Six men, six looks: in a city teeming with uniforms and uniformity, we find six gentlemen who dare to colour outside the box, as they take their innate style into their realm of work and pleasure. Some had great spousal support (behind every successful man…), others turned to film and music icons for inspiration and then there are those who’ve studied the art of sartorial significance and found a space in its infinite possibilities.
Photo and lighting assistant:
Acid Fong Art Direction
Hyvis Tong, Rama and
Reema KhannaLocations courtesy: Kee club, Hyde, Barney Cheng studio, Joseph Li studio and G.O.D Central.
ALEXIS KWONG ALVAREZHaving recently jumped ship from the music business to television, Alexis Kwong Alvarez has managed to retain his hybrid look of casual elegance that fits him as well as his ‘pencil fit’ Levi’s.
“I am lucky that I don’t have to suit up for work every day,” he says between shots at the stylish new club Hyde, his suit jacket and casual denims perfectly combining form and function. Not a fan of monogrammed brands, he favors a more independent streak. “I prefer European designers who are different and creative. As I can't travel to Paris all the time, I do a lot of my clothes shopping from Kapok, on Sun Street in Wan Chai. They are very good at selecting European designers like the young French designer Berangere Claire. They pick people who are great at what they do – but aren’t ubiquitously famous.”
For style inspiration, he doesn’t look at the screens at work, but archival films. A huge Hitchcock fan, his fashion-savvy screen idols include Cary Grant and James Stewart. “But there are some modern style icons, like Neil Barrett and Jil Sander. Both are functional, understated and fitted; and quite timeless.”
It hasn’t always been a flawless repertoire he assures. Biggest fashion faux pas? “Blond highlights and not that long ago. What was I thinking?”
Five Favourite Accessories1) Watch - VOID
2) Belt - 20 year old Replay
3) Shoes - Manhattan based Common Projects, bought from Kapok
4) Cologne - Eau Sauvage Extreme by Christian Dior
5) Sunglasses - Vintage Wings by Bausch and Lomb
GLENN ROOT
Businessman Glenn Root tries to explain what he does for a living, something that includes importing and exporting rubber and tyres. There was also mention of a family business, but what we really want to know about was where he got his shoes from. "Prada," his wife Marina chimes in. Root doesn't really care about the nitty-gritty of brands he sports - he just looks good in them. "And most of the accessories are from Lane Crawford,” she adds.
“Style to me is looking good in a manner which suits your personality and, importantly, being absolutely comfortable in it," says the affable root. "I'm actually quite classic in my signature look. While I love blue jeans at home and at weekends, during the week I prefer to wear a suit or at least a jacket."
The man was built to wear a suit – he’s modeled for television and print, and looks as if he just stepped out of a Ralph Lauren campaign. “I don’t believe in trying to emulate anyone in particular as one’s style has to reflect your identity," says Root. "But stylish men on screen include George Clooney - he always looks good whether in casuals or suits; Marcello Mastrioani - I love his look in
La Dolce Vita; and Bryan Ferry - cool but well dressed. And I like the way Johnny Depp always looks cool and comfortable whether in ripped jeans, a quirky hat or a tuxedo.”
For a man who goes for classic brands that suit his classic all-American look - Giorgio Armani, Gianfranco Ferre, Canali, Hugo Boss, Prada - he’s made a few fashion faux-pas too. “I wore all denim to a dinner years ago which I thought was super casual and others turned up in suits. Had I worn a crisp white shirt instead it would have saved me some embarrassment.”
His biggest tip for men of a certain age, “Dress your age – don’t try to be a young fashionista. And if you’re unsure about the dress code, it's always better to be slightly overdressed than under-dressed.”
Five Favourite Accessories1) Pocket watch, family heirloom
2) Scarf from Paul Smith
3) Cologne DKNY
4) Tie from Canali
5) Sunglasses by Prada
DOUGLAS YOUNG
As the enterprising name behind the quirky Goods of Desire (G.O.D.), Douglas Young has hit headlines in Hong Kong for his sartorial selection. Not exactly a crime of fashion, but selling t-shirts bearing an emblem associated with a notorious triad group did land Young in a kerfuffle, and he wears a sample of a scarf soon to be sold at G.O.D with a casual confidence that suits him well.
“I like things that are artistic, interesting and mean a bit more than the obvious,” says Young as we snake around G.O.D in Central, sitting ourselves in a picture-perfect faux dining room as customers mill around. “One of the benefits, if you can call it that, about working in G.O.D. is that I get to be the test dummy for many of the products. I’m the guinea pig to try out things like the new laptop bag or scarves that we want to launch in the clothing section – the pajamas and shorts and bed sheets with photographs of vintage Hong Kong buildings and skyline have done well.”
Young’s signature look rings casual chic; China-chic in fact, with many homages and odes to vintage Hong Kong, a celebration of Chinese colours and prints. “My house is a mishmash of modern and old, things I inherited from my grandparents, things I bought from Europe when I was a student, and my style is a mixture of modern and vintage, East and the West. I like jeans that look ‘lived in’, I like my shoes to be well-worn, or at least look like that, even if they're brand new.
“Fashion should have a sense of style," he concludes. "But more importantly, a sense of fun.”
Five Favourite Accessories1) Shoes by Dr Martens
2) Scarf, by G.O.D.
3) Evil eye bracelet from Italy
4) Bracelet watch, streets of Hawaii
5) Laptop bag by G.O.D.
BARNEY CHENG
It’s unfair to enlist Hong Kong’s most recognizable fashion exports, but of all the teeming designers that clomp the streets of Hollywood Road, Barney Cheng can be distinguished for his body of work and, well, body. The the tight-fitted tops, the dark-rimmed signature glasses, it’s easy to spot the designer to the stars as he struts to his office above Lan Kwai Fong.
“Well I guess I’ve always been interested in fashion – I used to watch my aunts get dressed up and be fascinated by the ritual – and the transformation,” says Cheng.
“Getting into the business has been educational, you find out what things really cost. The alligator jackets I’ve been wearing for a while now are of my own design – elsewhere, it's really hard to get it at a reasonable price. I’ve seen one that was half a million US dollars. When I started designing with alligator, or diamonds for accessories, I started going directly to the source and I realised how much the brands are marking up their prices.”
Though Cheng says he doesn't live solely for one brand, he does believe in investing in some pieces from Bottega Veneta, Hermes and other vintage fashion houses. "I'm happy to buy something that’s inexpensive, knowing its not going to last me long, and then chuck it later. But there are some things like a good winter jacket or a timeless scarf that should last for years.”
His advice for the modern man? “I think men should be a bit brave enough to sport a few bits of bling,” he says, pointing to his own diamond-studded ear. “Be it an earring or a jewel encrusted cuff link or even a thin, diamond studded bracelet that peeks out from the cuff. I wouldn’t recommend you wear that 24/7 though.”
When asked about the biggest fashion mishap he's seen in town, Cheng bursts out laughing. "I'm not telling you his name as he’s a friend, but this star is sporting a lot of leopard print. It may be in fashion but if it doesn’t suit you, you shouldn’t wear it," he says. "We all make these mistakes, when I was younger, I dressed older – I always wanted to look more mature. Now when I look back on those photos, I groan.”
Five Favourite Accessories1) Scarf by Hermes
2) Earring, an investment piece
3) Diamond ropes by Barney Cheng
4) Ring, cufflink, necklace all by Celebration by Barney Cheng
5) Ski shades by Kris Van Assche
WY CHAN
That unmistakable hair, the all-black wardrobe, the extraordinarily sharp metallic accessories, Wy Chan, director at Yamanyamo - and graphic artist, music-video director, designer, art director - is a sartorial force to be reckoned with.
“I really don’t like colour on my skin and body,” he says. “Nearly 99 per cent of my entire wardrobe is black. Other colours just don’t suit me. I go for texture, the cut, the fabric," he says. "But I have no issues with other people wearing colour.” Japanese trends are clearly a source of inspiration for this artist. Yohji Yamamoto’s name is sprinkled into conversation, as are the harem pants that have somehow leapt from the music videos of the last decade, onto today's catwalks.
“Japan is a great and unpredictable style destination. You think you’re going to find something, and when you get there it's completely different," says Chan. "I always look forward to exploring Japan. I find nameless, brand-less items during my trips and things that are beyond the ordinary – like this,” he unfurls a hair band from his head. A hairclip with a black scorpion in striking position, cubed in plastic is handed over. “I don’t know if that’s a real scorpion that’s been embalmed, but it’s different.”
Five Favourite Accessories1) Shoes by Dior Homme
2) Hair-band from the streets of Japan
3) Watch by Isaac Mizrahi
4) I-pad rib-cage cover, Hong Kong streets
5) Coin purse by Riz
JOSEPH LI
Most noted for his creative womenswear, designer Joseph Li’s stints at Parisian fashion house Lanvin and Hong Kong’s most recognised brand Shanghai Tang, have made headlines in fashion press around the world. Now with his eponymous label at hand, fashion is serious business for him, albeit with a touch of whimsy. We’ve seen his signature style spill into his own wardrobe on more than one occasion too.
“My style is classic - whatever that means,” he says with a toothy grin. “Style should feel both in the moment and timeless.” The unexpected can be expected from Li, who has been seen in an electric blue suit - more Broadway star blue than banker blue.
For this shoot, he braved the denim-on-denim trend oft seen in the early ‘80s and yet managed to pull it off with panache. “My influences are too numerous and varied to pin down. It's never one dimensional.” He picks L'Uomo Vogue fashion editor Robert Rabensteiner as a style icon, adding that he's a fan of late American artist Jean-Michel Basquuait: "I really appreciate the energy that comes out of his work.”
His fashion advice to men in Hong Kong? “Less is more.”
Five Favourite Accessories1) Byredo Parfum
2) Vintage weave belt
3) Persol sunglasses
4) Paper Mate pen
5) Vintage tie clip
