GEORGE TOWN, April 10 — Richard Rivalee started making a name for himself in the fashion industry about 26 years ago and today, the Penang-based fashion designer is well-known for his beautiful gowns.
The 50-year-old, whose real name is Richard Lee, is of mixed Thai and Chinese parentage but he can speak many languages due to his wide client base.
His is a story of perseverance and hard work as he worked his way up from a hair salon odd job worker to become the famous fashion designer he is today.
Recently, he started his own cafe simply because he loves cooking for friends. It is located in a garden next to his couture house which is along a row of grand heritage houses in Bangkok Lane.
Here, he shares the story behind his success as a fashion designer and also his love for cooking.
In his own words:
I came from a very poor family with many siblings so I had to come out to work at a very young age. I started working in a hair salon… washing towels before the hair stylist asked if I wanted to learn to be a shampoo boy. I became the top shampoo boy. My boss asked me if I wanted to learn to be a hair stylist. I wanted to be a designer, not a hair stylist. So, I told them okay, I will learn but I don’t want to cut women’s hair, I only want to cut handsome men’s hair, not old or ugly men. So I chose my customers.
I’ve always loved sketching dresses and gowns for women. I like the idea of making beautiful clothes for women to make them look beautiful. I even worked with a fashion designer back in 1989 for a year before I studied designing.
When I first started studying fashion designing at Galeen Fashion back then, I noticed the unused office space upstairs and asked the principal why it was left empty. She told me that if I cleaned it up, I was most welcome to use it. So, I cleaned it up... had my own “office” upstairs. It was also where I learnt extra tips from my principal because she set up her office there after I cleaned it up.
Even then, I was already accepting orders from my hair salon customers... I even hired an assistant to help me sew. Even my principal helped me with my designs. When Galeen closed down sometime in 1995, I hired my principal to help me with my growing business… I opened my own hair salon at home so I cut hair for walk-in customers and I design clothes at night.
I’m lucky that I joined the Young Designer High Fashion Award 1993/1994. It was like joining Miss Universe. It was such a glamorous event. I didn’t have enough money to join it so my friend lent me money and he also joined it… and yes, I did win that award as the grand winner.
I’m lucky in the sense that I have a lot of loyal customers from my hair salon days and the moment I started my own couture house, they all supported me and put in orders. Most of them are still my clients today... I still have a dream to be as famous as Jimmy Choo.
Local designers based in KL are very competitive... That’s why I don’t want to go down to KL. I prefer to stay here… If you are good, people will come to you. All Penang designers are good friends, we are not rivals, we go out together and have fun together.
Nowadays, I have to slow down a bit… I want to take time to travel and enjoy life too. I am a personal designer for Hong Kong actress Fung Bo Bo so I often have to fly to Hong Kong and China with her. You know, I used to say that I don’t want to get cancer or stroke because those are horrible diseases. I always say, I’d rather get a heart attack so I can die immediately without suffering. Sure enough, I got a heart attack just a month back…
I don’t look down on anyone based on their dressing or if they look poor. I usually give them consultation but I don’t sketch out designs for them immediately. I need to talk to them first… then I’d sketch out one design. I don’t sketch out several designs for them to choose, I only do one design and usually it will suit the customer. There’s no point sketching many designs because it will just confuse them. But if the customer looked at the design and did not order any gown from me, I’d still charge a design consultation fee because they have already taken up my time.
My new cafe is just a hobby. I love to cook and my customers love my cooking. They are the ones who keep insisting that I open a cafe so that they can taste my cooking. I will not give up designing to go into the F&B business. For one thing, it is not as lucrative as designing. For another thing, I still love designing. It’s a passion I can’t let go. With the cafe, I am busier than ever.
