Check my attitude
Calvin Yu's style is very much from the street. The kind of look you see on guys who shop at I.T, Comme des Garcons or APC.
It's usually flannel shirts buttoned to the neck, rolled up denim and chunky lace-ups. The co-founder of Sons + Daughters, an eyewear line for children, is also rocking the haircut best suited to his personal style - long on top and shaved on the sides like an undercut, with a swept back fringe.
This pretty much sums up the style of Hong Kong youth. But 36-year-old Yu likes to think he distinguishes himself from the others through his swagger.
'It's how you wear it. Maybe I look like Hong Kong street style sometimes, but you set yourself apart from the pack with your attitude,' he says. 'I don't look at Milk magazine for pointers.'
Yu also likes to add elements from classic and preppy styles and give them a street spin.
He arrived at his look in the 1990s, when he was entrenched in graffiti art, hip hop and rave culture as an advertising and graphic design professional in Vancouver. Little has changed about his style since, except that now he is able to incorporate pricier designer labels in his look.
Yu wears jeans by Ksubi, Lanvin and Oliver Spencer shirts, Duchamp bow ties, Tricker's and Church's shoes, and other labels found at high-end stores such as Lane Crawford and Joyce.
However, he denies being a serious shopper. 'I shop when my budget allows it. I like contemporary and heritage brands such as Alden. I wear a lot of old American brands like Penfield and Vans. I wear a lot of Vans. But I also like to buy things from Uniqlo and Muji, so it's not all designer,' he says.
Yu also has several pieces from Patagonia in his closet, including jackets and windbreakers, knapsacks and duffel bags. He is drawn to this label because Yu has to travel a lot to promote his work and the items pack light and small.
Aside from Sons + Daughters, which he launched with a partner in 2009, Yu also runs his own creative consultancy company called R3SP3CT.
Sitting on top of the pile of flannel shirts and dark jeans, one item stands out; a grey sweater with a Mickey Mouse print.
'I love that sweater,' he says. 'It's vintage. I wear it all the time with jeans and a knit cap.'
