Why now's a fashionable time to start learning Chinese
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| Shu Pei is the stunning cover model for Elle HK September 2012 issue |
Two nights ago, 2.30am, ridiculously bored on Twitter and
desperate for self-amusement before bed, I was rummaging the mountains of
plastic bags that are a permanent fixture in my room – where I found something
that didn’t belong.
An unopened,
sealed September 2012 issue of Elle HK. I’d picked it up for a measly HK$10 (about
£1.50 for two inches, plus you get Elle Health & Beauty for free) at
Chep Lap Kok airport on my way back to the UK last August. Turns out I’d taken
it back home and completely forgotten about it.
It’s interesting because I’m not one for conscious delayed-gratification.
Patience is not my forte and I’ve never withheld the urge to rip off crisp
polythene bags off anything for more than five seconds. In a strange way, it
was like opening a time capsule of my own culture (I was studiously raised on a
bilingual diet of local and foreign magazines). Yes, I know it’s a year old,
but had the content, tone and reader in fashion magazines changed since I left
Kowloon for Kent?
1. The ads
Advertising in fashion magazines fascinates me – both the
model and brand reflect capitalist aspirations of readers. I have never met a
Chinese woman in my life who would think twice on splurging on the latest It-bag
or skincare, even if it meant living off stale bread crusts for the next month
to pay rent. Chinese women are far more likely to be working high-flying
workers than pram-pushing housewives, so owning the right brands is essential
in portraying an ever competitive social image of success.
Timeless French and Italian houses like Dior, Louis Vuitton,
Hermes, Chanel, Prada, Gucci, Versace and Armani are popular, as is the chic
elegant European aristocrat look – Nicole Kidman, Sophie Marceau considered
classic beauties in luxury ads.
I’ve picked my two favourite ads from the issue. The postcard
perfect scene of Bally’s FW12 ad depicts Verbier’s famous Chalet d’Adrie in
Switzerland, starring Hilary Rhoda and Caroline Trentini. I love the
irony of selling winter ski coats to a subtropical region that will never snow.
It taps into the customer’s wishful fantasy and I think it’s brilliant.
The second ad I loved was for Paul Smith featuring
subsequent portraits of Suzie Bird, her eyes open in one and closed in the
other. I’ve seen Kate Moss in similar versions of the ad but I think this one
encapsulates British quirkiness and wit more – with a whiff of Magritte.
2. We’re starting to talk about SEX(and other
taboos)
The liberal conversations and serious debates the western
world take for granted, like sex, exploitation and body image are a relatively
young phenomenon in conservative Asian cultures. I particularly enjoyed the
frankness of Marky Lo’s discussion on the ethics of sexual images in fashion
advertising. To quote, “I remember being shocked the first time I saw an
American Apparel ad on Portobello Rd during a London visit. I went in, left with a new windbreaker
and realised that’s how some companies make money these days”.
3. Our real-life office dramas
No, this isn’t a piece on the newest
anti-stress boxing trend, but it’s office tensions caused by the increasing
generation gap. It’s common for baby boomers, generation X and Y (which it
fondly labels ‘The Evil Generation’) to misunderstand and be at each other’s
necks – they’ve been raised in very different eras. Cue stories of horrified line
managers fed up of insubordinate, spoilt ‘little children’ with ‘no manners’. It all sounds quite familiar but
highlights the importance of keeping lines of communication open in the
workplace rather than resort to bathroom bitching. Especially when we all use the same ladies’
room.
4. Chinese models working it
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image source: models.com |
Yet
I’m pleased that after a good 20 years of idolising a specific Western look (especially
in fashion, less so in beauty)- big eyes, fluttery lashes, delicate noses and
impossible cheekbones, fashion brands are finally using women that look
remotely like the customers unzipping their Miu Miu wallets. Fashion is
embracing diversity more than ever and the world’s a better place because of
it.
Check out 21 yr old Xiao Wen Ju in this striking neon club-inspired Kenzo
ad and winter coat shoot. Known for her wide-spaced, tiny seed eyes on her
porcelain doll face - Xiao is the epitome of the unconventional beauty that is
new even to the Chinese.
5. We’ve finally embraced high fashion
6. We bloody love the Brits
16 years after the 1997 handover, the emotional remnants of
Hong Kong’s British colonial heritage linger; there is still great fondness (perhaps 'fetish' is a more accurate term)for
all things British – whether it’s their fashion, education or culture. I’d
argue the word in itself represents quality, freedom and taste there (of course
they haven’t watched an episode of ‘Shameless’).
This issue was published just
after the London 2012 Olympics and features a lot of interviews with British
designers like Vivienne Westwood. Like the Brits, the Chinese love a Dame - her
orb logo as ubiquitous and has enjoyed a cult-like status for what feels like
eternity. The article also previews her then newly launched Queen’s
jubilee-inspired Red Capsule Collection, which still leaves a certain type of
girl (and boy) dewy eyed.
Viv should watch her back though, as new talents like
Christopher Kane and Gareth Pugh are gaining momentum with the younger market
who don’t want to dress in head-to-toe Moschino like their mums.
7. We really, really bloody love the Brits (especially the
ones we lost too soon)
Extract from interview with 23 year old Beijing cover model
Shu Pei:
Elle: You mentioned being moved by something Alexander McQueen
said?
Shu Pei: It was the last show before his death. We were
wearing these extremely high and painful heels and models kept falling over during
rehearsal. Moments before the
show, McQueen looked at every single girl and told us to walk very slowly. “You
must take care and not rush. If the girl in front of you falls, don’t walk over
her, stop and help her up.” I was so touched; he was a really kind man.
All translation and scans have been done by myself unless specified otherwise.
