TBT: Charlotte Robinson of Caelum Greene

Charlotte Tsuie/Robinson of Caelum Greene. Outtakes from a shoot we did for my column First Person. 

Olivier Yoan photographs. 

You can read the feature up at PrestigeOnline.com here.

BTS: Behind the Scenes of a cover shoot: Model, Photographer and a mini fashionable army

For the shot below, the crew above were on set. Three others not in pic. 

It takes a village... for that one shot in print. 

With some of my fav people above, photographer Olivier Yoan (a name that crops up frequently on this blog and my professional  life) and model-icious Mia Kang. She's even more gorgeous in person.

 

TBT: The Fashionable Feiping Chang: Michael Kors x Olivier Yoan x Fei: Prestige Hong Kong exclusive

Having done several shoots in pretty frocks and jewellery, it was time for fashionista extraordinaire Feiping Chang to try something different. We suggested a glamorous, fresh look for the newly married Chang (whose nuptials with Lincoln Li were perhaps the most stalked event of the year on social media).

So we grabbed a hair and make-up stylist from Milan, the most popular French photographer we know, rented a studio for the day and lined up a rack of steamed autumn/winter 2017 wardrobe items and accessories. What ensued was the disco-glam antithesis to those much-photographed princess bridal looks.

PHOTOGRAPHY AND ART DIRECTION Olivier Yoan   

HAIR AND MAKE-UP Reve Ryu 

PHOTOGRAPHY ASSISTANT Leo M

HAIR AND MAKE-UP ASSISTANT Jojo Cheung

WARDROBE AND ACCESSORIES Michael Kors

Prestige Hong Kong's Runway is out now. The Menswear edition is spectacular!

 

Check out the sensational shoot at PrestigeOnline.  com - ie here!! 

Photography and Art direction Olivier Yoan
Styling Florent Thiébaut
Makeup and hair Reve Ryu
Assistant Pascal Brito
Model David Oshry at Model International

Shout out to Serge for this awesome video!  

Left: Model (citizen!) David Oshry holding his cover shot. Yep, it was a wig for the 70s inspired shoot. 

 

Interview and shoot with Edwin Chuang

Portraits by Olivier Yoan

 

Check out my chat with young tycoon in the making Edwin Chuang at PrestigeOnline

First Person: Diana D'Arenberg.

From chat to portrait, everything came out as envisioned. Feb issue of Prestige Hong Kong.


FIRST PERSON
Words: P. Ramakrishnan
Portrait: Olivier Yoan


I once spotted Diana d’Arenberg walking – correction, strutting – down Pedder Street in a chic black pantsuit fitted to perfection, with a top hat and an elegant, swinging cane. Along with her signature bold lip and blonde tresses tucked under her jaunty topper, she made heads turn left, right and centre. Très chic.

“I’d describe my style as silver-screen glamour,” she says, “with a bit of rock ’n’ roll goth.”

A multi-hyphenate, d’Arenberg is married to Jay Parmanand, is a writer (mostly about the arts) who sings in a band, a fashionista, a former model and muse, a global gallivanter and a blogger. No, not of the “OMG, I love this sponsored bag” ilk. Her perspicacious site, Post-ism, features musings on art and artists, existential cultural angst, and food for thought on matters new and old.

Her proclivity for vintage pieces – be it fashion, photography or art – isn’t a fad, it’s an informed decision at every point. “A vintage piece has a story, and it feels more special than the mass-produced, latest ‘It’-whatever that everyone else is wearing. I scour flea markets and vintage shops for design pieces. I’ve found some incredible vintage kimonos in Tokyo and Berlin shops. I also shop online – 1stdibs, Vestiaire, What Goes Around Comes Around, Shrimpton Couture.”

When d’Arenberg dons a power suit there’s good reason (in this case, recreating that Helmut Newton shot for YSL). “What women choose to wear has always been politicised. And sexualised. We’re damned if we do (wear skirts, a short dress, pants, a bikini, headscarf, a suit) and damned if we don’t. Hillary was the first woman to wear a pantsuit in her official portrait and it was definitely a political statement. But what’s not sexy about a powerful and intelligent “nasty” woman?” she says, quoting Trump with an eye-roll. “Although I have to say, the orange and aubergine suits did her no favours.

“But to say that a pantsuit or ‘masculine’ attire is empowering for women would be to suggest that ‘female’ attire – like skirts and dresses – is disempowering. That women need to masquerade as men to feel strong and empowered. The woman maketh the clothes.”

• Behind the Scenes: Shooting Diana with Olivier Yoan and Nicoline here. 
• First Person: Loui Lim, shot with the same team here.  
• First Person: Portraits, the first year here.

Prestige Runway cover shoot

 

Just the magic of Olivier Yoan again... 

Prestige Runway, cover shoot. 

FIRST PERSON: Pirate

Portrait by Olivier Yoan

Constant run ins with the ever-affable “Pirate” (not her baptismal name – that would be Tanya Bennett) at fashionable events have finally led us to her studio. There’s a glorious dichotomy to this young lady; glamazon in pretty ensembles at a corner of a designer label event versus sweaty marathoner, in well-used trainers passing lesser athletes by in a flash of neon and Nike.

“Well, in Hong Kong, you can be both; anything and everything. No judgement,” she says. “Well, maybe a little.” We laugh.

Since graduating in 2007 with a degree in clothing design and manufacture (specialising in illustration and fashion advertising), she’s been working in the field of art, design for years. Her sketches have a whimsy and personal stamp that’s unique and so lovely, even the biggest brands have taken note and hired her for collaborations.

The paths of corporate guidelines and creative enterprise often bifurcate, but as luck would have it, she’s had few bumps on the road, “I’ve been fortunate to work with a number of incredible brands, such as Christian Louboutin, Fendi and Cartier, among others. Each of which have granted me the creative freedom to interpret their brief, allowing us to deliver a beautiful visual that best represents the brand. Being able to use my paintbrush to collaborate with these fashion juggernauts is a dream come true. The only downside is that lead-times are notoriously tight, especially in a fast paced city such as Hong Kong. I have had to pull several all-nighters and work through creative blocks in order to reach a deadline. “

With her Lamma apartment as gloriously quaint and colourful as one would expect from an artist of her calibre, with the most precocious trio of rescued cats included, the trail runner has a long map of goals she’s set herself. “I am keen to finally find time to draw a series of influential women I admire, both in my personal life and in a broader sense. Plus, I am intensely passionate about being in the mountains and running. Personal or professional, this year, I plan to climb every mountain.”

For so much more, log on to PrestigeOnline

A Romance in Style: Galaxy Macau's Cover Shoot with Wilson, Amanda G and Olivier Yoan

For a Throwback Thursday, a shoot we did for Galaxy magazine in the Spring of 2015!

With a perennial favourite, photographer Olivier Yoan, art directed by Tasha Ling (ably assisted by Amber Choy - who we miss since she moved to China!), styled by Bhisan Rai, with makeup by Karen Yiu (there are literally odes to her in this blog!) and hair stylist Jean Tong.

We rarely repeat models but we did with gorgeous Amanda G and Wilson C.

 

 


 

Prestige HK's annual 40 under 40: Photographer Olivier Yoan

We split the list among the writers in the office, and it was such a great pleasure to write about Oli'! In fact I loved writing about the batch of youngsters (and mildly resentful as I go bitterly into my middle age) who are, in their own ways, shaping, changing, improving Hong Kong in their unique style and putting their stamp on the 852.

Out in the July issue NOW, see who made the cut of 40 under 40!

The entire list will be online next week (with pics!), but until then.... here's a snippet:

Olivier Yoan 

The French former model turned fashion photographer’s pictures transcend into the realms of fine art; there are some pictorials that unfold like contemporary oil paintings captured on camera, Yoan’s affinity for nature being his signature brushstroke. With campaigns (Calvin Klein, Mr. Porter, Marc Antoine Barrois, Kasane) and editorials (every leading title across Asia from Esquire, Elle, to cover shoots for Lifestyle, My Place and celebrity portraits for Prestige) galore, the self-taught intrepid artist is hopscotching Europe as we type these words, expanding his already formidable portfolio. If his directed and edited short video clips online are any indication, we foresee a movie (framed and lit perfectly) in the near-future.

UPDATE: As with any list, there are a handful who were not thrilled that they were not included. There is only one reason Olivier Yoan was chosen--our stars, society and celebrities deemed it so. In conversation with Christina Ko, the last formidable editor of Prestige Hong Kong, she pointed out, whenever we had a slightly reluctant and failure to commit celeb or socialite, we'd dangle the work of Olivier Yoan as a carrot at the end of a stick. They'd love his work and come running to set, location and agree/and/or listen to his every instruction. No other photographer's work (at the time) had such a drawing power. And no one else since... 

Galaxy magazine, Fall 2015

Galaxy magazine, Fall 2015 cover shoot.

 

Outtake

Loved both these shots by Olivier Yoan for Spring issue of Galaxy magazine. Team couldn't decide which to pick - the artsy one with red blotches (faded roses) or the look of lurv shot. Oli's brilliant - even his outtakes are gorgeous shots.

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!!