Blockbuster looks
LET'S FACE it: not all of us are catwalk material. While fashion runways are a great source of eye candy and a guide to the latest trends, emulating the exact looks is a challenge. So perhaps it's time to take references from those who resemble 'real people', and the big screen can be a source of such inspiration.
Take geek chic, for example. It's enjoying a revival, largely thanks to Hong Kong actor Nick Cheung Ka-fai, and his nerdy glasses and suits in his role as an ambitious inspector in Dante Lam's The Stool Pigeon. The film reunites actors Cheung and Nicholas Tse Ting-fung as well as director Lam, following their success in the critically acclaimed Beast Stalker. In Beast Stalker Cheung, who plays a one-eyed, low-grade killer, is everything but a style inspiration. But the fashion tables have been turned, and in The Stool Pigeon Cheung finally gets the opportunity to dress smartly. The thick, black, plastic, glassless frames have become a hot fashion item among hip Hong Kong youngsters. They make Cheung look sophisticated, and are an easy way make an ordinary look, well, less ordinary.
The actors in the controversial feature Girl$, by up-and-coming Hong Kong director, Kenneth Bi, also adopt a nerdy look. The film, hitting cinemas this month, is the first to put compensated dating in Hong Kong on the big screen, and its treatment of this sensitive topic wowed the audience at the Hong Kong International Film Festival this year. The story is about four teenage students selling sex for various reasons - money, designer bags, and even love - and their clients; nerdy youngsters fishing for paid dates online. Thick plastic frames, gingham shirts, tartan plaid and madras patterns topped by a loose sweater is the nerdy way to go this fall/winter.
If the sophisticated nerd look isn't your cup of tea, then the street fashion featured in Street Dance 3D might be. The British dance film, released in 3-D and directed by Max Giwa and Dania Pasquini, brings together two opposite worlds: street dance and classical ballet. The film involves a love triangle, and plenty of vibrant dance moves; but what makes it exciting is the eye-catching, and sometimes outrageously creative, street fashion. The audience will encounter not only traditional hip-hop looks, but also the latest military jackets - a winter wardrobe staple.
More mature types can look to George Clooney for inspiration. In Sex and the City, Carrie Bradshaw compares Clooney to a Chanel tweed suit, which 'will never go out of style', and apparently, she's right. In suspense thriller The American, opening in Hong Kong next month, Clooney - who plays assassin Jack - puts on a number of seemingly plain, but perfectly tailored suits and jumpers, resulting in an understated look that's sure to leave female viewers a little hot under the collar. Clooney also slips on a range of zip-up jackets - in fleece or waterproof materials with mild cotton filling. Assassin Jack might wear these zip-up jackets solely to make his killing jobs easier, but they also happen to add an extra layer of charm to the already charismatic Clooney. But don't worry, you don't have to be as cool as Clooney to pull these off. Just pick the right colour and your woman will be happy.