‘Maai mat ye?’ or ‘What do you want to buy?’ is a permeating call heard throughout the wet markets of Hong Kong and one that embodies the city’s bustling rhythm.

Hong Kong’s auspicious geopolitical position and ‘can-do’ spirit has historically fostered the production and transaction of the best quality goods. During the rise of the cotton trade in the 1940s, many related industries emerged to transform the city. At the height of this textile boom, Hong Kong’s cotton industry was producing a dazzling array of household goods, the impact of which exceeded the city’s borders.

The cotton yarns once spun in the Nan Fung Textile mills further transformed: into the underwear, socks, and T-shirts worn by our grandparents, the tailored shirts that accompanied our parents to their first jobs, the workwear that geared up factory workers, the jeans that we coveted as teenagers and the blankets that warmed us as babies. Whether it is the common yet indispensable ‘Good Morning Towel’, civil servants’ uniform, martial arts shoes, or exquisitely hand embroidered garments, cotton has become both a trusted fibre and the origin of many local memories.

The items and garments here function as a lens through which we can examine the extensive scope and pervasive impact of the local cotton industry. CHAT’s sustained efforts in the collection of textile-related materials and narratives aim to conserve, document and discuss this influential aspect of Hong Kong’s heritage. These items were assembled by the CHAT team, supported by our close collaborators and mentors, whose collective knowledge on and dedication to textiles, fashion and Hong Kong history has resulted in this eclectic and considered display of cotton items.

As you look through these windows, picture the departure of cotton threads from machines: humble yet prepared to be transformed into the products both found in our markets and that are building this city.

Conceived by the CHAT Collection and Exhibition team