Galaxy Spring 2015

From a cover shoot done for Galaxy magazine back in 2015 with my fav gal Amanda Gonjito (Japanese Brazilian mix - the gal couldn't be more gorgeous).

Shot by Olivier Yoan.

A Beautiful Journey: Gaile Lok

A quick chat with Hong Kong model Gaile Lok while she was in Galaxy Macau. Sweet gal.

40 under 40! The Movers and Shakers of young Hong Kong

Earlier this year Prestige Hong Kong did a feature and shoot with some of Hong Kong's top movers and shakers under 40.

Among a whole list of them, I had the joy and privilege to submit a list of notable names; people I've worked with in the past, interviewed, met on multiple occasions. There were 40 people, but a special shout out to rugby player Jonny Rees, race car driver Dan Wells, dancer Faye Leung, documentary maker Sean Lee Davies and designer Harrison Wong. All of whom are seen here in pics.


Portraits by Until Chan.
Creative direction and styling by my fav stylist Tasha Ling, assisted by Amber Choy!

All jewels and watches by Tiffany & co. Shot on location at URA Japanese Delicacy!

You can check out the launch party at PrestigeOnline.com here.

Play List: David Elliott

5 things about fine art photographer David Elliott

What I’m listening to: music is usually playing when I’m working, so the likes of Ed Sheeran, Coldplay, Andrew Bird and James Blunt, among others, are on a loop. My favourite male singers include Frank Sinatra and his modern counterpart, Michael Bublé, and my favourite females are Sarah McLachlan, Eva Cassidy, Alicia Keys and Norah Jones. Plus, doesn’t everyone love Adele?

What I’m reading: over the years, I have enjoyed Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin, The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, and The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran. Photography books such as Genesis by Sebastião Salgado, The Earth from the Air by Yann Arthus-Bertrand and Manufactured Landscapes by Edward Burtynsky.

What I’m watching: I liked Birdman, Chef and even the soppy The Fault in Our Stars. The last great TV series was Breaking Bad. One of my favourite films is The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.

What artists I’m following: Christoph Niemann has a unique ability to visualise and create. He can take something simple and transform it into something inspiring. Steve McCurry is also inspirational. I like illustrator Tanya Piratay and painter Simon Birch, whose vision and drive are a great model for aspiring artists.

Where I’m surfing: apart from the obvious Facebook, I’m often on Instagram to see what the creative folk are doing, and on YouTube for music and comedy stuff like Jimmy Fallon. I’m a massive sports fan, so I regularly log on to ESPN.com to keep up on basketball, hockey, American football, tennis and golf.

As told to P. Ramakrishnan. Portrait by Jesper McIlroy   

Play List: Thomas Ng: Hong Kong Actor and Model

Portrait: Dino Busch Photography
Outfit: Calvin Klein Jeans
Accessories: L. Luminous, at Joyce

Hong Kong model turned actor Thomas Ng. Chat with South China Morning Post for the column. Set q's each week. 

  Below: Outtakes from the shoot. 

Brief Encounters: Narcisa Pheres

Hong Kong men's fashion designer Narcisa Pheres talks expansion, Asia, and her big career switch

Romanian-born Pheres went from trading in jewellery and art in Japan to launching an eponymous clothing brand, moving to Hong Kong and now moving into womenswear and online retailing

Sartorially savvy gentlemen everywhere know about her eponymous bespoke Italian menswear brand. Now Pheres is diversifying into womenswear, fine jewellery, online retailing and more, as she explained in a recent interview. P. Ramakrishnan writes. Portraits by Dino Busch.


"I was born in Romania into a family of mixed origins. My mother has Greek heritage and my father is Romanian - and people always find it amusing to learn that I'm from Transylvania - but I have spent more than half my life in Asia, including more than 13 years in Japan.

My formal education was in arts, literature and linguistics. And I later studied fashion design in Milan at the Instituto di Moda Burgo and fashion marketing studies at Central Saint Martins in London.

I read so much about the history of art and did lots of comparative literature studies at school, but ended up as a twenty-something trader in Tokyo, dealing with vintage jewellery, rare wines and fine art.

Travelling the world and dealing in exceptional art and jewellery pieces taught me a lot and introduced me to a special clientele. Some of the collectors were fascinated by the large, centre stones in the vintage jewellery pieces I was buying for them and asked me to redesign them and make them more modern or give them a personal touch. I became passionate about it and studied to become a certified jewellery designer.

The inevitable next step seemed to be fashion - so I returned to Europe [Milan and London] to attain the proper technical skills [fashion design, fashion marketing, branding and communications]. Already with a design background from the jewellery side, I knew exactly what I wanted to do.

Around 2006, I launched my first collections. I did a few evening gowns and menswear. With my experience in Milan, London and Tokyo, it made sense to do men's fashion - even though I studied mostly womenswear design. I found it fascinating to see men's fashion from a woman's point of view and pretty much this became a very strong value for the brand. I was personal designer and stylist for a lot of celebrities, and all those men would trust my sensibility and instinct and they let me design and make personal collections for them for each season.

With my experience in Milan, London and Tokyo, it made sense to do men's fashion - even though I studied mostly womenswear design. I found it fascinating to see men's fashion from a woman's point of view

Narcisa Pheres

I launched the brand in Japan - not only because Tokyo has been my home for so many years but it was the most sophisticated market at that time where consumers were aware of brand propositions and values. Five years ago, I moved to Hong Kong with my husband and our children. Asia has always been my base. I love living in Hong Kong, which I think is the centre of Asia. It took me a bit longer to establish the brand in Hong Kong. I wasn't really concentrating on the market here, but instead I was doing exhibitions and trunk shows during fashion weeks in Europe and Japan.

Most of the past five years, I've been busy travelling around the world doing Pheres trunk shows in London, Milan, Florence, Venice. I didn't concentrate on retailing or developing business locally, as my scope was to get the brand recognised globally and reach a wider audience. That's also the reason why we have launched our ready-to-wear line and the new Pheressentials online store.

I am the creative head and chief executive of Pheres and have a team of designers based all over the world. Without my tailors and team in Italy, we would be nothing. But as any designer will tell you, it's all about teamwork.

We recently launched our first womenswear capsule collection. We had been creating couture gowns over the years - for celebrities and VIPs - but this is the first time we've had a ready-to-wear line for women. Being one of the few women who design mainly men's fashion and with my background in jewellery design, I love playing with fabrics and textile designs, so the most fun I have is when deciding prints and colours for each silk collection.

I remember my biggest investment when I was studying design in Milan was two antique books with swatches and silk prints from the late 1800s until the 1950s. Every now and then, together with our silk manufacturers in Como, I restyle one of those designs and put it in the collection.

And one of our new offerings is a bespoke service for silk accessories where clients can make their own design."

More at SCMP.com

PUBLISHED : Thursday, 15 October, 2015, 6:17am
UPDATED : Thursday, 15 October, 2015, 6:17am

Galaxy, Summer 2015: Fashion Shoot in Macau: Hong Kong Glam Squad Hits the Island

 



 


A sun-kissed summer shoot for Galaxy magazine. Thrilled to work with photographer Ricky Lo again. The young man does the most incredible shoots - he last worked with our team for a special edition of Galaxy earlier last year.

After a long time, got to work with make-up artist Megumi Sekine who is blissed out in motherhood, and is just a joy to work with in general! Stylist Harry Lam has done several shoots for our company and does innumerable celebrity styling. Have lost count on how many shoots we've worked on over the past decade.

Model citizens, gorgeous Daniela W (from Quest) came to casting last year - but her busy schedule meant we could only work with her this summer. And lovely Nat (Natalie S, also from Quest), I met at an event and kept a tab on her (stalker anyone?!). This tall drinka-water with her newly shorn hair, looks better than ever-before. Its funny how casting goes, Facebook, Instagram, recommendations from friends, other models, make-up artists and photographers. 

Entire shoot took around 12 hours to do - its a long day - but under the aegis of Art Director Tasha Ling, who has directed nearly all the cover shoots for the magazine, it all looks glossy and glam.

Ze crew: 

Photographer Ricky Lo

攝影助理 Photo Assistants Jimmy Pang,

Ken Leung, Azeal Ho And Chan To

藝術指導 Art Director Tasha Ling

製作助理 Production Assistants

Amber Choy And Rachel Tang

造型 Stylist Harry Lam

造型助理 Styling Assistant Vinz Tam

化妝 Makeup Artist Megumi Sekine

髮型 Hair Stylist Zap Tang

髮型助理 Hair Assistant Jj Lai

模特兒 Models Natalie S And Daniela W,

Quest Models

Play List: Sarah Lian

What I’m listening to: I’m loving Sam Smith, Sia and The Weeknd. Last year I was really into female MCs such as Iggy Azalea, Azealia Banks and Angel Haze.

What I’m reading: Essentialism by Greg McKeown helped me look at my task-oriented schedule and put everything in perspective. Sway: The Irresistible Pull of Irrational Behaviour by Ori and Rom Brafman was also fascinating.

What I’m watching: Wes Anderson’s The Grand Budapest Hotel. His style and storytelling are so original. And I’m so glad Game of Thrones is back.

What artists I’m following: I have been following style bloggers and fashion brands on Instagram. I like to get inside the heads of creative minds – this curation process helps me look at the latest trends and gives me an idea of what to obsess over.

Where I’m surfing: I’m an avid Facebook user, but Instagram allows me to spend hours looking at images. I enjoy design sites such as Thedieline.com or SmashingMagazine.

(As told to P. Ramakrishnan) 

Notes: Through an introduction from my friend and colleague, stylist Tasha Ling, I met the drop-dead gorgeous actress Sarah Lian. A great fun chat with her for the weekly column The Playlist, that runs in SCMP (in The Review section!).

We. Are. The. Won

So we got this in the mail!

Congratulations! You've won a prestigious APEX Award for the following entry in APEX 2015, this year's APEX Awards for Publication 

Excellence: Entry Title: Galaxy Magazine, Summer 2014 Award: Award of Excellence To: P.Ramakrishnan, Anne Lim-Chaplain, Joanna Hor Barnes Category: Magazines, Journals & Tabloids - Custom-Published

Anupam Kher in Hong Kong

It's not every day that you have a cuppa tea with a legend of stage and cinema - earlier today I did! Well, all right, he had the tea. I sat back in awe and ate up all his quotes!

Indian actor Anupam Kher landed in Hong Kong on the eve of his performance at the Jockey Club Auditorium, for his one-man show, Kuch Bhi Ho Sakta Hai.

Engulfed in memories of classic Indian films he's starred in - and the American, English (yes, there's a distinction!) and even Chinese film he's appeared in, the actor was in fine form during the chat. A beguiling interview laced with humour and a self-awareness that only someone of his stature could have, cannot wait to watch the man perform live. 


Full chat with the actor, to appear later on in SCMP. Until then, some snaps here from earlier today.

Dino Busch, the bril young German photographerm captured him on his camera for some fab portraits - also in print soon. My pics here reveal... why I write and don't take photographs!

Meanwhile, those in Hong Kong, do check out his show:

Kuch Bhi Ho Sakta Hai with Anupam Kher

Tuesday, 2 June, 2015
Venue: Jockey Club Auditorium, The HK Polytechnic University, Hunghom, Kowloon, HK
Time: 7.30pm-0pm
Tickets: HK$200-HK$650
Buy online: www.cityline.com

Anupam Kher at the Island Shangrila in Hong Kong

Jimmy Choo: Ready to answer the siren call of China's mall owners

Click to ENLARGE 

The origin is unknown, but the quote rings true, "Cinderella is proof that a new pair of shoes can change your life."

Fans are familiar with the legend of Jimmy Choo. He began as bespoke shoemaker in the East End of London in the early 1990s catering to celebrities, including Princess Diana.

Choo opened his first shop in 1996 with Vogue's accessories editor Tamara Mellon. Soon after, his niece Sandra Choi came on board as creative director (a position she still holds). Choo left the company in 2001, and Mellon in 2011, but the company grew selling handbags, small leather goods, scarves, sunglasses, belts, fragrances and men's shoes from 167 stores in 35 countries. Jimmy Choo PLC listed on the London Stock Exchange in October 2014, and is now valued at about £546 million (HK$6.6 billion).

"It is interesting to have an accessory brand recognised and respected in the stock market," says CEO Pierre Denis, who joined in 2012. "It's a recognition of a great British brand, it's a recognition of our success."

But how does the company going public affect the brand? "In basic terms, with an IPO, you need to comply with a lot of rules and regulations, which is good because it forces a company to improve structuring. Our IPO provides us with the capacity to invest more in our brand, and finance our expansion with new stores in China."

Drawing on his seven years working and living in Asia, Denis is focused on building the brand in China. During the past year alone, five stores have opened there, with plans to open 25 more in the next five years.

I felt that Chinese customers needed brands that are a bit more specific, more interesting

PIERRE DENIS, CEO JIMMY CHOO

"When I joined Jimmy Choo, the business had been focusing on the development of the brand in the US and Europe. It would be fair to say that Asia was kept on hold - the thinking was that Asia was complicated, that China was too big, too complex. When I joined the company, it was my intention to develop business in Asia to compliment the strength of Jimmy Choo in the US and in Europe. That has really been one of my priorities.

"We will open 10 to 15 new stores per year, no more than that. But half of them will be in China. When I worked for LVMH here, we could see that China had been really developed with the big brands; it was all about Dior, Chanel, Vuitton. But I felt that Chinese customers needed brands which are a bit more specific, more interesting."

Denis believes what Chinese customers want is diversity in brands; malls can no longer be cookie-cutter models housing the same brands in a market saturated with monogrammed luxury goods. "I've been discussing with landlords in China - they are talking to Jimmy Choo saying, 'I want something different for my client.' This is a good time for us to come in."

"Other brands have been around for centuries. Jimmy Choo's still a young brand, relatively speaking, so we have to inform the new market of our significance," says Denis. "It is most important for me to be consistent with our DNA."

There are several strategies at play: product development, retail, marketing, and expansion into different tiers and zones in the mainland. There is another method that works wonders: a relationship with celebrities.

"In some countries Hollywood celebrities are the biggest stars, while in others the local stars are more important. Asia falls into the second category; they love Chinese film stars and Korean soap and television personalities. These people are far more popular in Asia than Western celebrities. I was at a red carpet event and a Korean TV star was wearing Jimmy Choo shoes and carrying one of our bags. The shoes and that bag have been flying off the shelves ever since. In fact, we had trouble keeping up with the demand."

This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as Riding the Choo shoe train


LIFESTYLE›FASHION & LUXURY
PUBLISHED : Monday, 25 May, 2015, 6:00am
UPDATED : Monday, 25 May, 2015, 6:00am
P. Ramakrishnan

Dunhill: Now for the good hues

Now for the good hues: Dunhill adds a splash of colour for the youth market
Dunhill’s latest strategy is all about empowering the designer, catering to a younger clientele and exploring territories in a changed China as if they were new, writes P. Ramakrishnan.
Photo: Andrew Vowles

Dunhill’s early noughties campaigns had many fans. Refined gentlemen, often silver-haired and with generous beards looked introspective in black and white photographs. Each image was thick with the patina of age and cultured taste.

The fine English tailoring was from a house founded in 1893 and renowned for its bespoke menswear and accessories – all very tweed and traditional, signifying the wardrobe of artists, thespians and members of the literati, not glitterati.

Enter Fabrizio Cardinali, who became chief executive of Alfred Dunhill in May 2013 and soon after appointed John Ray as creative director.

“I’m far away from a black and white, old, sad man. What do you want to be? You want to be younger, you know? You want to be colourful; you want to be beautiful; you want to be attractive,” says Cardinali.

Suddenly, the muted and sepia tones got a splash of colour. The varicose veins got some fresh blood as the ready-to-wear, accessories and all things fashionable for the gentleman of today has hues and shades not seen in decades at the old English house.

There were loose-fitting trousers, plush knits, casual corduroys, salmon pajamas, alpaca coats and blankets. Scarves were replaced by full-on, fringed blankets worn by models casually strutting down the catwalk.

“I’d say now we are a more accessible product. A man can still buy a beautiful Dunhill blazer, or beautiful Dunhill suits. The key words are value for money because it’s going to have to last for not one season, but for years. Another key phrase for you: timeless products – combining the contemporary touch. That’s what John [Ray] is doing. We still have our classics in midnight blue, but now we have breadth.”

What they also have is fresh breath. The latest campaigns show collegiate men striking a pose (under the watchful eye of Annie Leibovitz, who shot the autumn-winter 2014 campaign) without the brood, seemingly content in their muted shades of lavender and salmon, clutching bulky leather accessories.

“Everything works with a top photographer, with a great creative director, let’s say a certain level of ingredients that are going to bring the brand where the brand deserves to be,” Cardinali says.

The big question for the business head of any luxury brand would obviously be: how is business in China?

With a pause and a sip of water, Cardinali says: “Dunhill in China is doing well, but business is down [from before]. We know very well what has happened in China since November 2012. Since the new president [Xi Jinping] arrived, he stopped the business of gifting and we – all of us – have seen an impact on the business. The crazy growth that we had in the last eight, nine years was not sustainable.

“China’s annual growth of 7.5 per cent with 1.3 billion people to cater to is a strong economy for any brand. For many of us, the changes are a pain in the neck, but you know what? Many people got lazy. Those numbers were growing no matter what.”

It isn’t just Dunhill. Since the halt of excessive gift giving on the mainland, the Hurun Report says the luxury segment – watches and spirits included – has been the hardest hit. But it is also an opportune time for those key brands to innovate and improve existing business structures. In the long run, the proverbial tightening of the belt might not be such a terrible thing.

“Today businesses must have self-conception,” Cardinali says. “We need to be very focused, all of us, in delivering a business. The fact that someone is entering the store and is buying, you know, 50, 100 bags – that kind of story is over. So now we need to be careful. I have three pillars in mind: product, market and distribution.

Quality is a big deal at Alfred Dunhill. Then, distribution: we’ve got to explore territories in China as if they are new. It’s a new ballgame altogether now. “The new marketing approach, since shooting campaigns with Leibovitz for two seasons, the Dunhill look is definitely more contemporary, more colourful, something that can attract a different type of clientele compared to the past.”

That means catering to a younger buyer. “I think I would like to start selling a product or dressing a gentleman since right after college, or someone doing an MBA,” Cardinali says.

“I want to have this kind of customer because if you’re relevant for those aged 24 or 25 up to 35 or 40 and beyond, automatically you’re going to be relevant also to a more mature clientele. It does not work the other way around.”

Relevance in the “selfie age” is what major brands are looking at. With more than 20 years in the business and a CV dotted with luxury brands including Lancel, Dolce & Gabbana and Levi Strauss, Cardinali is no stranger to global branding.

That explains the changes he brought – in marketing strategy, appointments, hiring and positioning – that created Dunhill’s new age. It also helped that Ray, formerly at Gucci, agreed to end his self-imposed eight-year hiatus.

But Cardinali wants to put a misperception to rest. “John Ray was hired before me,” he says. “I found he was with the company for five months before my arrival. What I did – which I think is a game-changer – is empower John. This is something that never happened at Alfred Dunhill before me.

“I’m in charge, but I’m a businessman, not a designer. What I did was give John the conditions to create in the best way possible. I’m not going to tell him what kind of fabrics he has to use and choose. I have to create the kind of infrastructure where John and the creative people can create and deliver beautiful products.

“If you look around, it’s the right approach to be successful in this industry. When you hear a chief executive is trying to be a designer and a designer is trying to run a multinational company at the same time … apart from a few exceptional cases, it doesn’t work. Empowering the designer was key.”

PUBLISHED : Thursday, 16 April, 2015, 6:28pm
This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as Now for the good hues

Play List: Mia Kang: Quick chat with Asian supermodel in Hong Kong: 2015

Jewelry: Kasane
Photography: Boris Burgess

What I’m listening to: I’m still obsessed with All About That Bass by Meghan Trainor. Positive vibes, a soulful voice, and a healthy, supportive message. Being half Korean, I also love K-pop – 2NE1are my favourites. I have classical music on my iPod – it engages the mind.

What I’m reading: I’m interested in North Korea and have read some fantastic books based on first-hand experiences and stories from defectors. Dear Leader by Jang Jin-sung and Escape From Camp 13 by Blaine Harden are both mind-blowing.

What I’m watching: I love Game of Thrones, Mad Men, Boardwalk Empire, 30 Rock and QI, but my go-to TV show at any time of the day is, of course, Friends. The humour never gets old. I also love trashy reality TV: The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and Keeping Up With the Kardashians. Don’t judge me.

What artists I’m following: I’d love to work with photographer Wing Shya. I worked with make-up artist Wendy Rowe – she’s inspirational and breathtaking. I love makeup and how it can transform someone into almost anything. Olivier Yoan also inspires me – he is a Hong Kong/China-based French photographer.

Where I’m surfing: 9gag.com is great for laughs, Boredpanda.com has hilarious videos of cats doing funny cat things, but Telegraph.co.uk is my homepage – having a master’s in finance and financial law, I like being up to date with economic news and current affairs. There’s more to life than cats and Kardashians.

(As told to P. Ramakrishnan)
Published in South China Morning Post

Q&A with my fav Hong Kong model of all-time; Mia Kang. Gorgeous much?!

Play List: James Wong

Click to enlarge and read

Quick Q&A with Hong Kong TV actor James Wong. Funny kid - with an amazing following on instagram.

Galaxy 2015

Thrilled that the latest issue of Galaxy magazine has received such a great response. Great to be back at work and get the positive feedback!

Kudos to the incredible team, led by photographer Olivier Yoan (who, after Olaf Mueller, has shot more covers for the mag than any other).

Karen Yiu, the magical make-up artist, did the looks yet again. As the archives will show, we've done maximum number of shoots together. Seifert Cheung tagged along to do hair. Bhisan Rai styled [i.e. did wardrobe and accessories] for the mag once again.  

Tasha Ling oversaw the entire shoot and I usually don't head to location if she's there, as I know its in safe, well-manicured hands. But I did tag along for this one as I got a chance to spend the day with gorgeous Rosemary Vdb!

Iconic Hong Kong model Rosemary Vandenbrouke was a dream to work with [our third shoot over the past decade] - and its been a dream of mine for aaaages to get that girl on the cover. And she rocked it out!

As a fellow model pointed out [think it was Mia...], if you're going to be shot with Rosemary, you've got to step it up as she'll take over the picture. In an image, you'll remember her and no one else... so it was a tall task for co-model Andy Cheung [at Lotus models] to pose and preen with Rosey-posey!

I love this shoot. Do I say that after every shoot? Er... maybe! But I 'seriously' love this shoot!!