Behind the Label: Azzaro

Who started it? Loris Azzaro was born to Sicilian parents in Tunisia in 1933 and launched his brand in Paris, France, in 1962. The creator of fabulously draped gowns, Azzaro, who died in 2003, was known for dressing the grand dames of society such as Romy Schneider, Claudia Cardinale, Michele Morgan, Marisa Berenson and Dalida. Last year, Brazilian-born Mathilde Castello Branco took the reins as creative director.

Why we love it: in a world of transitory fads and ephemeral fame, Azzaro's timeless outfits have withstood the vagaries of what's in vogue. From the hand-beaded, sequinned cocktail dresses to the billowy reams of red-carpet gowns, Azzaro has been providing signature pieces for women of note for the past 50 years. It's the brand of choice for iconic women (think Sophia Loren, Raquel Welch and Tina Turner, whose stage clothes were mostly created by her good friend "Loris").

What we'd pick: for a return to minimalism, the straight-as- a-rake black dress (above right; HK$39,900) with twisted gold piping at the neck, or, to channel your inner diva, the mint green Greek Goddess gown (far right; HK$68,900; also available in white).

Where can you get it? Azzaro is available at Harvey Nichols, The Landmark, Central, tel: 3695 3388.

Byline: P. Ramakrishnan
(ramakrishnanp @ hotmail. com)
February 12, 2012

His Body of Evidence: Personal Trainer Douglas Pieterse Sweats it Out

The rule of thumb is simple: you cannot go to a dentist who has bad teeth, visit a doctor who has poor health habits, and you surely can’t be trained by someone who looks like they could use a sit-up or 20. The merits and perils of the job are such that personal trainer Douglas Pieterse, 30, co-owner of Sweat gym on Stanley Street in Central, has to maintain a fit and fabulous physique. Not much of a challenge for someone listed in a magazine as one of the eight best bodies in Hong Kong, right?

“I don’t really know what to say to that, but I was surprised when the magazine opened with my shot,” says Pieterse. “There was a rugby player who had eight-pack abs.”

As a Brazilian jiu-jitsu exponent, he’s never had to wrestle with weight or wage a battle of the bulge. “For the job, yes, I do think it is important to lead by example,” he says. “It’s important that I know what the clients are going to experience; I convey the exercise to them. Working out is not easy; it’s a commitment.”

With a wife, two sons under the age of two, a full-time job and an overbooked schedule, it’s amazing that Pieterse finds time to work out. “My day often starts at 5am and ends quite late. In the middle, I make time to work out, usually in
the late afternoons, the non-prime time hours, when most people are at work. I also ensure that I dedicate some time to my own workouts on weekends.”

Rama: I heard your wife, Joey Lee, a former champion kick-boxer, really kicked your diet into gear.Douglas Pieterse: She did. The prime changes were made post-marriage, as she’s very careful about what she eats. As a busy personal trainer, I ate really badly. I ate lots of junk and fast food, as time was a limitation. In between appointments, it was KFC, McDonald’s, cookies and sandwiches loaded with trans fats. I grabbed whatever I could find. It’s true I didn’t have six-pack abs before because, as much as I trained, you cannot out-train a bad diet.

What did you start eating?Lots of greens. Now my diet mainly consists of whole foods, vegetables and fruits. No surprise there. But it’s also making sure I make time to eat right. For breakfast, oats and flax seeds with bananas or apples. Afternoons are hard, and I have to confess, even now I basically eat what I can get my hands on. Evenings tend to start with vegetables, broccoli, cauliflower and vegetable soup. Soups give that false sense of filling you up so you don’t overeat. I have a small piece of meat for protein, followed by more fruits to end the meal.

There are some people who seem to be at the gym all the time and yet see minor results. What are people getting wrong?If you are not constantly challenging your body, you will see no results. The body loves being challenged so it can adapt, so make sure you step out of your comfort zone to get the best results from your training.

What’s a good machine to use to get biceps?I don’t like using machines to work on isolated muscles. If you want bigger biceps, I suggest you start working on your pull-ups or chin-ups. This will allow you to work other muscle groups, too, and give you a better workout. The rope that we have hanging off the ceiling may look like it’s mainly for the arms, but it’s also for a full upper body exercise. Muscles don’t work in isolation.

Hong Kong seems to be teeming with gyms and new fads of training. What’s Sweat’s appeal?It’s a relatively small enterprise with two full-time and two part-time trainers, and we put together individual programmes for all our clients. With high intensity workouts, it’s a goal-oriented programme. Lots of the generic gyms follow some kind of strict programme. We go by what our clients need and like; we read each client and adapt our training to them. You know why most people leave gyms? Boredom. No one wants to do the same thing again and again, and they don’t want to be clumped together with a bunch of others who have different body types and needs.

But isn’t gym work repetitive by it’s very nature?You have to change the patterns. We do circuit training, which is fun
as it’s different each time. We use machines like the Airdyne bike and PowerMax bodyweight training tool. When we first introduce them to clients, they are amazed. They’re very simple pieces of equipment, but fun.

You work with a lot of youngsters. How do you encourage them to try to be healthy?I have found the best ways to encourage youngsters is to lead by example, make the sport a game so they enjoy it, and set attainable goals which give them a sense of success.

Can your wife kick your butt?Most likely – I haven’t taken the time to find out.

UPDATE: Douglas  now at http://www.r3personaltraining.com/

By P.Ramakrishnan
(ramakrishnanp @ hotmail. com)

Published in South China Morning Post
Health Post
Fit and Fab Column

See earlier feature: 24 hrs: Joey Lee

See earlier feature: Kick the Girls and Make them Cry

Pakistani singing star Khan excited to be making his HK debut

It’s shaping up to be a great year for music lovers with yet another international artist coming to town. Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, 37, one of Pakistan’s best-known singers, will perform with his troupe at the Convention and Exhibition Centre next Friday. [Mar 9].

“I’m very excited to sing in Hong Kong for the first time ever,” Khan said. “It’s always a pleasure to sing to a new audience. Music is the only thing that unites us, brings us together. It’s in our blood; it’s in our soul. When I see an international audience hear our music, when they don’t understand a word, then you know there’s more to it than meets the ear.”

Nephew of the legendary singer Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, who lent his voice to the Oscar-winning film Dead Man Walking, the young Khan comes from a house filled with music. Sine Khan had no son of his own, Rahat was deemed heir-apparent to the legendary household, continuing a legacy of singers than spans back 600 years. On YouTube, there is a 12-year-old Nusrat singing a love song at a concert with his famed uncle.

“If you teach a child to sing Twinkle, twinkle little star, do they really understand what they’re saying?” he said with a laugh. “It was just the same with me. I sang a love song, comparing a beautiful woman to a rose. The words were given, the tune was given, and I sang it. I didn’t know what I was singing about until years later.”

Tickets are priced from HK$300 to HK$2,000 and available through HK Ticketing

P. Ramakrishnan
(ramakrishnanp @ hotmail. com)

Asha Bhosle right in tune with HK crowd

Trust legendary Indian singer Asha Bhosle, 78, to remain as sharp as a tack soon after landing in Hong Kong. When asked how she was looking forward to her second concert on our smoggy shores, she retorted, with her impish grin: "It's my third! I've been to Hong Kong a few times for personal reasons - I first came to Hong Kong back in 1960 - my goodness how it has changed. But in concert, [it was] back in 1986 and 1989."

Still, 23 years after her last show, at Queen Elizabeth Stadium, she is still pitch perfect. Her vast repertoire has earned her an entry in the Guinness World Records as the most recorded female artist, and the grandmother-of-five has been showered with other accolades.

"Awards are fine. It's a nice way of being recognised, but as long as they keep playing my songs, I'm happy," she said.

Bhosle has sung for every leading actress in India since 1947. When asked to name the Bollywood beauty she most enjoyed singing for, she was initially reticent to comment.

"Well, I've sung for many beautiful Indian actresses, like Rekha, Hema Malini and Sridevi, so how can I name just one?" she said. "Even the younger girls of today are wonderful. I like Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Priyanka Chopra. The rest, well, I can't tell one from another."

Eternal Asha, presented by Jade Group, starts at 8pm tonight at the Concert Hall of the Cultural Centre. Tickets are HK$300 to HK$1,200. For inquiries, call Urbtix on 60190621.

CITYSEEN
By P. Ramakrishnan
ramakrishnanp @ hotmail. com
Feb 23, 2012
Portrait by Sabrina Sikora

Behind the label: AFH: Designer Ayesha F. Hashwani

Who started it? AFH was established in 2005 by designer Ayesha F. Hashwani and is known for its dizzying swathes of fabric, splashes of colour and timeless, luxurious and (surprisingly for a Pakistani designer) sexy ensembles. Applying the richness of traditional Eastern crafts and motifs to contemporary fashion trends from the West makes for beautiful looks with a distinct touch of exotica. AFH's colours for 2012 range from bright shades such as tangerine to soft muted tones and "fun-loving pastels", says the designer, "with lots of white chiffon, a must-have for summer". 

The main fabrics include voluminous voiles and light silks with a cotton blend. The Karachi-based designer's outfits have been flying off the racks at O'Nitaa in London and Studio 8 in Dubai - and are finally making an appearance in Hong Kong. 

Why we love it: for outfits that are both figure hugging and forgiving. Covering a multitude of sins with long kaftan-like shapes and flowing cocktail dresses, the designer provides a variety of lengths, styles and volumes for any woman. Whether it's asymmetrical hemlines, trains or pleats, there's no shortage of glamour at the label. 

What we'd pick: the airy, long, wispy white dress with arm-length embellishments (left; HK$4,100) and the ornate black cocktail dress (above left; HK$5,300). 

Where can you get it? Online at www.afhashwani.com or through Aliya Zaidi in Hong Kong (to book an appointment, e-mail aliya666@gmail.com or call 6088 9898). 

Byline: P. Ramakrishnan (ramakrishnanp @ hotmail.com)

'A family man who gives to charity: Interview with photographer Olaf Mueller as Kim Dotcom gets Arrested

Photographer who worked for Hong Kong internet millionaire now under arrest in New Zealand says he found him larger than life, but also very private

By Lana Lam and P. Ramakrishnan

A Hong Kong photographer who worked for Kim Dotcom, the millionaire accused of major copyright crimes by the FBI, has described the founder of Megaupload as a devoted family man who simply wanted to keep a low profile.

Fashion photographer Olaf Mueller, 31, first met the German-born Dotcom in 2007 after an odd e-mail landed in his inbox.

"He inquired from a weird e-mail so I thought it was spam. Then my assistant said it's some rich guy who wants to have his picture taken with his wife," Mueller said. "He's a huge guy. He's definitely not shy, very confident and very sarcastic."

Dotcom, who changed his name from Kim Schmitz, is currently in custody in New Zealand after he lost his appeal to be released on bail last week. In court, Dotcom said he was not a flight risk and simply wanted to be with his three young children and wife, who is due to give birth to twins in April.

The 38-year-old, who founded file-sharing sites that allowed users to download content, was arrested last month after police raided his home in Auckland.

The FBI have accused Dotcom of being the mastermind behind one of the biggest copyright breaches in US history and are seeking his extradition.

When Mueller took pre-wedding photos in 2007 of Dotcom and his wife Mona, a former model from the Philippines, he had to relinquish all copyright for the pictures.

"He made sure he owned the copyright, which was okay for me because I just charged accordingly," Mueller said. His rates for Dotcom ranged from HK$150,000 to HK$250,000 per session.

The wedding photos were taken at Mueller's studio, which was in Kwun Tong at the time, because Dotcom wanted to keep things private.

After the wedding portraits, Dotcom asked Mueller to take family photos. At the time, Dotcom had two children and his wife was pregnant with their third child.

Mueller also took interior shots of Dotcom's home, which was a luxury suite at the five-star Grand Hyatt in Wan Chai, taking up an entire floor.

"It was quite homey and very tasteful," Mueller said.

At one point, Dotcom, who split his time between Hong Kong and New Zealand, offered to fly Mueller to Auckland to take photos of his mansion but this job never happened.

Dotcom was also a fan of Mueller's art photography, bidding HK$150,000 at a charity auction in 2010 for a large artwork that featured Hong Kong-based celebrity model Jocelyn Luko.

"I showed it to him before the auction and he really loved it. He also liked the idea that it was for charity," Mueller said.

Dotcom told the photographer that he already had a spot in his New Zealand home to hang the artwork, which was called In High Spirits.

Last month, the work was seized by authorities along with bank accounts and luxury cars worth millions. Dotcom will remain in custody until February 22 when US authorities are expected to file extradition papers.

Above pic caption: Hong Kong fashion photographer Olaf Mueller at his studio in Kowloon Bay - he took pre-wedding photographs for Kim Dotcom and his wife Mona

Feb 05, 2012

Dance in her pants: Dancer Bethany Taylor stays fit

FIT AND FAB: Bethany Taylor

The rigmarole of a gym is not for everyone. The unpredictability of weather can be a hindrance for those who like to go for a run outside, and team sports are for a chosen few. But anyone can dance at any age and at any time, right? “I suppose,” says Bethany Taylor, an interior design student. “All you need is some great music and some space.”

She started dancing at age four, when her mother took her to baby ballet in Muscat, Oman, and trained at the Emma Tse Elite Dance Academy in Hong Kong for years. “I’ve tried pretty much every style of dance – ballet, hip hop, contemporary, tap, jazz, salsa, street,” says Taylor. “My favourites are ballet and street dance; one form is strictly disciplined and the other, freestyle. I love how much attitude and fun you can have with street, while ballet is so elegant. And which girl didn’t want to be a ballerina growing up?”

Although dance is a personal and individual experience for her, it’s helped Taylor in her modelling profession, too. “It gives you amazing control over your body, and you know what angles your body looks good at. It also helps with stamina. Shoots are always so long, and you’re usually standing up, so [training for dance] helps to keep you going for long periods of time.”

Three years ago, Taylor opted to go to college in London instead of taking the difficult route of professional dancing. Although she gave up the hard-core discipline of ballet, she’s found other forms of expression through a range of classes at Studiodanz in North Point.

“Classes are mostly taught in Cantonese, but it’s helped me learn faster as I’m not distracted by what’s said and I follow the movement. I’m forced to concentrate and pick up faster, which has been an excellent form of self-discipline. And dance is the finest form of motion and discipline.”

What drew you to dance?
Ballet is so beautiful and elegant. It’s really high art. I may not do it much any more, but I still appreciate it. Now I dance for fun, and it is the most fun way to exercise.

Is there any particular dance you’d like to try?
Zumba – it’s half exercise, half dance, and looks really fun. It’s a concoction of salsa and aerobics. I’ve been meaning to go, and this year I’ll do it.

What’s your diet like?
Processed food is a definite no, but the word “diet” really puts me off as I don’t believe in dieting. If you eat properly, watch your calories, but don’t deprive yourself, maintain portion control and eat a healthy amount. You don’t need to follow whatever diet is in fashion.

What’s been a memorable dance class?
At Pure Fitness in Central, choreographer Tony Stone [who has worked with stars like Salt-N-Pepa, Falco and LL Cool J] came to teach for a brief session, and it was a serious dance-off and workout. For three hours we were moving non-stop. It was a good class. He’s in his 50s but is in amazing shape.


What other ways do you stay fit?
Gym about four times a week, which keeps my cardio up. I have regular sessions with a personal trainer, and he’s really tough. The day after our sessions, I hate him – but it’s worth going to. I do my own body conditioning regime at home to keep toned, and go to street dance classes a few times a week at Pineapple Dance Studios [in London] more for fun. There’s no exercise that I hate. I have so much energy and love being active.

What’s the secret to looking really lean and toned?
Before a shoot, I cut my carbs and salty foods, and just have proteins and vegetables. And I drink a lot of green tea and water. If hungry during a lengthy shoot, I snack on cashews and bananas.

What’s your favourite health food?
It has to be quinoa; it’s so easy to prepare and so tasty. It fills you up but doesn’t make you bloated, and you can add whatever you like to it. My favourite combination at the moment is with celery, feta and ham. I’m also a massive fan of making fresh soups. It’s cheap and easy, and you get your daily dose of veggies.

P. Ramakrishnan
ramakrishnanp@hotmail.com
Portrait by Sabrina Sikora Photography
http://sspmodels.phanfare.com/
Feb 07, 2012