Guo Zhiqing
Guo Zhiqing (Joyce Ma, née Gotson) is the founder and former CEO of the listed fashion group Joyce Boutique on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. [1]She is a fourth‑generation descendant of the prominent Guo Peixun family and the granddaughter of Guo Shun. Born in Shanghai, she emigrated with her family to Australia at age eight and later moved to Hong Kong, where she managed a small fashion concession at the family department store Wing On.
Career
In 1970, Guo and her husband Ma Jinghua founded Joyce Boutique.[2] Their first store opened at the Mandarin Hotel, introducing brands such as Balenciaga, Chantal Thomas, Emmanuelle Khanh, Jean Patou, Lanvin, Yves Saint Laurent, Jean Muir, Ossie Clark, and Zandra Rhodes. In the mid‑1970s, a second boutique at the Peninsula Hotel brought Byblos, Emilio Pucci, Etro, Genny, Gianni Versace, Giorgio Armani, Gucci, Kenzo, Missoni, Prada, Valentino, and Walter Albini to Hong Kong. Later that decade she introduced Comme des Garçons designers Rei Kawakubo, Yohji Yamamoto, and Issey Miyake after their Paris runway debuts.
During the 1980s, she expanded her portfolio to include Azzedine Alaïa, Christian Lacroix, Claude Montana, Courrèges, Hervé Léger, Jean Paul Gaultier, Jil Sander, Karl Lagerfeld, Maud Frizon, Philippe Model, Roger Vivier, Robert Clergerie, Thierry Mugler, Bottega Veneta, Dolce & Gabbana, Fendi, Krizia, Moschino, Romeo Gigli, Sybilla, Bill Blass, Donna Karan, Oscar de la Renta, John Galliano, Paul Smith, and Vivienne Westwood. She also launched dedicated boutiques for many of these brands and introduced lifestyle retail concepts with Joyce Flowers, Joyce Beauty, Joyce Café, and Joyce Living.
In the 2000s, as competition intensified, several brands opened standalone stores independent of Joyce. After sustaining losses, Guo sold a 51 percent controlling stake to Wheelock & Co in 2000 and left the company’s management in 2007.
She and Ma Jinghua have two daughters: Adrienne Maria Ma and Yvette Therese Ma.
Honors and awards
- Cavaliere del Lavoro, Italy, 1973
- Chevalier of the Order of the Crown, Belgium, 1994
- Ufficiale of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic, 1995
- Knight of the National Order of the Legion of Honor, France, 2005
- Officer in the Order of Leopold II, Belgium, 2006
- Walpole Medal of Excellence, United Kingdom, 2007[3]