5. Handover period window displays, fashion designs and advertising by Candy

Seeing lives through fashion

•1950s
•Event : Rich Chinese merchants came to HK, together
with a upsurge in Chinese Fashion
•Fashion : (1) Women like to wear Cheongsam (旗袍)
(2) Western Fashion appeared but not very
popular at that time

•1960s
•Event : (1) Manufacturing industry started to develop
(2) The First Hong Kong Fashion Week was held,
local fashion designers were springing up
(3) Fast development in film industries
•Fashion : (1) Western Fashion became popular
(2) HK Fashion started to follow the
international trend

•1970s
•Event : (1) HK became a commercialized and an
international city
•Fashion : (1) Working suits dominated the main fashion
market
(2) Blue jeans culture became fashionable for
that time, bringing together with the ideas
of casual and comfortable

•1980s
•Event : (1) HK was titled as “Number 5 middle income
city”
(2) Prosperous living environment made people
to concern more about living quality and
style
•Fashion : (1) Pursue famous brand

•1990s – 2000s
•Event : (1) The Handover of HK to China
(2) HK was a well developed city with good
international network
•Fashion : (1) A Mixtures of different style
(2) Experienced local designers

HK Fashion History
•Mixed cultures rather than local icons
•Western fashion = modern
•Dress in Chinese only in special occasions or events
•Present hidden emotions and identity

•Artist : Pacino Wan
•Concept : (1) applied the Binary logic
(2) used British Union Jack
pattern to overlay the
communist red

•Artist : William Tang
•Concept :
(1)inspired by Tsang’s Graffiti
(2)Used famous Tsang’s calligraphy to represent “local” as HK people would have consonance on it

Pacino Wan:
•(1) Represents the Chinese and British relations
•(2) Used British flag as a main pattern of the dress
reveals designer’s own attitude
•(3) In born Chinese but represent out in British

•William Tang :
•(1) Represents Hong Kong local culture
•(2) Use Tsang’s calligraphy to arouse consonance
•(3) Represents local in a way to reveal political
independent after the handover

•Facing same event : HK handover
•(1) Not market oriented, larger space to spread out
message
•(2)) Present only personal attitudes not HK general
ideas
•(3) Retreat the subject in personal or private to present
powerless in public affairs
Questions

•Do you think fashion is still a good way to present identity or special event when it comes along with commercials market?


References

•http://www.mihk.hk/forum/thread-721331-1-1.html
•http://fashion.com.hk/events010.htm
•http://www.heritagemuseum.gov.hk/chinese/exhibition_highlight_file/exhibition_sel_current_result.asp?exid=111