Paper H|L issue 1 by yhm413

PAPER H | L

A Journal About Architecture | Fashion Hong Kong | London

EDITOR’S LETTER “Fashion is architecture: it is a matter of proportions.” Coco Chanel In relation of fashion and architecture, they both express ideas of personal, identity and cultural. They have a symbiotic relationship with each other. The history of clothing and buildings, they both provide a shelter and protection for the body. They both create space and volume out of two-dimensional materials, which make them in common but also intrinsically different. They are both address to human body scale, but the proportions and size have a huge different between them. However fashion has a very nature and short-lived of the moment when architecture are solid and more permanent.

PAPER H | L CREATIVE DIREACTOR | AMY YUEN

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS | ALEX BURNSIDE-HUGHER

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS |

AUSTEJA SCIAVINSKAITE / ALEX TSOI / OSCAR TSE / Yulia Tsezar

CONTRIBUTUNG ARTISTS |

RONNIE CHAN / BIANCA CHONG / FIONA TSEE / CHRISTOPHER GEORGE SIMS / JANICE CHAN / Lisa Marie Johnson

J E

A X

rEJuVEnATIOn Obsessed and amazed by the arty form of silhouette Creating bold shape and accentual curve for men and women With dedication to ancestral tailoring Refining it with a fierce and retro touch JEXTA intended to bring couture to masses and reinvent the classic

website: jexta.net Instagram: Jextaofficial

A - interviwer J - JEXTA A - Tell me a little about yourself. Where are you from? What’s your educational background? J - I am from Hong Kong and I graduated from High School.

J - My inspiration always comes from some history or story that I am interested in and there comes my concept as well. A - How would you describe your menswear collection? J - Classy

A - What made you decide to become a fashion designer?

A - Who are your favourites fashion designers?

J - I decided to become a fashion designer as I always have a great passion in fshion and would like to share my design thoughts to the world.

J - I haven’t got a favourite Designer

A - What inspires you when creating your design?

J - The men who has their own style

A - Can you describe the type of men that wears your clothes?

A - How would you define your personal

style? J - One of a kind A - How do you see Hong Kong fashion developing? J - It could be better A - Where do you see yourself in 5 years? J - Still working as a designer A - Are you planning to expand JEXTA to other countries? J - Haven’t planned that yet

THE CITYSCAPE

All Clothing from | JEXTA Shoes | Placebo (HK)

Surface Design by Janice Chan http://www.janicechan.com

F I O N A

TS E E

A - Tell me a little about yourself. Where are you from? Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s your educational background? F - My name is Fiona. I come from HK and studied Interior design as a Bachelor Degree in Chicago. A - What made you enter architecture industry / profession? F - I am born to be loving art and design, especially interior design. That makes me studied interior design and links to architecture field. A - What is your design philosophy? F - Design is to make everything functional and beautiful at the same time. A - List a few of your favorites architects F - Santiago Calatrava, Toyo Ito, Zaha Hadid A - What is it like working in Hong Kong as an architect?

F - Working in HK is totally different from working in Western Countries. The rhythm in HK is much faster with tons of workload. Working in HK is not easy, but in other words, you can learn more and faster under pressure. A - How would you define your cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s architect? F - Hong Kog has a limited of space. It is a challenge for architects to design building to meet our needs and fulfill our spacious satisfaction. It is a reason to explain why hk buildings are narrow and tall

A - How do you see architecture and fashion together? F - Yes, architecture and fashion both based on different kinds of design styles. We are applying designs to our daily lives, like buildings and clothes. A - How do you see Hong Kong as a city? Likes and dislike F - I will only like HK when I am still less than 40 years old, since I am sure I cannot stand this fast rhythm when I am getting old.

A - What made you decide to work in Hong Kong? F - Just too used to HK rhythm and I need to take care of my parents here. A - How do you see the business developing in Hong Kong? F - Since HK is a well-developed city with limited of space, the land has already saturated. HK projects are usually worked for remodeling instead of new-built buildings.

http://web.leighorange.com/en/

A - Inteviewer F - Fiona Tsee

BIANCA CHONG

Bianca Chong Studying Fashion Artefact at London College of Fashion

A - Tell me a little about yourself. Where are you from? What’s your educational background? B - I came from Hong Kong and studied Fashion Design (Higher Diploma) in HKDI, followed by a top-up degree in Fashion Design. A - What made you decide to become a artefact designer? The love of Fashion Accessories. I took this course because it is the only course that has no limitation in the products I produced. In this course, I can make a bag, jewelry or even fashion documentary film. There is no limitation or boundary on imagination, and this makes the most of what an artefact meant to be – to send a strong message to the audiences through fashion. A - What inspires you when creating your design? B - I like to look at vintage designs because they always carried a lot of fine details that made them so distinctive and unique. I am also aware of what the up-coming trends are, to observe the needs of contemporary design and the latest technology in the industry. I think it’s a combination of both that inspire my design process. A - How did you select the materials you used? B - I love to use organic materials such as leather and wood because I like their unique texture and patterns. I always look for my own ways to make details on these materi-

als that suits my designs. I also work with brass and copper to give my designs a hint of delicacy. A - Who are your favourites designers? B - Alexander McQueen is my all time favourite. In every inch of the garment he designed, I can always find lots of interesting details that link back to the core theme but would never be too overwhelming to look at. Simone Rocha is another designer I love. I like the way she place details in an interesting way, challenging the ways things are used to be. I especially love the shoes she design! A - Do you consider yourself an artist? B - Somehow yes! Because during my design process, a lot of research were carried out and I let the process lead me to the final piece I produced. There are trial and errors and within the final piece I produced, there is a message behind. It is somehow like producing an art piece rather than creating mass-produced products to be sold in the market. A - How would you define your personal style? B - I would say my personal style is rich, contemporary and challenging. A - What made you decide to study in London instead of Hong Kong? B - The main reason is that there are no similar courses in Hong Kong that provide such freedom as Fashion Artefact would provide. Courses in Hong Kong are too specific. Apart from that, I would like to experience a different kind of life style, to think differently

and to improve my design process. A - Where do you see yourself in 5 years? B - I hope that I will set up my own brand and continue to design artefacts that send a strong message to the audiences, at the same time create a line of ready-to-wear fashion accessories for the public. A - What do you see in London that Hong Kong doesn’t have? B - The peoples’ lifestyle. In London, there are a lot of museums and awesome exhibitions. It will be a very enjoyable weekend to spend in museums and galleries, looking at others designs, followed by a nice cup of coffee in small coffee shops relaxing with friends. In Hong Kong it would a bit difficult because of the limitation of spaces and it’s always too rush to relax. A - Does architecture influence your design? B - Yes of course. I always love architecture. I like to look at how the lines interact with each other and the shadows created when sun shines on the building. I also love the geometric patterns on the tiles in traditional middle-east architecture. These influence the way of how I calculate the silhouette and patterns of my designs.

facebook - Silver Fragments

A - Inteviewer B - Bianca Chong

L N - CC Innovative architecture in high fashion spaces Fashion and architecture are two artistic al components of a garments composition. Whilst and go much like fashions do. As with fashion More and more architecture is being used in

outputs that are inextricably linke architectureâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s use of fashion is slightl trends, architectural trends will not onl fashion spaces to add interest, mak

ed. The use of architecture within fashion is obvious in the structurly less obvious, it is undeniably present all the same. Trends in architecture come ly advance and move forward but you will see them re-emerge and be reinvented. ke an impact and take the customer on a journey through the fashion space.

WRITTEN BY | ALEX BURNSIDE-HUGHER pixie-city.blogspot.co.uk

SHINE

Two buildings which truly evidence this synergy between fashion and architecture are London’s LN-CC store and Shine Store in Hong Kong. It is clear that the architects, who ‘fashioned’ these spaces, wanted the structural design of the space to make an impact and embody their brand and concept. Gary Card, the London set designer who completed the interior of East London boutique LN-CC has transformed the store into a visually stimulating place. Garments are framed by house like structures, or suspended overhead; adding interest and excitement to every different section of the store. So what is LN-CC? It is an East London retail

concept with 50000sq ft store space and an online selling platform, with equally pleasing visuals. The in-store design could be described as more of an installation, comparable with an art exhibition it is certainly not your average shop fit. The store has recently been renovated and is due to re-open on 15th March 2014. The space is made up of three concept rooms, a book and record store, a club space for private events, a working photography studio. There is even an indoor forest and an innovative skeletal tunnel to link the rooms together. Large branches and thin planks of wood intertwine one another; it has a rustic feel which contrasts faultlessly with the futur-

istic tunnel made from raw wood and orange acrylic. The brands LN-CC stock are reflective of the architecture meets fashion fusion, with the likes of Yohji Yamamoto and Jill Sander, whose designs reflect definite influences from architecture in their structure. From clothing, to books and music, every element in LN-CC is curated flawlessly. This store is more than a retail space, it is a platform which encompasses and combines fashion, architecture, music and art in a physical space which has also been captured and translated to digital form. Hong Kong’s Shine Store in Causway Bay is a contemporary concept store, which has

been described as avant-garde and inspiring. The space, fashioned by architect Nelson Chow was inspired by the shape of a star and has a chic monochrome colour scheme which is consistent throughout the space. Chow has created a range of interesting architectural elements to the fashion space; the most significant being the store ceiling where over 900 glistening white cords have been woven into overlapping planes that create MoirĂŠ patterns against a black backdrop to create a rippling effect. With a range of original design concepts the store exudes exclusivity and intimacy. Concealed behind a continuously folded black steel wall, resembling a dressing screen are the fitting rooms and storage entrance. This design element forces a more personal shopping experience as trying on garments requires the assistance of a sales consultant. The flagship store showcases how architecture can be reinterpreted in a fashion space using contemporary textiles and patterns effortlessly fused with fashion retail, creating a captivating yet extremely functional concept store. In contrast to Londonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s LN-CC, the architectural elements in Shine store standalone from the garments, although visually the design of the store makes a definite impact the space is appreciated together as a whole rather than for each room individually, it less art installation and more showroom. The store is seamless; every element is cohesive with another, undoubtedly on brand and true to its luxurious, high end offerings. The Shine Fashion Store shows how original large-scale effects that surface from the creative use of textiles and innovative techniques can effortlessly be combined with retail functionality.

http://www.ln-cc.com http://www.shinegroup.com.hk/en

The spatial efficiency of both stores confirms the concept of retail functionality whilst architectural features ensure the fashion space is visually stimulating for customers. In conclusion architecture and fashion simulate a harmonious couple feeding off one another for creativity and originality.

香港

RONNIE CHAN Ronnie Chan graduated from MA Jewellery of the Central Saint Martins College in 2013. Now is London-based jewellery designer and maker. His collection executes how an interest in the contrast between the extravagance and opulence of the 17th century Baroque and the clarity and deceptive simplicity of 20th century Modernism. While contrasting in their expression both share an interest in conveying often idealized ideas through heightened visual sensation that can lead to spiritual association. It becomes a strong design language in Ronnieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s design.

knows what fashion jewellery and fine jewellery is.

Perhaps I will be a successful jewellery maker.

A - What made you decide to become a jewelry designer?

A - Do you consider yourself an artist?

A - What do you see in Hong Kong that London doesn’t have?

B - This is my interest. I like small and delicate objects, and want to wear on my body. A - What inspires you when creating your design? B - Historical insight. Because it contained meaningful story and development of humanity but aesthetic appearance. My current project was inspired by the Baroque period. A - How did you select the materials you used? B - It is hard to give a conclusion. Mostly you will figure out the limitation of different materials after failures of several experiments. A - Who are some other jewellery designers you admire? B - A British jeweller, Shaun Leane. He truly

B - Yes, because I did something without consideration of market. A - How would you define your personal style? B - Exaggerate but humble, complicated but simple. Everything is in contradiction but still in harmony. A - What made you decide to stay in London instead of Hong Kong? B - I like to stay here because of the variety of cultures. Here always happens something surprising you. For example, you can see some so called ‘strange’ people walking on the street. They will be appreciated with their brave but not in Hong Kong. A - Where do you see yourself in 5 years? B - I think I am just at the beginning of jewellery making. I still have many things to learn.

B - Hong Kong is a very convenient place. I can collect all materials in a short time. As geographic reason, I can get cheaper materials from Mainland China. I think it is a benefit for this competitive jewellery market. A - How do you see the lifestyle in London comparing to Hong Kong? B - London is modern and vigorous; Hong Kong is speedy and material.

http://www.rhapsodyinforest.co.uk

A - Inteviewer B - Ronnie Chan

THE

ORA BOX

ANGE

TOP/SKIRT | jamie wei huang SHOES | ASOS

OPPOSITE PAGE DRESS | HANGER INC LEATHER JACKET | A-LINE SHOES | ASOS THIS PAGE SHORTS/BLAZER | ZARA

Christopher George Sims | London based Fashion photographer Creative Director at 55Factory/55 Pages

CHRISTOPHER GEORGE SIMS

As long as I can remember, I was aware that there had to be something else to where I came from. Through the pictures in books and fashionmags of my mums, or the TV. and its fanciful world of colour, lights, girls, boys, busy cities and glamorous worlds of intrigue, danger, broken dreams, kitchen sink dramas and fruitful pleasures from beyond the ocean

A - Inteviewer B - Christopher Sims A - What were your influences whilst working in Hong Kong and your influences in London? B - Thats a bit of a tricky question.. While I was in Hong Kong, my main influences would have been the subculture that was very heavily drug influenced. It was at a time in Hong Kong still under British control, and the English were extremely wild and a lot of time out of control. It was in Hong Kong that I decided I wanted to move in to the arts some how, and become a photographer. This is when I decided to come back to London and clean up my life. London became an extension of Hong Kong, and I fell heavily into the drug culture. It was kind of what you did as a youth back then. This was also where I began studying photography and moved into the art scene of London. At this time London was a very different place, and the culture of excess and experimentation of was rife. London’s young were not at this time only bothered about gaining a collage degree, diploma or getting a job in Banking. It was a pretty wild time.

Living in HK and South East Asia, and away from my own environment gave me everything I am today. It allowed my to blossom as a person. When I came back to London, I was a man, and I had a stronger identity of my self. I was actually more advanced than many people my own age due to growing up and surviving on the edge away from home. A - Do you feel that there are similarities between your experiences in HK and London and if so, what are they? B - Well yes. Most of them culturally and the society I found my self in in both cities. All tho both very different. Ever where on the planet has the same kind of people, and similar cultures, sub cultures, classes, races, sexualities etc. You just find where you fit in and where you have connections. A - How did you adjust to the cultural differences when you moved to HK and then back to London? Did anything stand out as major differences in the two cultures?

My influence have always been what is immediately around me, and where I place my self. This has been generally the urban inner city. I have always found my self by default in the middle of a sub or underground culture living on the fringes of society.

B - I was born to adapt very quickly and be in a City. As an animal its what I have had to do. You just have to adjust to your surroundings, and when you are young you have the amazing power to adjust very quickly, or I did any how on many occasions. There are deference’s but fundamentally all cities are the same. Busy, hectic, and general full of lost people who didn’t fit in to small towns or rural areas. Thats the beauty of the city. The oddest and most brilliant people come to them. This creates some very extreme sub cultures.

A - Now you are working in the UK again, do you feel that you have brought any of the experiences you gained whilst in Hong Kong to your working life over here?

A - How do you see the fashion industry in HK developing in the future? Do you think that it will ever be as influential as London or Paris for example?

B - Its not that I’m working in London or Hong Kong. Both these cities were my home, and I have grown up in both of them.

B - I think it will always be influenced by London and Paris, but i think it has the possibility to be more financially successful then either. The Chinese are in a frenzy to have western everything, and are falling away from there own culture. London as a city is extremely potent. London is a western city, and HK was a british city. It will always be caught between the 2 in the oddest way

Yes, a lot of my spirit and soul is from Hong Kong and South East Asia. Having lived there between the ages of 19 and 23, it was the place that I began my own life, not a life of my family, society or the government.

A - Could you please describe the work you are involved in now?

A - If you were given the chance, would you return to HK again for work? B - Absolutely. tomorrow!! but I am not 19teen any more, and its not the HK that I remember as a youth. Do they say you should never go back? A - What are your favourite aspects (bits of) British and Chinese design? B - British design, the experimentation and extreme of London’s fashion scene. The almost comedy, aggression and flamboyant nature. Chinese design, well its so young really as fashion, and I think it needs to really get its own identity, rather than that of other fashion capitals. Ask me again in 5 years! A - Are there any up and coming designers from HK you think we should look out for? B - There are a few I have seen. I would need to research a bit tho. A - We can see from your instagram you don’t just take photos of fashion- you enjoy architecture as well. Are there any buildings in the UK or HK that stand out in your memory?

B - I love architecture and interior. If I had been more educated, I would have liked to been an architect. Unfortunately I had a terrible education, and my options were very limited. I had to make my options. I am a huge fan of Brutalist Architecture, generally a European Movement. I love cities and the hi rise way of living. HK has the most incredible housing system. Its unbelievable unless you see it in HK. A - It has been a while since you lived in HK. Do you still keep up with what’s happening in the fashion industry over there? B - I go to HK at times. I was there last year, and will be there in May. The fashion industry is pretty much hi end or cheep copies. Neither are really where I find my self. I am much more interested in the HK and Chinese art market. There are some incredible artist emerging from main land China!!! http://www.55factory.net http://www.christophersims.com http://instagram.com/55factory

B - Mixed media, arts, fashion, publishing.

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