Creative Projects

Introduction

On 1 July 1997, Hong Kong was officially handed back to China from Britain, and thus ended a colonial history that had lasted over 150 years. To many locals, this moment in the city’s history signified an unpredictable future. It was a goodbye to White superiority and hello to Chinese rule, but it was also a goodbye to a liberal society and hello to an authoritarian government. Identity and sense of belonging have always been some common themes of arguments amongst the Hongkongers. These disagreements eventually trigger phenomena such as socio-political movements, Hong Kong-Chinese misunderstanding, and mass migration, that have torn the city apart.

In June 2020, the infamous National Security Law was imposed in Hong Kong, causing mass emigration of Hongkongers, who lost trust in the Chinese government, escaping from white terrorism. Many emigrants fled to different democratic countries as they hold closer ideological ties to liberal rule than those with the motherland. Amongst many of the emigrants, some even chose to return to their former colonizer. To make up for the loss in working forces, China mobilized thousands of citizens to enter the Hong Kong market, leading to the “Mainlandization” of Hong Kong. As we are feeling the mild changes in the social and cultural construct in Hong Kong, is it the beginning of a new society? Or is it the end of an existing one? 

前言 

一九九七年七月一號，香港正式由英國人手上交翻比中國管治，結束咗長達150年嘅殖民歷史。對於當時好多香港人嚟講，呢段歷史代表住一個不確定嘅將來。你可以話香港終於要擺脫白人統治，回歸華人政府。但你亦可以話佢係代表住強權政治將要取代一個自由嘅社會。「身份認同」同「歸屬感」呢啲嘅問題成為咗香港人身邊經常出現嘅矛盾。亦都係咁，令到例如社會運動、中港矛盾、移動潮等嘅事情發生，社會變得越嚟越分裂。

二零二零年六月，港區國安法嘅實施引致香港人嘅移民潮。對於唔信任中國政府嘅香港人，為嘅就係希望逃離白色恐怖主義。相比起同祖國嘅連結，佢哋更重視自己嘅社會，甚至選擇重返殖民者嘅懷抱。為咗填補香港流失嘅人口，中國政府向香港輸入咗大量新移工進入香港市場，而令到香港逐漸「大陸化」。究竟，暫時面對住香港文化同社會上嘅微小變化，算係見到一個社會嘅𥌓光，定係晚霞？

Throughout Hong Kong’s history, Hongkongers have been struggling to define their position between the East and the West. Although passing the National Security Law might have suppressed some of the different voices within the city, it does not stop diverse cultural manifestations in fashion. Ideologically and culturally, fashion designers’ inspiration can be taken from many sources. These have included traditional Chinese values, Eurocentric worldviews coming from British colonial education, or the everyday local lifestyle and culture.

喺香港嘅歷史入面，香港人一直嘗試喺中西嘅兩極之間搵到自己嘅定位。縱使國安法嘅實施令多元嘅聲音被消滅咗，香港嘅多元文化依然能夠喺時裝上展現到岀嚟。喺意識形態同文化上，我地都睇到香港嘅時裝設計師會喺唔同嘅地方上搵到設計靈感——例如係傳統中國文化、英式殖民遺留落嚟嘅教育制度、定係好在地嘅日常生活。

VINCENT LI STUDIO

The Ordinary Origami Ensemble, 2023

Vincent Li

A black wool and silk blend coat and wide-flared skirt with in-house designed silk contrast fabric. Polyester lining.

一件黑色羊毛溝絲製嘅大褸同喇叭裙配聚脂裡布。自家設計絲質內襯布。

Loaned by Vincent Li.

This genderless deconstructed ensemble piece is a long coat with a wide-flared skirt. The long coat is a modernized version of the traditional cotton-padded jacket called min naap. It has stylized quilting stitches inspired by the Vincent Li Studio brand logo. The deconstructed panels are fastened with the Chinese buttons pun kau. The in-house designed digital prints is heavily influenced by the Daoist aesthetics with the depiction of lotuses and osmanthuses. 

呢套套裝係一套用咗解構主義做設計嘅大褸同喇叭長裙。件大褸係一件源自於傳統棉衲嘅設計，再加咗一啲現代元素落去。大褸上面嘅壓線(quilting)嘅設計係嚟自Vincent Li Studio個logo。大褸嘅底部係用多個盤扣嚟扣住。另外亦有自家設計嘅內襯布。內襯布嘅設計係嚟自道家嘅風格，再用上例如蓮花同桂花嘅畫像。

LAM WING SUM

Daywear Dress "Scarcity Principle", 2020

日裝連身裙「稀缺性原則」 （2020）

Minnie Lam

A white cotton detachable daywear dress with in-house designed embroideries in silk threads.

一件白色棉製、可拆開嘅日裝連身裙配自家設計絲質刺繡。

Loaned by Minnie Lam.

This is a multifunctional womenswear daywear dress which can be separated into two different garments. Created as part of Minnie's graduation collection at Hong Kong Polytechnic University. The dress is inspired by the historical period of textile scarcity in the 18th and 19th century Europe. Minnie uses multifunctional and timeless design and takes sustainability and slow fashion in heart to counter the global fast fashion phenomenon.

呢條係一條多著法嘅日裝連身裙，條裙可以分開「兩件頭」嚟著。作為大學畢業作品嘅其中一套設計，設計師Minnie取靈感自十八至十九世紀歐洲布料供不應求嘅一段歷史。就係咁，Minnie希望透過實用同永恆嘅設計嚟去對待快時裝嘅趨勢。

LUDDITE 1811

"Lion 1898 Rock" Puffer Vest, 2021

「獅子山1898」棉絨背心 （2021）

Rex Ko

A light brown nylon puffer vest with tan leather front and back yoke line.

一件淺啡色尼龍製嘅羽絨背心配黃啡色嘅真皮上背約克線。

Loaned by Rex Ko.

This is a classic menswear vintage puffer silhouette with a front-and-back leather yoke panel. Instead of a regular straight yoke line on the back, Rex uses a stylized line that mimics the shape of the Lion Rock Mountain. The Lion Rock is a mountain located at the center of Hong Kong, and it got its name from its outline looking like a lion resting on top of the hill. 

Lion Rock Spirit – a saying in Hong Kong that is believed to be the core value of Hongkongers. The saying came from a drama series Below the Lion Rock from the 70s, and it depicted the harsh living conditions in Hong Kong at the time. The series highlighted one core value that commonly shared among the citizens, which is perseverance and solidarity. 

呢件係一件classic嘅男裝古著羽絨背心，再加前後膊頭嘅真皮約克線(yoke line)。代替咗一般見到嘅直線，背面約克線被設計成獅子山嘅外型，俯瞰住香港。

獅子山精神 —— 係香港人一直引以為傲嘅核心價值。嚟自七零年代嘅一套電視劇《獅子山下》，劇中講及香港人喺當時嘅艱辛點滴。同時劇中亦帶岀香港人同舟共濟、力爭上游嘅精神。

As we live in the worst of all times, we seek escape from the present. Some would look back and reminisce. Some would look forward and hope for a better future. Hongkongers are no different – rather than focusing on their depressing reality, nostalgia and diaspora became the common themes for Hongkongers in the 2020s. They are reflected in the cultural industry in Hong Kong as a source of inspiration, and these manifestations have turned into collective memories of people and will continue to live in people’s hearts forever and ever.

人正值亂世當中，難免會想逃避現實。有人會懷愐過去細味風光，有人會放眼未來不斷奔跑。香港人都係咁 —— 二零年代嘅香港人會選擇以「懷舊」同「流散」(diaspora) 嘅方式去逃離沉重嘅現實。喺香港嘅文化產業當中，「懷舊」同「流散」兩種概念就漸漸成為咗藝術創作嘅靈感，最後成為眾人嘅共同回憶，留喺我哋嘅心入面。

The Hong Kong Dollar, or HKD, is far more than a currency that is used in Hong Kong. It signifies the colonial history that resulted in our separation from China, which practices a planned economy. As such, the HKD continues its circulation in Hong Kong even after the colonial times, thus allowing Hong Kong to operate as a free market economy and flourish. However, the National Security Law eventually led to a great recession in Hong Kong in the 2020s because it has terrified many foreign investors, who fear violating the law. Though it used to be one of the biggest stock markets, Hong Kong’s status as a financial hub is now challenged. Its currency then was taken as inspirations in art form and material cultural objects that carry nostalgic meanings. These products became a reminder of the “good ol’ times” back in the colonial era.

港幣，唔單單係香港嘅通用貨幣。佢同時象徵住香港獨有嘅殖民經濟歷史，而並非跟中國一樣行計劃經濟。亦因為咁，象徵住香港自由市場嘅經濟地位嘅港幣能夠得以繼續通行。但係國安法嘅岀現，大量對中國不信任嘅外資公司為咗避免觸犯法例而撤岀香港，而造成香港嘅經濟蕭條。就係咁，曾經代表住香港黃金時代嘅港幣，就漸漸成為咗一樣帶有懷愐意味嘅藝術品。提醒住每位香港人過去殖民時期嘅光景。

HISTORICAL HK DOLLAR

"The Queen", 1959

「女皇」（1959）

A historical one dollar note made in paper issued on 1 July 1959.

一張喺一九五九年七月一號發行嘅一蚊鈔票。

HISTORICAL HK DOLLAR

"The Red Fish", 1981

「紅衫魚」（1981）

A historical hundred dollar note made in paper issued on 31 March 1981.

一張喺一九八一年三月卅一號發行嘅一百蚊鈔票。

The Wax Can is a Hong Kong candle brand that produces the “scents of Hong Kong”. Inspired by the idea of a “time capsule” in an apocalyptic time, which originally came from a video game, the brand sought ways to store their memories of Hong Kong in a long lasting manner. The Wax Can encapsulates a wide range of familiar smells to the ordinary Hongkonger such as food, location, and even commodities that have been accompanying many Hongkongers’ lives. To many consumers, the selection of scents might be an absurd choice. But amidst the so-called Hong Kong Exodus, to the Hong Kong diaspora who understand the scents, the memories awakened turn into laughter and reminiscence, and can be literally carried all over the world.

The Wax Can係一個香港本地嘅蠟燭品牌——致力去造岀「香港嘅味道」。The Wax Can嘅品牌靈感來源嚟自一隻game嘅末日後世界時光囊，借此去搵如何將香港嘅回憶長長久久咁保留落去。而就係咁，The Wax Can透過將香港人熟悉嘅氣味，例如食物、地點、甚至陪伴香港人嘅日常用品，變成可以用嘅蠟燭。當中有好多嘅氣味可能會令人覺得奇怪，但對於熟悉呢啲氣味嘅香港人嚟講，尤其係已經離開咗香港嘅香港人，喚起嘅回憶會帶嚟歡樂同懷愐嘅味道。將回憶實體化，並帶到都好遠嘅地方。

In 2021, I created a mini fashion design capsule as my Undergraduate graduation collection, named after Pandemonium: Floating Down the Stream of Pandemonium. My inspiration came from the distress and frustration I felt towards to the sociopolitical situation in Hong Kong at the time and the subsequent mass emigration wave of Hongkongers because of the enactment of NSL. At the time, I pitied the emigrants as I felt deeply hopeless and helpless about the situation of Hong Kong...

喺二零二一年嘅大學時裝設計畢業作品入面，我設計咗一個小系列——命名為 Pandemonium: Floating Down the Stream of Pandemonium。我嘅靈感來源嚟自於當時我對香港社會政局嘅所有不憤同愁緒，以及接而發生嘅國安法引致嘅香港人移民潮。而當時嘅我，對於移民嘅人係覺得極度同情，亦覺得香港係一撻無希望同無得救嘅地方……

However, with the help of the so-called "Hong Kong exodus" in the 2020s, these cultural products that carry nostalgia can now be brought outside the physical border of Hong Kong, hence expanding the local culture to every part of the world. 

Eventually, the concepts of "nostalgia" and "diaspora" that are embedded within Hong Kong designers' creations have helped shaped Hongkongers' cultural identity in the 2020s as a belief and philosophy of life that travels through time and space.

但係，亦都係多得呢班二零年代移民嘅香港人，帶有懷舊感覺嘅文化產品依家可以跟住呢班人走岀香港，去到世界各地。令香港文化可以去到世界每一個角落。

最後亦都係咁，「懷舊」同「流散」嘅兩種概念亦都可以從香港設計師嘅作品上呈現到出嚟，塑造岀二零年代嘅香港人嘅文化身份認同。同時亦令香港文化可以穿越時間同空間。