Fantastical Fantasies

Photographed by Riley Brennan

A fashion editorial about the fantastical fantasies and dreamlike qualities surrounding Chinese culture and Hong Kong.

I never quite appreciated my Chinese culture as a child. Growing up, the only Chinese person I was constantly around was my mother and although she tried to embrace the culture into me, I was never fully exposed to the fantasies of Asian traditions. I was ashamed of being Chinese simply because there weren’t many others around me. I had always thought that since there are so many Chinese in the world, what could possibly be unique about literally millions of people? But I was utterly wrong. Since I started my travel abroad to Hong Kong in September, I have come to effusively appreciate my Chinese side. I have learned and explored the city of Hong Kong as well as a few places in mainland China and now feel so lucky to have a little bit of Asia in my blood. Everything is Hong Kong is intriguing to me – from the pastel colored architecture to this random shrine of mini buddha statuettes.

In Chinese Buddhism, the fat and laughing Buddha called “Happy Buddha,” reflects the message of happiness which is a main goal of life in Chinese culture. To achieve this goal of happiness, or enlightenment, we must meditate and live presently. Now, in the present, I am in the breathtakingly beautiful city of Hong Kong and have never felt this proud to be living in a fantastical Asian city, filled with so many curiosities and peculiarities. New York is known as “the city where dreams are made, ” but I believe Hong Kong is just as dreamy. I guess you could say I’m living my own sort of fantastical Asian fantasy.