IB Woman
Issue No. 32 - December/January
Enterprise made to measure
Xiu Fang Pei started took up sewing as a teenager, but studied education and philosophy at university in order to pursue a good career in China. Working in the special economic zone of Shen Zhen, outside Hong Kong, Xiu met her husband, Phuong Huynh, who was from Adelaide. After a five-year, long-distance romance they finally married and Xiu moved to Adelaide — an unfamiliar city in an unknown country.
After taking six months to learn English, Xiu attended Flinders University to gain the bridging qualifications she needed to work in education. Studying fashion design at Marleston TAFE full time for three years while she taught during the evening, she and Phuong also had a young son, Stephen, to raise.
“I had always been interested in fashion, design and drawings,” says Xiu, “but I never saw being a fashion designer as a serious career. I taught and studied for several more years and then we had our daughter, Galina, who is now six years old. When Galina was 10 months old I went back to TAFE to teach life drawing. But the desire to open a shop was getting stronger.”
Five years ago, Xiu opened her own studio located on Portrush Road at Toorak Gardens, calling it Tiger Xiu. Her aim was to interpret design ideas and meet the inspirational requests of clients. Specialising in wedding and formal gowns, Xiu also found a design niche for corporate women.
“Businesswomen would ring and tell me they didn’t feel feminine wearing suits all the ti...
