Philanthropic fashion finds a home in Hong Kong

While Hong Kong has long been a hub for high-end fashion; the city's identity has seen a shift - from one of indulgence, to one of more conscious inclusiveness. There's a recent generosity of spirit in Hong Kong's fashion culture that has led to a collection of labels and initiatives aiming to marry fashion with a greater cause.

There's a market for this sort of engagement, too. A recent Nielsen global consumer report shows that 52 per cent of Hong Kong's respondents would be willing to pay more for a product if they knew it was made in a socially responsible way. This is excellent news for Hong Kong's philanthropic creatives, and many have tapped into a sustainable business model that embraces innovation, style and relentless good karma.

A proponent of Hong Kong's charitable labels is the newly launched platform PhatRice.com which promotes products that aim to make a positive and sustainable impact. Started by entrepreneurs Matt Davis and Anthony Lance, the idea was born after they noticed that consumers were beginning to care more about where their products came from. In their research, they found locally based designers who had also noted the trend and were creating socially engaging products that ranged from solar lanterns to jewellery reconstituted from ERWs (exploded remnants of war). These products were inspiring and innovative, but the pair saw that there was a gap in the market - a platform where designers could host their products and connect with customers who also cared. Although in its infancy, the reaction to PhatRice has been overwhelmingly positive, says Lance.

"PhatRice product partners have been eager to feature on the site, and users are keen to read each new story and featured product every week. As a result, they have connected with established retailers and local celebrities who want to partner with us to develop socially and environmentally responsible ranges," he says. "The best energy in the world is positive energy - by being a positive storyteller of true life change and social impact, PhatRice naturally energises and excites customers."

Sharing a similar mantra, Kingdom Wear was launched last month after co-founders Ben Cameron and William Budden found common ground in a shared pursuit of the ultimate T-shirt. Budden developed the Kingdom T-shirt, a lion silhouette, to represent traits that were synonymous with the cause - courage, power and hope. The design has been reproduced in five styles, reflecting different personality traits of people who might wear one.