PUBLISHED ONFebruary 27, 2024 6:08 AMByYeo Shu HuiIn this day and age, fashion is about self-representation and comfort.
For Harrison Yu, son of divorced celeb couple Harlem Yu and Annie Yi, fashion is also not limited to societal norms.
Last March, he donned a sexy white strappy outfit and long wig in Portugal to celebrate his 21st birthday and received much support from netizens, who admired his ability to look good in both male and female clothing.
There was also criticism from others who called him a "Westernised son".
Since then, Harrison has continued to share on his Instagram profile photos of himself in dresses and long wigs while hanging out with his friends.
In a social media post by Chinese fashion content creator World Microphone yesterday (Feb 26), he responded to netizens' comments on his sartorial choices.
"Many people asked why I always wear women's clothing and questioned if I'm a girl. I want to clarify that I am a male and I usually wear men's clothing," he shared.
He affirmed that his fashion choices were never based on "boys wearing skirts" or "boys having long hair".
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Harrison said: "If I want to convey a more feminine and soft vibe to everyone, I'll dress accordingly. If I am aiming for a somewhat grunge look, then I'll dress in that style. I want to wear beautiful clothes."
"An important part is knowing what things are innate and what things are bestowed upon us by society," he added.
He also shared that in 17th and 18th century France, royalty including Napoleon Bonaparte and Louis XVI wore wigs and high heels, and they were considered good-looking and fashionable. However, such looks are regarded differently today.
"If you look at history and the changes in fashion, you would realise how absurd these so-called rules and societal norms are, which makes us question, why should certain things be assigned to a particular gender or culture?" Harrison expressed, adding that despite that, fashion choices should not cross lines that would lead to issues such as cultural misappropriation.
Harlem, 62, and Annie, 55, had previously expressed their support towards their son's fashion choices, sharing that he is free to make his own and they just want him to be happy.
Annie's views were emphasised again recently in her Douyin post on Feb 23, where she uploaded a video of her shopping and having meals with Harrison in New York.
She wrote in the caption: "I like the way my son dresses, his aesthetics… People often say that I can only accept him since he is already like this. That is such an underestimation of my love for being different.
"To me, gender and fashion representations are not as meaningful as the profound soul… His gentleness is much stronger than many emotionally avoidant men."
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