Image: Divia Harilela
To kick off my new fashion column here on Jing Daily, I thought a brief introduction was necessary. While my passion for fashion started at a young age by way of my mother’s jewellery box and over-stuffed wardrobe, it was my inquisitive nature that led me to become a journalist. I later pursued a career as lifestyle writer, but fashion eventually won me over. (I believe I started at the same time as Marc Jacobs at Louis Vuitton, just as designers started to emerge as celebrities in their own right.)
My real education came when I was fortunate enough to be appointed fashion editor at The South China Morning Post, where I remain a contributor today. Not only did I have access to designers like Karl Lagerfeld, John Galliano, Tom Ford and Rei Kawakubo, but I was able to delve into their minds uninhibited.
Fashion, as I understood it, became more than just a form of self-expression – instead it was an all-encompassing force that affects and influences everything from politics and religion, to art, culture and morality. One fashion editor friend calls us psychologists in (a very chic) disguise, which I always think is an apt description.
Being based in Hong Kong, Asia’s undisputed fashion capital, has made it all the more exciting. As the gateway to China for the West and a style leader to the Mainland, fashion’s future lies here and beyond its borders. I hope to uncover more of this exciting journey through this column. I hope to see you again soon!
Born and raised in Hong Kong, Divia Harilela has worked in the lifestyle and fashion media for over 12 years. Most recently she served as the fashion editor for Hong Kong’s leading English language newspaper, The South China Morning Post, where she remains a contributing editor. In March 2011, she founded The D’Vine, one of Asia’s leading luxury and fashion websites.