Hong Kong Stories

Fashion with a Conscience (43x6)

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Dressing comes first when talking about the four basic necessities of life – Dressing, Eating, Living and Commuting. It goes without saying that clothes are crucial for our daily lives. How can we develop a good dress sense? Tailor Siu Lan, who is in her seventies, holds steadfast in her quest for the quality of fabrics, as well as the handwork and design of clothes. She also upholds her belief in pursuing a dressing style which is simple, suitable and comfortable for herself. Meanwhile, boutique owner Sam, fashion designers Toby and Kay pursue the principle of sustainable fashion. By upcycling old clothes, a new value is bestowed upon the garments while beautiful memories are retained. One gives others the most superficial impressions of himself / herself through clothes. Clothes are the most intimate connection that links up a person with his / her past emotions. In order to let the elderly have warm and decent clothes to wear, a group of volunteers from social enterprises often goes to Community Support Centres for the Elderly to help the elderly make and amend clothes, hoping that the elderly will regain confidence. In the meantime, several fashion design students make efforts to design for elderly with impaired mobility a collection of functional clothes, addressing their different needs through responsive care from the inside out. Dress sense can be cultivated over time, but one has to learn how to cherish and love to understand the true beauty of dressing.