For most ordinary people, one career is enough. Tania Mohan, however, is far from ordinary. At last count, this overachieving society belle had excelled in five different fields. In December, Mohan added barrister to a CV that already included model, journalist, retailer and fashion designer.

“It was the best experience of my life,” says Mohan, who took a yearlong hiatus from her East-meets-West fashion brand and boutique, Tabla, to train for the qualification. Before being called to the Hong Kong bar, Mohan shadowed four Hong Kong legal experts who introduced her to myriad cases involving everything from drug smuggling and divorce settlements to personal-injury and corporate-bankruptcy disputes. “When I walked into a prison for the first time, the importance of what I was doing really struck me,” Mohan says. “I was meeting with someone who’s future hung in the balance. A long prison sentence or freedom? It opened my eyes to a whole other side of life but, at the same time, taught me a lot about myself. It was a year I will never forget.”

Perhaps surprisingly, the 40-year-old won’t be donning a barrister’s wig and gown anytime soon; the world of fashion is where her true convictions lie. Mohan has now turned the full beam of her attention back to her critically adored brand, which has been worn by celebrity fans such as Kate Moss and Elizabeth Hurley, and stocked by prestige stores such as Harrods of London and upscale New York boutique, Scoop.

Stepping away from her fashion empire was no easy decision for this ambitious entrepreneur. But deep in her heart, Mohan knew, it was something she simply had to do. “I needed to complete the circle,” says Mohan, who graduated from London University in 1993 with a LLB degree in law before returning to Hong Kong to work as a trainee solicitor. “It was my childhood ambition to be a barrister, but a series of fateful encounters resulted in me stepping off my path towards a legal career and into the world of fashion. By becoming a barrister I have fulfilled a lifetime goal, but I won’t be practicing law. Maybe in the future. Right now it’s all about Tabla.“

To read the full interview and find out more about Tania Mohan, her unusual break into fashion journalism, and her past as a model, pick up the July 2013 issue of Hong Kong Tatler, available on newsstands now, or get your subscription here