Doubtful

The other day I had a conversation with a friend here about Hong Kong's fashion scene and culture. We had just finished our first day at Hong Kong Fashion Week and were feeling a bit disappointed by what we saw. Our conversation let me feeling even more blue.

Basically, my friend, a native Hong Konger, said that Hong Kong people have very little fashion sense of their own. She explained that everyone in Hong Kong is a slave to big trends and exercise very little free will when it comes to dressing. I disagreed and pointed out that people here dress in extreme ways that people in the U.S., for example, would never dare to try. She came back with the point that when everyone dresses like this it looses its impact and appeal. I understood her point but still, I disagree.

I recently saw a straight guy wearing a long skirt and I swear it looked good on him. It suited him in a way that I never thought these male skirts and kilts that Marc Jacobs brought to the fashion world would. He made it seem natural.

A great number of men here sport purses. They, like the skirted man, look cool and stylish toting these  "feminine" looks.

Women here rock short, edgy haircuts like nobody's business and walk with ease through the streets in footwear that most couldn't dream of actually wearing.

I have caught on to a certain self-deprecating attitude in many locals here that I sensed in my friend when she spoke of Hong Kong and its fashion scene. She pitted fashion from the West against that of the East and explained that the West's is much more sophisticated and unique. Perhaps this is true, but whatever the case may be I think people here have much more courage when it comes to wearing the outrageous stuff than those back home. If this isn't indicative of a strong fashion culture, I'm not sure what is.