STYLE | Crossroads

Photos taken by Emily Cheng

You may have come across the news that Belgian designer Raf Simons has formally left Dior after a fruitful 3 year tenure. This may have come as a shock considering his modern take on femininity that has garnered abounding praise among the fashion set. While it may have seemed like a short period for such a talented designer, can you imagine 22 collections have already passed in that time? Prized as one of the biggest couture houses in France, Dior's reputation precedes it, second only to Chanel. As most designer labels go nowadays, fashion is moving at such an incredible pace that designers find it difficult to cope creatively and logistically, what with up to 6 collections a year - a Herculean feat that is as ridiculous as it sounds. The public's voracious appetite for constant stimulation fuelled with the unrelenting speed of social media is a vicious cycle that is causing more harm than good. After all, cashing in on success is a lucrative business, but a business is not without creativity to fuel it. Suzy Menkes knocks it out of the park in an article from Vogue noting,

"Without [the creatives], there is no fashion - just an echo chamber of ideas, nothing truly new, just repetition dressed as invention."

 Sound familiar?

With the pressure cooker seemingly at its limits, it's no wonder John Galliano's downfall came at a time of increased pressure having already designed over an impressive 15 year period. Ultimately, a designer of this calibre is offered everything at their disposal - assistants around every corner, first class everything, celebrity clients, you name it... Anything, but time.

So why the long rant about the pressures of the fashion industry? In many ways I feel like it echoes the sentiment of those who are working in a city known for its disappointing work-life balance (ahem Hong Kong). Yes, in terms of entertainment, we're spoilt for choice - though I highly doubt some of us are even offered the luxury of a proper 1 hour lunch break. Given the materialistic nature of our bustling city, our long working hours and arduous workload is driven by the desire to cash in on whatever opportunity comes by. On one hand, our city is efficient to a fault and we're doing fairly well in terms economy and competitiveness. However, we lack the so-called 'incubation' period for creative ideas to develop. Without sufficient breaks in our day to day life, our productivity won't increase but is proven to decrease after a certain amount of time. Is competitiveness really worth sacrificing our sanity?

For me, I'm at a crossroads. Perhaps it's a question of passion, of doing something that I'm still doubting is the right path. Though I've heard many times to follow your heart, part of you has to face the reality that not everything can go the way you want it to be. Sacrifices have to be made, either for your family or anything else that you place above your dreams. Until then, we all work towards whatever it is we believe in.

Thankfully, I'm a big believer in letting things be and flowing with the current of life. Who knows what circumstances will be in the next 5 years? Dior might have already replaced the designer that has yet to be named (touch wood). As for me, I'll simply live in the moment and hope for the best. 

On the brighter side of things, here's a playlist that I've been meaning to share over the past few weeks. After reading my verbal diarrhoea, I'm sure you know what my excuse will be ;-)