Home from Home | My Hong Kong luxury brand clothes are almost worthless in the UK countryside. Not much point getting dressed up for muddy fields
- I got hooked on designer clothes in Hong Kong but aside from the odd night out in London now, I wonder why I bothered bringing once-prized items back to Britain
- Working from home during the pandemic in Hong Kong also got me thinking of the effort and expense that had gone into those purchases. Was it all worth it?
London is well-established as one the fashion capitals of the world. But it was not until I relocated to Hong Kong, in the 1990s, that I started to take an interest. I began to move in brand-wearing circles and was sucked in.
When working in London in my 20s, I couldn’t afford designer clothes. I also lacked the inclination and instincts to become a trendsetter. I sometimes turned up to work in a safari suit!
My early days in Mui Wo were similar. Old pictures show me in scruffy T-shirts and shorts with unruly hair. My son says I looked like a hippy. I always wore a suit for work, though. The first one I bought in Hong Kong literally fell apart. It must have been very cheap.
This began to change as I – and the global fashion industry – grew. My first designer suit was for my wedding day in 1997. My wife insisted. We bought it at Versace in Pacific Place. I was hooked and gradually became a member of Hong Kong’s brand-conscious crowd.
But now, living in the countryside after returning to England in 2022, I am wondering why I bothered bringing prized items of clothing with me. I rarely get to wear them. My modest collection of vintage (old) Paul Smith shirts hangs forlornly in the wardrobe.
