Young set cutting a dash

A GROUP of young designers proved that high fashion is not the exclusive product of New York, Paris, London or Rome - the fashion capitals of the world. We have it right here, from our own creative young people.

Students following the fashion design course of the School of Design, Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU), presented an impressive fashion show at the Grand Hyatt recently.

The annual PolyU show always attracts large crowds keen to see how Hong Kong's creative young minds are setting fashion trends.

One of the striking displays this year was an aggressive men's collection by Edwund Ma Ka-man, who won the Hang Seng Bank Award for Creativity with his 'warm, masculine' designs.

Tagged 'Mother's Love', Ma's winning collection of 18 outfits - which included jackets, pants, shirts and scarves - gave off a powerful aura of masculinity, but with a hint of gentleness. Ma said he wanted to edge his 'macho images of the 100 per cent man' with a trace of 'motherly tenderness'.

In one arresting display, a male model strolled the catwalk with a babe in his arms. The thunderous applause was perhaps as much for the concept as for the well-behaved baby, who maintained a professional calm and composure all the way.