Hong Kong’s shiny cosmopolitan vibes for decades now has made it prime start up hub for foreign investors and corporations wanting to take root in Asia. Conversely as a consequence, it has influenced and affected identity of the city and created a yearning for some students to look abroad for education, opportunities and success. Some of the earliest examples include Vivienne Tam and Eddie Lau and now it seems many of Hong Kong designers have either at some point of their careers or studied in cities like London and New York. Over in New York City, we caught up with two Hong Kong students at Parsons School of Design to find out why they’ve chosen a life outside of Hong Kong to explore their creativity.
“During middle school, I already decided that I wanted to go abroad”, says sophomore Anson Li. “We have a whole generation growing up in an international city constantly having our eyes set on the outside world, trying to learn and adopt it. So, if we are privileged enough to go, why not travel abroad and see the industry that we admire so much.” But Li admits that there is an inherent contradiction to this sentiment and much of his work in fashion is based on Hong Kong’s duel identity. “The cultural identity we have means local is just okay, but foreign means better,” says Li. “I acknowledge that this mentality is in a way self-destructive, causing brain drain to Hong Kong. But, the solution is to push the creative industry back home even more.” Li is currently studying integrated design, a major that he says probably isn’t available in Hong Kong. “It’s a very self-driven major,” he says. “You learn a lot more about how to collaborate with other people, how to lead your own project and how to execute your vision.”
The integrated design program at Parsons allows students to explore a range of different disciplines from sculpture and film to fashion and photography. Li recently self-taught himself how to construct two clothing outfits for a project that questions the importance of identity. “I’ve been trying to figure out what it means to have grown up in Hong Kong,” says Li. “And although I haven’t found any answers, I think through much reflection, I’m beginning to discover what I value and what path I want to follow.”
Li helped a fellow US-based Hong Kong designer, Venus Lo with her brand Chan Chit Lo's latest collection. Alongside him is Tiffany Tsui, a third year at Parsons majoring in fine arts and fashion. "After high school, I knew I wanted to pursue the best school possible for fashion, so Parsons was an obvious choice.” she says.
What attracted Tsui were the range of courses, challenging instructors and limitless possibilities she could pursue at Parsons, not to mention having access to resources to the college’s Paris branch. “I like how versatile the program is here and the style of creating. Parsons' four pathways – collection, materiality, fashion product, and systems enables talents to choose where they want to end up in the industry. And for a student like me who is interested in different fields, I think there's so much more to explore in Parsons. Here, we focus on creativity and the construction of garments, while in Hong Kong I think the focus is more on marketing, branding and outsourcing.” On top of that Tsui mentions that at Parsons, there are hybrid core classes win collaboration with companies like Hugo Boss, Swarovski, and Vans where students could end up receiving a sponsorship or gaining access to an internship. Beyond that, there are just more established international brands in New York like Calvin Klein and The Row, which can open opportunities for future employment.
Recently, Tsui encountered a project that focused on fashion products. But, instead of limiting herself just to accessories like bags and jewellery, she decided to create her own textile and turn into an art installation. Her inspiration? “Psychedelics,” Tsui says. “I interviewed people about their experiences on them and took the most memorable moments and translated them into abstract textiles.”
It’s this of freedom and out-of-the-box thinking, which has driven both Li and Tsui to study in New York. And though the cost of studying abroad is exponentially higher, “it’s worth it,” says Tsui. “Exposing yourself to a more diverse group of people is extremely beneficial.”
