There is always a certain strong masculinity exuding from Harry Xu’s cut. The touch of femininity and romance, as a dedication to the vulnerability hidden in every man’s past and softness owned by individuals to create a natural, diversified and innate elegance. The attention to colours, shapes, details embellishments, materials and fabrications are integrated and a testament to Harry Xu’s emphasis on real craftsmanship.

I agree with the idea of utilitarian. I aim to produce contemporary menswear infinitely in its adaptability, compatible with many occasions and roles in life one can find oneself in. I often find menswear the second glance more charming and I prefer my silhouette created in very refined ways.

I appreciate the spirit of the demanding pursuit of perfection in both design and quality towards design and business. The spirit has always influenced my attitude and self-integrity when accomplishing a target in my daily life.

I feel that it is very fast paced indeed. Beyond that, designers must possess many other skills and knowledge to be able to face challenges in the fashion business. In my opinion, designers have to be determined and strong in their own work, together with multiple skills in business in order to be successful in the industry.

I personally think that I am lucky enough to have both cultural repertoires. Although they are very different cultural backgrounds but they are the exact values which I am able to take advantages of. It is a fast changing global world and I need to be aware of these cultural and economical exchanges. As a designer, I see myself as a good combination of both cultures influenced and they are truly compatible. I am always inspired by the diversity of many forms of art. I appreciate Kris Van Assche’s standard as a menswear designer. I pay a lot of attention to the detail of the garment and real craftsmanship. In terms of artists, Anselm Kiefer, Egon Schiele, David Hockney, Francis Bacon’s work have always been my favourite as they have such strong identities and I can sense the emotions through their work. However I feel that there is a strong Chinese spirit inside me and I love the gracefulness of Chinese romance because it is a form of euphemistic expression. They are so compatible to me that I can express myself with no restraints of cultural backgrounds.

I grew up with an art background and I started drawing since I was very little. Art and photography are always the key inspirations to my work. They help me with strong concept development. I also pay attention to surroundings, nature and people. When looking at details, ideas always pop up.

Every man needs a tailored outfit. A man can only realise the power of tailoring when he puts on a well-tailored outfit. Although menswear now has such diversified expressions in many brands, the approach to tailoring design still has more to be explored. It is often considered as restricted but the push to boundaries is the excitement to menswear and refined craftsmanship keeps tailoring fresh.

Masculinity to me is no longer a definition of certain looks of man, it is more related to manliness and the quality of a man. Being ‘masculine’ means strength and courage, faith and determination. It is the power in psychology and spirit.

Fashion as an art-based project will go beyond seasons and trends. Exploration is a good word to me as I like the idea of surprises. I treat every project as an art project. I love experimenting and exploring possibilities because surprises never exist as expectation. Exploration delivers more than only expressing.

I first saw her work in a bookshop. I was so fascinated by those photos because she not only managed to take good portraits but also she captured the emotions of those prisoners greatly. I read a little about these prisoners’ background: they were born in prison and had never been outside. I could feel their insecurity, fear and vulnerability through their eyes, faces and moves.

I found these prisoners very inspiring as they have that beautiful story behind them. I wanted to create a collection that was emotionally touching with strong and unique identity. From these prisoners, I could see the contrast of protection and romance, a very interesting combination between masculinity and softness. This is something that I would like to interpret through my menswear design. I want it to be strong together with romance.

I picked the word ‘fantasy’ from the research. Although there are only unidentified garments from the research, in fact the mood from images give much more than the garments. I also looked at the other elements such as the murals and wallpapers from the prison, the uniforms, the mood and the concept of prison. They inspired me with the print designs, colours, fabrication, accessories, etc.

Fantasy, bravery, elegance.