International Fashion Spotlight: London-based Chinese Designer Kyle Ho

Sticking to our mission statement to Always Be Distracting in these stressful, doom-scrolling times, we offer you several minutes of self-care while you look at the eye-popping hats and coolly modern menswear of Hong Kong-born, London-based designer Kyle Ho.

Born and raised in Hong Kong, Kyle moved to London in 2014 to hone his craft. His ferocious appetite for design and unwavering dedication to achieving his vision has yielded both a degree (BA) in Fashion Styling and a masters (MA) in Menswear Design. Choosing to specialise in menswear, a field dominated by archaic rules and restricted by tradition, Kyle seeks to defy these well-established norms to spearhead a movement of more progressive and unique styling for men. Driven by his unconventional perception of the world, his design philosophy is guided by the principle of challenging the status quo and subverting expectations – to find the extraordinary in the ordinary. With a focus on progressive bespoke tailoring, the Kyle Ho aesthetics seeks to elevate menswear by forgoing tradition and rebuking the restrictions of the field through the incorporation of high-fashion silhouettes. While the silhouettes are extravagant with exaggerated proportions, there is a strong emphasis on enhancing the finer details of a piece. Though the construction and design of the garment remains paramount, there is a notable focus on the sourcing of materials. A Kyle Ho garment is designed to be captivatingly peculiar but fundamentally exists to be a functional and reliable staple of one’s wardrobe. Ultimately, Kyle Ho exists as a way to challenge the dated views on what defines masculinity and explore how the male physique can be distorted and enhanced via the use of eccentric designs.

We doubt we could pull off even a third of these designs, but we sure do love looking at them. While some may find his elongated silhouettes or deconstructed suiting elements a bit much for the average wearer, we don’t think he really has the average wearer in mind. Not the ones in 2022, anyway. This is forward-looking fashion and sure, there’s no guarantee that this is where menswear is definitely going to go in the decades ahead, we’re always happy to see someone trying to push these antiquated forms into new areas and shapes. Men’s suiting has remained largely unchanged except for relatively minor variations in cut and style for a century and a half now. Huzzah and hurray to anyone willing to change the conversation a little.