29/01/2026
“I’m a girl born in Hong Kong, but honestly I spent most of my growing-up years in other cities. That’s why I can really feel how different the subculture scene here is compared to elsewhere.
Being part of the subculture crowd in Hong Kong feels pretty lonely to me. Sure, you see quite a few people dressed in cool, edgy ways around the city, but to me their “standing out” never feels sharp enough, never goes all the way. Maybe it’s because this place itself doesn’t really encourage — or even allow — people to show their uniqueness too much.
Back when I was seventeen, right before Halloween, I made this whole outfit myself: I stuck plumbing pipes onto clothes, full-on cyberpunk vibe. I wore it out on the street. Nobody said anything to my face, but the way people looked at me… you could tell they felt uncomfortable, unwelcome, some even straight-up rejecting the sight. While one friend was taking photos of me, this random photographer quietly snapped a shot from the side without me noticing. He posted it on his Instagram. I only found out later when a friend happened to see it while scrolling and sent it to me.
I opened the comments and it was flooded with swear words and really mean, sarcastic remarks. That was the first time I truly felt how intensely Hong Kong rejects anyone who’s “different”. After that day I still kept my style, but I stopped going out alone in super exaggerated looks on the streets here.
Maybe the city just doesn’t allow anything too jarring to exist. Or maybe I’m still not brave enough to completely ignore all the stares and just be myself 100%. I never expect everyone to understand me — the moment I put these clothes on, I already accepted that most people won’t get it. But I still hope that people in this city can at least look at those of us who never planned to fit in… with a bit more respect and tolerance.”- Caroline (嘉露蓮) [4398]
#十年企劃
