Inside former Vogue China fashion editor Grace Lam’s wardrobe, where less is more
- Come inside the Hong Kong home of Lam, who is a contributing editor at Lane Crawford and creative stylist for luggage brand Ookonn
- Despite being a stylist, Lam takes an edited approach to her wardrobe as she tries to curb fashion waste
It wouldn’t be a stretch to imagine that a top fashion stylist would have a wardrobe filled to the brim with avant-garde threads, but when it comes to Grace Lam, that couldn’t be further from the truth.
The former senior fashion editor for Vogue China, current contributing editor at Lane Crawford and creative stylist for luggage brand Ookonn has a wardrobe that, in fact, takes up only a small corner of her bedroom, and is carefully curated.
Working in an industry known for excessive consumption, Lam has taken a stand and now lives by her less-is-more philosophy. The stylish mother is determined to show the world that you can be chic without creating a landfill.
Whether it’s buying clothing that lasts or not being afraid of hand-me-downs, she shares her guide to looking good, the eco-conscious way.
So not a soccer mum
“Because I grew up in England, I have a lot of London elements in me when I dress. When I was younger, I would wear a lot of vintage; you get the best vintage clothes there. I’ve moved back to Asia [and I’ve seen that wearing vintage clothes is still] a big no-no with Chinese people.
“I tend to dress comfortable and because I’m a mum now, I really make an effort to try not look so mumsy. I don’t like the idea of people saying that mums are uncool, or if you become a mum, you’ve lost it.
“[To pick up my son from school] I’ll wear ripped jeans with a pair of cool trainers, or if I'm feeling a feminine look, I would wear a long pleated skirt with combat boots and an oversized jumper; I like to add a masculine touch to all my outfits. And I always accessorise a lot. A cool bag, sunglasses, jewellery can enhance a look.”
Reducing and recycling
“I was a hoarder for many years until I got the job for Vogue China in Shanghai, and I had to move from London to Shanghai. I had so much stuff. So that’s when my mind started changing. For the past few years, I’ve become more eco-conscious as well, so I edit my wardrobe every few weeks or months, I don’t keep things that I don’t need or don’t wear, and I donate it, give it to friends, or we exchange clothes.
“We need to be more aware of fashion waste and lifestyle waste as it's not fair on the next generation to leave them to clean up our mess. Be more open minded about using vintage or second-hand clothing. Buy longer-lasting style items and think twice before your next purchase.
“I stopped shopping four months ago, consciously, because I see that there’s so much clothes wastage around, especially in Hong Kong. I just want to start influencing other people to do the same. I’ve stopped doing styling and shopping events because I feel guilty for telling people to keep buying things that they don’t need. I know it’s a business, but I just don’t want to do that any more.
“With my son, I started telling my friends who have older sons and even his older cousins, to give me all their hand-me-downs. People are very surprised because I’m a stylist and I work in fashion, and they think I’m really image conscious. If I don’t mind, why should you mind? So my son’s wardrobe for the past year [has been filled with only] hand-me-down clothes, which I’m actually quite proud of. My husband started a new job at Lane Crawford last week, and he said, ‘Maybe you can take me shopping for new clothes’. And I said, ‘No, you have enough clothes’.”
Support local
“Because I’ve been doing this for 20-something years, and especially since I was at Vogue China, I always [try] support Chinese designers, because they don’t get as much publicity as international brands. It’s important to support these designers because otherwise they don’t get any publicity.
“For me it’s very easy to be decked out in expensive international brands because they have the best designers, the best materials – what can go wrong, right? But I think it’s more of a style challenge the other way. I love when I wear everything high street and people think I look really cool.
“There’s a new designer called Chin Chung Lam. He’s just done one season and he has potential. Anais Mak from [the label] Jourden came to me when she first started. They don’t know much about the international [fashion] scene, and they will never know if you don’t help them. My favourite Chinese designers include Xu Zhi, Short Sentence, Edit the Brand and Ricostru.”
Beyond fashion
“I’m not a fussy person when it comes to make-up, I just know what I know. One of my proudest moments was when I got chosen to be an Estée Lauder Global Ambassador for 2018 to promote its Double Wear foundation. They flew me to New York to shoot for a day, and I was the first and only Hong Kong person they’ve chosen. I use a lot of MAC lipstick because I like the matte finish, I use Russian Red and Fashion Legacy.
“My latest great find is this Rae Morris invisible powder for oily skin. I’m also trying this new coconut oil as a moisturiser. [It’s called Coconut Matters]. It’s really good for the skin and easy to use. My skin feels really hydrated and when I have spots, they go in three days.
“We use peppermint oil a lot to make mouthwash, so we don’t have to buy a big bottle of mouthwash any more. I use a bamboo toothbrush for obvious reasons. You have to dry it straight away or it gets mouldy, but we dip it in vinegar to wash it and then leave it under the sun to dry.”
