Los Angeles' other duck goes hip hop in black, white and grey
The city swank of SoHo's private club Hyde took on a hip-hop edge last Thursday when the space was transformed into a one-of-a-kind fashion show, featuring a collection by The Other Duck clothing line from Los Angeles.
The Other Duck, the brainchild of dancer-choreographer-entrepreneur Cheryl Koo and her partner Sean Varristo, began its tour last month, hitting New York and Washington before making it to Hong Kong and heading to Tokyo later this week.
Evolved from the idea of the ugly duckling, Koo's message, through dance and design, is about 'daring to be yourself and not allowing outside influence to dictate who you are going to be', the 27-year-old Canadian says. 'It's as much about how you carry yourself - your sway - than it is about the clothes themselves.'
Not surprisingly, Koo bases her designs on body types outside of the conventional runway model figure, choosing muses from among fellow performers who 'know how to move'.
Joining her US crew for the Hong Kong show were local dance group Charcoal and rising pop-sensation Vangie Tang Wong-chi (pictured). 'In my professional career, I'm used to more feminine, jazz-funk choreography, so dancing with Cheryl was really liberating,' Tang says. 'I'd always admired her passion and energy for dance, so when I found out that she was touring Hong Kong with her clothing line, I was really excited to be a part of it. I was a little nervous about how sexy my outfit was though.'
Dressed all in black in a backless halter-top and mini skirt, Tang joined more than 20 models, wearing Koo's black, white and grey 'avant-garde showpieces' in the show.
'I'm all about integrating fashion, art, music in a project,' Koo says, 'That's why I love working with performers who find their own expression as they freestyle on the runway.'
