Gloria Yu - a fashion consultant, writer and designer, is all about staying chic and sustainable in Hong Kong. She is on a noble mission and spearheading initiatives to save the planet - and doing it all while looking impeccably stylish.
Ms. Yu has always been enamored with wearable art. With her talents, she studied fashion design at Parsons in New York City. Shortly after, she launched her own brand called Yunotme which sold at Lane Crawford, Net-a-Porter and other established retailers. However, she soon experienced a bit of a crisis of conscience. "It got to a point where I noticed the insane negative impacts of fashion on our planet and people, so I decided to switch lanes. Eventually I started consulting with Lane Crawford on sustainability and lately I became brand manager of LUXARITY, the social impact initiative of Lane Crawford Joyce Group." Today, she avidly educates consumers about sustainable fashion and lifestyle on her social platforms which include her Instagram, Youtube and website.
For Yu, she remarks that Hong Kong is, indeed, a burgeoning fashion hub but that - "not a lot of home-grown trailblazing creative talents' full potentials are realized here — simply because rent is so high! It's difficult for any city with little affordable spaces to groom creative talent because you need physical space to breathe, ruminate and create." She adds that, "currently, the only young creatives who can afford studio spaces are trust fund kids or a very fortunate few. So what happens as a result is that creatives either base themselves in other cities or end up working with big corporations." But Yu is hopeful and believes that Hong Kong can entice talents to return and for them to pursue more meaningful fashion projects whose foundations are grounded in eco and sustainable missions. And as a long time Hong Kong resident she has observed that, "the industry is shifting for the better. Through local start-ups, everyone's becoming more aware and receptive to supporting sustainability issues in the last number of years."
Yu says that the movement first began with Redress. "It is an NGO and one of the first entities in HK (both for and non-profit) which started in 2007. It focuses on promoting sustainable causes and raising awareness about waste issues in fashion. They have done so much good work and driving momentum alongside other voices to speak up and join in. Also, organizations and festivals such as Green is The New Black, as well as individual influencers and personalities are helping to shine a light on these important causes."
