A senior Hong Kong government official became the centre of attention after attending a press conference dressed in what appeared to be an item out of a Qing Dynasty wardrobe.
Speaking about commencing a public consultation on relaxing media ownership regulations on Tuesday, Commerce and Economic Development Bureau Permanent Secretary Eliza Lee wore an outfit that resembled the “phoenix gowns” of historic Manchu empresses.
While some netizens believed that she wore the clothing for the occasion of Lunar New Year, columnist Kengo Ip said on Facebook that he could not concentrate on listening to the content of the press conference.
“My brain was thinking nothing except: Where did she buy that outfit?”
成個諮詢會我都集中唔到睇，我個腦只係係度諗，究竟件衫，係邊度買既。
Posted by 健吾 on Tuesday, 20 February 2018
“This must be the Hong Kong royal family,” wrote one Facebook commenter, referring to semi-serious advocacy by some localists to turn Hong Kong into a monarchical city-state.
Lee’s wardrobe also attracted the attention of Hong Kong’s photoshop artists.
“It has been said that whatever you wear, if you insert the head of Edison Chen on it, you will immediately look decent,” wrote Facebook page Offence Intended.
More constructively, however, some netizens suggested that Lee should have completed the outfit with headwear worn by Qing empresses.
“Hong Kong needs people like this who are not afraid to innovate,” said one Facebook commenter.
On Thursday, Commerce and Economic Development Bureau chief Edward Yau told Ming Pao during another event that she had “fashion sense,” and that the outfit was a “selling point.”
