Cat-astrophe: Social Media was made for cat pics...

Six years ago, we got a rescue kitten from LAP.org.hk

She's left her prints and scratches all around the house. Mostly on our hearts tho'. 

Such a cutie. Whirling dervish at 5am, but still cute...  

BTS: Behind the Scenes with Payal Shah: Bling it On: Indian Jewellery Designer

My chat and shoot with Payal Shah for the magazine. The crew behind the scenes - Olivier Yoan photographer, Megumi for makeup. Yes, I'm often criticised for using the same crew again and again. When you work with the best, why settle for less?! Although I should give more opportunities to young, new talent... 

With over 82,000 followers on social media, her account is a visual treat: https://www.instagram.com/p/CDOabtTpi-7/

You can read part of the feature and see the published shots online at https://www.prestigeonline.com/hk/people-events/inside-the-world-of-payal-shah/

 

Calvin and Hobbes

 

In the process of dealing with a formidable loss as two of my best friends are packing up and leaving Hong Kong for good, for the greener pastures of South Africa.

Not sure how to deal with this. One day at a time I guess... 

When in doubt, pull out a copy of Calvin and Hobbes for a long read. 

Adam Raby: Mazu Resort wear designer

One of the outtakes of resort wear designer Adam Raby. The feature and portrait is online  at https://www.prestigeonline.com/hk/people-events/first-person-adam-raby-resortwear-men/

Shot in Repulse Bay, Hong Kong. 

Picture by Dino Busch. 

My photographer Dino Busch

While testing light and frame, I shot my photographer Dino Busch. This guy. Das is gut ja? 

See his official web site for his portfolio at https://dinobusch.com/

And his infrequently updated social media account: https://www.instagram.com/dinobuschphotography/

Infrequent as he, like a handful of other photographers, has read the fine print of Instagram and knows better than to post every image online for free public consumption....  

Happy Birthday Hema Malini!

Eleven years ago I met and interviewed "Dream girl" Hema Malini in Hong Kong, just before her classical performance on stage with her daughters. 

The formidable, no-nonsense Hema Malini is one tough cookie who does not suffer fools easily. She doesn't like to be interviewed... well, she doesn't like to be questioned. It wasn't the easiest chat but having adored Hema Malini since Seetha aur Geetha, a movie I've seen over 132 times... seriously... she was still a living dream. 

Left: Portrait of Hema Malini from Faces, by Gautam Rajadhyaksha. He pointed out, Hema Malini isn't just a famous person, actress or dancer, she is Indian royalty, she was born and brought up to be regal and there's an ethereal quality about her unlike any other star of her time. Or since then.  

Gautam da's cousin, Shobaa De, reiterated, "She acts like a Queen on and off screen, all the time. That's the way she was brought up. She's last of the movie stars. Not like the famous of today." 

True blue. 

Happy days Hemaji. 

My fav KOLs in Hong Kong: These Instagram Influencers rock a Loro Piana Scarf

Above: Jessica Jann and Cara G

Below: Faye Tsui and Jessica C

A photo essay for the magazine, featuring some of the most popular fashionistas and gorgeous girls of Hong Kong;  

Jessica C: 166k followers

https://www.instagram.com/jesscambensy/

Jessica Jann: 72.1k followers

https://www.instagram.com/jessjann/

Cara G 60.5k followers 

https://www.instagram.com/caragmcilroy/

Faye Tsui 40.3k followers

https://www.instagram.com/faye_tsui/

 

Glamorous Indian Billionaires fall far from grace in Netflix’s epic takedown; Bad Boy Billionaires: India

Hubris has never looked this glamorous as Netflix’s latest, controversial docu-series, Bad Boy Billionaires: India, studying the rise and fall of notable Indian tycoons, finally gets permission to air after much lawyer-rubber-stamped delay.  P. Ramakrishnan writes. 

Every major Indian businessman in Hong Kong is familiar with every bold-faced name in the docuseries Bad Boy Billionaires; India. Some know them personally, others have near, if not collateral links with businesses that crashed along with the fall of these famous former captains of industry. All are watching with breath that is baited, hoping they aren’t seen or photographed beside the ignominy of it all.  

The key figures in the series are Kingfisher liquor baron and airline honcho Vijay Mallya, Subrata Roy of the Sahara group, IT executive Ramalinga Raju and jeweller Nirav Modi. You can watch all the mighty men meteorically rise... and fall.  

When the trailer first aired few months ago, Netflix was slapped with stay orders by a coterie of lawyers and the original air date, as advertised, was pushed again and again; two of the key subject matters had a phalanx of lawyers set to hound Netflix, stating that airing the shows would affect the jury pool with prejudice against their respective clients - and the show was inherently defamatory.  

Free speech and Netflix won all but one round, as three of the episodes are available for viewing - the episode on Ramalinga Raju, caught on a US$1 billion accounting fraud more than a decade ago, is on hold as his lawyers obtained a separate injunction from a court in south India. The case is still pending but public opinion favours Netflix as millions defrauded by these men seek illusive justice, if not the money that is owed them.  

Like a blockbuster Bollywood movie, the multi-part documentary is loaded with obvious villains and their misdeeds, unexpected heroes, cameos by superstars of Bollywood, heart-breaking revelations from victims and comic relief from unexpected quarters to the soundtrack of the musical chant “Jeene do”; which literally translates to Let me Live.  

Live they must, with the infamy the show has shed a spotlight to, of corruption at such n’th degree, the numbers on screen will appear staggering.  It's a cautionary tale of such epic corruption and abuse of power. 

Caption: Vijay Mallya with his eldest son Siddharth Mallya 

The first hour-long special is dedicated to the “king of good times” Vijay Mallya, a race-car enthusiast from the 1970s and 80s who inherited a fortune from his liquor baron father. The prodigal son amplified the business and expanded the Kingfisher empire greatly and with alarming alacrity and.... fiscal irresponsibility.  

The white-collar crimes, questionably procured loans, lack of payments are all limned in the series. The show is studded with Bollywood babes – Mallya's love and proclivity for gorgeous women and showmanship is all so familiar - when he’s compared to President Donald Trump, its bound to make the viewer smirk.  

The defense put on by Mallya’s eldest son, Siddharth (aka ‘Sid’) Mallya, in his plum British accent, is so tragically tone-deaf and with complete lack of culpability, it borders on the blindingly comic.  The young man, an aspiring actor and model, faces the mental anguish of daily trolling for the sins of his father; his defense of his dad is understandable but the lack of acknowledgement of the white collar crimes is glaring. Particularly as the Mallyas are living a lavish life beyond borders in Britain (and LA), seemingly immune to the plights of many they defrauded. 

Above: Nirav Modi at a gala dinner hosted by his company

Jeweller Nirav Modi’s hoardings were once studded around Central, his stores in ifc and Elements mall have hosted glamorous cocktails and by-invitation only dinners that featured local and international superstars such as Rosie Huntington, Rain, and Priyanka Chopra; once the face of the brand. You can see them all glittering and glowing... until the buck stops; loans of over a billion dollars procured by Modi are brought into question and corruption charges so big – the numbers don’t fit into one column on the screen.  

Above: Subrata Roy heading to court - ink bombed by the Indian mob 

The pyramid scheme led by Subrata Roy was brought into light after a journalist investigated the man and reported on him for a staggering 30 years – the longest and penultimate episode in the series.  

Apart from the lurid fascination and schadenfreude of watching the mega rich and the megalomaniacs brought to their knees, there’s a reason why the show is doing well not only in India, but globally; it’s a Greek tragedy with Indian characters.  

The tropes and principles of Aristotle state, a (seemingly) righteous individual, elevated in rank and ability, makes a colossal mistake, spirals to ruin. Each of the titans started off meaning to do good for commune and community. There are repeated patterns in the narrative as you witness excess pride and critical hubris. 

From flying in Lionel Ritchie to sing Happy Birthday to rat infested prisons in the Hindi heartland, it’s a sordid tale of riches to rags. Like any decent Aristotelian tale, there’s an emotional purification and catharsis in the end as it evokes a mixture of pity, disgust and.. relief that it happened to someone else.  

All images from Instagram

Friends

 Sigh. 

Original s(p)in: Emma Lauren: HK KOL

Stylist, photographer, KOL, sometime model, sometime model citizen, Emma Lauren goes for a spin....