Born the youngest of five boys, Lam spent the first nineteen years of his life in Hong Kong before leaving in 1969 to further his law study in London. He switched to fashion design after one year, first at School of Art Harrow College, which is now part of the University of Westminster, and then at the Royal College of Art where he graduated with a Master of Arts Degree in Fashion Design in 1976.

Lam’s fashion career began with design appointments for several well-known fashion labels in Italy, New York, and Hong Kong. In 1978, Lam started his own fashion business in a top-floor atelier in New Bond Street, London, selling collections under his eponymous label Ragence Lam, a name he created for himself in 1968 by putting together “Ray” and “Regence”. The first Ragence Lam collection was sold to European and North American fashion stores such as Browns and Whistles in London; Betsy, Bunky, Nini, and Lord & Taylor in New York.

In 1982, Lam started a fashion operation in Hong Kong and opened two retail stores Ragence selling Ragence Lam collections of women’s and men’s wear as well as accessories. A diffusion line Ragence was created at the same time. The retail operations were later closed, when tenancy contracts terminated. Lam remains a fashion design consultant for many other businesses.

Ragence Lam is the founder and chairperson of Hong Kong Fashion Council and the Society of Fashion Designers (SOFD). He had previously initiated and co-founded the Hong Kong Fashion Designers Association in 1984 and served the HKFDA as secretary/vice-chairman and secretary/chairman for no less than five years. It was during these formative years that the foundation, structure and reputation of the Hong Kong Fashion Designers Association was laid down and built. These formed an integral and essential part of the work and development of the Association. Two of the most important annual programs and events, namely the FDA Fashion Designer Awards and the Ten Best Dressed Personalities of the Year, still thrive today.

Besides the Hong Kong Fashion Designers Association, Ragence was also a board member of executive, organizing and advisory committees of various councils and association such as the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, the Hong Kong Design Council, Vocational Training Council, Hong Kong Design Association, a member of the Council of National Academic Awards (CNAA), an external assessor and panel judge of fashion, models and beauty contests.

Ragence was the first winner of the Hong Kong Young Fashion Designers Contest (YDC) (1977), the first awardee of the Hong Kong Fashion Designer of the Year (1988), and a recipient of the Hong Kong Ten Outstanding Young Persons 1989 for his contributions in fashion. Ragence Lam, established in London since 1976, is the first ever documented fashion designer brand name of Chinese ancestry with international recognition for creativity and originality, with coverage by the British fashion press as early as 1973.

Prizes & Honours