Hong Kong
Born in Shanghai, based in Hong Kong. I've been features writer and editor for English newspaper and magazine since 2006. I cover luxury lifestyle topics from watches to fashion, jewellery, film, culture and more.
Business of Luxury
Vigneron has come up with new storytelling, taken up social responsibilities and adapted new strategies to meet customers' changing needs
Luxury brands are coming up with products that incorporate unconventional motifs, high technology and wearability to meet the changing needs of customers, especially millennials
Tiffany & Co., Cartier, Boucheron, Audemars Piguet and RJ are revolutionising their brick-and-mortar concepts into an omnichannel retail experience
The morning after Burberry's straight-to-consumer debut, its London flagship store on Regent Street was bustling with enthusiastic customers trying on the latest September collection fresh off the runway - some even left the shop sporting their trophy buys right away. "Customer behaviour has changed so dramatically," says Christopher Bailey, Burberry's chief creative officer and CEO.
From the appearance of teenager Willow Smith in the front row at Chanel's show to Elie Saab's unveiling of matching mother-daughter gowns at July's Paris Haute Couture Week, it seems the prestigious couture trade is responding in full to the rising interest it is receiving from a dynamic new generation of customers, and is keeping its modernisation in tune with the fast-changing fashion realm.
Fendi CEO Pietro Beccari's wish was granted last month when the Italian luxury maison showed its latest haute couture in Rome. Models marched across a transparent runway over the capital's Trevi Fountain, which had been freshly restored, thanks to the brand's generous €2.5million (HK$21.4 million) donation.
The rising popularity of high-end e-tailers such as the newly merged Net-A-Porter and Yoox has sparked a transformation among institutional luxury retailers. With the convenience, discretion and competitive pricing of online shopping drawing affluent customers away from brick-and-mortar stores, traditional multibrand retailers are reinventing themselves with personalised services and creative retail concepts to maintain their appeal.
Grand feu is almost a lost art in luxury watchmaking. The delicate technique that heats layers of enamelling powder in an oven at temperatures up to 1,000 degrees Celsius to achieve a subtle patina is extremely costly and time-consuming. Yet, to untrained eyes, the discreet decorative effect could easily be overlooked compared to otherwise lavishly decorated skeletonised or diamond-paved dials.
Bespoke suits at the menswear label Ciccio can easily set back a discerning gentleman a cool HK$35,000. However, despite its Italian-sounding name and its classic Italian looks, Ciccio suits are not made in Naples or Florence, but in an atelier in Tokyo's trendy Aoyama district.
Wrapping up our phone interview just a little past 5.30am Los Angeles time, Robert Simonds couldn't wait for the rest of the day to start. "I'm off to have more fun," enthuses the chairman and CEO of American film and television studio STX Entertainment.
Shenzhen-born, Central Saint Martins-trained designer Angel Chen's fashion show could have easily been mistaken as a teenage rave party. For her latest Fight Club collection, models with smudged smoky eyes and hand-applied face paint donned asymmetrical dresses, embroidered parkas and acid-coloured faux fur.
From the clients' favourite bottle of Château Mouton Rothschild to their children's beloved blankets, Jenny Lau makes sure the private jet owners on her watch have all their needs met. The in-flight butler duties are only a small part of the services Lau and her team at Sino Jet Management - the private jet management firm she founded in 2008 - provide.
LUXURY CEO
Fendi CEO Pietro Beccari aims to appeal to sophisticated and high-end customers by dropping logo bags and planning ahead while adapting to changes.
Jean-Christophe Babin, CEO of Bulgari, preserves the brand's creative heritage and expertise while embracing the latest technology.
Stefano Sassi, CEO of Valentino, says the lifestyle company is focusing on an aggressive global expansion strategy By Vivian Chen Q. Why has Valentino been very aggressive in store expansion lately? A. We are super aggressive in building our own network.
Vivian Chen Follow @Vivian_CChen !function(d,s,id){var... By Vivian Chen Q. Lamborghini celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2013. What is the essence of the brand that's been celebrated over the past half-century, and how has it evolved? A.
A. JOYCE has always been about celebrating the art of fashion with its strong point of view and we have continued to stay true to this commitment. In delivering that, we have curated the best brands globally and launched talented designers through our multibrand boutiques and - through our distribution business - we have built a platform for emerging brands to grow in Greater China.
Q: How important is heritage and legacy for Loewe? A: It is really important. I always think of it as a foundation for us to look [ahead] ... we have the authenticity of that heritage. We can take the expertise and draw from it.
Multimedia Digital Package
Gucci's ready-to-wear and accessories have been on a hit streak ever since Alessandro Michele took over as creative director. We took a peek inside the bag-to-end-all-bags to get a closer look at its exotic skin and iconic details.
STYLE's November shoot features Gaile Lok as muse and fashion maven. Photographer: PJ Lam at Fast Management Stylist: Kieran Ho Styling assistants: Doralice Chan and Joyce Chau Hair: Dickey Blue Makeup: Walter Ma Makeup assistant: Sin Ying at Walter Makeup Model: Gaile Lok Artwork provided by Above Second Gallery
What you will want to wear in spring-summer 2017
Fashion
Chiuri thinks it is important that fashion reflects female rights and the mood of the times
Despite his many accolades and awards, designer Oscar de la Renta had no plans to step down. In fact, he was experiencing the best time of his life. "My work is a celebration of a woman's beauty and femininity," said de la Renta, who died today.
Occupation: Fashion designer Inspiration: I don't have a specific muse. I look more towards nature, art and architecture. I can be inspired by an exhibition I visited, a ballet opera or anything that sparks my interest. If I have to choose someone, I personally admire Jean Seberg. I love her modernity.
Mary Katrantzou is full of surprises. The Greek-born, London-based designer made her name with whimsical digital prints that are worn by A-listers and hang in the world's most exclusive boutiques. Last year, the rising star brought her two-dimensional prints to life via intricate embellishments, beading, crocheting and embroidery.
Often dubbed fashion's Gilbert & George, Viktor&Rolf is known for pushing the boundaries between fashion and art. The Dutch duo of Viktor Horsting and Rolf Snoeren took the concept even further in their latest haute couture presentation in July - their first since discontinuing their ready-to-wear business.
Occupation: Fashion designer Inspirations: I always think of people I met in Scotland. I came across people from my hometown - really eccentric people - funny, humorous and really generous. I grew up around lovely people, and I always remember them and think about them in my collections.
What you will want to wear in spring-summer 2017
COVER STORY
Like the many rooms she has entered, Gong Li owns this one the moment she walks into the suite at The Peninsula Hong Kong. Arriving for our interview, the beauty flaunts her femme-fatale physique in a sleek ensemble of monochrome pant suit, leaving us smitten with her megawatt beam.
King of heels Manolo Blahnik might be old school, but his collaboration with millennial superstar Rihanna is a match made in heaven. "It's very exciting for an old boy like me to be working with a young kid like her, a very talented young kid," Blahnik says on the phone from his studio in Mayfair, London.
Depending on who you ask, Christian Louboutin's receptionist could have the most or least coveted job. The receptionist should expect the unexpected, especially when it come to deliveries. These could range from Moroccan wooden doors to Egyptian wall panels and, on a good day, a full-grown cougar specimen that's proudly on display in Louboutin's Parisian apartment.
Watches and Jewellery
A different take on luxury timepieces - from a female connoisseur's perspective By Vivian Chen Watchmaking to me is, above all, romantic. Just the thought of a timekeeper being passed on to the generations to come is a love letter for the future.
Back in 1992, Philippe Dufour had yet to make a name for himself, despite his groundbreaking innovations for heritage watch maisons such as Audemars Piguet and Jaeger LeCoultre. Dufour's Grande Sonnerie minute-repeater wristwatch - a world's first which took him 36 months to finish - didn't get any orders after its Baselworld debut until he came across an Asian dealer who offered to show the piece in Singapore.
The fascination revolving around the Patek Philippe Henry Graves Supercomplication wasn't just because of its record-breaking price or its calibre - the most complicated mechanical movement ever created - but also because of the provenance, legendary stories and a whiff of mystery.
The world of independent watchmakers is a far cry from mainstream manufacturers. Independent watchmakers create timepieces from scratch - hand-polishing them with simple tools, such as files and screwdrivers, with an annual output of as few as 30 pieces.
Enthusiasm in fine watchmaking has not only fuelled excitement in the retail market, but also in the secondary market. Thriving auction houses are working towards providing a wider range of exclusive, sought-after series and alternative sales channels to cater to the growing demand from seasoned collectors.
There was a man determined to withstand the shockwaves emanating from the quartz revolution during the 1970s. Nonetheless, it was no easy task to ensure the survival of the delicate craft of creating mechanical watches during this tumultuous period in watchmaking. Not even for Michel Parmigiani, who founded his atelier during the maelstrom of the revolution.
Art and Culture
Occupation: Actress, film director, entrepreneur Defining Moment: Zhao's role in the 1998 costume drama My Fair Princess became her career breakthrough. Her portrayal of the innocent Xiaoyanzi character being dragged into a rags-to-riches love story set in the 18th-century Qing dynasty earned her fame overnight.
On the opening night of Expo Milano, Ermenegildo Zegna's headquarters rolled out the canvas for a visual feast prepared by British artist duo Lucy + Jorge Orta. The Italian luxury menswear maison's modern glass-and-steel office - in the heart of Milan's up-and-coming neighbourhood Via Tortona frequented by the creative set - was transformed into a crucial element of the night's performance, titled "Symphony for Absent Wildlife".
Like Jackson Pollock, Willem de Kooning and other great contemporary painters of our time, Zeng Fanzhi is an artist whose working process can almost be compared with performance art. Catch the maestro in action, and you'll find him going all-out while he paints.
In Chinese
（高珀富斯的总部展现了传统和创新的品牌理念。) 公司最新推出的产品是24秒陀飞轮腕表，体现了两者的协同作用。设计腕表时频繁使用3D列印科技，以确保佩戴者感觉舒适。腕表底盖上配有水晶圆顶，24秒陀飞轮就藏于其中。然而，表盘却运用了一种几乎失传的工艺，这种工艺耗时巨大且很难实现。时间数字被直接雕刻在表盘上，然后在镀钯上涂瓷釉烘烤。 ...
意大利著名跑车公司兰博基尼（Lamborghini）主席兼首席执行官史蒂芬．温科尔曼（Stephan Winkelmann）大量投资于研发，以生产最完美跑车，并维持品牌专属地位。 问：兰博基尼2013年庆祝成立50周年。半世纪以来，这个品牌为人津津乐道的精髓何在？期间有什么演变？ 答：当费鲁齐欧．兰博基尼（Ferruccio ...
巩俐和张艺谋是多年的朋友和昔日的恋人，最近他们合作的新片让这位专业女演员再度成为万众瞩目的焦点。by Vivian Chen