Not really outlets, but during the discount periods and he will buy a lot at the time and give me some. So in the previous years I have not bought much clothes myself, but this year I have started to buy more clothes by myself and in that case I will be influenced by the brand which is influenced by my farther and also I take the advice from my girlfriend, not friend but girlfriend. Because I think that it is different from a girl’s point of view to watch, so for me I prefer a female friend over a male friend.
Everybody: laughs
But you don’t have any sport idols that you look up to?
Jacky: they do not influence me a lot
Do you do any sport any of you?
All: yes
Okay, what kind of sport?
Jacky: I play badminton Star: running
Do you see yourself do any other sports in the future? Do you see yourself playing golf for example?
Jacky and Wilson: Yes
Wilson: Yes I am going to be rich Jacky: yeah happy
Wilson: or snooker, I have been playing for two years now, but still improving it What about skiing?
Wilson: Yeah as well, any kind of sports or maybe diving.
Where do you go skiing?
Wilson: there is not snow in Hong Kong, you would have to go away Jacky: but you can ski on grass in China
But Wilson are you only going to play golf because it is the sport of the rich or because you like it?
Wilson: yes I like it and I will do horse riding as well But why not now?
Wilson: Because for example if you want to play golf in Hong Kong you have to sign up for it, and it is really costly and horse riding, if you want to learn horse riding you have to wait a year or two years, you have to queue, because the space is limited in Hong Kong.
Which fashion brands are you planning to purchase in the newest future?
Alan: I don’t know if you have heard of it before it is called black chocolate. It is a Japanese brand and it suits my style, because I think that the clothes are kind of simple.
Is it like street wear?
Jacky and Alan: No casual
Are there any brands that you would like to buy in the future but which you cannot afford to buy now?
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Jacky; I know that many Hong Kong teenagers like Japanese brands like Trubasand? or IT. Or the Hong Kong brand called 2%?
Jacky: just Tommy
What about Lacoste or Ralph Lauren?
Jacky: Lacoste is okay.
Are you loyal towards brands?
Alan: I am loyal to my brand Vanessa: me too
But what about when you get a job?
Star: sometimes we can still wear this to go to work (points as her clothes). But if I really needed to buy some business clothes for work I would buy Biem, but only for business clothes.
Jacky and star: Nike is not really stylish Star: I prefer other brand to Nike
Jacky; for shoes I will buy a variety of different brand, I am seldom loyal to shoe brands. I love Adidas, I just bought 2 Adidas shoes, but I don’t stick to it, I want to try new brands.
But what if you made a lot of money, would you then buy some luxury brands?
Star: in fact I already have some luxury Wilson: Yeah she is rich
Star: I am not rich, I just like those shoes. In fact I would buy different brands, I would divide it, let’s say for leisure I would buy Adidas, or sometimes I will go and buy something with my boyfriend like staccato? Or other brands for high heels.
Vanessa: I would look at the environment, in fact we have to look a certain way in some offices, it all depends on your colleagues what they expect you to wear. If each one has a very strong brand I think that I will have a similar style as them because I think that this is a way of communication. The working environment is very important. If it is casual then I can wear casual. It really depends
Have you seen sex and the city?
Star: yes like 10 times, all 6 seasons
But what do you go for when you wear a brand? Do you go for style or quality or something else?
Star: I go for style and quality, because I have many experiences with bad quality, especially from shoes I once had my toes coloured by a pair of staccato shoes that made my shoes red when it rained.
But do you care about the brand?
Star: No I just pick what is beautiful
Do you think that the Danish consumers are different from the ones in Hong Kong?
All: yes
Alan: yes of course, Hong Kong girls like luxury brands much more, I seldom see Danish girls wear Chanel, Gucci or Louis Vuitton. When compared to Hong Kong it is less in Denmark.
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Jacky: office ladies in Hong Kong save money to buy LV or Gucci bags
Does you two have Gucci bags or something (to the girls)?
Star: no I can’t afford it.
But will you buy luxury bags when you get more money?
Yes maybe one or two, but I will not always buy it
Alan: even when you are not rich enough you can also buy it.
Wilson: you can do it like a mortgage, you can divide it the payments into a couple of times. If it costs like 4000kr, you can divide it.
But do you then have to go to the bank to get a loan?
Wilson: no, no, just in the store.
So you can just go to the Chanel store and get it?
Wilson: yes
Alan: so even poor people can also buy Chanel Jacky: Oh come on, poor people don’t know Chanel
Vanessa: some people are claiming the funding from the government – subsidies, and use that funding to buy luxury brand, it is on the news.
So it is really important to have luxury brands?
Vanessa: I think, to have something to stand on yourself, just..
Is it a way to show that you have success?
Vanessa: it is a common thing in Hong Kong
But if you go to a job interview without wearing luxury brands with it then diminish your chances to get the job?
Alan: Not really Wilson: come on
Jacky; no just between your friends and your peers, you can show the clothes and get attention.
Star; you don’t need to buy fake bags
Jacky: but you can easy get one with good quality
What about when you go shopping, how important is the experience to you, that the store looks good and have good service?
Jacky: it is not really important to me. The first priority is probably price or style. Service is not a top priority. I just go there and tell the sales person to get me that shoe with that number and its fine, I pay the money. The sales persons are very busy, they need to handle a lot of costumers and do not pay much attention to the consumer, I have gotten used to it, and I don’t really need their opinions or service, I just find the one I like with an acceptable price.
So you don’t need help with making shoes and clothing fit together and so on?
Star; no, but when I worked in Gucci, those rich people really like to be served, picked the things again and again, like
“I want to try this and that too, how does it match “find me this and that and I want to try this again, how does it match with these pants...” the service in those luxury brands here is really different compared to normal brands.
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Jacky: when I go and buy cheap sport shoes like Nike or Adidas I don’t care about the service, but if I go to buy luxuries I do care about service. If I go to a luxury shop I want to be served.
You expect it?
Jacky: Yes I expect it, I think that it is included in the price the service
When you go shopping for clothing do you ever think about the environment or the people that work for the brand, do you have green fashion in Hong Kong?
All: no
Star: Hong Kong girls want luxury, like LV, Chanel, Gucci especially these brand, we can see a long queue outside the store like the Gucci shop.
Jack; there is always a queue, there are security in the door and they are counting the people in the queue, one out, one can come in.
Star: In Hong Kong if some fashion is concerned about the environment we will just think that it is a gimmick.
Jacky: I think that this idea has only been applied to electronics like computer and television really cares about energy efficiency
Now talking about ECCO, did you know that they made golf shoes?
All: No
Do you think that ECCO has an interesting personality?
Alan: I think that it is simple and formal shoes Jacky: yeah formal
Alan: I don’t think that we can really regard it as interesting If ECCO were a car which car would it be?
Alan: Volvo
What about if ECCO were producing clothing, do you think that you would buy it?
All: not at this age
What if they make a line for the young, with polo’s and so on All: no
Star: I think I will buy it when I become a successful business woman.
Jacky: it would be better if they produce formal business clothing, because their shoes are formal, it is quite similar then for casual it is a bit far from their concept in my mind.
You don’t think that they aren’t sporty enough?
Jacky: no
How often do you go shopping?
Wilson: once in a year
Star: I always go window shopping
Wilson: 99 % of my clothing and shoes are bought by my girlfriend – the whole image Do you buy clothing for her as well?
Wilson: Yes dresses, skirts and so on and shoes as well Do you buy a specific brand?
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Yes I know what she wants, but she does not always want me to buy all her clothing. I only spend money on her and her on me.
Jacky, do you also buy clothing for your girlfriend?
Jacky: yes, but not very often, but sometimes polo shirts. I often get polo shirts from my father who passes it to me when he goes on mega sales, he cannot always fit it.
Star: I often go window shopping with my boyfriend and when I see something beautiful I will get him to try it and if he looks good I might buy it for him.
Jacky; for me I prefer foreign brands like Japanese ones, I like the brands that Alan is wearing, but I cannot find it in my size. I wear these polo shirts because they fit me.
So you prefer Japanese brands to European ones?
Jacky; American
Star: my boyfriend like the Hong Kong brand esprit.
Jacky; for me it’s the size
Vanessa: for me at the beginning it was size, price and style, it is more casual and it goes well when we use it at school, it is affordable
Is European less casual?
Vanessa: American is more casual What do you think about Danish Brands?
Vanessa: In Hong Kong I am quite loyal towards a brand, also the style here does not quite fit me, the Danish people are tall, I am short I don’t think I would look good with that kind of clothes.
What do you dream of for the future?
Star: I would love to get a good job and make a lot of money.
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