From childhood, Sauvereign founder Bertrand Mak was always keen on the finer things in life, but didn't imagine making it his vocation.
"I never thought of myself as being a boss or starting my own brand," said Mak.
Not knowing what to do with life and having been good at chemistry as a teenager, he chose to pursue the subject area at university, but quickly realized that it was not for him.
So he got into luxury retail instead, beginning his career as a management trainee at Louis Vuitton before working at Christie's as a watch specialist.
"I used luxury retail as a platform to understand and learn more about how to create, sell and develop a desire for an enhanced reality, because ultimately, luxury goods are not about need and not a necessity."
To Mak, people are either pushed or pulled into entrepreneurship, For him, it was the former.
"I realized after a few years climbing the corporate ladder that I wasn't getting anywhere," said Mak, who added that he was "the odd one out" and never quite fit in with corporate settings.
He decided that his path lay in his experience with luxury goods and retail. And when he met shoemaker Rupert Sanderson by chance, everything came together.
While shoes may sound mundane, Mak believes that they are more than just for walking. "It is about how they empower their wearer and act as a catalyst to achieve what one has in mind for that day, elevate confidence and make a person feel better about themselves. It's about how shoes can turn around a foul mood, or help one be accepted by society or their circle," he explained. "Shoes are so much more than just a product."
He had his share of detractors, of course. After all, Hong Kong is an expensive and cut-throat market.
Nonetheless, Mak adamantly believed that his brand was unique and distinctive. And he had the support of his parents.
"My parents were the only people on this Earth who were supportive at the time," he recalled. "Without them, I wouldn't have been able to kickstart this endeavor."
Shoes helped him make his mark in the world and helped him expand his brand to bags and other luxury goods.
"This isn't really a business to me," he said. "This is my life. This is so much more than just a company and we are doing so much more than selling and buying. It is the ethos of leaving a mark and being able to see the impact of one's work."
This is reflected in Sauvereign's motto, "Creating Legends," which is also Mak's personal motto.
He believes that uniqueness and striving for perfection is the way to stay afloat in the saturated luxury market of Hong Kong.
Sauvereign's signature use of 24-karat gold leaf embodies this. "Some people may not know how to pronounce Sauvereign or what it means, but they recognize the gold as our signature," said Mak.
All of the brand's products feature 24K gold details and are created with the help of artisans around the world. For example, the brand works with Zohiko, a Japanese master of Kyoto-style lacquerware, for one of its collections of gem charms and accessory boxes.
Sauvereign's iconic 24K gold heels are all hand-gilded by in-house artisans with patented gold leaf in Hong Kong, and creating a pair of Italian leather heels with a golden heel takes over 10 hours.
All the attention to detail contributes to Mak's dream of creating a brand that will last and prosper for centuries, leaving a legacy and timeless objects that can be passed on to generations ahead.
For Mother's Day, the brand brought out a Mother's Day collection of legacy gems, which can be interchangeably placed on the brand's shoes and bags. The INK 4 Legacy Omoiyari applies complex gold-leafing and lacquering techniques, and each of them takes over 80 steps and three weeks to create.
"This is my life, something I am living and breathing," said the founder. "And this is also a dream. I have created it, I am living it, and at the same time directing it."
