Style never wears out its welcome

Kim Robinson likes to play down the treasures he has in his wardrobe. However, what you see in the photograph is actually just his winter attire.

There are other walk-in closets in his three-storey home. There's a massive one in the master bedroom that is crammed with racks of jeans, black trousers and white shirts. The latter items are a uniform of sorts for the celebrity hairstylist and bon vivant.

The Australian - who could probably be called a local after living in Hong Kong for 37 years - says he is at the point in his life where he no longer experiments with clothing. He wears only pieces that flatter him.

'When I was younger, I followed a lot of trends. I don't do that any more,' says the 52-year old. 'What I like to do now is wear clothes after their season has passed. I don't want to be ? la mode. I can't bear to be seen in the season's must-have. I won't wear something that's too recognisable.

'Now I buy clothes that are comfortable,' he adds. 'Because the price of fashionable clothes has gone up so much - something which I don't understand - I buy pieces that I can wear many times over to justify the cost.'

Robinson may be mindful of his shopping budget, but his wardrobe reveals its share of designer labels. The winter collection is brimming with high-end designer pieces such as tailored shirts from Tom Ford, leather and shearling jackets from Alexander McQueen and Balenciaga, shoes from Dolce & Gabbana and Lanvin, jeans from Balmain and one-of-a-kind silk trousers from Haider Ackermann. There is also a tan crocodile leather bag that Robinson designed himself and a vintage Yohji Yamamoto coat that is part classic, part Napoleonic.

'I buy less now, but I buy quality. I think you need less when you get older. As you age, you lose the feeling of being desirable,' he says. 'You don't get noticed as much, and you lose that sort of sexual thing. Maybe it's a mid-life crisis.'

Robinson may say that, but he's an elegant looking man. There's a touch of James Dean and Marlon Brando, his style icons, to his look. 'My style is eclectic. I wear evening jackets with jeans and mix sports wear with luxury,' he adds. 'I'm also fortunate that, because of my work and my circle of friends, I have the opportunity to wear interesting and special clothes.'

This last statement makes the point that clothes are fashionable only if they are worn. Unworn, they are just stuff collecting dust in the closet. And Robinson doesn't buy anything he doesn't wear.