From Hongkong To The Mainland, A Fashion Education Spanning 30 Years.

On the flyover two kilometres away from the central pier, the foot of the office worker wearing a sophisticated self-cultivation suit was windy. There are so many things happening every day in Hongkong. The Hongkong I.T group near Tai Koo square is holding its 30th anniversary flash exhibition.

This small shop originally opened in Tongluowan, Hongkong, has now become a I.T group with stores all over the country. It has many brand stores such as Alexander McQueen, Loewe, Off-white and other international brands. It also has izzue, CHOCOOLATE and other proprietary brand shops, and also buys A, BATHING and APE brands.

It took 30 years. As the predecessor of the I.T group, Green Peace was developing rapidly in the late 1980s and 1990s in Hongkong. It is also the peak period of Hongkong fashion's radiation to the mainland. After that, Green Peace was renamed I.T in 1998 and officially entered the mainland market in 2002. At present, the sales area of I.T in Hongkong is gradually decreasing, and the mainland has already been the largest revenue contribution market of I.T. Along the way, the development of I.T group coincided with the vicissitude of the influence of Hongkong fashion on the mainland.

Hongkong was the first batch of Chinese production before 30th anniversary. fashion Leader.

In addition to Alexander McQueen, Acne Studios and Thom Browne, many other celebrities are also present at this birthday party. Like a crowd, a man with a beard and a white suit has been photographed by many tide makers and designers, and has received more attention than others.

He is Wyman Wong, a famous lyricist and columnist in Hongkong. He used to be dressed and always walked faster than the popular trend. Many people in Hong Kong were regarded as Hongkong fashion icon (Idol). In today's Wyman Wong instagram map, the most popular message is mainland fans.

In those years, Li Jianhui, Kelly Chan, Sammi Cheng and others, like him, are the trend vane of young people on both sides of the three Straits. In 1980s, because of the influence of Hongkong's movies, songs and enterprises' northward expansion business, their young people also spread from Hongkong to Beijing and Shanghai, or even Gansu or Tibet.

To witness the fashion tide of Hongkong, the fashion editor of Hongkong is indispensable. Now that Wang Liyi recalls the first few years of his fashion editor in Hongkong, he thought of four words, the golden age.

It was the end of 1980s and the beginning of 1990s. When he graduated from university in 1987, Wang Liyi sent several articles written in school and letters of recommendation to Hongkong's Qingxiu magazine, which was soon accepted as editor. Later, she switched to ELLE magazine, and she moved to Cosmopolitan in a few months. In just over a year, she sat in the editor of the magazine.

Wang Liyi attributed his rapid promotion to the rapid development of Hongkong's economy. At that time, young people in Hongkong were holding a lot of opportunities for employment and promotion. "Men wear Giorgio Armani as soon as possible, and women wear Chanel".

Later, Wang Liyi went to "Ming Pao Weekly" and became the first fashion editor in Hongkong to enter the international fashion week. In 1995, Milan Fashion Week show didn't have a Chinese face. Wang Liyi was the first. In the next few years, Wang Liyi's invitation card gradually changed from "on the waiting list" to the first row of the show.

Hongkong's pop culture, movies, TV, music, magazines and so on grew. clothing industry Everything is thriving. The southern wind is blowing north, and everything related to Hongkong is beginning to rage in the mainland. People copied the lyrics of Leslie Cheung and Alan Tam's songs to imitate the appearance of Zhou Runfa in the movie.

Since then, if Sichuan people describe a person's fashion, they will say you are "Hong Kong".

Green Peace was founded in such a period when everyone was illuminated by stars. In 1988, Shen Jiawei, a bank clerk, opened a clothing store called Green Peace. The 200 square foot shop in Tongluowan was not very good at first. At that time, Dr. Martens Martin boots were selling well in Europe. Shen Jiawei, who had a fashionable sense of smell, brought Dr. Martens shoes from abroad, and sold them at Green Peace, plus the very popular Levi 's 501 Jeans at that time, which soon became popular in Hongkong and brought huge profits to Green Peace.

Because Shen Jiawei brothers worked in banks and was very familiar with lending business. With the support of banks, Green Peace opened more branches and negotiated more international fashion sales authorization, bringing more and more brands to Hongkong. Even Wyman Wong said that his fashion experience was accumulated with the fashion brand introduced by I.T group.

The Hongkong fashion industry, which entered the high light moment in 1980s, was the energy accumulated in 1970.

In 1970s, Hongkong's economic leaps and bounds led to the emergence of a number of department stores, boutiques and lifestyle magazines. It gradually developed the lifestyle of the middle class. Giorgio Armani, Kenzo, Comme des Garcons, Missoni and other international brands entered Hongkong in 1970s, making Hong Kong people close to international fashion for the first time.

"In 70s, Hongkong was still very backward, and foreign designer brands began to enter Hongkong at that time, giving Hongkong people an eye opener." Wang Liyi told reporters on the interface.

International brands have opened the eyes of the people of Hongkong, and the lifestyle magazines such as "extra" are the enlightening publications of many young people in Hongkong who understood the trend and fashion.

Chen Guanzhong and others founded the "extra" in 1976. He and Qiu Shiwen, Deng Xiaoyu, Cen Jianxun, Hu Junyi and other core elements were all only 20 years old at that time, each of them had a distinct personality, and most of them had studied abroad and lived abroad, and they had a deep understanding of foreign pop culture.

Young and interesting young people gathered together to create the extra edition of Tabloid, which is gradually spanforming into a magazine. Another important figure in this extra book is Liu Tianlan, who moved to Canada in the late 1970s. After returning to Hong Kong in the late 1970s, she went into extra work after being an artiste. She also makes styling for films and concerts, and is called "the godmother of the Yuan Dynasty".

Today, the classic covers of "extra" are still being mentioned. In May this year, the 500th edition of extra edition was published, and the cover of the 500 issue was also made into a mini book.

"Extra" is so special, perhaps because the main creative team is very free and no pressure. "Every month when we edit the meeting, we always talk about everyone's" ah, who can we invite ", and run out a few names," Liu Tianlan told the interface reporter. "I will arrange for Zhang Shuping to make art, find who will be a photographer, and look for clothes and venues. There is no pressure at all, and it is very simple."

The cover of "extra" has become aesthetic. Design The idea of an experimental platform for young people will come all the time and anywhere. "We are very free. We don't have to ask for a star. We invite him to be a cover person as long as that person's temperament, appearance, or personality." Liu Tianlan said to the interface.

"No extra" is hardly influenced by business. The editor's team naturally nurtured the pursuit of life. A young man in Hongkong holding an extra book is a symbol of taste.

This provides a positive consumer awareness environment for I.T group's early development. In the atmosphere of young people advocating fashion and lifestyle in Hongkong, Green Peace, which introduces many international fashion brands, is also popular among young people. At that time, Green Peace introduced many Japanese brands, and they all had very good sales results, all because Hongkong was Japan's trend.

Hongkong Patrick spent their boyhood in 1980s. "The TV, music and cartoons from childhood are all Japanese. Even Hongkong's idol is also following Japan. The shape of Danny Chan or Leslie Cheung refers to Japanese idol, so Japanese culture has the most profound influence on young people in Hongkong." Patrick said.

Japanese fashion has blown to Hongkong, which is called Hongkong people's fascination and imitation. At that time, the mainland people still had no access to international fashion.

In the early 1990s, with the acceleration of opening up to the outside world, the investment environment gradually improved. With the opening up of the provincial capitals along the river, along the border and inland, the investment confidence of Hong Kong businessmen in the mainland became more and more strong, and a wave of investment in Hong Kong businessmen began. Many Hong Kong businessmen went to the mainland to invest and build factories, mainly manufacturing, including garment industry. Under the backdrop of Hongkong enterprises going northward, mainland people are also starting to ask for fashion experience from the nearest international metropolis, Hongkong.

However, the mainland garment market at that time was almost a baby compared with Hongkong, and many people still do not quite understand what the designer brand is. Zhang Lulu, an Indonesian overseas Chinese designer who has developed in Hongkong, said his design had not been understood by many mainland customers at that time.

Zhang Lulu brought his designer brand to the mainland in 1990s. She founded the brand Terra rosalis in 1992, and established the brand LU LU CHEUNG in her own name in 1996. At that time, the Hongkong Trade Development Council, which was committed to opening up business opportunities for Hongkong companies, led a group of Hongkong designers, including Zhang Lu Lu, to enter Beijing, Shanghai and Dalian for fashion shows.

"At that time, all the supporting facilities in the mainland were not mature. I wanted to buy flowers, but there was no place to buy them. I could only buy flowers at the funeral parlour." Zhang Lulu told reporters on the interface. Terra rosalis's first store opened in Hang Lung Plaza, Shanghai. Zhang Lu Lu said that the salesmen at that time did not use credit card to receive cash, and the initial business was difficult to start.

After the return of Hongkong in 1997, trade between the two countries was further deepened. In 2002, I.T group also started to go northward and entered the mainland market, and opened the first flagship store outside Hongkong in Shanghai. At that time, the mainland did not know much about the trend culture. The I.T group brought the trend of Europe and America to Hongkong, and from Hongkong to the mainland. It became a window for many young people in the mainland to understand the trend. Three years later, I.T group was listed on the Hongkong stock market in 2005.

Eve, a mainland fashion blogger, said he knew what "Chao" was from Hongkong. Kelly Chan, Sammi Cheng and Twins are her favorite idols. Hongkong fashion brand has also become her trend teacher. Eve teacher said to the interface, because the influence of the tide of Hongkong is very deep when young, and no matter how old she is, the fashion trend of Hongkong is her reference. In her mind, the city of Hongkong also has a unique position.

But the fashion trend of Hongkong was changing at that time. Around 2000, the English trend was whirlwind in Hongkong, and blue and white stripes and Bulldogs occupied the fashion shops in the streets of Hongkong. Patrick originally liked football, and later began to like British music. After learning about British culture, he also dressed British fashion elements on him.

But in Wang Liyi's view, Hongkong is rich in fashion brands, but it doesn't produce Hongkong's characteristics like TV dramas or diets. For example, mandarin duck milk tea is coffee and milk tea, but it's unique. Although Hongkong fashion attracts national brands, its style is always imitating the West or Japan and Korea.

Hongkong people pay attention to their clothes, and also because of public opinion. Hongkong people Mavis remember watching fashion magazines when they were young. There was always a column to criticize who was poorly dressed and frightened her. "It's embarrassing not to dress well," she said. In 2000, she went to I.T's brand izzue and Chocolate for marketing, so she paid more attention to her dress.

Meanwhile, the fashion industry in the mainland slowly began to rise. The mainland's economy has been developing rapidly since the beginning of 2000, and the degree of opening to the outside world has gradually increased. The mainland fashion industry, once learning from behind Hongkong, suddenly discovered that it could start docking directly with foreign fashion resources. For the international brand, the mainland is obviously a much larger market than Hongkong. Nowadays, international brands can directly communicate with the vast majority of the mainland market without the help of Hongkong middleman. Hongkong's springboard is also dispensable.

In 2005, a buyer shop in Hongkong once opened a shop with Wang Liyi to let her be responsible for some foreign independent designer brands. At that time, foreign brands asked Wang Liyi not to open shop in Hongkong and go to the mainland. She thought it was very strange. How did she set up shop in the mainland?

In 2005, the Chinese version of Vogue was published, which is the watershed of Wang Liyi's "changing the official start". After that, Fendi, a luxury brand in Italy, held an unprecedented fashion show in the Great Wall in October 2007. Under the 88 models of Ju Yong Guan, the model stepped on the stone steps to show the fashion. The lights were winding the the Great Wall at night.

This unprecedented international show is still being mentioned today, and this 2007 show is also an important turning point in Wang's mind. After that, Beijing ushered in the 2008 Olympic Games. With the economic take-off, the fashion resources in the mainland began to explode. "These ten years have changed a lot." Wang Liyi said.

The business of Zhang Lulu's brand Terra rosalis and Lulu Cheung in the mainland is also off and on. After all, there are so many differences between the clothing market in Hongkong and the mainland. Hongkong is a small place, and the clothing market is much smaller than the mainland.

"In Hongkong, designers should take a lot of attention. Apart from designing others, they have to manage their own businesses. The brand structure is not perfect. But the mainland is a big market. We must be ambitious and have the courage to run the business. " Zhang Lu said.

In Hongkong, designer brands can open 5 or 6 stores even if they are very successful, but opening 30 stores in the mainland can not be very successful. Zhang Lulu's favorite is design. The two brands have been in and out of the mainland market several times. They have had a headache over legal and management problems. Eventually, she pulled the brand out of the mainland, and now opened a store in two brands in Hongkong.

The cultivation of the mainland market requires more time and ambition. I.T's collectivization operation is more conducive to sustainable cultivation. The I.T group implements a dual brand strategy. The capital I.T sells international brands including Alexander McQueen, Comme des Garcons, Miu Miu and other international brands. Small I.T is opened in the commercial complex with high traffic volume. The main brand is Youchao brand, and its own brand has become the focus of sales.

In addition to bringing the trend culture to the mainland, I.T is also merging with the mainland market. I.T, which combines more than 450 international brands, is becoming more and more diverse. Hongkong flavor has gradually faded away, and the style of young people in the mainland has become more diversified.

Over the years, looking to the south, Hongkong's fashion seems to have been left behind.

Despite the publication of the "extra nothing" at the end of the last century, it is no longer comparable with that of decades ago. Liu Tianlan told reporters on the interface that today's "extra" still has the character of Hongkong, with fewer representative writers.

Deng Xiaoyu was a famous writer at the time, "the woman wearing Kenzo" and other columns were hot and interesting. In the column, "Qian Mali" is a virtual character, but it accurately condensed the image of the fashion circle woman. Later, Deng Xiaoyu was writing for the extra book, but many authors had left.

Li Jian Hui, who had planned the cover for "extra", published the famous fashion time 1987-2007 in 2007, but died of cancer in 2014. Since then, Hongkong fashion circle has lost a benchmark.

Nowadays, Hongkong, which is characterized by openness and accommodating Chinese and Western cultures, has also begun to talk about localism. "Hongkong spirit" and "Hongkong culture" are common newspapers. "But after all, Hongkong has only 100 years of history, and many times it is a British colony. It may not be that deep Hongkong spirit and Hongkong culture. The concept of too much strengthening of Hongkong will become very narrow in the field of vision. " Wang Liyi said.

Compared with the energetic people in Hongkong in 1980s, many young people who are stressed by the economic pressure and who are keen to emphasize the localism are also in a bad mood. "How can we make good design if we design eyebrows and sigh?" Zhang Lulu said.

The popularity of the Internet and the popularity of fast fashion have accelerated the fashion of Hongkong. People can get fashion information all over the world on the Internet. Hongkong is still a good shopping mall, but it is no longer the focus of fashion.

Hongkong's fashion is fading away. Now it still likes to follow the trend of other regions. The latest trend is Korean wave. Patrick likes Japanese culture, American hip-hop culture and British culture, and his 11 year old daughter now likes the Korean BTS youth bulletproof group and likes Hanfeng. Even the I.T group has increased the proportion of Korean clothing in the group, and the Japanese fashion brands that had once been in Hongkong were getting smaller.

Besides, young people in Hongkong attach importance to their clothes, but they are slow to accept new things.

Many mainland people say that Hongkong people have their own unique style. Many young people in Hongkong do love the trend. I.T, a 21 year old boy in Hongkong, made a shopping guide in I.T. He paid 3000 yuan for the first month of his job and bought the sweater of street tide brand Off-white. Before Off-white, Zi Kang liked Japanese street tide brand BAPE and its sub line Aape, because "Hongkong love tide brand boys will have one".

In the past few years, if mainland boys were to imitate Hong Kong men, Edison Chan and Shawn Yue would be the reference objects. Hongkong girl Lin Lin, aged 23, also said that Hong Kong men would wear it, "for example, shirts must be inserted, otherwise it is not the same feeling." Yong Lin said that boys and girls in Hongkong had been paying attention to appearance since childhood.

Lin Lin, 17, graduated from Hongkong's high school of women's blood, went to the clinic, worked as a nurse, and bought the Celine's smiling face pack when he saved the first money. "At that time, a lot of people back, that bag is a Celine, I like others to notice," Wow, you carry Celine's bag. " Yong Lin said.

But many young people in Hongkong say that although many Hong Kong people love to dress up, their attitude towards fashion is always slow. Perhaps it is the slow heat that has led to the weakening of Hongkong fashion in the last ten years.

"Hongkong people accept fashion very slowly, always see stars or people around to wear really good, will try, and then grope for their collocation." Jingming, 25, has also been shopping in I.T, saying that Hong Kong people have become slower and slower in fashion in recent years.

Wing Lin also said that the acceptance ability of Hongkong people is not very high. They should always adapt slowly. Now it is the young people in the mainland that dress more boldly than the people in Hong Kong.

"Mainland people are more receptive than Hongkong people. Hongkong people like this brand, they do not like it, but the mainland people are very willing to accept new things and try different brands of clothes." Patrick said.

When global integration and developed networks make the world flat, the slower and slower Hong Kong people are no longer just the imitation targets of the mainlanders. Patrick said that the street trend is very hot now. The mainland people can directly see how the streets of the United States are dressed, without learning from Hongkong people.

These changes are also reflected in the financial situation of enterprises. In the period from 2007/08 fiscal year to 2012/13 fiscal year, the growth rate of I.T group's turnover in mainland China is more than 30% every year. In 2016, the focus of I.T's performance has obviously shifted from Hongkong to the mainland.

The fashion group, which grew up in Hongkong, is more and more reliant on the mainland market. In 2011, I.T and Comme des Garcons opened I.T Beijing Market in Sanlitun, Beijing, bringing the concept of London Dover Street Market (DSM) retail store to the mainland. At the same time, I.T also accelerated the development of the second tier city market and entered Shenyang, Nanning, Kunming and other cities.

In 2018, I.T Beijing Market was renamed as Dover Street Market Beijing, which also made Beijing the fifth city in the world with Dover Street Market. It brought luxury brands and tide cards including Celine, Street, and so on. There were also such designer labels.

In addition, I.T also began to focus on enhancing brand strength and maintaining image in the mainland market. In 2016, its annual magazine I.T POST launched 10th anniversary interactive exhibitions at the flagship store of CITIC Pacific square in Shanghai. In addition to displaying the 20 phase of I.T POST, the exhibits full of artistry also provided visitors with a deeper understanding of group culture. This reflects the improvement of consumer tastes in the mainland and the increasing demand for spiritual demand outside the goods.

In addition, with the popularity of many mainland stars in Hongkong, these stars are also beginning to influence young people in Hongkong and let the fashion of Hongkong and the mainland blend gradually. Zi Kang says Wu Yifan, Lu Han and Yang Mi are also very popular with young people in Hongkong. In 2017, I.T also asked Wu Yifan to be the first spokesperson of the group. Although Wu Yifan was not from Hongkong, Wu Yifan could not only stimulate consumption in the mainland, but also benefit Hongkong's local market.

The gap between Hongkong and the mainland in fashion is getting smaller and smaller. Some people think Hongkong is more fashionable and some say that the mainland has been better.

But it is undeniable that the fashion media in Hongkong can no longer be compared with the past. When Wang Liyi went to Paris and Milan fashion week in 1995, she was no longer satisfied with the spanlation of foreign magazines, or wrote only the reviews of pictures and pictures. She became the first Hongkong media person to interview international designers such as Tom Ford, John Galliano and so on, bringing the original content to Hongkong readers.

"Now is different. In the Internet age, everything is clearly seen on the Internet, but no one has excavated the story behind the fashion circles." Wang Liyi told reporters on the interface.

"Fashion editor only goes to high places, fashion parties, dealing with public relations, making some soft language ads, visiting and writing clothes. You can receive salaries and accept designer gifts. No wonder everyone wants to be a fashion editor. Wang Liyi wrote in his book "fashion storm 25 years 1987-2012".

Now Wang Liyi is a fashion consultant, but he often writes articles on personal blog and micro-blog. It has been strange why she has refused to reinvest in the fashion media industry, Wang Liyi said. This is also allowed in her article "aging in Hongkong". More than a decade ago, fashion media would still try to assemble western fashion leaders and local elites to create content. Now net red only needs to take good pictures, and then PS will be successful.

Suddenly, the golden age of fashion in Hongkong has gone far. The mainland has become the largest revenue contribution market for I.T group, and Hongkong's fashion media is also fading. Some time ago, "Vogue" announced the launch of the Hongkong edition. I do not know what changes will be brought to Hongkong fashion by the tardy "Vogue".

After decades of dreaming, Hongkong began to wake up from this golden dream.