Hardy Blechman, who set up luxurious, fatigue-ridden clothing line Maharishi in 1994, was in town recently to show its spring/summer 2002 collection. He is currently compiling a camouflage encyclopaedia, tracing its journey from environmental to military uses. 'I've found a dichotomy between camouflage being a tool of war and a tool of peace. I'd rather it be a tool of peace,' he explains. Blechman is certainly a fan of Hong Kong. 'If Maharishi were a country, it would be Hong Kong,' he says. 'It has a good mixture of nature and technology and is very futuristic.'

Headgear: 'It's a barbouta by Maharishi. Barboutas were originally chainmail hoods that medieval knights in Italy wore under their armour. The design also has elements of the ninja mask, because you can pull up the bottom to cover your face.'

Shirt: 'It's a very rare, vintage United States military shirt. The design has a Vietnamese tiger stripe. I bought it in London for #120 (HK$1,350) from a vintage surplus trader.'

Underwear: 'I'm not wearing any. I don't wear underwear very often, only if I wear very baggy trousers. Before I came to Hong Kong I ran out of clean underwear and decided to buy some here. Any suggestions?'

Trousers: 'They're from the summer 2003 collection of my diffusion line mhi. I'm test-driving them. The design is based on the technical aspects of 1940s military clothing. They are less baggy than previous designs and have cleaner lines. They're a little more sophisticated.'

Shoes by Birkenstock