In celebration of Valentine’s Day, Tatler turned to creative couples in Hong Kong to talk about their relationships, jobs and how those aspects interplay with their style. In the first of this three-part series, we spoke to Fu and Mengzy, two DJs well versed in the underground club scene
Fu and Mengzy aren’t your average couple—despite having dated for years, the mononymous DJs are famously lowkey about their relationship. For the first time, they’ve decided to talk about how they met, how their styles have changed since, supporting each other in their careers, and why it’s so important to own multiple pairs of trainers.
How long have you two been together?
Mengzy (M): Well, we count it from the month we first met, because it was a gradual thing for us to become official. It’s been four years this month.
Fu (F): I congratulated her this morning, being with me for that length of time.
When did you first meet?
M: We met at XXX Gallery (an underground club in Tai Kok Tsui). I was just starting to go there a lot to embed myself in the underground scene.
F: I think it was a dubstep night, organised by a group called Ecstatic Bass. Goth-Trad and Joe Nice were there.
M: I was with a friend, and I bumped into Fu. He started talking to me, and I was like, “whatever”. I thought he was 17 or 18 from the way he was dressed. He asked if I had Facebook, which I thought was a lame line, but we ended up talking on Messenger and hanging out. I hardcore friendzoned him [at the time], and then he stopped trying to ask me out, but after a while I realised that I liked him.
Do you remember what you were wearing that night?
F: Can I try and guess for Mengzy? It was that green jacket with the tiger on the back.
M: Yeah exactly. I bought that jacket at a thrift store in Tokyo. I love masculine pieces, and I wore it with a short dress underneath. It’s oversized, and I was trying to look cool that night, but it’s something I would have worn anyways.
See more: Couple Style Files: Ollie & Gemma
What’s it like both being DJs?
M: We only work together on the night we organise, Wonton Bass, with our friends Jack (Lovely) and Henry (Enry). Fu specialises in hip hop, drum and bass, vinyl and turntables, whereas I’m solely digital. There’s no competition between us at all because we occupy different genres.
F: It’s something we share together.
M: And it works for our lifestyle—we come home between 5-9am. Even if I’m not DJing, I go out to support other people’s events and check out other sets. We understand it’s part of the career, so we just go out without each other.
F: Yeah, one night you’ll come home at four in the morning, and the next night it’ll be me.
M: We don’t have to explain anything.
How much does DJ culture influence your style?
F: I’ve never really thought about my style in the context of music. I’ve been dressing like this since I was 16, it’s a uniform. Music is so intrenched in UK culture, so fashion and music go hand in hand. Even though I play hip-hop, I never took on American styles at all, like basketball trainers. I’m still very much in the UK sphere.
M: I’m not influenced by a particular genre per se, but the way I dress has changed a lot because of DJ culture has a whole. What I wear now is so different from what I wore in my early 20s. I used to be in 5-inch heels and mini dresses—fast forward to now and comfort is the number one priority for me, as I’m standing for 6 or 7 hours.
This is more for practicality, but if I’m playing a long set and I need to run to the bathroom, I can’t be struggling with a dress—I need something quick to undo. So baggy silhouettes are nice, and so are comfortable fabrics. I love being able to wear trainers all the time too.
Do you change your look depending on the night you’re playing?
F: No. [laughs]
M: If he’s doing a corporate function, he just wears a T-shirt that’s slightly newer.
F: I’ve got new ones with the tags still on in my closet just in case I need a fresh T-shirt.
M: I’ll change my look, and I’ll picture myself wearing that outfit in the venue. If I think, “you look like an idiot”, then I’ll change, because an outfit for a swanky club won’t be the same as for a grimy, underground club space. You need to wear something that matches the mood of the music—to me, anyways.
F: One thing I’ll do change is the trainers I’m wearing, depending on the venue. If it’s grimy, I’ll wear black trainers. If it’s a bit nicer, I’ll wear white ones.
M: I made that mistake once and Fu was really upset. He’d bought me a pair of white trainers as a gift. I was so excited about them but I went out with them, and they were totally scuffed up afterwards. Now I stick to black shoes for hectic club nights.
See more: The Favourite Songs Of Genre-Defying DJ Xiaolin—From City Pop To Reggae To Acid House
