LUNCH BREAK CHATS: Henry of Street Style Poser reveals his Style Secrets
In today’s Lunch Break Chats, I caught up with friend and style blogger Henry Ng (Street Style Poser) and got a glimpse of his fashion perspective. For my style profile make sure to visit Henry’s site.
Describe your personal style. Is there a fashion icon you look up to?
Someone described my style as “casual perfection”, which I like that a lot, even though it doesn’t really paint a clear picture. I tend to gravitate towards clothes or items that are unique, quirky or interesting. I like the idea of taking pieces that’s unusual and different and working them into everyday wear.
As for icons, I love Roisin Murphy’s style. She mixes elegance with quirkiness so effortlessly – it helps that she’s stunning but I think her ability to not take herself seriously presents an opportunity to have fun with fashion.
Tell me about this outfit. How did you come up with it?
I had this idea of an Oriental mafia who’s also very sartorial conscious in a modern day sort of way – you know not necessarily rough and tough, but still dark and mysterious, if that makes sense.
What are some of your wardrobe essentials?
I tend to invest in pieces that are unique or interesting that work with several outfits and won’t become out of style. I’m not sure if these pieces are considered essentials per se, but since I’m not a T-shirt and jeans kind of guy, I feel they’re more important to me than a T-shirt or a pair of jeans since you can easily replace them.
How do you balance buying statement pieces vs. basics?
Basics to me are items I can throw on whenever with whatever I’m wearing. They’re not the primary focus of the outfit, and as long as they fit well and don’t disintegrate after a few washes, I’m down. I recently talked about how I’m open to spending a few grand on a jacket but not willing to spend that much on basics. They’re not investment pieces and I don’t believe in buying expensive basics because of its label, especially when they’re manufactured in the same factories as many cheaper options.
Favorite designers?
Raf Simons, hands down. It’s different every season and you just don’t know what to expect from him. He has the ability to craft pieces that no one understands when they first hit the runway but eventually become the most coveted pieces after a year or two. I also love Thom Browne, Kim Jones for LV and Kris Van Assche for Dior Homme- luxury that has a street and youth element. Mind you, I’m not into the whole Off-White, Vetements, Gosha Rubchinskiy street trend that have been tagged as luxury.
What does fashion mean to you?
Fashion is buying into what’s trending on the runway or high street. While the terms “fashion” and style seem to have become interchangeable, there’s a huge difference: you can buy fashion; you can’t buy style.
Yours photos have a camp-humor quality to them- tell me how those moments are created.
It’s interesting how you see it as camp-humour, since I never really thought of it that way. But considering that some of my favorite comedic characters include Jenna Maroney from 30 Rock, and Edina and Patsy from Ab Fab, it totally makes sense.
There are a few ways I work but mostly, I try to come up with a caption or reference that takes the piss on the images I’ve created. I guess I have that sense of self-deprecating or mocking humor, but it’s all really about having fun, which I find lacking in fashion sometimes.
Where do you see fashion blogging heading?
Honestly, I don’t think it’s going to shift much for a while. I do, however, think the quality and type of content would get better and more unique. As the style blogging market becomes more and more saturated, the only way to stand out is to be good at what you do and have a distinctive point of view. Users are becoming savvier and are very aware of sponsored content, fake followers and engagement. It’s like that time when Google changed the whole algorithm and content producers really had to focus on quality content to rank.
What’s next for SSP?
I’m starting a profile section, doing Q&As with creatives or people who I admire. And you’re the first one! I’m also hoping to use it as a platform to promote the idea that you don’t need to be tall, white and/or super attractive to have style or to be heard.
-Matt Chu
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