In the Heat of the Night

Photography: Mike Tao
Hair and Makeup: Karen Yiu
Models: Bethany T and David Oshry (Models International HK)

Producer: P.Ramakrishnan
































Wardrobe Captions:

1
On her: Embroidered green top by Fine'n'Rhine, accessories by Kanchan Couture
On him: Calvin Klein jeans and briefs, Cipher shoes

2
On him: Jeans and leather jacket by Calvin Klein, Cipher shoes
On her: Black embroidered cocktail dress by Fine'n'Rhine

3
On her: Jeans and bustier by Calvin Klein
On him: Calvin Klein briefs, black pants by Burberry

4
On her: Overcoat, shoes and dress by Burberry
On him: Embellished top and jeans by Burberry, shoes by Cipher


5
On her: Silver-grey shirt from Armani Collezioni (from Lane Crawford), boots by Burberry

6
On her: White linen shirt from Armani Collezioni (from Lane Crawford), boots by Burberry
On him: Dior Homme briefs


7
On her: Deep-cut red top from Kanchan Couture, black print pants Burberry
On him: Blue knit T from Armani Collezioni (from Lane Crawford), black denim jeans by Burberry, shoes by Cipher

8
On him: Calvin Klien boxer-briefs

9
On her: T-shirt by Kanchan Couture, jeans by Burberry
On him: White T-shirt from Lane Crawford, jeans and boxer-briefs by Calvin Klein, shoes by Cipher













IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT


Producer: P.Ramakrishnan
Photography: Mike Tao
Retouching: Patt Sham
Hair & Makeup: Karen Yiu
Models: Bethany T and David O (Models International)

Captions:

1
On her: Embroidered green top by Fine'n'Rhine, accessories by Kanchan Couture
On him: Calvin Klein jeans and briefs, Cipher shoes

2
On him: Jeans and leather jacket by Calvin Klein, Cipher shoes
On her: Black embroidered cocktail dress by Fine'n'Rhine

3
On her: Jeans and bustier by Calvin Klein
On him: Calvin Klein briefs, black pants by Burberry

4
On her: Overcoat, shoes and dress by Burberry
On him: Embellished top and jeans by Burberry, shoes by Cipher






5
On her: Silver-grey shirt from Armani Collezioni (from Lane Crawford), boots by Burberry

6
On her: White linen shirt from Armani Collezioni (from Lane Crawford), boots by Burberry
On him: Dior Homme briefs


7
On her: Deep-cut red top from Kanchan Couture, black print pants Burberry
On him: Blue knit T from Armani Collezioni (from Lane Crawford), black denim jeans by Burberry, shoes by Cipher

8
On him: Calvin Klien boxer-briefs


9
On her: T-shirt by Kanchan Couture, jeans by Burberry
On him: White T-shirt from Lane Crawford, jeans and boxer-briefs by Calvin Klein, shoes by Cipher




Not for print. reference shots from shoot. captions and all

OUTTAKES

Images that aren't going to print for... whatever reason.

Q&A: Deborah Simms: A Hong Kong icon of health and fitness

Deborah Simms, 37, body beautician, sculpts some answers for P.Ramakrishnan

Q: Favourite bar/club?
Deborah Simms: I don't go clubbing that much, I love to dance but I'm not going to bars. My regular hang outs in the evening are either the office or my home.

Q: Favourite drink?
DS: Right now, I drink a lot of cranberry juice Alcoholic dink? I like my champagne.

Q: What are you listening to?
DS: I'm into New Age music - Ton O'Connor, Enigma, that sort of stuff. I like pop music and I like tunes I can dance to.

Q: Favourite restaurant?
DS: Right now it's Thai Basil in Pacific Place. It's not just Thai food, it's pan-Asian.

Q: Can you cook?
DS: I'm sure if I tried I'd be able to do it - I just don't have time to cook.

Q: What's your fantasy night out?
DS: Lots of dancing. From the time I go out to the time I get home, loads of dancing.

Q: How much does a night out cost you?
DS: It depends where I go. If I go out for dinner and drinks, it can be anywhere from HK$3000-$5000.

Q: Is Hong Kong a 24-hour city?
DS: Definitely. At 2am, if I feel like dancing, I can head out to Lan Kwai Fong or, if I want to eat, I'd head out to Causeway Bay. There are so many places open in Causeway Bay late at night.

Q: Favourite movie?
DS: Recently, the Mel Gibson movie What Women Want. I thought it was really good. Bascally I don't have time to watch movies, but when I do, it's usually a Hollywood movie. I saw Rush Hour 2 and I thought Jackie Chan did a really good job with Chris whatshisname. [Tucker!].

Q: Favourite movie stars?
DS: I like to watch Richard Gere and Keanu Reeves. They haven't done anything recently that's been good but I like watching them all the same.

Q: Where do you like to shop in Hong Kong?
DS: Pacific Plae - D&G, Dior, Celine... all my favourites are there.

Q: Favourite outfit?
DS: Any of my D&G clothes fit the bill. I don't sully wear jeans but recently I got a pair from D&G and I wear them a lot more than usual.

Q: What can't you say no to?
DS: My kids. Also, I can't say no to Haagen-Dazs.

Q: Who are your heroes?
DS: Mother Teresa and Princess Diana. They believed in what they did and went for it. They didn't hesitate. They didn't let obstacles get in the way of their vision. I follow that philosophy as well. I believe in what I can do and I go for it. My company was launched in 1996 and I'm very happy with my decision. So far, so good.

Creative Steps

Business of Design Week gives William To a chance to indulge in his passion for products.

Words: P.Ramakrishnan
Photographer: Jonathan Wong


I started out as an advisor for the media marketing campaign in 2003 and 2004 of the Business of Design Week (BODW). In 2005, when the project director resigned six weeks before the event, I was asked to jump in on a full-time basis and I've been director ever since.

I'm really not a designer per se, I was in advertising for 18 years. My background is not in design, but advertising is all about design too. The power of advertising was the first influence in design that made me step into this field.

I'm interested in product design, architecture, graphics and, because of my training in advertising, we basically have to be in touch with different industries and all aspects of design.

Creativity prevails in a commercial city like ours. In fact, more businesses will use design as a powerful tool to stay competitive.

Currently, I'm focusing on BODW. For this year's event we have Italy as our partner country (registration and full programme can be found at www.bodw.com). I have just completed this year's final judging of Design for Asia Awards - we have some outstanding winners. The result will be announced on December 12 at the HKDC Annual Award Gala Dinner during BODW 2007. We have a steering committee made up of professors, designers, mostly from the local industry and universities. There's an exciting array of winners this year that will surprise many.

Halo

By P.Ramakrishnan

I’m not sure if there’s a point in plugging this hot number. A sister club to the similarly hip Volar, Halo’s got the glow of a minty new hot spot for those who’ve got serious cash to throw at a barkeep. Just last January did this spectacular looking “private club” open at a non-descript street in Central and without having hosted a celebrity and/or supermodel studded party, this hot spot is illuminating the dark pleasure of nocturnal, nefarious, notorious revelry at its finest in the 'Kong.

Just one trouble with this place. You can’t get in. Unless you’re a member. Or know one. Or know the owner or.. you get the gist. If you’re not part of the elite “in within”, there’s just no point in standing outside while you see a stream of model-lites saunter in while they tell you – the average philistine with gravity-defying-hair-courtesy-of-a-Toni&Guy-ad-inspired-coiff-and-copious-gel – that the place is booked up.

Fortunately for me, I know a member, and a co-owner, and the night I was permitted entrance was the night I was part of singer/diva Rijan’s entourage. Down a risky flight of stairs, a goth-black underground Chateaux awaits. Whisked off to a private atrium (the theme being a sub-terrain house of leisure and pleasure; there’s a living room, library, garden room and so on enfolded within the cavernous space), as this is the place that requires a retina scan at the entrance before you’re allowed in (so you can’t even haggle at the door/flash a tit to get in), THEY know you’re coming and a place is reserved for you. FYI, reservations are required. And they don’t kid about that as on weekends, its jam-packed, vacuum-sealed-with the trendy “it” folks.

Seated at the library, we saw Peter Cheung, a marketing mastermind behind the biggest luxury brands in Asia, and his impossibly fashionable shadow walk in.  Upon a quick meet’n’greet, he sends over a complimentary bottle of champagne to our corner (Peter’s also the uncrowned king of social decorum). Again, if you need to double check the price tag of a bottle of Krug on the menu, this is not the place for you.

Filled with dark promises as the creatures of the night come out at their radiant best, its also the place to find your average Asian popstar rush in amongst hushed tones as they set up camp in their private enclaves. You need to be over 25 to enter (but they’re a bit lax on that rule if you're a model citizen) and as the crème de la crème order the entire contents of page three on the menu, sit in the warm glow of the haves and people watch; its seeing sheaths of your average tabloid come alive.

Oh its good to know someone, who knows someone in a city like Hong Kong.

Halo
Lower Ground Floor, 10-12 Stanley Street, Central
Tel: 2810 1274
Operating Hours: Monday to Friday Doors open at 5pm
Saturday Doors open at 9pm
Sunday Closed
Kitchen last call at 00:30am every night (except Sunday)



Lei Dou
To escape the general erk of Lan Kwai Fong (far too hot, humid and peopled on weekends as every bar strewn street can be), Rebecca Walker, the gorgeous editor of the hip local publication ‘taxi’ escorted me to Lei Dou last weekend. It’s right in the heart of LKF and for nor love nor money would you find it unless you were personally taken there on the arm of someone as in-the know as Ms Walker, who collects such invaluable data for her monthly publication.

“I just love this place,” she said while we walked up a slightly creepy and dodgy nameless building, after a poorly lit alleyway sheltered us from ‘Beerfest’ that raged on just a few steps away. “Come on, it's cool, it’s clean and the people are lovely!”

Er.. right. Getting flashes of my last trip to the seamier side of Mongkok, where my sister wanted to buy a fake Bottega Veneta bag and a cigarette lipped man led us down a blind alley and up a cranky lift to an even dingier apartment, littered with every possible fake-designer dud. Strangled by a plastic Gucci belt the headlines would read I envisioned. Similarly, up a flight of stairs with a far more attractive specimen leading the way, we stood in front of a large black door, again, no sign or indication of what’s ahead and that familiar ominous silence followed the knock.

“And the drinks are reasonable,” she concluded while I pictured asphyxiation and bulb-lit mugging.

Wait… rewind that. Reasonable drinks in LKF? You had me at Hello!

Like a large living room with a generous bar, a fake fireplace, little corners with plush sofas and overstuffed chairs, this dimly lit cocoon is clearly a second home to its clientele. Lei Dou is not quiet a private club but it surely feigns to be, as the cloisters of finely feathered folks (there was a birthday bash we seemed to have gate crashed that night with a fedora theme) seemed to acknowledge each other with hearty hellos.

Signature martinis, decent collection of Australian wines, cool and comfortable with a none-too-shabby menu, knowing you’re in the heart of Central, yet away from the vast sweaty crowd below sure has its benefits. If you need me on a Friday after six, you’ll find me at my non-private-club, which is happy to let anyone in.

Lei Dou
D’Aguilar Street
Central
Tel: 2525 8276

Mink

“There’s a talk at Mink about how to pleasure your partner,” said a voice on the mobile. Already I’m groaning. “Its Kamasutra on the rocks babe! Drinks included!”

Well, all right. So my mates and I clop along Hollywood Road, dotted with carpet shops, art galleries, short-lived bars with dozens of people corresponding with antique shops with nary a patron (and yet somehow they last forever), Indian restaurants, and the like, to find the newly renovated Mink left wide open for our grand, albeit hesitant, entrance.

A gaggle of gals listening to a ‘coach’ on what to and not to do in the bedroom…kitchen, living room, or whatever rocks your boat. For $30 happy hour prices, after a few, it was all white noise and laughter, and really what more does one want on Tuesday after work?

As Mink is between a slew of other bars, to keep its chin up, there’s always some event, promotion, deal, music-DJ-food-talk-cocktail strewn happening, but it really just boils down to atmosphere and service and fortunately for them, the place has got all the right ingredients.

Speaking of which, the house specialty, according to the press release we got, is the Peppered Mink Martini; a blend of pepper infused vodka, seared pineapple, caramel liqueur and lemon - and if that wasn't enough, it's garnished further with cracked pepper. As I heard that evening, “Nice, if you’re into that sort of thing.”


Mink
UGF, Au’s Building, 19 Hollywood Road, Central
Tel: 3171 1989.


UPDATE: Not sure if any of these mentioned bars survived as I write this sentence in 2014!