A Man’s Standing
t’s now 20 years since the term “metrosexual” entered the lexicon, the masculine appropriation of feminine beauty and style, describing a man meticulous about grooming and appearance, moisturiser and magazines, and, above all, himself. Coined in an article by Mark Simpson in The Independent in England, Simpson wrote: “Metrosexual man, the single young man with a high disposable income, living or working in the city (because that’s where all the best shops are), is perhaps the most promising consumer market of the decade.”
Prescient indeed. Twenty years later, Mark Graham’s piece ( Made Men, p.228), part of our supersize men’s coverage, assesses the current state of the art for the 21st-century metrosexual, or post-metrosexual (uber-metrosexual entered the lingo but was soon dropped). He finds high-end and mass-market designers on high streets and online’s electric avenue excited by robust growth in this market. Brands such as Prada, Ralph Lauren and Dunhill have launched men-only stores to meet today’s dashing metro’s needs, and Graham notes the effect the rise of China’s manly millions is having on mobile menswear sales and social media. For an additional take on today’s male style barometer, see our men’s runway report ( Male Order, p.156) in which we bring you the pick of the global shows.
Fellows apart, we feature two members of the fairer sex, who in their respective ways are style arbitresses of superlative import. Macau-born Sarah Ho, a glamorous yet humble cocktail of East and West, passion and perseverance, graces our cover and shares with us the secrets of her sparkling jewellery success with her Sarah Ho brand in London and increasingly around the globe ( Creative Fusion, p.234).
And then there’s the dame of Hong Kong’s style elite, Bonnae Gokson, who not only possesses refinement in spades, but has pioneered its development in the city through her fashion, design and confectionery taste. Where Bonnae leads, lifestyle’s cognoscenti and consumer shifts follow ( Objects of Affection, p.220).
Ladies and gentlemen, we trust this month’s style bible will put added spring in each metro-, retro-, and best-dressed step you take across the small, tall city.