London Calling

London is a city that constantly alludes me. I've tried to get there. It's been at the very top of my bucket list for years.  I never thought I would get to Paris, Germany or Hong Kong before London but somehow I can't seem to make it there. I was supposed to go a mere six weeks before Hong Kong. We were all set. We were buying our plane tickets with our tax refund. It was a done deal. Until we didn't get a tax refund. And my dreams flew over the Atlantic instead. With the number of trips we have planned in the next two years and another baby planned for 2015/2016 I fear I will never get there.

Needless to say based on how badly I want to get to London I think if I ever had the opportunity to go to London Fashion Week my head might pop off.

Building the basis for a comparison...
The article "Between art and commerce: London Fashion Week as trade fair and fashion spectacle"was by far my favorite read so far. I could just see it all in my head. I could visualize the grandeur, I could feel the buzz in the air. The article covered everything from brief bits of history of the event to the logistics of staging and seating to the emphasis on visibility, press and presentation.

One of the parts of the article that most intrigued me was the discussion of boundaries and access. One think that I found remarkable was how it seemed like the hierarchy in the fashion world so directly mimics the hierarchy found in the London social scene regarding royalty, status, and title. Actually, its really an idea that applies across fashion week. From the press coverage to seating assignments the entirety of the week is based on the position that other people think of you as. In London, more than many cities I have read about you need to "belong" in order to get anywhere. It certainly makes sense that these two are intertwined.

From London to Hong Kong

Fashion is definitely the same sense of "belonging" but with different descriptive words. Fashion refers to what is "in" or "trending" or "hot". I'm curious to see what the levels of exclusivity are like at Hong Kong Fashion Week; to compare my understanding of London Fashion Week to what I observe in Hong Kong. Furthermore, I'm curious as to how the social scene of Hong Kong influences the experiences of Fashion Week and where the boundaries lie. With the language barrier and short duration of our stay I don't know if I will get to fully understand it during my short stay, but it certainly gives me some ideas of readings to search for if there is wi-fi on the plane.




Video of a British Designer Vivienne Westwood's show at a previous Hong Kong Fashion Week.