One of my must-sees in Hong Kong (apart from all the usual hot spots) was Sham Shui Po area which is the garment district of Hong Kong - and I wasn't disappointed. Because the city was easy to get around as well as safe it was a great adventure to board the train to this area and explore. There were blocks and blocks with shops big and small with notions, beads, findings, trims and buttons; and of course fabric. There were things I had never imagined possible with eager shop assistants always willing to show you how things worked. I think they enjoyed seeing people make these new discoveries. I almost renamed Sham Shui Po 'XoChique's Crafting Paradise' and yes I had a desire to get lost there and never come out.
One of the fascinating things about shopping in Hong Kong is the maze of malls and shops you come across and it was no different in this older area of the Kowloon side of Hong Kong. With some small shopfronts as an entry there were still endless piles of fabric waiting to be liberated and turned into a masterpiece by someone with eager hands. And still more and more in the back rooms and floors above. There were walls covered from head to toe in beads and buttons in every size and color imaginable. You almost felt like you'd drown in a sea of findings.
With vintage in mind you are reminded of the Shanghai Calendar girls who were the poster girls for the advertising products from China in the early 1900s. You know, those angelic photos with pale powdered faces and silky draped gowns or brightly painted umbrellas.
Here's a modern day version poster girl I picked up while there.
