Hong Kong-themed fashion launch as two million protested – fortuitous or unfortunate?
- On the day Hongkongers staged their biggest ever protest march, over extradition, a continent away a fashion label presented a homage to the city
- Although the launch by DSquared of Bruce Lee-themed T-shirts – likely to sell for upwards of US$300 – was coincidental, it did feel a bit off
DSquared2 T-shirts for men and women were printed with Bruce Lee movie posters and the designers themselves took their post-show bow on Sunday clad in T-shirts emblazoned with a quote from one of Lee’s films: “Don’t think, feel.”
The range was a (mostly) tasteful mishmash of East-meets-West influences referencing Hong Kong and East Asia, from clichés such as tiger prints to Asian floral motifs on silk shirts and dresses.
How Bruce Lee made Lee Kung Man’s everyday undershirt a fashion icon
DSquared2 is far from the first fashion brand to be inspired by Asia, but the timing of this collection’s launch, which was a pure coincidence, felt a bit off.
Based on the prices of similar DSquared2 items currently available for purchase, those Bruce Lee-printed T-shirts are likely to set you back at least HK$2,500 (about US$300) when they hit stores next year, which is somewhat ironic given that you can get similar items at street markets in Hong Kong, and all over the internet, for a less than a tenth of the price.
