About Gary PWK
Apparel maker with over two decades of experience, working between production, design, and quiet observation.
This is not a portfolio or a career pivot, but a record of long-term work rooted in apparel manufacturing, built through years spent inside production environments.
From production floors to long-term practice
I have worked in apparel manufacturing for more than twenty years, beginning in the early 2000s inside offices, factories, and development environments across Hong Kong, China, and Southeast Asia. My work has always been grounded in how garments are actually made, from early specifications and sampling through to bulk production and delivery.
Rather than positioning myself at the front of the industry, I chose to stay close to the backend, where decisions directly affect cost, quality, timelines, and outcomes. That perspective continues to shape how I work today and how I support founders and designers through the production process.
Choosing the backend
I began my training in fashion design, but early on I realised that what interested me most was not visibility or presentation. While many people around me moved toward brand-facing roles, I chose to work in merchandising and factory-based environments instead.
In the early 2000s, I accepted roles that placed me directly inside offices and production floors in Hong Kong and China. At the time, this surprised people. Some assumed I would not stay long in the apparel industry.
I stayed.
What drew me in was the backend. I was interested in how garments move from idea to execution, how small decisions compound under pressure, and how structure either supports a product or quietly causes it to fail. I also found genuine satisfaction in seeing other designers’ ideas take shape, helping collections come to life, and contributing to work where the focus was on the outcome rather than my name on the label.
Bridging design intent and production reality
My work sits between founders, designers, and factories. I help translate creative intent into technical clarity, and ensure that what reaches the factory can be executed as intended.
This often includes clarifying specifications, developing or refining tech packs, managing sampling rounds, resolving pattern or fit issues, and communicating clearly with production teams. I work closely with factories to ensure expectations are aligned, quality processes are in place, and packing and delivery instructions are understood.
Much of this work is preventative. When done well, it reduces mistakes, shortens feedback loops, and protects founders from unnecessary cost and exhaustion.
Structure over urgency
Production is not just about making things quickly. It is about making decisions in the right order.
I place strong emphasis on proper development, realistic timelines, and clear documentation. The process for producing one sample is not fundamentally different from producing a thousand pieces. What changes is scale, not responsibility.
My role is to bring structure early, so that growth does not introduce unnecessary friction later.
How I work with founders
I work best with founders who value clarity, are open to documenting decisions, and understand that strong production is built through process rather than shortcuts.
My role is to work alongside founders and designers as part of the team. I help structure decisions early, communicate clearly with factories, and support the work through development and production. When expectations are aligned, the process becomes steadier, collaboration improves, and outcomes are more predictable for everyone involved.
Beyond production
Beyond apparel manufacturing, I also build creative work around gratitude, humanity, and storytelling through my project Made In His Image. It is a visual and written series centered on gratefulness, compassion, and light in everyday life.
Made In His Image is a non-commercial project alongside my production work, focused on gratitude, humanity, and quiet storytelling.
As an artist, I explore Urban Soul Portraiture, a cinematic approach to street photography shaped by light and shadow. It is not a genre I invented, but a personal way of seeing the world that is quiet, emotional, and observational. This work forms an important part of my creative expression and how I engage with people beyond production.