Material World

- Michele Koh Morollo

Founded in 1964 in Hong Kong by Paris-born textile merchant Nicolas Moussempes, Cetec is Southeast Asia’s best-known and largest European textile distributor with showrooms in Hong Kong, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Shanghai, Beijing and Macau.

In 2007, Moussempes retired and sold his company to the German upholstery group Zimmer + Rohde, a brand with more than 100 years of experience specialising in European home fabric industry. Moussempes’ legacy and Asian connections, combined with the brand’s global exposure resulted in a rapid evolution for the brand. Today, Cetec is one of the industry leaders in the Asian home fabrics market—its offerings grace many luxury residences as well as hotels such as Four Seasons and Mandarin Oriental around the world.

At the helm of Cetec’s Hong Kong head office is Winnie Wong, who came onboard in 2011 after being headhunted for the role. Though her previous roles were in the luxury watch and pearl purchasing industries, her keen eye for style, business acumen, and familiarity with the Asian markets led to her appointment as Cetec’s managing director. In December 2017, Wong relocated the Hong Kong showroom from Central to a stunning space in Wong Chuk Hang.