Hot in Hong Kong: Steaming in Macau:

Outtakes and behind the scenes shots from a magazine cover shoot. 

Christian Louboutin: Sole of a Legend

This sounds like an empty boast, but I've met Monsieur Christian Louboutin many times - and he'll remember, almost none of it. Mostly because he does so much press and he's so impressive and personable, it makes the writer feel they are ol' chums. 

This is not new information but the uninitiated, Christian Louboutin’s path to becoming the world’s most recognisable shoe designer began in Paris, where he was born in 1963 [Same year as Sridevi - this will come up later]. A teenage runaway drawn to the city's nightlife and cabaret culture, he spent his early career designing shoes for the Folies Bergère before working under Roger Vivier. In 1991, he opened his first boutique in Paris, and a year later, the iconic scarlet sole was born - a stroke of genius inspired by painting his assistant’s nails with red polish. Today, that flash of crimson remains the ultimate global marker of luxury, seduction, and empowerment. His relevance endures because he views footwear not merely as an accessory, but as structural art that transforms posture, attitude, and confidence.

Global Modernity & The Hong Kong Chapter

Louboutin’s bond with Asia - and Hong Kong in particular - runs deep. Long before the region became a global luxury powerhouse, he fell in love with Asia’s vibrant colors, rich craftsmanship, and cinematic energy, drawing endless inspiration from its heritage.

Hong Kong held a special place in his expansion strategy. The Maison made history in 2007 by opening its very first Asian flagship on On Lan Street in Central. It has since moved to Prince's Building but really, you'll find his accessories in several luxury outlets in the city. Over the years, Louboutin was a frequent visitor to the city, regularly flying down to oversee collections, launch new concepts, and connect with local style connoisseurs.

Where to Buy in Hong Kong Today

• Landmark Prince’s (Central): Flagship boutique carrying full women’s and men’s collections.

• IFC Mall (Central): Dedicated women’s footwear and leather goods location.

• K11 MUSEA (Tsim Sha Tsui): Featuring latest seasonal collections across footwear and accessories.

• Harbour City (Tsim Sha Tsui) & Pacific Place (Admiralty): Dedicated boutiques and luxury department store counters (Lane Crawford).

Latest Line Highlights

The current collections merge signature theatricality with modern ergonomics:

• Women: Sleek, sharp iterations of the iconic Kate and So Kate pumps, updated with metallic finishes, seasonal embellishments, and comfort-focused engineering.

• Men: Heavy emphasis on hybrid silhouettes- combining signature spiked loafers (Dandelion) with elevated, sporty luxury sneakers (Loubishark) and refined evening boots featuring subtle red accents along the welt.

Love for Cinema, Bollywood, and Sridevi

Louboutin’s creative spirit is deeply intertwined with cinema, particularly his grand love affair with India and Bollywood. Having first traveled to India as a teenager, he developed an abiding obsession with the color, drama, and larger-than-life narrative style of Indian film.

Among his greatest muses was the legendary Sridevi. Louboutin expressed admiration for her screen presence and warmth, often hosting her and her family during his visits. Sridevi embodied the exact blend of grace, drama, and timeless glamour that his shoes celebrate. Imagine my pleasure at sitting down with him across the table as we discussed at length, my favourite topic in the world; the iconic Indian actress. Funnily enough, he was a huge fan of Sridevi, and not so much of Aishwarya Rai - we argued over la Rai, while Jing Zhang (who was moderating the talk), giggled at how serious we took the denizens of la la Bollywod. 

Up Close at The Upper House

During one of his memorable visits to Hong Kong, Louboutin took center stage at The Upper House for an intimate Up Close talk in the Sky Lounge. Attendees were treated to the quintessential Christian: intensely charming, remarkably candid, and wonderfully funny. Popular fashion scribe Jing Zhang was emcee and moderator. 

Rather than delivering a dry lecture on fashion, he regaled the audience with self-deprecating anecdotes - recounting his early days sneaking into Parisian theaters, the accident that led to the red sole, and his unbridled joy for travel. His warmth and wit left an indelible mark on the city's editorial and creative community. One slightly inebriated guest asked "Why are your shoes so painful - why don't you make them more comfortable?" He quipped back, "When my sales drop, I'll change the design. Why fix something that isn't broken?"

Post pandemic Loub has not returned to Hong Kong - we wait with breath that is baited. 

Oh Calcutta!

 

Sometimes the simplest shot, can simply be the greatest.

Outfit Nikhil Thampi. 

Stefano Ricci in Hong Kong: A Pinnacle of Ultra-Luxury Menswear at the top of The Ritz no less!

Stefano Ricci, the Florentine luxury powerhouse founded in 1972, is a fine example of Italian craftsmanship and opulent masculinity - when you enter their premises (at The Peninsula or The Ritz for example), there's none of that hushed, whispered quiet luxury that been trending over the past few months. Forget the humble brag, hit the slots with the elevated elegance, power player symbolism, and the dazzling accessories. 

Renowned for its exquisite menswear, accessories, and lifestyle offerings, the brand has cultivated a devoted following among the world’s most discerning elites. Its presence in Hong Kong, with two flagship boutiques - one at The Peninsula Hotel (opened 2018) and another at The Ritz-Carlton, ICC (opened 2024 - underscores its strategic importance in Asia’s luxury landscape.

But what makes the brand really interesting in Asia is the brand's early adoption of China - long before it was trendy to do so. The brand’s early entry into Greater China was sincerely... in a word, pioneering. Visionary Stefano Ricci opened its first store in Shanghai in 1993 (following initial explorations around 1991), when very few Western luxury names dared venture there. This bold move positioned it ahead of many peers, capitalizing on China’s rapid economic ascent. Until 2017, China was its largest market; post-pandemic, it has rebounded strongly, with steady sales growth amid a broader luxury recovery. In 2023, the company reported record revenues of €215 million (up 46%), with continued positive momentum into 2024, including a notable 3% year-on-year increase in China despite market challenges. Hong Kong serves as a vital gateway and showcase, blending local sophistication with international appeal.

In Hong Kong, the two locations exemplify the brand’s preference for iconic, ultra-luxe venues. The Peninsula boutique in Kowloon offers timeless elegance in the hotel’s prestigious arcade, while the sky-high Ritz-Carlton outpost on the 103rd floor delivers breathtaking views alongside refined collections. These sites are chosen for their proximity to high-net-worth clientele - captains of industry, VIPs, and global tastemakers - who appreciate discretion and unparalleled service. Hong Kong’s role as a fashion and finance hub amplifies Stefano Ricci’s impact, reinforcing its status as a symbol of success and refined power in the region.

What sets Stefano Ricci apart from many a flash in the pan, is its uncompromising commitment to quality. Its casual and ready-to-wear lines are top-tier, featuring the finest Italian fabrics - often sourced from historic mills like the acquired Antico Setificio Fiorentino (est. 1786) - with meticulous hand-finishing that ensures exceptional drape, durability, and comfort. Everything is 100% Made in Italy, blending tradition with innovation.

Accessories elevate the brand to stratospheric luxury. Crocodile leather - often Nubuck, matted, or Himalayan varieties - dominates, prized for its rarity, texture, and masculine allure. Other exotic skins and precious materials feature in bags, wallets, shoes, belts, and portfolios, frequently accented with ruthenium or gold hardware. A single crocodile piece can command tens of thousands of euros, embodying exclusivity and tactile excellence.

The brand enjoys critical acclaim for its flawless execution and cultural resonance. It is hailed as the tailor to the 0.001%, favored by powerful figures for its blend of Florentine artistry and global vision. Its ultra-luxe positioning - think hand-engraved details, limited editions, and bespoke services - transcends trends, offering heirloom-quality pieces that signal quiet confidence.

Stefano Ricci’s campaigns - a personal favourite - rank among the world’s best, particularly through the SR Explorer Project. These cinematic expeditions - spanning Iceland’s glaciers, the Galápagos, Mongolia’s steppes, India’s palaces, and Patagonia - highlight the brand’s nomadic spirit. They capture the modern Stefano Ricci man: dynamic, adventurous, and culturally attuned. By shooting in remote, awe-inspiring locations with masters like Steve McCurry and National Geographic photographers, the campaigns embrace international cultures while celebrating Italian heritage - drawing parallels between Renaissance Florence and ancient civilizations. This narrative of exploration, self-discovery (“Explore the world to explore ourselves”), and conservation adds depth, making the brand’s storytelling immersive and aspirational.

In Asia, in Hong Kong and beyond, Stefano Ricci represents more than fashion; it embodies a lifestyle of excellence, vision, and timeless sophistication. Its two landmark stores continue to thrive as temples to this ethos, drawing Asia’s elite while reinforcing the brand’s pioneering legacy in China. 

Credits:

Original photography: Dino Busch
Model: Taner S at Model One
MUA: Karen Yiu and co.
Location: Island Shangri-la, Hong Kong
Full look: Stefano Ricci 

Collab with Hugo Boss x Orlando Ho for Prestige, Hong Kong

 

 

Dino Busch did the photos for the magazine.

With Jason To, videographer, one of the best in the biz.

Dino's OK. ;0)

Interview and feature with Orlando Ho in the magazine. 

Special thanks to Avni and Avisha, who helped arrange location - Ovolo hotel. 

An entire catalogue, 36 looks: Shot in One day!

 

The right photographer, model, hair and makeup team, stylist, location and... will power. An entire catalogue shoot done on time - and more imporantly in budget.

The side hustle... 

Catalogue shoot with Samantha Sin: Behind the scenes of a brand photoshoot

Behind the scenes of a shoot for a brand. 

Location courtesy of a lovely friend - her triplex apartment in Mid Levels, with the highest ceilings I've seen in a looooong time, provided ample light. The images turned out great - thanks to Samantha Sin. MUA by Karen Yiu, Model Lenka.

The final images came out great. Team work... makes the dream work! 

 

Asian Jewellery Designer: Wallace Chan: Sculpting Eternity in Gem and Porcelain

Few artists have coaxed such poetry from the unyielding resistance of stone, titanium and porcelain as Chan. Born in Fuzhou in 1956 and apprenticed at 16 in the backstreets of Hong Kong’s jewellery quarter, the self-taught master has spent more than five decades transforming an ancient craft into a distinctly contemporary art form.

Today he is recognised as one of Asia’s most important jewellery artists and sculptors. The first Chinese contemporary jewellery artist to enter the British Museum’s permanent collection, Chan is celebrated for technical breakthroughs that include the Wallace Cut (his 1987 illusionary multi-dimensional carving technique!) pioneering uses of titanium in wearable art, and his own Wallace Chan Porcelain, a material five times stronger than steel yet capable of ethereal translucency. 
His works reside in the Shanghai Museum, the V&A, and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. When Christie’s London presented The Wheel of Time in 2023, the largest exhibition of his oeuvre in Europe to date, it drew visitors of all ages and backgrounds to pieces that feel less like ornaments and more like captured moments of philosophical inquiry.
With his long beard and quiet intensity, Chan speaks softly but thinks in epochs. In conversation, he reveals an artist unbound by category, trend or even the traditional expectations of jewellery itself.
How would you describe your jewellery aesthetic? Does it fall more under the category of art and sculpture than accessory?“I strive to create artworks that will outlive me. When it comes to art creation, jewellery is a form of expression. I embrace all art forms and choose not to be confined to any formats. I feel that true artistic freedom means transcending boundaries, even the boundaries of art forms.”
Is there a muse, man or woman, behind the design and who you make the jewellery for?“I create for history.”
What has the experience of the exhibition in London been like? Do you see a difference in how Westerners approach your work and how an Asian audience or buyer might?“I create my works in a way that they are universal, and they communicate to people regardless of their backgrounds. At my exhibition, there were children as young as the age of 3, and there were people in their 80s. It brings me joy to know that my works delight others. We made the exhibition free entry, open to all because we believe that everyone should have an opportunity to enjoy the pieces. I have collectors from different countries in Asia and the West and I am very grateful that they generously loaned their pieces to make this exhibition possible.”
The state of jewellery in 2023; how would you describe it? In your experience, over the years, how has jewellery changed? What was it before – what is it now?“Change is the only constant in life, it is also an essential element in my creative process. To create is to embrace change. Change doesn't happen year by year, but minute by minute.”
Do you see a trend in high-end jewellery that you like.. or that you dislike?“I do not keep up with trends. Trends come and go – they move too fast.”
There are a lot of imitators who’ve been inspired by your work and try to replicate it in their own way. What are your thoughts on it?“It is perhaps a part of the learning process to imitate what has been done before. But life is too short to live in the shadow of the past. At some point one must create one's own future. Every piece of mine is unique because I find it meaningless to replicate myself. Every creation should be a new challenge.”
What advice do you have (to our readers) about jewellery? Should they see it as investment? Something beautiful to own? A keepsake? A treasure?“Collect only what you love, always.”

Over the past twenty years, I have featured several Asian jewellery designers who have a signature style, unique motif and sources of inspiration that often route predictable sources, nature, the oceans, flora and fauna. 
Wallace Chan has an ethos, a philosophy, in his hands, a jewel is never merely a dear, decorative, dazzling designer artifact guised as an accessory. It becomes a vessel for ideas that outlast fashion, markets and even the artist himself, quiet proof that the most radical act in contemporary jewellery may simply be the pursuit of enduring meaning. For years we've written about quiet luxury, now we are shifting focus to quiet legacy.  

亞洲珠寶設計大師陳世英：以寶石與陶瓷雕刻永恆

鮮少有藝術家能像陳世英（Wallace Chan）一樣，從堅硬無比的寶石、鈦金屬和陶瓷中淬煉出如此深邃的詩意。1956年出生於福州、16歲在香港珠寶區的街巷中當學徒，這位自學成才的大師花了半個多世紀，將一門古老的工藝轉化為具備鮮明現代感的新穎藝術形式。

如今，他被公認為亞洲最具影響力的珠寶藝術家及雕塑家之一。作為首位作品獲大英博物館永久典藏的中國當代珠寶藝術家，陳世英以多項技術突破而聞名於世，包括「世英切磨」（Wallace Cut，於1987年創製的幻影立體雕刻法）、將鈦金屬應用於可穿戴藝術的先驅工藝，以及他自主研發的「世英陶瓷」——一種強度比鋼鐵高出五倍、卻又能展現空靈透光感的獨特材質。

他的作品亦被上海博物館、維多利亞與艾爾伯特博物館（V&A）以及波士頓美術館典藏。2023年，當倫敦佳士得舉辦其歐洲歷來規模最大的展覽《時間的輪轉》（The Wheel of Time）時，吸引了不同年齡與背景的觀眾前來朝聖。這些作品與其說是飾物，不如說是一瞬被凝固的哲思。

留著蓄長鬍鬚、眼神靜謐而專注的陳世英，說話溫和，思考卻縱橫於時代與紀元之間。在對話中，他展現出一種不受類別、潮流乃至珠寶傳統框架所束縛的藝術家本色。

您會如何形容自己的珠寶美學？它是否更偏向於藝術和雕塑，而非單純的配飾？ 「我渴望創作能夠比我生命更長久的藝術品。在藝術創作的層面，珠寶是一種表達方式。我擁抱所有的藝術形式，不願被任何格式所限。我覺得真正的藝術自由，是跨越邊界，甚至超越藝術形式本身的界限。」

您的設計背後是否有某位靈感繆斯（無論男女）？您又是為誰而創作？ 「我是為歷史而創作。」

在倫敦舉辦展覽的體驗如何？您覺得西方觀眾欣賞您作品的方式，與亞洲觀眾或買家有何不同嗎？ 「我創作時著重於讓作品具備通性，無論觀眾背景為何，都能與之對話。在我的展覽上，有小至3歲的孩童，也有80多歲的老人。得知自己的作品能為他人帶來喜悅，這讓我感到無比欣慰。我們將展覽設為免費入場、向所有人開放，因為我們相信每個人都應該有機會欣賞這些作品。我的藏家來自亞洲和西方的不同國家，非常感謝他們慷慨借出藏品，才讓這次展覽得以實現。」

您如何形容2023年珠寶業的現狀？依您的經驗，這些年來珠寶產生了怎樣的變化？過去與現在有何不同？ 「變革是人生唯一的永恆，也是我創作過程中不可或缺的元素。去創作，就是去擁抱變化。變化不是按年發生的，而是每分每秒都在進行。」

在高級珠寶領域中，是否有您喜歡……或不喜歡的趨勢？ 「我不去追隨趨勢。潮流來來去去——它們變化得太快了。」

市面上有許多模仿者受您的作品啟發，並嘗試以自己的方式複製。您對此有何看法？ 「去模仿前人做過的事，或許是學習過程的一部分。但人生太短，不能一直活在過去的陰影下。人總要在某個時刻去創造屬於自己的未來。我的每一件作品都是獨一無二的，因為我覺得自我複製毫無意義。每一次創作都應該是一個全新的挑戰。」

對於珠寶，您對（我們的）讀者有何建議？他們應該將其視為投資、一件值得擁有的美好事物、一份紀念品，還是一件珍寶？ 「只收藏你真正熱愛的事物，永遠如此。」

在過去二十年間，我介紹過多位具備個人標誌性風格、獨特圖騰與靈感來源的亞洲珠寶設計師，他們的創作源泉往往來自可預期的自然、海洋或花草鳥獸。

然而陳世英擁有一套屬於自己的信念與哲學。在他手中，一件珠寶絕非只是披著配飾外衣、昂貴而耀眼的設計工藝品；它成為了思想的載體，凌駕於時尚、市場乃至藝術家個人的壽命之上。這亦無聲地證明了，當代珠寶界最激進的創舉，或許不過是對「永恆意義」的純粹追求。多年來我們一直在探討「低調奢華」（Quiet Luxury），而現在，我們將目光轉向「靜謐傳承」（Quiet Legacy）。