Galaxy Magazine is out now! Macau's glossiest luxury and lifestyle magazine

Woo hoo! It's here!
 
Thrilled with the arrival of the latest issue of the magazine. Galaxy magazine, autumn issue. Go for gold!


Shot by Ricky Lo Photography
Art Direction by Tasha Ling
With August Zhang on the cover (from Starz People HK)
Styled by Bhisan Rai
Makeup: Kathy Chow

Hair: Jean Tong (A Ten Studio)

Hide and Chic:Interview with Valextra's Alessandra Bettari

Italian label's subtle and sophisticated handcrafted leather accessories are quietly turning heads in Asia, writes P.Ramakrishnan.

There is neither an emblematic logo nor an interlocking alphabet in sight. There isn't a signature colour or motif that gives it away, or a shimmering clasp or lock that draws the eye. Yet the white leather suitcase has an aura of quiet distinction known to a few who immediately recognise its patented leather and fine piping and think, "Ah, it's a Valextra."

In an oversaturated designer market, the cacophony of luxury brands may be well orchestrated, yet here's a 77-year-old Milanese brand (founded in 1937 by Giovanni Fontana in Milan's Piazza San Babila) that connoisseurs quietly admire. Those in the know are familiar with signature pieces such as Valextra's two-gusset briefcase or Bifold card case with money clip, or the Brera messenger bag in its effortless simplicity and sophistication. Carried by actress Grace Kelly and Jackie Kennedy Onassis in the past and sported by Jennifer Aniston and Katie Holmes today, these accessories have always flown under the fashion radar.

"Well, there are a few emblems in our bag that make it distinctive, even though it is subtle," says Alessandra Bettari, the brand's newly appointed chief executive officer.

Accompanying her is Marco Scarpella, the youngest member of the board from the Carminati family, who own a large share of the company.

He echoes Bettari's claims. "We just carry our heritage that has been honed since the 1940s."

Bettari says Valextra's products are "very niche" and have "a different aesthetic" from others.

"It's evident in something like our Costa luggage collection - perhaps our most iconic product - with details in the piping by artisans in Italy," she says.

"We don't come out with multiple products each year, merely a range of colours with very specific types of leather. It's very straightforward and simple."

With meticulously stitched seams and rich flushes of vegetable-tanned leather, it's bespoke luxury that's more pragmatic and less flashy.

But how is the label faring in brand-conscious Asia?

"The Asian customer is the best in the world," says Scarpella.

"And the worst!" interrupts Bettari, jokingly.

"In America and Europe, they see something they like, they buy it. It's simple," says Scarpella. "Customers in Japan, Korea and Hong Kong, there's a level of perfection they expect from a product, in every single detail. If a stitch is off, if there's a minute differentiation in tone or hue, they want it fixed. I've learned this after years of working in Asia, they are looking for an extraordinary item only a few can make - absolute luxury."

Bettari confirms. "Asian customers have the highest rate of asking for special and bespoke pieces. Asia is the only place where they would ask us to create, say, a leather pen case."

Absolutely luxury can sometimes seem excessive. For example, Oprah Winfrey owns an exquisitely cut travel case crafted from white leather, which Scarpella concedes is impractical.

"To some, a white leather travel suitcase is completely impractical," he says. "Think how easily a white suitcase can get dirty at airports, but then again, Oprah probably only flies on private jets so it's different for her."

Read the full feature at SCMP.com ie over here! 

Published: 24 Oct 2014

NOTES:
Really enjoyed talking to these two, esp Alessandra Bettari. Love a CEO with a sense of humour and a sense of style!

Red, White and The Blues. Menswear Fashion shoot with David Oshry

Photography: Douglas Pieterse
Stylist: Reema K
Hair, make-up and tattoo art: Karen Yiu
Model: David O at Models International
Location: Courtesy of Tree at Horizon Plaza, special thanks to Ms Anna M

Published in Kee magazine, 2011

Pants and sweater from Brooks Brothers
White linen shirt by Ermenegildo Zegna,
Bag and white pants by Gucci

Kitson pants from The Swank, Trussardi shoes from Lane Crawford, VOID watch.

Pants by Roberto Cavalli from The Swank, VOID white leather-strap watch, Tattoo art by Karen Yiu

Pen by St Dupont, pants by Brooks Brothers, Bruuns Bazaar shirt from Harvey Nichols, Balmain scarf from The Swank, Gram shoes, bag by Gucci.

Givenchy shirt from Lane Crawford, Ermenegildo Zegna tie, Balenciaga shorts from Lane Crawford, Kim Kiroic shoes from Lane Crawford.

Striped shirt and pants by Comme De Garcons from Lane Crawford, gram shoes, Bothos bag

Original Fake shirt from Lane Crawford, Balmain Jeans from The Swank and VOID watch

UPDATE: Working on n'th shoot with David Oshry in 2018. 

Still a working model.

Kiss me Cate: Oscar winner Cate Blanchett and Peter Lindbergh in Hong Kong for IWC

"The" Cate Blanchett

Cate Blanchett, the faultless Australian actress and Oscar winner was in Hong Kong for a photo exhibition at the Grand Hyatt, hosted by IWC, and we - and I use the collective 'we' term - were mesmerised by her serene omfg-its-Cate-Blanchett-ness!

The exhibition was grand. Gorgeous large frame, black and white portraits by Peter Lindbergh hung on the mezzanine floor of the Grand Hyatt, Hong Kong, in a makeshift museum (long dismantled by now). 

Shot by the Italian harbour town of Portofino, dreamy images of Blanchett, Zhou Xun, Karolina Kurkova, Adriana Lima, Christoph Waltz, Ewan McGregor and Emily Blunt hung in the labyrinth. Proving yet again that everyone looks better in black and white, every picture was... well, picture perfect.

The famed Lindbergh was walking around and chatting with guests at the exhibition, but generally left alone by the teeming masses as Hong Kong celebs were the cynosure of all eyes, while the legendary photographer walked around peacefully, unbothered 

Having arrived late to the event (traffic - Hong Kong-ers know why!), stylist Tasha Ling and I were told by one of the PR ladies, "Oh, you guys are so late - she's already late, but do look around." Waves of regret smacked us silly but we chose to walk around the nearly-empty [the papz and the riff-raff had left as soon as the stars did] halls.

...Mia Kang sporting IWC... something or another.

Delighted to find our new favourite model Mia Kang, and her tall comrades, who were booked to stand around wearing expensive watches and look pretty; something Kang does exceptionally well. 

They spouted PR spiel on the watches they were adorned with, but we were mostly interested in finding out if she was free later, or that weekend. No and no, was the answer. Well then...

Anyhoo, we did walk around and saw the stunning portfolio unfold before us, labeled "Timeless Portofino", there was a heart-breakingly beautiful shot of Emily Blunt with her hair flying just so, when... at one end of the corridor... there she stood. 

In all her Oscar-winning glittering glory.... Chatting incessantly with the photographer, and asking all the right questions (we assume - and we're sure - even her stance reeked of power and scorching intelligence - should such a thing be possible). 

Blanchett strode right by us and, had we been in any other state other then shock-and-awe, we would have yelled out her name in an embarrassing fan-boy-dom that I'm generally prone to [see earlier encounter with Sridevi, Monica Bellucci, Aishwarya Rai...er. etc.]. 

Oh Cate! Why so beauty?! As one would ask in the Kong...

 

With her scintillating performance in Blue Jasmine still fresh in our mind, there were so many things to be said to her; how freakin' marvelous she is consistently and versatile beyond belief, and questions we had about what it was like to work with Indian director Shekhar Kapoor in Elizabeth...

But all was muted as we stood there stunned by Kiss-me-Kate (pls!) Cate Blanchett.

Sigh.

Next time. Should security and divine interruption permit.

Rama

Mr Simms Olde Sweet Shoppe opens in Central, Hong Kong

Say goodbye teeth, hello cavities. Mr Simms Olde Sweet Shoppe has just opened in Central, Hong Kong. On Lyndhurst Terrace! '

Thrilled beyond belief. A bit pricier than the UK, the "olde" world charms intact, (junk) foodies among us are thrilled about the terrific-calorific "shoppe" opening.

October, 2014