Eight years ago, I had the honor to meet Dr. Kenneth Wang.  I quickly learned he was a practicing dentist and managed his family’s global children’s wear business – The Sterling Group.  He had recently started a new venture, Alvanon, a global fit and size company with offices in London, New York and Hong Kong.  At the time, he was also Chairman of the Clothing Industry Training Authority (CITA) and was involved in numerous community and industry organizations such as the Hong Kong Textile Council and the Hong Kong Garment Manufacturer’s Association.  What impressed me about Kenneth was his boundless energy, his incredible intellect and his almost endless talent. 

He gave a small group of us a tour of CITA and literally knew the entire operation.  We would stop in front of a computer terminal and ask the operator to move aside so he could show us how several of the different programs worked and integrated into the particular function of that department, and how they integrated into other departments as well.  There wasn’t a machine, test or operation in the building that he couldn’t operate himself.

He later took us on a tour of Alvanon.  His vision to help retailers and brands identify the size and fit of apparel for their customers using ground-breaking technology has helped countless women and men have the right fit for their clothes, something we as customers might not recognize but it is something we can all thank him for.

Since our first meeting, I occasionally met with Kenneth, discussed changes in the global apparel market, heard his vision for the future, and listened to his advice to the industry – advice well-formed from a lifetime devoted to properly clothing his fellow man.
 
Kenneth K.K. Wang was born in Shantou, China in 1947.  At the age of nine, he started a three-day journey by foot, holding his uncle’s hand, to walk out of China to reunite with his mother and family in Hong Kong.  Over his lifetime, he became a leader in the apparel and textile industry across Asia and around the world.  His passed away this last week.  I will miss him.  His family will miss him and to them, we express our sincere condolences. 

Steve Jesseph
CEO, WRAP