I nearly swooned the other night as I was fixed to the spot because I thought I caught a whiff of Hong Kong. For those of you who have been or live there, the streets of HK have a very distinctive aroma and when I thought I smelt it whilst walking around in Soho London, I nearly cried. I’ll admit it. I’m homesick. Correction, I’m having South East Asia withdrawal symptoms. I haven’t been back to Hong Kong since last Christmas and though that doesn’t seem that long ago, for me who used to go back so frequently, it’s godawful knowing that I won’t be able to go back to Hong Kong until February-March because of work constraints.
According to some readers, apparently the blog has been picked up by local press over there and I’m a little ashamed that when Hong Kong readers surf on over here, they’ll find nothing that covers Hong Kong fashion, trends or something familiar to them. Reason being of course, I can only blog about what I know and what I know is what I’m surrounded by – being the West European fashion scene and in particular London. So apologies first and foremost to those who may feel that I’m not talking up the ‘motherland’ as I simply lack the exposure.
Going back to my withdrawal symptoms though. Things I miss in no particular order: egg-shaped waffles in taro flavour, PROPER bubble tea, getting the cross harbour ferry when I’m feeling sad (sometimes it’s hard to escape with tears in HK…), walking around aimlessly in Causeway Bay, getting a kick out of spending so little on dinner, talking the mid-levels escalator for no apparent reason and most of all, ploughing through all the cheapie cheapie malls looking for junk to augment my wardrobe with.
People have described my personal style as ‘Jap/Fruits style’. This does baffle me a little because if you have flicked through any of the Fruits books, you’d see that my personal style is nowhere near as adventurous or imaginative. What I will say is that I like to incoporate little bits of it and take Japanese ‘Fruits’ streetstyle with a pinch of salt into my style. Having not had the chance to enhance my wardrobe with some Jap/HK/Cutie/Kawaii/Fruits bits and pieces, my style has probably moved further away from most people’s notions of Japanese streetstyle.
So happing upon Screaming, a shop based in Taipei in Taiwan, suddenly I got a serious craving for going back to Hong Kong or any Asian country where I could get my mitts on the stuff that adds that ‘Fruits’ touch. Taipei is a pretty kickin’ place both for shopping and eating, bearing similarities to Tokyo and Hong Kong. It’s not really Screaming’s wares (though their online shop is still pretty kewl) that got me hankering after Hong Kong but their Flickr site, their gallery featuring fans of Screaming’s shop:
Screaming have also styled what they sell in an interesting way to show the possibilities of what can be done when you pick up say, a frilly pair of pants.
It’s very odd that when I was 16-17, this was exactly how I sought to dress like and I revered this Fruits style in a fangirl type way and fast forward to the present, I don’t really find many correlations between my style and what I see on Screaming’s site yet something is tugging at my heart for it. It’s that disregard for flattering the body, catwalk trends and co-ordination or garment proportions that I was initially attracted to and in some ways, still uphold when choosing an outfit. Perhaps I’ve become a half-hearted ‘Fruits’ girl, neither here nor there which suits me fine and right now, I’m feeling like I want to inject back some of those things I admired so much as a teen. Yes to the angel printed tights and layered tutus. Yes to frilly onepieces layered over vintage t-shirts and multi-strapped boots. Yes to the Marjan Pejoski socks and KTZ dresses. I’m not saying it’s something that I want to do all the time but in my homesick depressed state, I say yes to it all…
Screaming’s own range of frilliness are workable as a one-piece or as shorts.
Their tutu’s in a soft ruffled or tiered version in a range of juicy colours are also a ‘Fruits’ staple.
I’m also amazed at their range of hoisery printed with bears, angels or a simple sheer stocking with a neon stripe strikethrough.
They also stock KTZ and Marjan Pejoski socks at prices that come out less than what they sell them at in the UK funnily enough.
KTZ dress // KTZ Vest // KTZ Leggings
The obligatory sunnies would suit the hardcore nu-ravers in London to a tee…
Wings // Assymetrical // Hearts
I’m most loving their 2nd hand shoe selection though which include these aubergine boots, a pair of two tone Converse high-tops that I’ve never seen before and THE ultimate Vivienne Westwood boots, all in sizes that are sadly too small (if you’re a size 36 though, those boots are an absolute steal at ¬£280)
You might be feeling slightly peeved if you don’t read Chinese and all you’re seeing are squiggles and random pictures but if you click around and utilise my links above and you find yourself really wanting something, don’t hesitate to message Screaming here (Order of fields…Name, Email Address, Message) and they’ll help you out with international shipping and site translations.
All in all, I think I’ve just self indulgently rambled on about my Hong Kong homesickness and tenuously linked it to Screaming. *sniff sniff* I just want to stuff my face with fish balls, dim sum from a plastic bag and tofu dessert….
Ooooh you’ve made me homesick for the motherland…i’ve never been a ‘Fruits’ girl myself but would really love to incorporate more adventurous pieces in my outfits – those patterned tights/leggings are awesome. The last time I was there F.C.K. in Langham Place seemed like heaven but what I bought still felt really tame. (Would definitely recommend it btw) – and lucky you Susie, will you be back during the CNY sales…??
oh my god, i’m in love with the vivienne westwood boots.
this post is great, i see the hk influence on your style! also, it’s interesting because chinatown sf is right between my home and work, so i walk through every day. there are so many boutiques with this kind of clothing, and i’ve looked through thinking the items were cute, but no idea how to make them work. hmm.. some wheels are turning in my crazy little head.
! Those purple boots again! Is it odd that that same style is everywhere? (I actually own them now..)
On a relevant note, I didn’t even realize such shops existed in Taipei! (even though my whole family lives there) I guess the last time I visited was in junior high school, but when I revisit next summer I’ll definitely be on the lookout! Thanks for the find!
Excellent! J’adore Screaming style! It makes me think of Japanese style..I missed Tokyo for that.
The thing is I think I am too old (32) for that and would look ridiculous…except the pants and leggings: I want them!!
The fruits style is pretty cool, so colourful and layered. Love it. I’m personally more a grey type, which is the oposite. But i have times that i just need colour and then the fruit girls inspire me a lot, just aspects, not the whole thing, things like the kneesocks and tutu’s. The bad thing about it is that if you copie the fruit thing to much, there is a big change that it turnes out lolita.
oh I am surprised you talk about screaming on here!
I love this shop!
BUBBLE TEA 😀 !
I’d love to go see maison martin margiela and out of curiousity the huge bape store. That’s a long time not to go back though 🙁 I hope you find some time before then. x
i’ve just come back from a much needed fix of HK, haven’t been back in a couple of years. Also went to Tokyo for a few days and now am in serious fashion/lifestyle withdrawal. Know what you mean about real bubble tea. Missing all the yummy drinks and desserts from Honeymoon Dessert. I don’t know if it is me getting older (am now 25) but the cheap-as-you-get fashion malls in Mong Kok and elsewhere in HK don’t hold the same glazed-eye-buzz that they used to. Alas I still can’t really afford high fashion prices.
ohhh those tights!
I have an obsession with anything purple, so the purple tutu and those aubergine boots look just so cool to me. And the black and white checked sunglasses in the slide show are so pretty.
Japanese Street Fashion is definitely an inspiration. I sometimes find it sad that most other countries don’t support such eccentric dressing, wearing whatever your soul desires. But I guess that makes that part of the world more special.
On a side note, flipping through pages of FRUiTS I always found it so amazing that guys would wear skirts. I don’t believe it would get good looks on the streets of any European city, much less down where I live, but they manage to pull even that kind of look off. I admire that kind of freedom, especially in men’s wear, considering it’s less free than women’s wear most of the time.
I think the comment I posted earlier in the day disappeared or just didn’t go through.
I have the latest issue of Fruits and I noticed that the same person from one of the pictures is featured in the second Screaming slideshow. She is actually wearing almost the same exact outfit! I took a few pictures of the picture of her in the magazine. She is wearing the glasses in picture 8 and the rest is similar to what she is wearing in picture 10.
I really like the “sex” choker.
The whole outfit
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e171/yuckokcuy2/CIMG0453.jpg
headhttp://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e171/yuckokcuy2/CIMG0444.jpg
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e171/yuckokcuy2/CIMG0447.jpg
bottom
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e171/yuckokcuy2/CIMG0448.jpg
Where she got her clothes(most of it is from Screaming!)
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e171/yuckokcuy2/CIMG0452.jpg
I come to your site multiple times a day and I always enjoy what you have posted. Thank you for the fascinating inspirations for fashion!
-YUKO (CA, USA)
Hey. I lived in Tokyo for a year, until last week (GOD I miss it soooo much). I was lucky enough to actually become good friends with alot of the FRUiTS people. If you look at recent issues you will see alot of the same people in each issue, because it isnt really photos by accident, some of it is set up and about who you know. I even got married in Harajuku’s famous Yoyogi park with my best friends the SPANK girls as my bridesmaids (SPANK is a cool shop in Tokyo, and the girls feature in FRUiTS and other magazines every month for their crazy cute pink style)and other regualr FRUiTS people as the dj’s at the after party, what a wedding to remember hey? If you want to see it check out my blog. The FRUiTS book is really old too. I was talking about it with the SPANK girls who saw it when they went to the USA (they go every 3 months for stock) and my friend Maya was very embarrased to find herself in there, because it is her old style, from when she was 18, now she is 26. She used to be “decora” but that is really uncool now. If you look through the current issues of FRUiTS you wont see nearly as much colour as you see in the books, its very different now, and I think that is because of all the interest from the west, they are trying to distance themselves and make it original again.
The FRUiTS kids are also probably the nicest people you will EVER meet and the best friends I have ever made, I wish my working holiday visa never ran out! Love Forever xxxx
awww this really makes me want to go back to china…I love that style and adopted a bit of it…I got lots of weird looks in my small town 😛
argh, i can’t go back until winter break.
sigh..
what’s ‘proper bubble tea’?
does quickly make proper bubble tea?
“Proper bubble tea” have real tea favour and never too sweet….
Quickly just ruined the whole thing about bubble tea….I live in San Francisco and I never go to Quickly.
Suzie, thanks for reminding me of all wonderful things in Hong Kong!! plus I could never forget those cheap delicious “egg tart”.
oh i miss hong kong so much now! take me back! check out this girl’s blog: http://hkstreetstyle.blogspot.com
i miss the minibuses most of all
ooh, you make as all wanna go there! i always admired the fruit-style and now i know where to buy it. i wanna go there! have to wait another two years to go to Taiwan though (it’s when i have finished my chinese-studies at university)…
btw: tell us more about!
really love ur blog & yep.. a lot of hk magazines did mention abt u hope to see u in hk. Must go to D-mop, IT, LaForet, Island Beverly, Rise Commercial bldg in TST .. all those local designer shops.. and my favorite shop Pink Martini shop in Causeway Bay in Yiu wah street..& most of all the upstairs cafeterias for chit chats… hope to have a chance to meet u up in hk to go crazy shopping
I just spent the last year in HK and am having serious withdrawal now that I’m back in the states. I miss the waffles, too. And wandering around CB, and the escalators, and everything else.
Love your blog, btw.
i love your blog.
i’m half chinese and moved to HK when i was 5. moved to vancouver age 12, but oh god do i miss it. i miss the markets the most, i think, and Hi-C lemon tea.
Suzie:
I totally agree with you about the Hong Kong aroma. Eons ago I did an extended educational stay in HK. On returning home home I was bereft — so missing the noise and energy of HK. Then I visited San Francisco and on a street corner had the same experience you mentioned — a whiff of HK which made me “HK homesick”. The olfactory sense is located in the most primitive part of the brain. I think that smell, even more than sight or sound, brings back memories with vivid immediacy.
Gwendolyn
CM: Hopefully if I book the right dates! But HK can be a bit dead during CNY because ppl go on holiday….
Lady Coveted: You’re lucky SF has such a comprehensive Chinatown… London’s Chinatown sells few tacky cheong sams and a few rancid t-shirts if you’re lucky…
Brooke: Oooh… do take a gander when you’re in Taipei again…! It is strange about those boots…. but I really want them despite their ubiquity..
Caroline: 32? Old? No way…. maybe the full-on Fruits look isn’t advisable but you can take so many elements of it and work it!
Joyce: Yeah, I don’t tend to like looking too ‘themey’…this goes for other looks, not just Fruits. Like I hate doing hokey things like 50’s pin-up or 60’s gogo girls…. too contrived!
Sara: Glad a Screaming fan reads the blog!
Ruth: The Margiela store is cool as… really odd location but that’s the beaut of it.
Carmen: Yeah, they do lose their buzzy appeal but I still like to rummage and have a wander nonetheless
Shadowplay: I think there is a feminine side of Japanese guys that they play up successfully. It’s a lack of regard for gender boundaries I think…
Yuko: Thanks for the image links. I can’t buy Fruits in the UK as it’s too expensive but I pick it up when I’m back in HK.
Hayley: Lovely story…. and it sounds like you had a really visually stunning wedding!
Lots of people missing HK too…. missing those seemingly trivial things like egg tarts etc…
Netnet: Definitely! I need to get a HK shops update since things change so fast there!
Gwendolyn: I know what you mean about the noise! God… London is deathly quiet compared to HK…..
SUSIE:
u may or may not still remember the e-mail i sent u 4 months ago, regarding the various + ideal shopping spots in HK… to refresh ur memory, i did, and would like to thank u on ur replying oh-so-graciously.
i spent like, a week there, and the experience has engraved a yearning to return. i’ve made it my mission to do so.
btw, thanks for influencing me to go in the first place. w/o ur incessant raving about the place, i wouldn’t of been able to experience such a place at such a young age (16!) + appreciate it still.
i normally don’t comment here but you hit upon a nerve with me.
what i miss about hong kong:
those eggies.
the causeway bay cheapie boutique malls. i miss the ones in mongkok too and prince edward (talk about cheapie! the prince edward ones are super cheap!).
just standing and looking back while on the midlevel escalators.
curry fishballs!
lightbuses.
and kareoking overnight.
what i don’t miss are the temperatures and humidity during these summer months and seeing all the hkers (esp. the girls) in layers of long sleeves, wearing hats and carrying parasols. that’s something about that lifestyle and/or fashion that i’ll never understand. the sun is beautiful. don’t hide from it — just wear spf.
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