Throwback Thursday: Agenda: Editor's Picks: Summer Blues

TBT to the ol' column days. This looks so easy to do - you'd be shocked at how long it takes to pull together. 

High res pics, information, design, something cohesive and on theme... And trimming the copy - thank god for the sub-editors we had. Well.. some of 'em... 

 

The best of Jewellery: For the Gents

 

David Yurman high-geared into action an entire collection of high jewellery exclusively for men at the dawn of 2024 with Black Panther and Creed star Michael B. Jordan as model and muse. In the following 12 months, our editors have been stunned by gentlemen in dazzling accessories. Among them, these caught our eye, from the subtle to the sublime.

The best of jewellery here at Robb Report Hong Kong. 

9 Best Jewellery Pieces, From Cartier and De Beers to Van Cleef & Arpels

Chopard

Is price no object? Put your shades on for this one—the razzle-dazzle is blinding.

For whom the (jingle) bells toll and money no object be, we at Robb Report Hong Kong have several dazzling accessories wrapped in a box… for thee. 

Forgive us—‘tis the season for waxing poetic as designer houses have been sending us a glimmer of what to expect this season all week: a wild array of diamonds, rubies, emeralds, and gemstones of note. It came as a trickle and trinket, then a flash flood of candy-coloured stones as all the maisons and went all out for the end-of-year celebrations. A phalanx of rubies and emeralds was almost a predictable colour scheme, and a flush of white diamonds, and a heady mix of the classic and the novel are up for view as well. We parsed through the trough and found these glistening among them. 

Our holiday picks include the usual suspects: Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, Tiffany & Co, of course, but our Robb Report counterparts stateside also encouraged us to look into Hemmerle and other jewellers who are paving the way with pavé diamonds. 

Read the entire feature here at Robb Report Hong Kong

7 New Spirits to Drink Right Now, From Hennessy and The Dalmore to The Glenlivet

Several drops of note these past few weeks in bauble bottles of exquisite taste.

It’s been a season of new drops—that’s an intended pun—from some of the biggest names in the drinks business as anniversaries, collaborations, and special editions have reached our shores to quench every thirst. Some of the listed top-of-the-line names below cost more than liquid gold—and we’re not joking. As we go to publish, gold per ounce stands at HK$20,374 (US$2,622) and there’s a sip of Glenlivet that wishes it were on par.

Read the entire feature here at Robb Report Hong Kong.

Top Five Shoes: Menswear Accessories that are Simply the Best: Editor's Pick: Tom Ford to Zanotti

Quality, precision, elegance, timelessness and perhaps a bit of whimsy - why not? The best in shoes I found last year. 

Boots
Giuseppe Zanotti Jaure

When a brand is a staple on the red carpet, known for its bejewelled heels and glittering leather accessories, the men’s section often gets relegated to a forgotten corner. Not today—Italian luxury footwear brand Giuseppe Zanotti has consistently had a men’s footwear section boasting key components of style, refined aesthetics, and incomparable quality. Our latest peek at the gentleman’s department of Zanotti reveals vibrant sneakers, fashion-forward moccasins, and urban-inspired boots, but our eyes are drawn to the Jaure ankle boots, with a shearling inner lining and chunky soles. Practical and functional are not often operative words in fashion and accessories, but Zanotti does it so effortlessly, and the Jaure is elegant to boot. Pun intended.

Oxfords
Perry Ercolino Audley

Custom-made Perry Ercolino shoes have been featured in Robb Report for years and, upon revisit, it’s not a comeback to the list, but a reminder of why he’s still among the best in the business. In his own words, Ercolino has been creating—not following—footsteps in fashion: “With proper care, shoes at this level can last many years. In 2023, the trend that seems to be most prevalent for young professionals is getting back to being well-dressed, both for casual and work attire. Show them great options and they will respond; the men and women who are looking to reset their wardrobe choices can and should be a bit more discriminating. Classics still rule the day, and a timeless piece of clothing or footwear will pay dividends every time.”

Brogues
Silvano Lattanzi EG1 in Alligator Leather

Since 1971, Italian shoemaker Silvano Lattanzi has been handcrafting exquisite leather footwear for discerning gentlemen, drawing from his vast archival “laboratory” of textiles, patterns, colours, and patinas to inform his creations. “All of the collections that I have ever designed and made personally from 1971 to today are stored. Each model can still be reproduced today,” says Lattanzi of his extensive library, which includes this two-tone stunner inspired by a Van Gogh painting. “In Italy, the work of manual skills has not been completely lost, and the shapes [and] styles that are worn by royalty are still on trend.” He tells Robb Report Hong Kong that “the good God, he sent me to Earth to make good shoes.” Amen to that.

Loafers
Tom Ford “Sean” Alligator-Print Tassel Loafers

Start your look from the feet and work your way up, as per the stylist of the dapper man, in which case, let the sartorial canvas begin at the toes of Tom Ford. Bring out the hidden rockstar in you with almost any of the patterned designs from his footwear line, but we are head over heels for this pair of alligator-print tasselled loafers—the quality is next-level, and we’re figuratively and literally at the feet of Ford as he struts away from the empire he built. As the American fashion designer has famously stated, his range is for “men who appreciate detail and quality.” Hence, “the product must be the best.” Ford may be offloading his eponymous business to Estée Lauder to focus on film projects, but he’s sure stepping out in style.

Japanese Shoemaking
Yohei Fukuda Ebony

Patience is key when it comes to getting your hands on a pair of bespoke shoes crafted by Japanese artisan Yohei Fukuda—his years-long waitlist can attest to that. Fukuda’s most recent visit to Hong Kong in spring 2023, a by-appointment-only trunk show at The Armoury, was a scintillating affair for shoe aficionados who appreciate style and precision. Fukuda, a master craftsman who trained at the Tresham Institute in Northamptonshire, has always eschewed trends for timelessness: “We don’t intend to make a shoe that’s about fashion. I want my shoes to be classic so the customer can wear them for 20 or 30 years.” You can pick up a pair of Ebony full brogues in black calf leather from his ready-to-wear collection, but if and when you get an audience with the shoemaker, do yourself a favour and go for custom.

More at RobbReport.hk

Editor's Picks: My Christmas Wish List

All the editors at Prestige Hong Kong made a Christmas wish-list. 

Here's my column.

20 Women in Philanthropy: Hong Kong's leading ladies off screen

 

Love what they do, who they are - these twenty women are changing Hong Kong with a quiet, resourceful integrity that is most becoming. 

In the first of a series dedicated to people being the change they’d like to see in the world, here’s our salute to women in philanthropy.

See the - incomplete - list here - PrestigeOnline.com 

There are plans to have additions and sequels along the way... 

Yes, I am working on it as we speak. 

R

Top 11 Modeling Agencies in Hong Kong: Male, Female, Other!

On account of the 107 shoots done over the past 21 years, I get this inquiry a lot. My son/daughter/nephew/niece/friend next door/kid/cat wants to get into the modeling industry. What do I do?

Find an agent, find an agency. Get a trainer. Eat healthy. The second half is more of a note to self... 

For all the ink spilled with good intentions and 'woke' affirmations on body positivity, the way the city works is; you fit into sample size, you get the job. Or you'll get a lot of polite 'Thank you for your time' nods (if even that). Casting in the city is pretty curt, if not ruthless. 

The modeling revolution is imminent but it's not here in the 852. How models of colour, plus size, minority groups are treated, if ever booked and/or paid is shocking. More on that later...  

There are a lot of quasi modeling agencies - some of wildly questionable repute. Especially on social media as they tap into the vast resources of Instagram-fueled narcissism. If they've ever asked YOU for money to "build your portfolio" or "book a photographer" red flags should be raised immediately. 

Top Ten Models in Hong Kong - earlier feature. 

Two friends - Lena and Emma - got messages on Instagram from Insert Generic Name who posed himself/herself as a stylist/photographer/and/or agent who wanted images of them in lingerie no less (again 🚩) so they could get them jobs with international photographers and "shoots at Vogue". BTW if anyone random says We can get you into Vogue is another major red 🚩!).  Vogue, Vogue Hong Kong uses professional agencies and rarely does ad hoc shoots and castings.  

Cara G portfolio

Earlier I had written a feature on Hong Kong supermodel Cara G - and her experiences in the industry - mostly good, two bad. Read up here. 

Thankfully the ladies had the good sense to look at 'mutual friends' and ask around. Do your homework. As the cliché goes; if it sounds too good to be true... 

At the magazine/the paper we only worked with the following legit agencies. Legit = they have been in the industry for long, have contacts with magazines, brands and events and, perhaps most importantly, have registered business licenses so if they screw you over, they would be liable. Small Claims Court is littered with affidavits of questionable legitimacy. 

So herewith; Top Eleven agencies (two maybes, as I'm not sure they survived the pandemic) in Hong Kong, in alphabetical order: 

Top 11 Hong Kong Modeling Agencies

1. Cal Carries 
2. Elegance 
3. Elite 
4. Genesis 
5. Liberté 
6. Model Factory
7. Model One 
8. Primo 
9. Quest 
10. Sun Esee 
11. Synergy 

Others....  

1. Model International  * Hong Kong office has closed I think. The GZ office continues. 
2. Starz  * not sure if its still around... but it in its heyday, was 'the' agency in Hong Kong. 

There are of course other modeling agencies in Hong Kong; I just haven't worked with all of them;

Top 13 Official Instagram accounts of verified modeling agencies in Hong Kong. 

1. Primo Model Agency HK here. 15k
2. Quest Artists models HK here. 12.7k
3. Starz People HK here. 11.7k
4. CalCarries International HK here. 8981
5. Model One HK here. 8208
6. Sun Esee Model Management HK here 4922 
7. Synergy Model Management here. 4537
8. Liberte Model HK here. 3627
9. Elegance Model agency in HK here 3551
10. Divine Model agency in HK here. 3493
11. Model International Gz here. 1955
12. East West Modeling agency here. 1696
13. Elite Model Asia here. 458

* Stats as per the day we published this list! 

Sridevi's Top Ten Dances: India's Greatest Actress was a phenomenal dancer albeit not a trained one!

My feature for Filmzine.

By P.Ramakrishnan

Long before the term 'item number' hit the Hindi film vernacular and the Indian tabloids, southern sensation Sridevi was uplifting the cinematic experience with her dose of glamour, grace and dancing style in Mumbai's movie musicals. Her dances are a highlight of many a movie that are otherwise unwatchable, particularly in the drivel of the 1980s/early '90s!

Sridevi had an innate, untutored talent for dance, she never studied the art unlike her South Indian contemporaries like Meenakshi Sheshadri, Jaya Prada, Bhanupriya, Radha or famed film rival and Kathak-exponent Madhuri Dixit. What she did have was natural rhythm and a treasure-trove of myriad expressions that enchanted choreographers. The audience couldn't wait to get to the part where Sridevi let loose on the big screen with her magical moves in films that often had little else.

Sridevi's sizzling act on screen was often partnered with non-dancers like Rajesh Khanna, Sunny Deol, Anil Kapoor and the like, much to the chagrin of choreographers. But they were left unperturbed as the opportunity to work with "the great Sridevi" was compensation.

She could do any number with ease, be it classical, modern or a western number. You wanted her to break-dance and emulate Michael Jackson? Done. Do a navasara-nritya under the shadow of the Natraj? No problem. Seduce on screen in monochrome chiffon saris? Done, and how! She made the template of the seductive heroine drenched in a wet sari, singing to entice the hero/the entire audience! 

Sridevi was a Jack(y) of all trades, no step beyond her reach, no expression beyond her faculty. Like her Tamilian predecessors Vyjayanthimala, Hema Malini, Rekha, it was the unspoken yet acknowledged rule that to rule Bollywood, acting chops and scintillating beauty wasn't enough; you had to dance like a dream.

And even in the garish technicolour dream sequences of the ‘80s, Sridevi shone through. Whittling down the list to just ten song/dance sequences is hard (with nearly 75 Hindi films and roughly six songs in each, that's a lengthy cinematic CV) but here's what it, roughly, boils down to:




10. Main lagti hoon Sridevi
Choreographer: Saroj Khan
Singer: Aasha Bhosle
Music: Bappi Lahiri
Film: Nakka Bandi (1990)

Never heard of it? Youtube it. The film Naaka Bandi is God-awful, but the song is a complete delight. The lyrics are deliciously loopy. The choreography isn't perfect but watch Sridevi in her cheeky, unadulterated best as she mimics yesteryear actresses. Note her comic timing and getting the gist of her predecessors in two-second shots. Irreverent but without being rude, Sridevi, as always, gets it right.


9. Morni baaga maan bole aadhi

Choreographer: Saroj Khan
Singer: Lata Mangeshkar
Music: Shiv Hari
Film: Lamhe (1991)

Oh what a song! What a film! What a performance! Five-time Filmfare winner, Lamhe was the most surprising flop under the Yash Raj banner, yet the film walked away with the most astonishing bounty of awards and acclaim. This isn't the big jhatak-matak number that Sridevi was most oft famed for. Simple, subtle, a reinterpretation of a traditional Rajasthani folk song, its magic.

Megha re megha, Mohe chedo na and Morni were a series of songs Sridevi performs as Pallavi, the older woman Virendra Pratap Singh (Anil Kapoor) falls for. It’s hard to pick which of the three numbers were better than the other, but for argument’s sake, lets elect Morni. The undulating sands, the gorgeous (Neeta Lulla’s National Award winning-) outfits, the intricate movements and expressions, its heaven on the ear and easy on the eye.


8. Main aisi cheez nahin

Choreographer: Saroj Khan
Singer: Kavita Krishnamurthy and Mohd Aziz
Music: Laxmikant Pyarelal
Film: Khuda Gawah (1993)

Although Sridevi was in a league of her own like her Goliath co-star Amitabh Bachchan, the two superstars appeared on film together just thrice; Inquilab (1984), Aakhri Raasta (1986) and, the best of the lot, Khuda Gawah (1992). The dance perhaps best captures the unspoken yet palpable sense of competition the reigning royals of Bollywood had while sharing screen-space. The engulfing costumes can barely tame the leonine Sri from giving the number her almighty all. Even Big B’s left watching her agape at the ferocity of his leading lady and was most notably eclipsed by the lunar charms of Chandni herself. 


7. Dushman dil ka jo hai 

Choreographer: Chinni Prakash
Singer: Kavita Krishnamurthy
Music: Laxmikant Pyarelal
Film: Roop Ki Rani Choron Ka Raja (1993)

It’s the song that inspired Amitabh Bachchan to send a truck-load –not a bouquet, but a damn truck!--of flowers to Sridevi’s house much to her sheer joy and self-professed embarrassment. Roop Ki Rani... was excessive in every way, the over-the-top mishmash of every Hindi film plotline and cliché was an expensive and expansive venture. It was a lengthy yarn which left audiences yawning.

Indubitably, the best bits of the film include Sridevi and some (not all!) of the dance numbers stand out. As dance director Chinni Prakash says, “When you see a dance, the first thing you see is the face and Sri is ex-ce-llent in the face.” See the multi-shots focusing just on her expressions near the end of the song's antra. Damn right, she’s excellent.

6. Tarapat Beete 

Choreographer: Gopi Krishna
Singer: Lata Mangeshkar
Music: Rajesh Roshan
Film: Jaag Utha Insaan (1984)

One of Sri’s earlier (and better) films with the much-whispered about co-star Mithun Chakraborthy, Sridevi has three incredible semi-classical numbers in the film choreographed by the dancer of dancers, Gopi Krishna. The fact she gets her mudras bang-on and posture perfect without lengthy lessons makes her performance all the more laudable. Her kuchipudi number in the temple and her tandav is a work of art. As Bharatnatyam danseuse and Malayali actress Shobana says, “The fact the Sridevi’s not a trained dancer yet so good makes her one of my favourites.” Many would concur.


5. Nainon mein sapna

Choreographer: P.A. Saleem
Singers: Lata Mangeshkar and Kishore Kumar
Music: Bappi Lahiri
Film: Himmatwala (1983)

The song that started it all? Perhaps. Sridevi was already a mega-star in regional films and with a flop like Solva Saawan with Amol Palekar behind her, she burst into the collective consciousness in flashes of orange and hot pink. In scintillating amrapali outfits among hundreds of pots and pans, feather dusters - don’t forget the feather dusters – its Sridevi shimmering throughout this metrical exercise. It ignited a slew of similar cutlery doubled as accessories dance numbers for the succeeding diabolical decade. Gori tere ang ang main is almost an exact sequel in Tohfa. The antics with her white-pant and white-shoe’d co-star Jeetendra (who on second-viewing appears notably stiff unlike her other limber dancing co-star Rishi Kapoor) is the defining image of the masala movie mayhem of 1983. Sridevi in her conical bra-like tops maintained a distinct lack-of vulgarity in an era otherwise crippled with it.



4. Classical music 

Choreographer: Saroj Khan

Music: Laxmikant Pyarelal
Film: Chaalbaaz (1989)

Who needs words? Like Janet Jackson, Sridevi made the country grove to her rhythm nation. Chaalbaaz was a tour-de-force double dose by the diva as she essayed both Manju and Anju with equal panache. Forget the comical duets in the film (award-winning Kisike haath and Tera beemar mera dil), watch the dances that Sridevi does in the early reels to instrumental beats, as she wraps each step with rage, fear and tears. It’s a new-age taandav that should not be missed as she whips the air with her long plaits and burns the carpet with her steady steps. It's high performance art. 


3. Kaate nahin kathe yeh din yeh raat

Choreographer: Saroj Khan
Singer: Alisha Chinai and Kishore Kumar
Music: Laxmikant Pyarelal
Film: Mr India (1987)

For the past 25 years, Kate nahin katthe has lead the pack as the sexiest rain-drenched duet of all-time. Mercifully, choreographer Saroj Khan (who had a rather tumultuous relationship with Sridevi though their interlinked careers provided many of the aforementioned dance nuggets) kept non-dancer and one-step wonder Anil Kapoor, hidden in the shadows and she reserved the thundering steps for thunder-thigh’d Sridevi. It was raining amen. Every rain-song that’s followed (and there have been many done by younger and lesser stars) remains a pale imitation to this class act. As the adage goes, many have imitated, none have bettered.


2. Main teri dushman

Choreographer: Saroj Khan
Music: Laxmikant Pyarelal
Film: Nagina (1986)

A song can't make a movie run is the axiom, but in 1986, Sridevi proved otherwise. Rising above a mediocre script filled with jantar mantars and snakes morphing into people and vice-versa, the highlight of the film is the climactic song that drew audiences in droves. As snake charmer Amirsh Puri’s been starts echoing across the halls of the haunted haveli, Sridevi starts undulating to the music in an erotic blend of sensuality and venom. As a genre, Nagina is a mystical, fantasy thriller but the real thrill is watching the curvaceous Sridevi dance in a flurry and flourish as her sequined ghagra spins around her evil sapera. As a dance, Main teri dushman is a trinity of genres amalgamated; movements from Punjabi folk, expressions and gestures from Bharatanatyam and Kathak's heady turns, all cobbled together for the seven-and-half minute finale. 


1. Mere haathon mein nau nau choodiyan 

Choreographer: Saroj Khan
Singer: Lata Mangeshkar
Music: Shiv Hari
Film: Chandni (1989)

The song bursts into the screen four minutes into the movie and the beats have echoed across weddings from Kashmir to Kanyakumari. Sung with the impish glee of a sixteen year-old by sexagenarian (at the time) legend Lata Mangeshkar, knitted with an infectious beat and complimented with memorably cheeky lyrics, Sridevi elevated a wedding song into an anthem.

As Yash Chopra says, “Sridevi gets very excited about a dance number. I’ll do this and I’ll do that, she says and puts a lot of her personal contribution as an artiste into each song.”

The song captures all of Sridevi in a nutshell; its got her child-like innocence and insouciance, her sauciness, her animated antics, her comic genius and her sultry act all rolled into one rocking number. Phew, that’s some number.

Sridevi was an ace actress who could dance; she wasn't a dancer who could act. There's a distinction.