chief operating officer of Harvey Nichols, says fewer than 10 per cent of her customers buy above a French size 40, while only 15 to 20 per cent of seasonal purchasing at Joyce boutique and I.T caters to a French size 40 or above.
