Fake Vintage

I love this town; it's quirky, unique and international. But Hong Kong does not do vintage, it does not like to do second hand in any form. Here things should be NEW. It forms the foundations of society, this is China - things are replaceable, disposable, cheap and ready to be consumed. If you want retro it can be manufactured for you in an instant. As good as new......as good as old!

So a search for vintage included a chain of vintage 'style' clothes or a shop in central owned by a Macao casino heiress selling off her already worn but current season designer catwalk fashion. If any reader has found King street here in SARS please correct me. But my journey to vintage 'style' clothing shop reflected the cities second hand sentiment. A city where shopping ceases at 11pm every night...the vintage 'style' clothing joint was closed.

And just to prove everything else was open....

So in the spirit of the city, I embraced the ironic notions of retro and purchased a pair of wedges straight from The Loveboat. Or lets say inspired by Loveboat re-runs. They are finished with navy terry towelling lining. Now I LOVE a bit of terry towelling and am of the school that there should be more of it - MUCH more. So whilst wearing these beauties I will imagine sipping cinzano laced with glazed cherries, I turn my mary-kay face carefully as to not upset my blow wave all the while watching tanned men in euro trunks diving off platforms into a blue pool.

Aside from my loveboat fantasy, these wedges are as vintage as yesterdays vegetarian noodles were vegetarian (the inclusion of roast chicken and pork sausage was stretching the commonly held definition). In a last ditch effort I have photographed them in possibly the only remaining vintage item in Hong Kong - a red taxi!