Elegance Unleashed: Jin Yong’s Wuxia Fashion Exhibition opened to the public Friday in The Rotunda at Hong Kong Land’s Exchange Square. The exhibition is part of A Path to Glory, Hong Kong’s multi-disciplinary public celebration of the 100th birthday of the acclaimed and beloved wuxia (martial arts) author Jin Yong. Elegance Unleashed features five innovative Hong Kong fashion labels sharing creations inspired by Jin Yong’s characters, and also, punching above its weight, a truly remarkable sculpture from Ren Zhe. Even if you are unfamiliar with Jin Yong’s novels and characters, you can still experience the power of the artistry on display. A Path to Glory is curated by William Fong, who was one of Prestige’s “40 Under 40 [in Hong Kong/2022]” and who curated the Asia Society’s wonderful fall 2023 exhibition Beacon in the Storm: The Art of Pang Jiun.
Jin Yong (Dr. Louis Cha) is revered in Hong Kong and throughout the world for the 15 enthralling wuxia (martial arts) novels he authored and the more than 1,400 characters he created. The novels have been translated into many languages and adapted for other media, including movies and television. Dr. Cha was also the founder of Hong Kong’s Ming Pao newspaper. As the curatorial statement observes, “[w]herever there are Chinese people, Jim Yong’s world of wuxia can be found. . . . [His works] are literary treasures, immortal classics, and guiding beacons in life.” The statement further explains that the title of the year-long celebration, A Path to Glory, comes from a sentence in one of Yong’s novels: One character says to another, “‘[t]o serve is a path to glory,’ [which] sums up Jin Yong’s life and his aspirations for the country.”
Ren Zhe seemingly makes stainless steel bend to his will in the Wuxia Fashion Exhibition's lone sculpture, Xiaolongnu. Just look at the drape of, and the folds in, her garment — both her dress and its sash, which falls to the ground, becoming a pedestal to support her in the air. Metal links attached to her hat, with its realistic creases and dents, create a veil to shield her beautifully sculpted face. The sculpture’s smaller scale (as compared with others Ren Zhe created for the celebration of Jin Yong’s birthday) enables viewers to get close to it and to appreciate all the fine details of Ren Zhe’s metal work.
YAT PIT, the Hong Kong-based brand founded by Jason Mui and On-ying Lai, which was profiled in Vogue Singapore in 2023, presents one of the most visually striking contributions to the exhibition. In their didactic panel, they describe their designs as their “reimagining of the invincible East characters; Dongfang Bubai and Huang Yaoshi.” YAT PIT’s fashion collections include a calligraphy poem print. Here, they present Huang Yaoshi draped in a fabric which, using their calligraphy print, displays the famous Jin Yong couplet that features all the titles of his novels. YAT PIT also explains that they “were inspired to tell [Dongfang Bubai’s] story through the character’s weapon of choice needles and thread.” YAT PIT values sustainability and the importance of recognizing the aesthetics of ordinary things, so they could identify with Dongfang’s ability “to transform … these everyday household utensils [sewing needles] into greatest weapon.”
Also intriguing are the figures of Guo Jing and the female character Mei Chaofeng (from The Legend of the Condor Heroes) through whom Kay Kwok (and his brand KWK) aims to “honor[] wuxia spirit while merging traditional aesthetics with futuristic innovations,” according to his didactic panel. Both figures are dramatically draped in rich fabrics. Kwok’s choice of fabrics, for Guo Jing in particular, seems to be a nod to traditional men’s suiting. Kwok envisions Guo Jing as “a cyber-enhanced warrior,” and he has imbued Mei Chaofeng’s Skeleton Claw with a “biotech-infused force.” All of this aligns with KWK's aesthetic, which is “unapologetically avant-garde and futuristic,” according to the website fashionasiahk.com.
Veteran fashion designer William Tang shares on his didactic panel that his favorite Jin Yong novel is The Smiling, Proud Wander. His favorite characters in the novel, Linghu Chong and Ren YingYing, soar high above the rest of the exhibition. Vince Leung, who was featured in Vogue Thailand in 2023, explains on his panel that his color and pattern choices reflect the character traits of Yue Buquin (“hypocrisy” as expressed through purple peeking through the layers of pure white) and Oboi (“unruly” as shown by the “oversized” presentation and “power-seeking” as depicted through the tiger print). On its panel, Brand PONDER.ER [sic] (Alex Po and Derek Cheng), winner of the 2022 Yu Prize, describes its use of “one-of-a-kind textiles . . . to celebrate the layers of [Yong’s] characters’ unapologetic personalities and unconventional quirks.”
Jin Yong’s Wuxia Fashion Exhibition continues through the end of the month. You can read more about Ren Zhe’s A Path to Glory Sculptures, which are the basis of a special Hongkong Post commemorative stamp issue, here.
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