ISSUE TWENTY SIX

november

KIKO MIZUHARA
"MY CAREER HAS BEEN AN EXTENSION OF PLAY SINCE MY CHILDHOOD"
CONTENTS
32

InVOGUE
024 EDITOR’S PICKS
Tap into your wild side with
animal-inspired pieces.

026 DRAPED IN
Exemplify elegance and edge with
draped separates and accessories.

028 RUFFLE MY FEATHERS

Make a whimsical statement with
feathered co-ords and accessories.

030 CLEAN SLATE

This season it’s all about keeping
it simple with a white-on-
white ensemble.

032 PANTS OFF

Try the ‘bottomless’ trend for size
with these chic and stylish shorts.

034 MISS SUNSHINE

Channel the colour of the season
in a myriad ways, from hoodies to
statement heels.
036 QUIRK FACTOR
There’s no better way to develop
self-expression than by simply
having fun, as seen with the quirky
and kitsch autumn/winter 2023
collections from Doublet, JW
Anderson and Matty Bovan.
038 AGE OF DAWN
Revel in the unveiling of the latest
chapter from Versace’s Icons
collection, which sees a series of
enduring house signatures for the
modern woman.
040 DAY TO NIGHT
Discover the magic of the
emblematic Louis Vuitton Shake
heel through a look at the storied
Fiesso d’Artico atelier, a melting
pot of innovation and dedication
to craft.
042 ALÄIA ANEW 060 COME AWAY WITH ME
Following the legendary Azzedine Relive the Rimowa travelling Seit
Alaïa seemed all but impossible. 1898 exhibition as it makes its way
Then Pieter Mulier came along. from Tokyo to New York City.
Nathan Heller meets a designer
with an eye for the past—and a 064 HEADED INLAND
vision for the future. Captured by Paris-based
photographer Alex Huanfa Cheng,
050 A STORIED HOUSE Louis Vuitton’s latest cruise 2024
Chanel’s all-new exhibition charts offerings play on the theme of
founder Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel’s aquatic flora and fauna.
design journey of 61 years.
052 ALL THAT SHIMMERS
Hot on the heels of showstopping
designer collaborations, H&M
joins hands with the house of
Rabanne for a collection brimming
with retro-inspired glamour.
054 A NEW FRONTIER
Three local illustrators speak
to Vogue Singapore about their
inspirations, ingenuity and the
state of the visual arts industry.

12
CONTENTS
140
BEAUTY
072 BEAUTY DESK
Three things are certain with these
unparalleled formulas: luminous
complexions, immaculate
canvases and velvety soft tresses.
Revitalise your regimen with the
finest picks of the month.
073 TROYE SIVAN
Hit maker. Actor. And now,
the 28-year-old singer can add
brand founder to his impressive
resume. The Australian star
introduces his new cultworthy
fragrance label, Tsu Lange Yor, to
Vogue Singapore.
074 BEAU REGARD
Le Regard Hermès, the brand’s
first eye make-up collection, is set
to leave make-up buffs in starry-
eyed wonder.
076 ACT YOUR AGE
The beauty sphere’s obsession
with youth takes an intriguing turn
with kidcore.
078 HEART OF GLASS
Glamour, uncontained. Vogue
Singapore turns up the volume
with Chanel’s 31 Le Rouge, a
mesmerising feat that marries
14
technical mastery with
unparalleled elegance.
084 FRAGRANCES OF THE SEASON
From elevated florals to spice-
forward scents, fall for this crop
of nuanced fragrances.
085 HIGH BEEM
Aromachology, acupressure
and an innovative new way to
experience ancient botanicals:
how Singapore-born Mudo Labs
is changing the game with
The Beem.
086 TALON TIME
On the surface, nail polish and
artificial intelligence seem to be
worlds apart. Here’s how and why
Kiki World has merged the two.
088 PLAYING FOR KEEPS
Make-up that is far from seasonal.
It’s time to endorse the theatricality
of bold brights and vibrantly
flushed cheeks for the long term.
VITRINE
098 FREEZE FRAME
Playful characters and whimsical
scenes captured within the faces of
intricate metiers d’art watches like
pages in a picture book.
099 MEMPHIS CALLING
Richard Mille’s latest RM07-
01 Coloured Ceramics capsule
collection taps into the ’80s design
movement for levity and colour.
100 BORN PINK
Tiffany & Co’s first collaboration
with house ambassador Rosé takes
the form of the Tiffany Lock Rosé
Edition, a romantic reimagining of
the brand’s classic Lock collection.
102 GARDEN OF DELIGHTS
At French high jeweller Boucheron,
which opened its revamped
boutique in August, heritage and
innovation still rule the day.
104 OUT OF THE BOX
The Mosaico range of high
jewellery from history-obsessed
jewellery brand Buccellati is only
its second to be designed as a
single, cohesive collection.
106 DREAM WEAVER
Tweed de Chanel high jewellery
unveils a precious tale of
the house’s favourite fabric
reimagined in gold and gemstones.
112 A GLANCE ASKEW
A playful, surrealist eye gives these
timeless jewels a fresh perspective.
CONTENTS
LIFE
120 NORTH STAR
Shou Zi Chew, the Singaporean
CEO of TikTok, opens up about
unintended fame, the newest
member in his family, and what it
takes to lead the behemoth social
media app shaping global culture.
126 LOOKING GLASS
The Macallan House is a
demonstration of the intimate ties
the brand’s exquisite single malt
whiskies share with nature.
127 DESIGNER TOYS
Indulge your inner child with a
playful curation of chic collectibles
and luxury novelty items, each
meticulously crafted to add a spark
of joy to your living space.
128 SONIC BOOM
Seoul-based collective Balming
Tiger are on their way to redefining
what Asian music looks like to
the world. Their latest step? An
electrifying, 14-track debut album
titled January Never Dies.
130 GAME CHANGER
Meet Iddris Sandu, founder
and creative director of Spatial
Labs, the technology disruptor
revolutionising digital experiences
and shaking up culture.
16
120
131 TOP SHELF
Viet Thanh Nguyen—author of
the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel
The Sympathizer—rounds up his
favourite reads of 2023.
132 LIFE OF THE PARTY
A spectacular range of offerings
from Hendrick’s Gin infuses the
holiday and gifting season with a
shot of gaiety.
133 BARE SOUL
Shishi-Iwa House is a small
collection of intimately crafted
boutique hotels in Karuizawa
that marries architectural
experiments with century-old
Japanese traditions.
PLAY
140 KIKO MIZUHARA
After two decades in fashion,
the influential multi-hyphenate
is moving into a new space, both
literally and figuratively.
154 KRYSTAL JUNG
Hot off her Cannes Film Festival
debut, the South Korean idol-
turned-actor and Ralph Lauren
ambassador delves into the black
comedy film Cobweb as well as her
personal style.
160 SOFT POWER
From silk slip dresses to
fuzzy knits, photographer
Larrisa Hofmann lenses the
fresh-faced Lila Moss as she
models this season’s most
subdued offerings.
170 LAST PAGE
Mark your calendars. Illustrator
Jaeyyelle draws an out-of-this-
world comic about a landmark
Vogue Singapore event coming
your way this month.
 EDITORIAL
Editor-in-Chief Desmond Lim
Deputy Editor Amelia Chia
Digital Editor Janice Sim
Watches & Jewellery Editor Gordon Ng
Chief Sub-Editor Jacqueline Danam
Associate Lifestyle Editor Chandreyee Ray
Digital Writer Azrin Tan
Writer Jesslyn Lye
Digital Intern Sophie Tan
PUBLISHED BY CONDÉ NAST
FASHION
Fashion Features Editor Maya Menon Chief Executive Officer Roger Lynch
Stylist Jasmine Ashvinkumar
Global Chief Revenue Officer & President, U.S.Revenue &
Fashion Features Writer Bryan Ho
President of International Pamela Drucker Mann
Contributing Fashion Stylist Nicholas See
Global Chief Content Officer Anna Wintour
BEAUTY Chief Financial Officer Nick Hotchkin
Beauty Director Alli Sim Chief People Officer Stan Duncan
Associate Beauty Editor Emily Heng Chief Communications Officer Danielle Carrig
Beauty Intern Valecia Lee Chief of Staff Samantha Morgan
Chief Product & Technology Officer Sanjay Bhakta
ART Chief Content Operations Officer Christiane Mack
Designer Jason Thien
Contributing Designer Venus Loh
CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD
DIGITAL AND CREATIVE PRODUCTION Jonathan Newhouse
Producer David Bay
WORLDWIDE EDITIONS
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS AND ILLUSTRATORS France: AD, GQ, Vanity Fair, Vogue
Alex Huanfa Cheng, Anton Corbijn, Ben Siow, Hyeawon Kang, Jaeyyelle, Jin Jaiji, Larissa Hoffmann, Germany: AD, Glamour, GQ, Vogue
Nawang Cahyani, Petra Collins, Rice Tan, Sayher Heffernan, Thomas Rousset, Wee Khim India: AD, Condé Nast Traveller, GQ, Vogue
Italy: AD, Condé Nast Traveller, GQ,
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS AND STYLISTS La Cucina Italiana, Vanity Fair, Vogue, Wired
Alex Harrington, Celine Yap, Nathan Heller, Spencer Singer, Thomas Delage, Vivienne Sun, Yun Jibin
Japan: GQ, Vogue, Wired
MANAGEMENT Mexico and Latin America: AD, Glamour, GQ, Vogue, Wired
Publisher Bettina von Schlippe Middle East: AD, Condé Nast Traveller
Managing Director Natasha Damodaran Spain: AD, Condé Nast Traveler, Glamour, GQ, Vanity Fair,
Vogue, Vogue Niños, Vogue Novias
SALES Taiwan: GQ, Vogue
Group Commercial Director Michelle Ong United Kingdom: Condé Nast Johansens, Condé Nast
Sales Manager Farah Dinah Traveller, Glamour, GQ, House & Garden, Tatler, The World
Sales Manager Chinmay Daswani of Interiors, Vanity Fair, Vogue, Vogue Business, Wired
Sales Manager Special Projects Marco Loureiro
United States: AD, Allure, Ars Technica, Bon Appétit,
Campaign Executive Angelle Sun
Campaign Management Intern Anushka Gupta Condé Nast Traveler, epicurious, Glamour, GQ, LOVE,
Pitchfork, Self, Teen Vogue, them., The New Yorker,
MARKETING Vanity Fair, Vogue, Wired
Senior Marketing Manager Marc Braydon
Marketing Executive Janelle Lim PUBLISHED UNDER JOINT VENTURE
Brazil: Glamour, GQ, Vogue
PRODUCTION
Group Production Director Anna Tsirelnikova PUBLISHED UNDER LICENCE OR
Media Traffic and Client Services Coordinator Dao Thu Ha COPYRIGHT COOPERATION
Adria: Vogue
PREPRESS
Senior Reprographic Prepress Technician Ngo Thi Hong Phuong Australia: GQ, Vogue
Reprographic Prepress Technician Bui Thi Lan Anh Bulgaria: Glamour
Digital Imaging Graphic Assistant Nguyen Phan Anh China: AD, Condé Nast Traveler, GQ, Vogue
Czech Republic and Slovakia: Vogue, Wired
IT Greece: Vogue
IT Manager Roger Valberg Hong Kong: Vogue, Vogue Man
Hungary: Glamour
ACCOUNTS AND ADMINISTRATION Korea: Allure, GQ, Vogue, Wired
Accountant Seinn Kyaing
Middle East: GQ, Vogue, Wired
Accountant Amber Tan
Account Receivables Hui Ying Soh Philippines: Vogue
Editorial, Sales and Marketing Assistant & Office Manager Tetyana Babina Poland: AD, Glamour, Vogue
Portugal: GQ, Vogue
GROUP COO/CFO Romania: Glamour
Aleksandr Trefilov Scandinavia: Vogue
Singapore: Vogue
PRESIDENT South Africa: Glamour, GQ, House & Garden
Michael von Schlippe Thailand: GQ, Vogue
The Netherlands: Vogue
Published by Media Publishares Pte Ltd (202016673N),
Turkey: GQ, Vogue
MCI (P) 036/09/2023, ISSN 27374351, PPS1919/07/2022 (026020)
1 Syed Alwi Road, #02-02 Song Lin Building, Ukraine: Vogue
Singapore 207628, Tel: (65) 6225 4045
By permission of Condé Nast, 1 World Trade Center, New York, NY 10007, USA

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Editor’s LETTER
P
lay: a word that is so simple yet so profound. Being an only child for the first
11 years of my life, I quickly became adept at entertaining myself. At the time,
my family and I lived far away from our relatives and I was rarely allowed to
play with the other kids in our neighbourhood. My only solace was Filmation’s
He-Man and the Masters of the Universe—a popular cartoon from the late ’80s
that revolved around the never-ending conflict between a sword-bearing barbarian and a
skull-faced evil lord. Every Friday after school, I got to buy a Masters of the Universe action
figure. To this day, this ritual serves as a core memory—one that brought out something
quite extraordinary in me. I would dream of a dozen scenarios while putting on voices to
match various characters. To take things up a notch, I would even sit in front of a rotating
fan to conjure the paralinguistic utterances of Roboto, a heroic mechanical warrior.
I’ve lived my life by the power of play ever since. I’m a firm believer that it not only
develops creativity, but encourages one to dream. And in this issue, we celebrate play in
every imaginable way.
Deputy editor Amelia Chia speaks to our November issue cover star, Japanese-
American model and actress, Kiko Mizuhara, about embarking on a brand new and
imaginative adventure: a holistic lifestyle and skincare brand (page 140). “I love nature,
so I learnt scuba diving and travelled around Japan exploring the countryside and its
beautiful beaches. I fell in love with Japan again and it led me to want to start something
new,” Mizuhara shares. She also talks about her desire to incite change when it comes to
the freedom of expression in her home country.
Digital writer Azrin Tan chats with award-winning South Korean actress and
November’s digital cover star Krystal Jung on her Ralph Lauren ambassadorship. Jung
delves into how she incorporates fun into her craft, having played Han Yu-rim in the
recent black comedy-drama Cobweb (page 154). Fashion features writer Bryan Ho explores
the new frontier of fashion illustrations with the evocative works of artists Jolene Tan,
Hoon Jialing and Jon Tan (page 54). “It is important to not confuse visibility with success,”
shares Jon.
And Shou Zi Chew, the Singaporean CEO of TikTok, opens up to associate lifestyle
editor Chandreyee Ray in a Vogue-exclusive interview (page 120). From playing soccer
at the void deck as a child to becoming a father for the third time, Chew touches on the
explosion of his public presence that led to him being dubbed the Zaddy (internet slang
for an attractive, self-confident and stylish man) of this generation. He also reflects on
Kiko Mizuhara wears Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello what it takes to steer the fastest growing social media platform on the planet—one that
top, skirt, blazer, belt and pocket square
strives to celebrate individuality through creativity. Because I was extremely invested
Photographer PETRA COLLINS in this feature, I made my way straight from the airport to the studio after a work trip to
Stylist SPENCER SINGER
Make-up YUKARI BUSH using SHISEIDO take on the task of styling Chew personally. I quickly learnt that his white T-shirt was akin
Hair ROB TALTY/FORWARD ARTISTS
using BUMBLE & BUMBLE
to Steve Jobs’ black turtleneck. I have never believed in completely stripping away one’s
personal style, so I made it a point to keep the white T-shirt throughout the shoot to retain
that boyish vigour that is specific to Chew.
Finally, the month of November is proving to be a playground like no other as we
embark on our first landmark event: Next In Vogue. Bringing together leading creative
voices from across the region, the three-day event will platform the movers and shakers
who are paving the way for the future of fashion, innovation and culture. It hosts our first-
ever Vogue Closet—an immersive experience featuring a curation of digital and physical
fashion selected by Vogue Singapore editors. Look forward to the debut showcases of
Asian designers Bad Binch Tong Tong and Miss Sohee, both known for their bold and
imaginative designs, which will be made available on our island for the first time. And
what better way to sum up this momentous occasion then to have Singaporean illustrator
Jaeyyelle draw an out-of-this world comic for our last page, which underscores the fact
that life should be lived as play (page 170).

Desmond Lim
Editor-in-Chief, Vogue Singapore

20
 17-18 NOVEMBER

Vogue Singapore’s landmark event,

celebrating the best of fashion, culture and lifestyle
through the lens of innovation in Singapore.
BUY TICKETS

SUPPORTED BY
Maria P wears Khaite bodysuit, $2,360 from Club 21 Four Seasons; Christian Dior bra, price
upon request; Valentino skirt, $6,200, and ring, $1,480; Adidas Samba sneakers, $179

23–71
InVOGUE Trends

1. 2.

3.

8.

4.

5.

7.
6.

Editor’sPICKS
Tap into your wild side with these animal-inspired pieces.
Edit NICHOLAS SEE

24
 10. 12.
11.

9. 13.

14.
17.
16.

15.

1. Loewe Puzzle bag, price upon request 2. Loewe pants, $3,150 3. JW Anderson ring, $310 from Farfetch 4. Acne Studios boots, US$809 from Matches Fashion
5. Bottega Veneta Sardine bag, $5,850 6. Jil Sander dress, $4,370 7. Manolo Blahnik pumps, $1,450 from Mytheresa 8. Ganni T-shirt, $143 from Farfetch
9. Heaven by Marc Jacobs Friendship necklace set, $155 10. Khaite jacket, $11,230 from Farfetch 11. Charles Jeffrey Loverboy hoodie, US$286
12. Doublet men’s Rabbit bag large, $1,090 from Dover Street Market Singapore 13. Hudiegongzhu top, $116 14. Coach Bandit bag, $1,250
15. Chet Lo skirt, $823 from Farfetch 16. Chopova Lowena top, $227 from Farfetch 17. Valentino Garavani robe, $20,877 from Net-a-Porter

25
InVOGUE Trends

2. 4.
3.

5.
1.

6.

8.

10.

7.
9.
11.

1. Dries Van Noten earrings, €475 2. Acne Studios dress, US$938 from Net-a-Porter 3. Ann Demeulemeester top, €1,915
4. Rabanne 5. Marine Serre skirt, $930 from Luisa Via Roma 6. Loewe small Squeeze bag, $5,850 7. Bottega Veneta heels, $1,930 8. Acne Studios
9. Dries Van Noten skirt, €995 10. Dolce&Gabbana dress, US$2,645 from Farfetch 11. Bottega Veneta

26
Draped In
Exemplify elegance and edge with
draped separates and accessories.
Photography WEE KHIM
Styling JASMINE ASHVINKUMAR

Elis wears Alaïa dress,

price upon request
from Dover Street
Market Singapore;
Monica Vinader x Kate
Young bangles, $1,150;
Saint Laurent by
Anthony Vaccarello
bangle, $2,110
 Taty wears The Row
top from Club 21 Four
Seasons, $2,290; Miu
Miu T-shirt, $1,030,
and underwear, $1,420;
Valentino Garavani
boots, $4,340; tights,
stylist’s own

Ruffle
My Feathers
Make a whimsical statement with feathered
co-ords and detailing.
 InVOGUE Trends
1.
3.

2. 4.

9.
8.

10.

7. 5.
6.

1. JW Anderson scarf, £490 2. JW Anderson 3. Xu Zhi top, $695 from Mytheresa 4. 16Arlington top, $2,765 from Farfetch 5. Coperni 6. Loewe
7. Victoria Beckham dress, €1,690 8. Sportmax dress, price upon request 9. Victoria Beckham 10. Ann Demeulemeester top, €2,655

29
InVOGUE Trends

1.
2. 4. 5.
3.

11.

10. 6.

9. 7.
8.

1. Coperni 2. Marie Adam Leenaerdt 3. Carolina Herrera shirt, $2,050 4. Loewe 5. JW Anderson dress, £550 6. Jacquemus shirt, US$705 7. Alexander McQueen
shirt, US$1,290 from Farfetch 8. Tod’s 9. Alaïa shirt, US$1,270 10. The Row shirt, $2,654 from Mytheresa 11. Ann Demeulemeester shirt, €835

30
Valentino shirts,
$2,860 and $1,910;
Prada skirt, price
upon request

Clean Slate
This season it’s all about keeping it
simple with a classic white shirt.
Pants Off
Try the ‘bottomless’ trend for size
with these chic and stylish shorts.

Maria P wears Tod’s

jacket, $2,770; Miu
Miu cardigan, price
upon request, and
underwear, $515;
tights and underwear,
stylist’s own
 InVOGUE Trends

1.

2. 3.

4.

10.

5.

6.

7.

9. 8.

1. Ferragamo shorts, $970 from Farfetch 2. Bode shorts, price upon request 3. Dilara Findikoglu 4. Miu Miu 5. Maison Margiela shorts, $905 from Farfetch
6. Jacquemus shorts, US$765 7. Miu Miu shorts, $7,700 8. Maison Margiela 9. DSquared2 10. Meryll Roe shorts, price upon request

33
InVOGUE Trends

1. 2. 4.

5.
3.

11.

6.

10.
7.
9.

8.

1. Ferragamo dress, $4,790 from Farfetch 2. Jil Sander top, US$700 from Moda Operandi 3. Meryll Roe top, price upon request 4. Christopher Kane 5. Marni
6. Loewe Flamenco bag, $4,300 7. Prada shoes, $1,980 8. Gabriela Hearst pants, US$990 9. Bottega Veneta 10. Dries Van Noten heels, US$815 11. Duran Lantink

34
Miss
Sunshine
Channel the colour of the season
in a myriad ways, from dresses
to statement heels.

Elis wears Coach

dress, price upon
request; Monica
Vinader x Kate Young
earrings, $525;
necklace, stylist’s own

Hair, Yuhi Kim using

Dungüd, Woorailoora and
Dyson Hair Pro; make-up,
Clarence Lee using Burberry
Beauty; manicure, Ann Lim
using Light Lacquer from
Nail Deck; photographer’s
assistant, Ivan Teo; stylist’s
assistants, Syed Zulfadhli
and Nicholas See; producer,
Cindy Ow; models,
Elis/Mannequin, Taty/
Mannequin and Maria P/
Now Model Management.
InVOGUE Trends

36
 Quirk FACTOR
There’s no better way to develop self-expression than by simply having fun, as seen with the quirky
and kitsch autumn/winter 2023 collections from Doublet, JW Anderson and Matty Bovan.
Words MAYA MENON
I
t is often said that humour and play have long been
lost on fashion. If you’re looking for belly laughs,
tongue-in-cheek wit and room for zany experimentation,
chances are you won’t uncover it among the throes of
poised runway models and artisanal displays. But then
again, times are changing—and so is the script on style and
self-expression.
Comfortably nestled within a hotbed of bodycon silhouettes
and haute couture is a design language of a different kind: the
quirk factor. British fashion designer JW Anderson, who launched
his eponymous label in 2008, is no stranger to the vernacular. In
fact, one might even call him a pioneer. Anderson’s first runway
“Idiosyncratic design is
important for two reasons.
It allows the wearer to push
the envelope and brings
attention to heavier topics.”
collection was presented off schedule at London Fashion Week
in September 2008 and was a smorgasbord of everything we’ve
come to love the designer for today: strategic heapings of playful
IMAGES COURTESY OF IMAXTREE
prints, barely there knits and in-your-face accessories.
Fast forward to the designer’s autumn/winter 2023
showing and the same sentiment presented itself through a fitting
homage to his archives. In reference to dancer and choreographer
Michael Clark’s influence on pop culture, Anderson made his mark
(literally) with a ‘pop art penis’ that graced the show invite—and
later, one of the collection’s shirts. Coca-Cola style tops with the
slogan ‘Enjoy God’s Disco. Is there life after death?’ followed suit,
paired with highlighter yellow trousers.
“Is there life after death? There’s something about a
playful slogan shirt that brings you to the brink of existentialism,”
shares fashion researcher Rebecca Dennings. “I think quirky,
idiosyncratic design is important for two reasons. For one, it
allows the wearer to push the envelope to varied extremes when
experimenting with or expressing their style. It makes room for
discovery without judgment. And two, it allows for a different
mode of discussing or bringing attention to heavier topics. It’s
disarming in more ways than one.”
So what was the topic of discussion at Tokyo-based
label Doublet’s autumn/winter 2023 showing? At Paris Fashion
Week, designer Masayuki Ino presented pastel pink bunny
suits, alligator masks, Monsters Inc-esque furry suits and panda
head bags. Iconic footwear such as Vans’ slip-ons and Vibram’s
soles got a furry makeover too. It took a Freddy Krueger-inspired
shirt to hit Ino’s point home. “It was a decided dance with
the monster within,” Dennings shares. Heavy discourse aside, Ino’s
propensity for all things trendy and covetable is still firmly intact.
Look closely and the itch of wanting to own one of these novel pieces
is only intensified.
And finally, British fashion designer Matty Bovan’s
more-is-more sensibility saw no signs of waning for his autumn
2023 showing. Opting for an intimate presentation over a
runway show, Bovan contested the concept of artificial
intelligence with a collection titled Deep Space Nymphs. Entirely
made by hand and 90 percent upcycled, the designer took to the
challenge of keeping to his kitsch-glam aesthetic of clashing
prints, ruched sleeves, as well as overwhelming and uneven
shapes. Jacquard, discarded plastic and denim were fashioned
into what Bovan called “mistakes”—an element, he contests,
that is set to disappear with the introduction of all things
machine-made.
Among the metallic gowns, tassled co-ords, tough Dr
Martens and mismatched belts was a sentiment that tied the
beauty of quirky-kitschy fashion together. In the mesh of the
uncoordinated was the overarching air of something innately
human: the unapologetic and magnificent message of finding
yourself through the joy of getting dressed.
37
 AGE Of DAWN

Revel in the unveiling of the latest chapter from Versace’s Icons collection,
which sees a series of enduring house signatures for the modern woman.
Words BRYAN HO

38
 InVOGUE Style

E
very luxury fashion house has a
core essentials line that boasts
timeless and versatile capsule
pieces. The storied maison of
Versace is no different, with the
unveiling of the newest chapter in its Icons
collection championing independence
and confidence. Lensed by renowned
fashion photography duo Mert Alaş and
Marcus Piggott, the campaign sees famed
brand ambassadors Anne Hathaway and
Li Yuchun—better known by her stage
moniker Chris Lee—in standout pieces.
Tailoring is at the heart of this refreshed
edit of wardrobe staples and returning
house styles, with hourglass outerwear
that exude power and status. Structured
blazers and coats are designed with
pointed lapels, angular shoulders and
a nipped-in waist. Offered in a supple
calfskin or felted wool iteration, the
garments exhibit a savoir-faire that is
synonymous with Versace.
Classical separates such as bustier
corset tops, midi dresses and lightly
washed boyfriend denim are present as
well, each piece featuring the emblematic
Medusa hardware that was first spotted in
1995. Made for everyday wearability and
built to last, the pieces can be seamlessly
adopted by anyone.
The Greca Goddess accessories
are also present in the collection, in
various models and sizes. The bags are
defined by the house’s Greca signifier,
which is a classical Italian symbol that
is often synonymous with infinity and
unity. First introduced on the autumn/
winter 2023 runway, the Greca Goddess
top-handle bag boasts a structural design,
with semi-rounded curves that exhibit
architectural influences. For those who
prefer more capacious sizes, the Greca
Goddess tote would be a great addition.
Finally, the shoulder and mini renditions
are ideal for a night out. On all the bags,
the Greca logo sits in all its glory, basking
in a matte brushed gold.
For footwear, classic slingbacks
and loafers are omnipresent in a variety
of heel heights and materials. The
bestselling Gianni ribbon pumps are
back in glossy patent leather, with the THIS PAGE
Coveted accessories
signature Medusa bow at the front of the
from the Greca
sharp toe. Boots, from the Alia Chelsea
IMAGES COURTESY OF VERSACE

Goddess tote to
to a longer variation, provide fans with a Alia boots serve as
multitude of elegant options. The result statement offerings
is clear—femininity and confidence is at for any wardrobe.
the forefront of mind. The Icons collection
FACING PAGE
is the epitome of the Versace woman,
Reimagined staples
fabricated through bold and passionate pay homage to
products that embody the codes and Versace’s long-
legacy of the house. standing house codes.

39
 DAY to NIGHT
Discover the magic of the emblematic Louis Vuitton Shake heel through a look at the
storied Fiesso d’Artico atelier, a melting pot of innovation and dedication to craft.
Words BRYAN HO

40
 InVOGUE Style

ouis Vuitton has been a

pioneer in the luxury fashion
space for close to two
centuries and is lauded for
its expansive selection of
ready-to-wear and leather
accessories. In keeping with
its status as a global fashion powerhouse,
the brand has introduced Shake, a
contemporary pump that projects youth
and elegance. Distinguished by an angular
square toe and a block heel in the shape
of the letter ‘V’, the shoe draws inspiration
from the Twist bag—a house signature in
its own right. With upper tongue detailing
similar to the Twist’s closure, the brand’s
recognisable logo is offered in lacquered
or gleaming metal iterations.
Designed to be a wardrobe staple
for all occasions, Shake is available in two
core shades of nude and black. For those
opting for a splash of colour, a dazzling
array of seasonal colours from a pop-
infused rose to a deep marine blue are
also available. The maison offers a variety

of innovative leather finishes as well,

and a bold leopard print that provides
punctuation to any ensemble.
Apart from the pump and
slingback designs, Shake is also offered
in Mary Jane and ballerina flat iterations,
as well as platform boots and sandals that
boast a chunky statement heel. These
versatile alternatives provide comfort for
everyday wear, without compromising
on the attention to detail exhibited by a
luxury powerhouse.
Like all other coveted pairs of
footwear from the maison, Shake was
developed at the Fiesso d’Artico atelier,
located just outside Venice, Italy. Dating
back over two decades, its unassuming
steel shoebox exterior houses some of the
world’s best craftsmen, honouring the
tradition and age-old art of shoemaking.
The facility comprises four
workshops where the team meticulously
assembles the various components of
a shoe by hand. From there, the sample
products are then wear-tested to ensure
their durability and quality.
At the Fiesso atelier, nothing
IMAGES COURTESY OF LOUIS VUITTON

is deemed ambitious or unachievable.

Its master artisans take great pride in
meeting the demands of the constantly
At Fiesso d’Artico, evolving fashion industry, never a beat late
master artisans in capturing the essence of a particular
carefully assemble trend or era. Till this day, it remains a
each pair of shoes, treasure trove of unbridled creativity and
highlighting the
a testament to Louis Vuitton’s unending
atelier’s attention
to detail.
dedication to craftsmanship of the
highest standard.

41
InVOGUE Designer
Since taking the
reins two years ago,
Pieter Mulier has been
putting his own mark
on the house of Alaïa.
 n the moments before the start of Alaïa’s ready-to-
wear show in Paris this summer, the house’s creative
director since 2021, Pieter Mulier, stood out among the
team for his qualities of ease and calm. He spent some
minutes chatting with his backstage visitors. He
wandered over to the make-up room, found he wasn’t
needed, and sat on a kerb with the model Julia Nobis

Following the legendary Azzedine Alaïa seemed all but impossible. Then Pieter Mulier came along.
to talk. Shows weren’t always so comfortable. His last one, held
within his apartment in Antwerp had driven him into a nervous
state, but this one took its rhythm from the summer evening and
announced Mulier’s advancement to a master’s station. The
Nathan Heller meets a designer with an eye for the past—and a vision for the future. runway would be Passerelle Léopold Sédar Senghor, spanning
the Seine between the Tuileries and Musée d’Orsay. This bridge
was one of the city’s quiet marvels of engineering, and, as the sun
aligned with a western breeze, it exemplified the warm and precise
refinement that has given Mulier’s work at Alaïa its magnetic
ALAÏA ANEW
appeal. “I try to keep a little bit of the family aspect of Alaïa in the
studio,” Mulier says. “Everything is on a human scale.”
At 44, Mulier is at once a new arrival in the firmament
of creative directors—Alaïa is the first house he has led—and
one of fashion’s ensconced steady hands. For 16 years he served
as Raf Simons’s deputy and sounding board, moving along
with his mentor’s career as it rose toward ever-larger labels and
distinguishing himself not only by his creative point of view but by
his skill in managing large teams. When he was picked to succeed
the Tunisian-born designer Azzedine Alaïa, who died in 2017
Photography ANTON CORBIJN

after reimagining the language of body-conscious tailoring, many

wondered whether Mulier could finesse the transition, teasing
forth the brand’s fragile magic while pushing his own fresher
vision through. “Alaïa felt so specific to Azzedine and to that time
that it seemed it was going to be impossible for it to happen again,”
says Julianne Moore, who found herself rejoining the collection
waiting lists after Mulier’s debut in the summer of 2021. “Pieter
managed to do it.”
In person, Mulier is tall and skinny, with a boyish whoosh
of hair just greying and a teenager’s spidery way of dangling his
forearms from cocked elbows. He dresses most days in white or
black sweatshirts and jeans (no logos) and leads his house in the
spirit of a team captain, calling plays from the field and cheering
colleagues on. At a fitting two days earlier, he kept the show music
cranked up and struck prattling conversations with the models as
they entered. “When you’re waiting for your fitting, all you hear is
‘Wow!’ and clapping,” says the model Élise Crombez. “It was as
if every girl was specifically chosen for her outfit. You felt like a
person, not just a number walking down the runway.”
Mulier wears the same white atelier coat as his staffers
backstage, an egalitarian gesture that matches his straightforward
manner: He is Flemish, and can seem as buoyant and pellucid as
a glass of summer ale. His approach to the craft, though, is rarely
so simple. Even beyond his workday, Mulier haunts galleries and
artists’ studios, compiles scrapbooks and archives, and picks
apart garments like old radios to understand the way they work.
BOURSE DU TRAVAIL CLARA ZETKIN, BOBIGNY.

Where some designers operate as inward-turned iconoclasts, he

sees his fashion as one offering in the long, shared practice of
forming a point of view about ambitious art. “I still think fashion
should propose something, say something, because it’s part of
culture,” Mulier says.
The theme of the bridge show, inspired by Mulier’s
fascination with the clock of Musée d’Orsay, is time. (To start a
collection, he likes to say, he needs only a shoe and a venue.) He
saw reclaiming time as urgent in an increasingly Instagrammed
and- forgotten fashion world. Unlike most houses, Alaïa still shows
only twice a year; in the ’90s, Mulier observes, Azzedine was
known to cancel shows at the last minute if he deemed the work

43
InVOGUE Designer
unready. If taking time was Alaïa’s superpower, Mulier thought,
why not celebrate that on the runway?
When he thought about clocks, he envisioned buttons.
“I quite like the idea that you need time to get dressed—and you
need time to get undressed,” he says. If the moment of doing up
buttons was one of self-making, empowerment, their undoing
measured out erotic time. This focus on the physicality of clothing
and the body was itself very Alaïa, Mulier thought. His invitation
package to the show had been unconventional—a three-legged
folding chair that guests were told to bring with them. Now the
grandees of the fashion world are arrayed along the bridge in their
makeshift seating, which seems a statement about transience and
environmental use, but also an impish gesture of democratisation.
“I love the idea of the fashion crowd walking with a camping chair
through the most bourgeois area of Paris,” Mulier says.
A breeze comes up; the garments dance. There are
autumn coats and hoods and hats paired with sheer vinyl skirts
and dresses. There are translucent plissé pieces in black and
beautifully tailored white. There are haunting yellowy pinks and
blues and earth tones, blouses with high collars and sharp cutouts,
corsets, leggings, trousers cut in the Alaïa silhouette, wrapped
boots, leather suspenders and an exquisite amber-coloured vinyl
overcoat. Alaïa makes a point of melding ready-to-wear and
couture into a single retail collection, and its garments are famous
for their unusual construction. They are designed not on pattern
tables and mannequins but directly on the human body, built like
houses from the inside out with proprietary dynamic-tailoring
techniques. Many wearers suggest they’d know the feel of an Alaïa
dress with their eyes closed. “They hug you,” Crombez explains. “It
grabs you,” Mulier agrees. “They don’t just hang. In French we say
tenu—you’re held together.”
He takes this also as a mission statement for the house,
which employs a tight, four-person design team and four small
speciality ateliers: tailoring, draping, knitwear and leather.
At last Crombez appears, against a stirring ostinato in low
clarinets by the composer Gustave Rudman, to close the show. The
choice is one of intimacy. She and Mulier are nearly the same age
and grew up speaking the same Flemish dialect. She’s dressed
in an exquisite black high-neck translucent dress with a band of
low, lean ruffles at the hips, black heels with an A-shaped cutout
at the toe, and a belt of polished gold. Passersby on Quai Voltaire
have gathered to watch, hanging entranced over the river’s high
embankment. The fashion show has bled into an easy Sunday
evening in Paris, building up a spectacle not just for the fashion
observers on their chairs but for the Parisians and the tourists who
pause—who take the time—to watch before, just like the models,
heading on their way.
A couple of days later, Mulier is back in Antwerp, where
he’s lived, with interruptions, for two decades, feeling upbeat.
“It’s fantastic!” he exclaims as he heads to lunch. “This guy put his
restaurant in the ugliest surroundings.”
The restaurant, Veranda, faces a concrete train overpass.
The founder is his friend, the chef Davy Schellemans, whom
Mulier has repeatedly enlisted to cook for Alaïa’s most honoured
guests. Mulier loves amazing things nested just slightly off the
beaten path, greatness that doesn’t advertise itself but attracts a
devout community of people who bother to take the time to look.
A waiter—Mulier knows the staff by name—brings tiny mugs of
cool broth flavoured with summer tomato, handmade cauliflower
ravioli served with pink and grey Belgian shrimp, and morsels
of local chicken dressed with chickpea cream and fermented
honey sauce.
In Mulier’s view, he explains while devouring his chicken,
Alaïa’s golden age was the period extending from the ’80s to the

44
PASSERELLE LÉOPOLD SÉDARD SENGHOR, PARIS 7ER.

FROM LEFT
Model Awar Odhiang
wears Alaïa dress
and belt
Model Victoria Fawole
wears Alaïa dress
and cuffs
 Pieter Mulier
Raf Simons came up after the exam
to offer Mulier his card. “He said, ‘I don’t think you’re
an architect; I think you’re a fashion designer’.”
’90s—the period when Azzedine created a new language that both
revealed and mystified a woman’s curves. Azzedine blended light,
classically feminine materials with tougher ones, like leather.
There was knitwear tailored like a jacket, at once tidy, professional
and sensual. A revelation at the time, and one of the most lasting
profiles of the ’80s. “Azzedine was a tailor,” Mulier says, the key, he
thinks, to the work’s blend of femininity and strength. “He brought
ease to sex appeal, which is unbelievable.” This sex was never
compromising; it was French.
By the end of Azzedine’s life, Mulier thinks, the nectar had
soured. “Alaïa became a little bit the vestiaire of the bourgeoisie,” he
says. “I remember going to art fairs and every gallerist was dressed
in Alaïa—the same dress with the same shoe. It’s never good if you
become the synonym of ‘good taste.’ ” The brand had lost the young
and restless. “Kids didn’t know what Alaïa was,” Mulier says. “The
mother was wearing it; the daughter was not.”
It became clear to Mulier that his mandate was to wave away
the brand’s accrued perfume of stodgy money and correctness
and get back the young, daring spirit that had made Azzedine
a revolutionary and sensation. Seeing the house’s strengths,
he began to try to isolate and correct for its tics. Shoulders and
46
arms were cut much too tightly for the contemporary woman, he
thought; he brought them out. Jackets had a way of ending up more
sculptural than comfortable, so he opened up and modernised
their lines. He added product categories at lower price points—
swimwear, eyewear, underwear—to welcome younger consumers.
And he tried to bring the sexy back.
After pecking at a strawberry sorbet—“Fan-tastic!”—
Mulier heads outside and climbs into the back of a black minivan
that ferries him around. (He recently acquired a 1978 Porsche
911, but the van life gives him opportunities to work through his
perpetually overflowing WhatsApp queue; everybody seems to
have his number.) Mulier usually comes to Paris for the workweek
and returns to Antwerp for the weekend, by train or by car.
On his way home, Mulier stops off at the extensively
renovated Royal Museum of Fine Arts to marvel, as he sometimes
does, at Flemish painting. “My favourite one is that one,” he says,
pausing before Rubens’ triptych ‘Epitaph of Nicolaas Rockox and
His Wife Adriana Perez’. Why? “It’s small,” he says. “I quite like
Rubens when it’s small.”
Not far away is a gallery filled with the vivid, dreamlike
expressionist canvases of James Ensor. “He’s one of my favourite

painters,” Mulier offers, slowing before ‘The Skeleton Painter’,
which shows a deathly skeleton behaving as an artist. He adds,
offhandedly: “He was actually born where I am from.”
Mulier grew up in Ostend, a seaside resort town in west
Belgium that he describes as surreal. “They always say that people
in Ostend are very creative—and a bit crazy,” he says. His extended
family was from Bruges; his father was a doctor, and Ostend, with
its wealth of health spas and casinos, needed personnel. Mulier
has an older brother and a sister, and describes himself as a “very
social, very easy” child, albeit one without broad skills. “My brother
was a big football player, tennis player, rugby player—every ball he
got in his hand,” Mulier says. “My father was frustrated that I didn’t
have that.”
Instead, he gravitated toward crafts, drawing, piano
lessons, drama class. He revered his mother’s father, a shirtmaker
on commission to the Belgian monarchy, who managed 300
seamstresses. “I always thought that he was an artist more than
a businessman,” Mulier says. “He spoke seven languages. He lived
in modernist houses.” To the young Mulier, this urbane shirtmaker
seemed the height of worldliness, a figure steeped in art and bigger
dreams. “What I learnt from him was that you can do whatever
you want in life,” he says. Yet it never occurred to him to follow his
grandfather into the garment trade.
At 11, Mulier went off to Abdijschool van Zevenkerken, a
Benedictine institution outside Bruges—his uncle was a Catholic
bishop—that he describes as being “like Harry Potter”. Boarding
there during the week, he learnt Latin and Greek and the basics
of art appreciation; he made friends with whom he remains close.
Mulier describes himself, during these years, as “very classic”: a
happy, straight-edged provincial Northern European schoolboy
with a happy, straight-edged future. He was in the Boy Scouts
until the age of 19, at which point, at the suggestion of his parents,
he went to law college in Leuven, rooming with boarding school
chums who’d done the same.
Yet the study of law failed to excite him, while architecture
did (he liked the minimalists: Álvaro Siza, Peter Zumthor, Toyo
Ito, Rem Koolhaas), so after two years he switched to architecture
school, at Institut Saint-Luc in Brussels. It proved a revelation.
Brussels was the largest city in which Mulier had ever lived and
the edgier creative people he met there thrilled him.
“It was the beginning of my world becoming bigger,” he
says. Mulier’s urbane girlfriend at the time, at pains to broaden
his taste, led him through a world of art. “She took me to every
gallery, all the museums, and fashion stores.” The only living
designer Mulier had ever heard of then was Dries Van Noten, but
his girlfriend had pictures of the newest Raf Simons collections on
her walls.
They were students together. One design course required
a final project on the theme of survival. Simons had agreed to sit
on the exam jury. “You had a lot of the people in school making, I
don’t know, jewellery rings so that if they got attacked in the street
they could knock a person down, stuff like that,” Simons recalls.
Mulier interpreted the prompt quite differently and showed up
wearing a bodysuit that would supposedly ensure survival of
any job interview. Strapped into a one-piece garment, with no
shirts to come untucked or flies to come undone, the idea went,
a job candidate was freed from unwitting self-sabotage. Simons
did a double take. “It was a completely different way of thinking,”
he says.
As Mulier remembers it, Simons came up after the exam to
offer Mulier his card. “He said, ‘I don’t think you’re an architect; I
think you’re a fashion designer’,” Mulier recalls. “I said, ‘No, I don’t
think so’. He said, ‘I think you are’.” Simons proposed that Mulier
visit his atelier in Antwerp—an invitation that Mulier recalls
InVOGUE Designer
answering with polite indifference. “Then my girlfriend said,
‘Oh, yes, you’re going’,” he explains. Three months later, knowing
almost nothing about fashion, Mulier showed up in Antwerp to
begin the internship that changed his life.
The city of Antwerp is at once human-scaled and expansive,
encompassing the second-largest harbour in Europe. Its old centre
extends from squares of gorgeous Flemish town houses; its more
recently rebuilt regions have an industrial air, traced with green. In
2014, Mulier bought the penthouse of Riverside Tower, a concrete
modernist icon designed by Léon Stynen and Paul De Meyer and
completed in 1972, on the city’s ‘left bank’—a parky residential
flatland that Le Corbusier once tried to lay out as an ideal
neighborhood. Mulier spent two years renovating the apartment,
which had been De Meyer’s home, with the help of the architect
Glenn Sestig and the landscaper Martin Wirtz, who designed a
distinctive rooftop garden based on ivy, irises, grasses and trees.
And he filled it with new art: Tim Breuer, Bendt Eyckermans,
Steven Shearer and much more. (“I think I prefer artists to fashion
people; there’s something more direct in what they do,” he says.) A
favourite word of Mulier’s is extreme, and the penthouse, which
looks out both on downtown Antwerp and on the waterfront, is
proudly that. Every species of plant in the garden, Mulier says, was
chosen because it had survived the explosion at Hiroshima. When
he held an Alaïa show here, on a chilly day last January, models
paraded through his library, office and bedroom.
“It’s like an island because we’re so high,” Mulier says,
glancing now in satisfaction at the river and the city spread below.
“It’s a little world outside the world.”
When Mulier is in residence, he wakes at a quarter to
seven—his windows, which are huge and trapezoidal, have no
blinds—makes himself breakfast, and returns to wake his dog,
John John, who sleeps with him in bed. They walk together for an
hour in the nearby woods. At home, he showers and starts sending
emails. If it’s a workday, he’s at it from 9am to somewhere between
seven and nine at night; then he and John John walk again, and he
meets friends for dinner, or cooks—one of his favourite things. By
11 or 12, he’s back in bed. “It is actually quite classic, my day,” he
says, as if the thought were just occurring to him. (In Mulier-ese,
what’s “classic” is what’s not extreme.) Zoom was, for him, the best
thing to come from the pandemic. He has not set foot in New York
since 2019, when he and Simons and his former partner of 16 years,
the designer Matthieu Blazy, all living there, left Calvin Klein. “I
was so happy in New York,” he says. “It would break my heart to
go back.”
On free weekends, he tools around the apartment and
the galleries, goes to the gym, cooks for friends at home, and, on
Sundays, visits his brother and sister and their families around
Ostend. (“I love kids,” he says. “I always wanted kids because
it brings balance to a life—reality when you are in an industry
like this. But I would never do it alone.”) He adores Antwerp, but
has always, he says, experienced it from a slight social distance:
a lesson he feels he learnt from Simons, who taught him to
approach the city through its artistic underground over his first
year at the label—a period when Mulier learnt basic skills such as
patternmaking and contract management and felt, he maintains,
“completely lost creatively”.
“I’d gone from a law school to an architect school to—a
company in Antwerp that dresses skinny boys? The first show I
saw from Raf, I thought, What is this? My father saw a picture and
said, ‘That’s what you do’?”
And yet, at Simons’s label, Mulier underwent a kind of
bloom. He lived for a year in the office, sleeping on a mattress
underneath the archive. Simons brought on Blazy, another
young designer, and in time, as Mulier came to acknowledge his
47
InVOGUE Designer
sexuality, the two of them started to date. They found joy in being
part of a scrappy team of kids who spent hours in the studio, living
inside art and design and, from a quiet Belgian city, making work
that enthralled the entire fashion world.
“Raf used to bring us all to the Frieze art fair, to Art Basel,
and have us look at things that, honestly, I’d never seen before,
and explain why they were important,” he recalls. “I believe that
everybody in life has one person who does that for you: a professor
in school, or a parent or an uncle. But I didn’t have that at home or
in school. I had it when I met Raf—that person who pushes you so
far out of your comfort zone that it changes everything.”
By the time Simons commuted to Milan to work at Jil
Sander, Mulier, who did the brand’s shoes and accessories, was
known as his right hand.
“It was a very interesting combination,” says Blazy, who
is now creative director at Bottega Veneta, “because Raf would
think in terms of concept, where Pieter would think immediately
as an architect: in volumes, colours, product.” When designing,
Mulier drew in profile. “You could see the volume of the clothes,”
says Blazy, who internalised this sidelong method and created his
shoes bottomup, as if designing a building.
All the while, Mulier dreamt of designing womenswear.
When he realised, deep into his 30s, that the closest he had gotten
was making women’s shoes, he had a kind of crisis and decided
to launch his own womenswear line. It was 2010 and, as he was
ramping up the collection, his father became terminally ill. Mulier
paused the work. “I took care of him for six, seven months until he
passed away,” he says.
By then, Simons was moving to Dior and invited Mulier
to join. This time, he’d work on womenswear, including couture,
an offer he could not bear to refuse. “I knew after a week at Dior,”
Mulier recalls, “that this is what I wanted to do.”
It was at Dior that Mulier’s quiet genius for colour, volume
and construction—the material personality of a garment—came
to the fore. “He was interested and challenged by the technicality,”
Simons says. Dior—like Alaïa—was a tailoring-based house and
it was where Mulier learnt the power of a recognisable silhouette:
the box (Chanel), the hourglass (Dior), the long hourglass he would
one day master at Alaïa.
As Mulier tells it, though, Dior was most of all where he
learnt how to sell a dream. “It was about curves,” he says. “It was
about attitude.” The lesson lodged in his imagination even as, in
2016, he and Blazy joined Simons in New York to lead design at
Calvin Klein—a résumé bump for Mulier, who was listed (and paid)
as the brand’s creative director, and a crucial window into the
inner workings of both global commerce and, he notes in earnest,
underwear. The Antwerp trio was alive with an ambitious dream:
they were going to take sublime, smart, daring, first-rate fashion
and make it globally available. But for Mulier, the experience had
the radiance of a candle burning at both ends, filled with almost
nonstop travel among Europe, the US and Asia.
“You’d arrive in Amsterdam in the morning and have 50
people in front of you with 24 hours to work with them—and you’d
have to give them energy,” he explains. “You’d clean it up, leave and
come back every three weeks to do it again.” By the time the project
ended, “I was just burnt up”.
For a year, he turned down job offers that came his way.
Getting restless during the pandemic, he considered becoming
creative director of a Swiss furniture company. “I thought, Oh,
furniture, it’s so calm!” It was at this point that Alaïa came into view.
“I had this idea that Pieter should go to Alaïa,” Clémande
Burgevin Blachman, who had known Mulier at Raf Simons
and Calvin Klein, recalls. Her mother had been a close friend of
Azzedine; she thought she saw, in Mulier, a designer who could
48
bring the house to life again with the old energy. “I knew he had
this way of looking at the feminine body—maybe it’s because of his
background as an architect—and this cultural and art knowledge,”
she says. “I convinced him he should find a way to apply.”
The application process lasted a full year. “We were
dating,” Mulier says wryly. “I told them, I’m not going to cheat on
you—I’m going to wait.” What he recognised in Alaïa, long before
a lot of other people did, was a house that joined the intimacy and
particularity of Raf Simons, the refined ateliers and dream-making
of Dior, and the demotic openness of Calvin Klein. He became
convinced it was the lead job he was made for. Over 12 months, he
ordered vintage Alaïa garments and studied their construction as
an architect might study French cathedrals, learning Azzedine’s
language in cloth.
When Mulier and Blazy were together in Antwerp, they
often ended their days at De Zeester, a family-filled tavern-style
restaurant a moment’s walk from the apartment. Tonight Mulier
takes a round table and orders grey-shrimp croquettes, mussels
and a bolleke, or goblet bowl, of local beer. He knows the server by
name here as well. “My dog is obsessed with her,” he says.
Since he and Blazy broke up, they’ve split custody of John
John, who travels back and forth among Paris, Milan and Antwerp,
sleeping in the back seat of the car along the route. When he’s
away, Mulier misses him acutely. “My day is based on him,” he
says. “He’s at Alaïa constantly. He’s in the ateliers. He’s downstairs.
He’s in the studio. An animal brings something calm to the teams.”
John John lives with him more than Blazy, and he frets about the
fairness of that, but he finds himself counting the days until the
dog’s return. “I went to Milan just to see him,” Mulier says. “We’re
on that level now.”
Mulier and Blazy had the fortune and the misfortune of
each seeing their luckiest breaks—a once-in-a-lifetime chance
to lead, at last, the world-class fashion house that each believed
in—appear at almost exactly the same time. For years, they had
been partners in deputy-ship, the two base corners of a triangle.
Then, overnight, each had become the sovereign of his own
imaginative world.
The weight of two such new mantles, based in two cities,
with two chief calendars and desperate drives to squeeze the
most from a rare opportunity, was more than one relationship
could bear. “Once you obtain that job, you have to make some
choices in your life because it eats a lot of everything around you,”
Mulier says. He chose Alaïa, Blazy chose Bottega Veneta, and the
rest was sealed. Today, the two of them are still among the most
enthusiastic fans at each other’s shows. “What I like about Pieter’s
way of working is that he goes against the stream, takes risks, but
he’s not someone who wants to shock—he’s just going for what he
believes in most,” Blazy says. But they remain apart. “It didn’t work
anymore, based only on that—only on the jobs,” Mulier says.
A loss, though, has been balanced by wild success. At
PASSERELLE LÉOPOLD SÉDARD SENGHOR, PARIS 7ER.
Alaïa, the vision that Mulier most believes in has the public heart.
His first collection alone turned the fortunes of the house around.
A set of hoods that he updated from an early Alaïa model worn by
Grace Jones sold and sold and sold—a fashion icon right out of the
gate. “It represents Alaïa in a very simple way and every big house
copied it,” Mulier notes. “It’s one of those pieces that made other
brands look at Alaïa again.”
They are still looking and, more than two years later, the
hoods continue to sell dazzlingly well. Success is generally worth
waiting for, at least in Mulier’s view. “We’re a small company.
It takes a lot of time,” he says. He smiles, then shrugs. After two
decades of biding his own time for the right big break, he was used
to taking opportunities in pace. Now he had all the past to work
with, and the future. “I’m very patient,” Mulier explains.
Model Jeanne Cadieu
wears Alaïa coat, jacket,
skirt and earrings

Fashion editor,
Alex Harrington; hair,
Shingo Shibata; make-up,
Kanako Takase/Addiction
Tokyo; producer, Paramour
Production; tailor,
Laura Bihl.
InVOGUE Style
Gabrielle Chanel. Fashion
Manifesto is an anthology
of the founder’s feats that
have made the house
what it is today.

A Storied HOUSE
Chanel’s all-new exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum charts
founder Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel’s design journey of 61 years.
Words NICHOLAS SEE

50
 T
hroughout her lifetime, Gabrielle Chanel had created
an impressive catalogue of timeless designs, all of
which carry influence and weight even today. Instead
of allowing her design ethos to be dictated by social
norms, Chanel aimed to do the reverse. She had a keen
eye for the needs and wants of the modern woman, providing
unprecedented independence and freedom through clothing.
To chart such a lifetime of innovation requires scale and
deliberation, which is what the exhibition at London’s Victoria and
Albert (V&A) Museum, Gabrielle Chanel. Fashion Manifesto, has
managed to deliver. Based on the exhibition of the same name at
Palais Galliera in Paris, the V&A Museum enlarged its scope in
curation and storytelling.
Adding 100 new objects (including 60 new looks), the
exhibition spans 10 different segments and celebrates Chanel’s
groundbreaking approach to design. It also explores her affinity
with the British fashion landscape, which includes her use of the
quintessentially English textile, tweed, as well as her partnerships
with textile firms and factories in Huddersfield.
To understand Chanel’s future accolades, one must first
acknowledge her beginnings. The first section, ‘Towards a New
Elegance’, chronicles the start of her career as a milliner and her
eventual foray into clothing. In this section, one of the earliest
surviving Chanel garments, a silk jersey blouse, characterising
minimalism and precision that contrasted with the excessively
decorative fashions of the day, demonstrates her design
inclinations in its infancy. The next section, ‘The Emergence of
IMAGES COURTESY OF CHANEL
a Style’, sees the introduction of the iconic little black dress and
other monochromatic pieces that focused on shapes, textures
and proportions.
However, the Chanel woman doesn’t just look elegant,
she needs to emanate it through scent as well. ‘The Invisible
Accessory’ pulls the house’s first perfume, Chanel No. 5, into full
focus. After the scent’s success, Chanel created other distinctive
ones with Russian-French perfumer Ernest Beaux—her longtime
collaborator in this department—subsequently launching make-
up in 1924 and skincare in 1927. One then gets whisked into ‘Luxury
and Line’, which showcases her mastery of eveningwear. A touch
of opulence is also reflected here with Bijoux de Diamants, her first
and only collection of fine jewellery in 1932.
Delving into the consequences of war, ‘Closing the House’
shows Chanel’s first collection after the house’s relaunch in 1954,
which was both a redux of her classics as well as renewed ideas
of the modern woman. ‘The Suit’ then looks to what has been
described as the world’s prettiest uniform. With the cult classic
being a symbol of female empowerment, it is no surprise that
it requires a standalone section to emphasise its impact in the
fashion world.
‘Chanel Codes’ displays the accessories that are now
pivotal elements of the house. The brand’s most timeless designs,
such as the two-toned slingback shoes and the 2.55 handbag, are
shown here in full bloom.
‘Into the Evening’ is a reflection of the driving force behind
Chanel’s couture collections: eveningwear. Sensibilities such
as the use of lace and satin were adopted by daywear in these
collections, showing a refined sensuality that is now a prominent
trait of the Chanel woman. Costume jewellery embodies a key part
of the Chanel look. Subverting the norms of utilising fine jewels,
she gravitated towards a heavy use of pearls in her repertoire, a
timeless leitmotif still seen in today’s Chanel accessories.
The exhibition finale, ‘A Timeless Allure’, displays more
evening dresses as well as relaxed iterations of the formal dress
on a recreation of the iconic mirrored staircase found at 31 rue
Cambon. This landmark is a pleasing end to the extensive journey,
with the structure bringing visitors back to where most of Chanel’s
magic and innovation happened—in the heart of the storied
house’s atelier.
Gabrielle Chanel. Fashion Manifesto ends its run on
25 February 2024.
51
InVOGUE Style

All That SHIMMERS

Hot on the heels of showstopping designer collaborations, H&M joins hands with
the house of Rabanne for a collection brimming with retro-inspired glamour.
Photography RICE TAN Styling NICHOLAS SEE

52
THIS PAGE
FROM LEFT
Rabanne H&M jacket,
shirt and skirt
Rabanne H&M cowl,
coat and pants;
earrings, stylist’s own

FACING PAGE
Rabanne H&M
bracelet, dress and
heels; earrings,
stylist’s own

Producer, David Bay;

set designer, Abegail
Arendayen; make-up,
Victoria Hwang/Suburbs
Studio; hair, Marc Teng;
manicure, Rebecca
Chuang; model, Manasi/
Misc Management and
Tristen/Mannequin Studio;
photographer’s assistant,
Nicholas Yan; stylist’s
assistant, Jovial Wong;
production assistant,
Anna Ivanova.
InVOGUE Profile
A New FRONTIER
Three local illustrators speak to Vogue Singapore about their
inspirations, ingenuity and the state of the visual arts industry.
Words BRYAN HO
Jon Tan
Jon Tan’s foray into the world of arts started later than most.
Growing up in a traditional Chinese family meant that pursuing a
career in the creative field was off his radar. “I came from the usual
conventional education route. It wasn’t until my junior college
years that I started being more exposed to the arts,” he shares.
Fast forward half a decade and the multidisciplinary artist
and designer—who is currently the art director of local design
studio and clothing brand Beyond The Vines—has done work for
an array of clients which includes Nike, ArtScience Museum and
even hip-hop icon Kendrick Lamar.
Recounts Tan of his introduction to illustration: “Back in
2019, I was a part of the vintage store Death Threads, which held
monthly fashion pop-ups. That platform provided me with the
opportunity to illustrate over two years’ worth of promotional
posters, which was where I built my design fundamentals.”
An average day of work includes a flurry of back-to-back
meetings followed by hours of ideation. “It always starts with
research for me. I try to find out what my clients are looking for
and focus on aligning it to my personal design language and ethos.
From there, I begin to sketch a draft, filling in details along the way
based on emotions I am feeling or wish to invoke.”
Tan shares that his recent references have primarily been
distilled from fashion month as he was paying close attention to
everything from show invites to runway set designs. Music and
travel have also been two indispensable sources of inspiration
for Tan, who sees personal experiences as the greatest catalyst
for creativity.
Once the initial draft is complete, Tan begins to play with
colour and texture. Referring to this part as the ‘actualisation
54
process’, he notes that it is one of constant trial and error. “Despite
having worked on many projects now, I feel as though each has its
own process and it all boils down to what works best at the end of
the day.”
With social media more prevalent than ever, it has become
a key marketing and branding tool for all in the creative field. Tan
has certainly been quick to adopt this, with his Instagram serving
as a curated portfolio that showcases his best works. While he
appreciates the praise and recognition he has received online,
he understands that remaining humble is key. “It is important
not to confuse visibility with success. There are tons of smaller
illustrators both locally and regionally who are producing
excellent work, and just because a particular piece of work does
not garner as many views or likes as another does not mean it is of
a lower standard.”
Looking ahead, the future is nothing but bright for Tan.
With an interest that spans varying mediums, he is looking to
elevate his illustrations through animations. “In the coming
months, I would like to incorporate more subcultures outside
fashion into my works. I feel I am in the right direction in terms
of my creative journey and I cannot wait to show you guys more.”
IMAGE COURTESY OF JON TAN
Scan here to
experience Tan’s
animation works.
‘A World Beyond’ is
Tan’s collaboration
with local fashion
brand Beyond
The Vines.
Hoon’s artwork for
Uniqlo Singapore and
an Adidas x Zalora
fashion campaign.

56
 InVOGUE Profile

Hoon Jialing
A childhood interest in comic books led Temasek Polytechnic
graduate Hoon JiaLing, or JL as she prefers to be known, to a career “My work is a visual
in graphic design and illustration. While many kids spent their
time outdoors, Hoon would pore over her sibling’s Archie Comics. representation of my state
“I would scan through the pages and stare at all the visuals. It felt
like a whole other world between those pages, with so many little
details that fed my imagination.”
of mind, and an idealistic
A quick glance at Hoon’s works and one would instantly
spot the feminine, childlike sensibilities that have carried over
vision of the world.”
from her adolescence. Pastel colours and playful characters are
drawn against a fantasy backdrop, with a myriad of references
that include Alice in Wonderland. Hoon describes her art style as
a playground for her inner child, sharing: “When I embark on any
new project, I always start with looking at children’s storybooks.
From there, I pinpoint the details that catch my attention and try to
flesh them out with my whimsical sketches.”
Elaborating further, Hoon also notes the significance that
her friends play in her work. “I turn to my friends for feedback,
asking which parts of my illustration captures and holds their
attention.” Her partner and closest friends also frequently chat
about works they see online, bouncing ideas off each other on
what does and doesn’t resonate with them. She acknowledges
that personal taste is highly subjective: “I like for there to be a good
mix of ideas from everywhere. I try to seek inspiration outside the
illustration space as well, as that seems really mundane to me.”
Speaking of the current state of illustration and the arts in
Singapore, Hoon hopes to see more artists recognise the value they
bring to the table. “I think it’s easy as a new artist to compromise
your beliefs and work for a big client. I would like to see more
IMAGES COURTESY OF HOON JIALING (JL)

illustrators, or even just creatives in general, fight for authenticity.”

She also highlights that it’s important for the industry to spotlight
lesser-known artists, and that collaboration between these talents
would catapult the industry to greater heights.
Lastly, Hoon speaks on this issue’s theme of ‘Play’ and
what it means to her as an emerging artist. She prides herself
on transporting her audience into a daydream, a fantasy land
depicted in fairy tales: “My work is a visual representation of my
state of mind, an idealistic vision of the world and everything
around me. It romanticises my life and I hope it brings a certain
level of joy to all who partake in it.”

57
InVOGUE Profile
“Having fun with my
work creates a sense of
chaos, but there is novelty
and authenticity to that.”
58
Jolene Tan
Going by the online moniker Fakejol, illustrator-animator Jolene
Tan has been in the visual arts field for a considerable time. With a
career in motion design that spans over four years and as a media
design lecturer at Nanyang Technological University, she is no
novice to the industry.
Tan was an artistic child and spent many of her pre-
pubescent years drawing. Although she remembers not being
particularly good at it, she sees it as the launching pad for her
interest in the arts. It wasn’t until her university years that she
developed a profound interest in animation and illustration,
which was spearheaded by her love for Japanese director and
screenwriter Masaaki Yuasa’s works. “It changed my perception
of what 2D animation could look like,” she recounts.
Looking at all her works, the influences from her passion
for animation is undeniable. Geometric shapes, bold colours and
varying textures make up her artworks, working in unison to
compose an imagery that is reflective of a ’90s newspaper comic.
Tan describes her work as a reflection of how she views the world,
sharing: “I like to combine several subjects, creating work based
on memories I have with the people in my life.”
Her recent inspirations are drawn from tons of sources,
ranging from packaging designs at supermarkets to indie books
sold at the annual Singapore Art Book Fair. Tan is big on vintage
clothing too, with several of her most notable works being parodies
of Japanese brands (think Hysteric Glamour and Evisu). “I also
look at textiles for inspiration as they fascinate me, how they can
match pattern on pattern so beautifully. Additionally, my love for
Viennese Secessionist designs are a recurring reference as the
artistry from that era is unparalleled.”
The theme of ‘Play’ is one that is close to Tan’s heart, and
she interprets it as a balance of vibrancy and disorder. “A part of
me feels that having fun with my work creates a sense of chaos,
but there is novelty and authenticity in that. I relish the fact that
there is a sense of naivety in the way I view things and I’m sure [this
can be seen] in my art.”
Fresh from a recent collaboration with educational giant
TED-Ed, Tan is revelling in the afterglow of it all. She expresses
her gratitude for all the opportunities she has had, beaming:
“I’m extremely thankful to be able to work with a dream client of
mine, who I’ve admired since my secondary school days.” Outside
her professional achievements, she has learnt the importance of
carving out time for herself. “Clients aside, I hope I’ll be able to do
more personal work as I feel that personal projects are essential
in helping me grow,” she muses. And if they’re anything like what
we’ve seen from her, we are in for a treat.
 Tan’s artwork,
titled ‘Aliwal Street’,
is influenced by
Harajuku’s decora
fashion and
Fruits magazine.
IMAGE COURTESY OF JOLENE TAN

59
InVOGUE Style

Come Away with ME

Rimowa’s travelling Seit 1898 exhibition makes its way from Tokyo to
New York City with a selection of suitcases from some of the world’s biggest stars.
Here, relive the retrospective and delve into the brand’s cult relevance as explained
by senior vice president of product and marketing, Emelie De Vitis.
Words MAYA MENON

60
 Rimowa hosted the
New York leg of its
Seit 1898 exhibition
at Chelsea Factory.
n 8 September, German luxury luggage brand
Rimowa’s 125th anniversary was marked by
the opening of the 10-day Seit 1898—translated
to Since 1898—exhibition. After its debut in
Tokyo’s Jing Harajuku exhibition space on
9 June, it made its way to New York City. The
travelling showcase is set to end in Cologne,
Germany, in spring 2024. In the Big Apple, Rimowa’s retrospective
was hosted within the sprawling space of Chelsea Factory, with the
intention of recapturing the cultural and technological significance
of the brand and its association with discerning travellers. Each
location, the brand notes, has a special place in its legacy. Tokyo
demonstrates Rimowa’s reach by being one of the first global
commerce destinations, New York mirrors its intersection with
fashion and Cologne is a homage to its roots. “Each of these cases
carries countless personal histories. And every sticker or custom
design reveals we travel to find ourselves as much as to connect
with others,” reads the exhibition’s pamphlet.
The journey of the heritage brand began in Cologne,
in the saddlery shop of its founder, Paul Morszeck. An early
adopter of the automobile, Morszeck was an avid traveller. He
fashioned a cabin case that was the first of its kind. Made out of
wood, vulcanised fibre, brass, leather straps and fabric lining,
Cabin Case No. 714 would start it all. Conceptualised to fit under
the berths of trains and steamships, this particular luggage was
designed with seamless transport in mind. Once air travel became
popular, his son Richard Morszeck introduced metal suitcases that
would allow jet-setters to fly in style. This is thought to have been
perpetuated by a supposed factory fire in the 1930s that engulfed
and eradicated everything except for aluminium.
Lightweight, durable and resistant to corrosion, aluminium
is thought to be the perfect material in the realms of engineering
and design. Combining durability with sleek aesthetics, Rimowa
suitcases have stealthily become a covetable luxury must-have,
winning over the fashion and art set in the process. The distinct
personality of the material has also allowed it to be moulded
into various iterations before being handed off to its owner, who
brings out its character even further through dents, scuffs and
whatever life brings. Rimowa’s senior vice president of product
and marketing, Emelie De Vitis, delves into the unparalleled
uniqueness of the brand. “If there was a brand that I was very
attracted to, it would be Rimowa. I like the fact that it is an old
brand, but it is almost a new one. It started changing when LVMH
took over to bring it to new heights. It was almost like a start-up.
We had to configure the brand to be within the LVMH ecosystem
while staying true to what makes it unique. It’s German, it’s based
in Cologne and it’s not a fashion brand. The brand is quirky and
maverick so it doesn’t take itself too seriously and hopefully, that’s
what you got from the exhibition,” she shares. Speaking about
Seit 1898 in New York City, she adds: “At first, it’s a brand that
might appear quite cold. It features grooved aluminium and it is
mostly minimalist. But then, each person creates such a bond with
their suitcase.”
The event was graced by some of the world’s most famous
faces. Blackpink’s Rosé launched the evening by cutting the ribbon.
Tinseltown heavyweights ranged from legendary film director
Spike Lee and television personality Martha Stewart to comedian
Naomi Watanabe and rapper Skepta. A myriad of personal pieces
were on display, such as the intimate belongings of celebrities and
well-loved fictional characters. Pop star Billie Eilish’s transparent
61
InVOGUE Style

“At first, Rimowa is

a brand that could appear
quite cold, with its grooved
aluminium and minimalist
pieces. But eventually, each
person creates a bond with
their suitcase.”
Rimowa x Off White suitcase offered a peek into some of her
concert merchandise, while the Original Trunk XL as toted by
Emily Cooper in Emily in Paris was a welcome surprise. Adds De
Vitis: “That’s why I loved that we had an entire section with the
celebrity or privately owned cases because people have lent them
to us with an end date. Martha Stewart, for instance, said: ‘I have
another trip planned’. She marks everything on her suitcase. We
have many client care centres around the world. And whenever
we get a battered and stickered suitcase, the owners always say,
‘Do not touch the stickers and do not fix the dents’. There’s this
emotional bond to your suitcase.”
As of the prominent brand collaborations that Rimowa
has also become well-known for, De Vitis explains: “Yes, we
work with big ambassadors. We have worked with Porsche, Dior,
Moncler and Off-White, but we also want to communicate the
durability of our products. For example, we offer an unconditional
lifetime warranty. And that’s a big commitment. It’s a big belief
in sustainability because we will repair your suitcase for life.
Of course we’ll replace it if it’s irreparable, but we will aim to
repair it first.”
Guests were also immersed in the evolution of travel, from
locomotives and automobiles to jets and ferries. Finding its place
among these history-defining inventions is the Rimowa suitcase
in its various makes. De Vitis notes that both the brand and its
clientele are cognisant of sustainability and that age is a non-
factor in covetousness. “In some mature markets like Germany,
we introduced a recrafted programme where people owning old
aluminium suitcases—or even ones that aren’t old—in Genova can
return them. We give them a voucher that they can spend in store
and we fix those suitcases. And then we sell them second-hand
on our website,” she explains. “We haven’t even communicated
this and it sells out within five minutes. People are keen to have a
suitcase that is lived. That’s been loved. There’s a demand for this.
And again, not that many suitcase brands can offer that.”

62
 THIS PAGE
Hollywood
heavyweights such
as Blackpink’s Rosé
and director Spike Lee
graced the event.

FACING PAGE
The retrospective
offered an intimate
look at personal
suitcases as well as
artist collaborations.
Pictured is a
piece by Fabian
Bergmark Näsman.
IMAGES COURTESY OF RIMOWA

63
 Headed INLAND
Captured by Paris-based photographer Alex Huanfa Cheng, Louis Vuitton’s latest
cruise 2024 offerings play on the theme of aquatic flora and fauna.
Styling VIVIENNE SUN
 InVOGUE Style

THIS PAGE Louis Vuitton dress FACING PAGE Louis Vuitton dress and boots

Opt for dresses with tasteful draping and soothing shades for an effortless statement.

65
InVOGUE Style

THIS PAGE Louis Vuitton top, shorts and boots FACING PAGE Louis Vuitton jacket and skirt

For a play on proportions, pair sculptural outerwear with textured separates.

66
 InVOGUE Style

THIS PAGE Louis Vuitton dress and hat FACING PAGE Louis Vuitton dress and boots

Add dimension to any ensemble with bold textures and detailing.

69
InVOGUE Style

THIS PAGE Louis Vuitton top FACING PAGE Louis Vuitton jacket, shorts and boots

Balance out embellished jackets and vibrant tops with minimal accessories.

Production editor, Cherry Zhang; executive producers, Michaël Lacomblez and Léa Duboin; production, Louis2;
creative editor, Vicki Liang; fashion coordinator, Yi Yang; hair, Shane Thomas; make-up, Liliana Rosetta;
fashion assistants, Vittoria Brachi and Greta Fumagalli; model, Cici Xiang/Ford Models Paris.

70
BEAUTY Trends

BeautyDESK
Three things are certain with these unparalleled formulas: luminous complexions, immaculate
canvases and velvety soft tresses. Revitalise your regimen with the finest picks of the month.
Words VALECIA LEE

1. Bloom where you are planted

Dior’s Rouge Blush in Splendid Rose, $88, is an opulent ode to its 2.
emblematic flower. The ultra-pigmented rosewood shade emulates
the blooming roses in the iconic Tuileries and is accompanied by
lavish baroque motifs emblazoned across its powdery formula. 1.
Crafted utilising a series of moisturising ingredients, it glides
across skin and dries down to provide a radiant finish with no
cracking or flaking despite long hours of wear. It’s available in
luminous matte and intense glow to suit a variety of needs.

2. Psychedelic vibes
There’s no doubt that Shu Uemura’s Rouge Unlimited Bizarre
Marble Lipstick, $53, is a visual feast. A limited-edition launch
in collaboration with popular Japanese anime, JoJo’s Bizarre
Adventure, this lipstick is a delightful confection of marbled
pigments and swirls that convey the show’s audacious spirit.
Packaged in a distinctive fuchsia and emblazoned with a striking
outline of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure’s female protagonist, the
inclusion of eccentric whorls of rouge pink and lime green on the
lipstick bullet evokes a dreamy, kaleidoscopic effect.

3. Sublime hydration
Skincare or a work of art? American artist, Katie Rodgers, blurs
the line between the two with Clé de Peau Beautè’s La Crème,
$900. Brimming with skin-empowering and potent CeraFerment
extract, its formidable formula is housed within an exquisitely 3.
sculpted glass dome saturated with glass beads beneath the
surface to reflect a luminous iridescence. This intensive night
cream is designed to mitigate dullness while providing a jolt of
rejuvenation to parched, tired complexions.

4. Lustrous locks
Shark Ninja’s Shark FlexStyle Air Styling & Drying System, $499, is
designed to simultaneously combat frizziness and hair loss and
style your alluring mane to the nines. A versatile hair dryer and
multi-styler, this revolutionary tool utilises innovative Coanda
technology which measures heat intuitively up to 1,000 times a 4.
second. The end result? Consistent air temperature delivered to
each strand, which allows you to dry, style and add volume to your
hair without any heat damage.

5. Silky smooth
The tug of war between chemical and physical exfoliants may
be ongoing, but Grown Alchemist’s Polishing Exfoliator, $75 from
Sephora, has made us support the latter. The alchemy-inspired
brand is the epitome of au naturel and this polishing exfoliator is no
exception. Infused with finely milled bamboo particles to provide
a gentle bout of exfoliation, it grants a deep, thorough cleanse
without causing irritation for individuals with sensitive or reactive
skin types. This is credited to its formulation comprising a vibrant
medley of skin-brightening antioxidants such as vitamin C, deeply
hydrating rosehip seed oil, and an anti-inflammatory touch of
peppermint leaf. Expect supple skin coupled with a radiant glow
after sustained use. 5.

72
 Muse

3.
1.

5.

4.

2.

TROYE SIVAN
Hit maker. Actor. And now, the 28-year-old singer can add brand founder
to his impressive resume. The Australian star introduces his new cultworthy
fragrance label, Tsu Lange Yor to Vogue Singapore.
Collage NAWANG CAHYANI Words ALLI SIM
What Tsu Lange Yor, Yiddish for ‘to long years’, stands for as a brand. Elevated luxury for sanctuary and self. What happiness smells
like to me. Happiness smells like home to me. It’s a beautiful candle, dinner in the oven and good company. 1. The scent I’m most proud of creating.
Our signature scent, TLY 5755. It’s so dynamic, layered, warm, clean and uses ingredients that feel unquestionably Australian. 2. 3. 4. My desert island
beauty picks. A heavy moisturiser for my face, a great lip balm and a hair cream to tackle my curls. Skincare saviour. Definitely a face oil. I have used
rosehip oil for years with my moisturiser and it works wonders. What self-care looks like to me. Putting my phone away, riding my bike and spending
time with people I love. Best TikTok beauty hack. Oil cleanser. I saw someone rub a non-comedogenic oil on their nose for five minutes and it cleansed their
skin so nicely. 5. Currently burning. I love burning a mix of our TLY 5755 and Sassafras candles. TLY 5755 provides a warm, vanilla sweetness, and Sassafras
gives a woody, earthy, smoky feel that makes for a sophisticated, sexy vibe. Off-duty style look. Baggy pants, a vintage tee and a good pair of sunglasses.
A cultural ritual I practice, being Australian of Jewish descent. Something that feels like a wellness ritual to me is the Jewish tradition of
Shabbat dinner. Getting together with friends and family for a home-cooked meal once a week holds a special place in my heart. Currently reading. Silverview
by John le Carré. Biggest lesson I’ve learnt so far as an entrepreneur. Work with great people and trust your gut.

73
 Beau REGARD
Le Regard Hermès, the brand’s first eye make-up collection,
is set to leave make-up buffs in starry-eyed wonder.
Words ALLI SIM

74
 BEAUTY Make-up
THIS PAGE
“The Hermès woman
observes the world
with an active gaze.
She is, above all, a
woman who observes,”
muses Hermès artistic
director, Pierre-
Alexis Dumas.

FACING PAGE
A vision to behold, Le
Regard Hermès is all
about accentuating
your most soulful
feature: the eyes.

t’s only natural to equate Hermès, the master of quiet

luxury, with buttery-soft leathers in staid, earthy hues.
Case in point: head of womenswear, Nadège Vanhée-
Cybulski, who sent out a contemporary edit of looks in
grounding tones of butterscotch, discrete ecru, oxblood
and wheat with the odd pop of crimson down spring/
summer 2024 runways.
Yet this season, the French house invites us to draw
inspiration from its richesse and unexpected whimsy (best
exemplified in its vibrant-coloured silks) and reach for the new
Le Regard Hermès collection. Presented as the ‘last chapter’ in
Hermès’s celebration of self-expression, the make-up line boasts a
family of eyeshadows, brushes and coloured mascaras. The brief
here is simple: rethink all you know about quiet beauty and make
your mark in these in attention-grabbing colours.

Dopamine dressing for your eyes

The Ombres d’Hermès Eyeshadow, $183, is an invitation to
strike out in bold, assertive shades. Designed by Pierre Hardy,
the quad of eyeshadows arranged in a distinctive Bauhaus style
showcases silk powder pigments of buildable intensities. Rich,
refined and oh so Hermès, each of these six palettes is anchored
by an intense, dimensional shade, a neutral tone, surprise accent
hue and luminous, highlighter-esque tint. From vegetal greens to
oceanic blues, each colour story offers a versatility which makes
transitioning from day to night or boardroom to bar a breeze.

From lids to lashes

While the classic black mascara is a staple for framing and
opening up the eyes, Trait d’Hermès Mascara, $114, showcases
not one but six deep shades to intensify the eyes. The Violet Indigo
shade enhances brown eyes, while Vert Titien, a rich emerald
green, makes hazel eyes pop.
And finally, because tools are just as important as the
IMAGES COURTESY OF HERMÈS

shades, Hermès offers five make-up brushes, from $158, to make

precision blending and diffusion of pigment a breeze. Le traceur in
particular, is a nifty brush that can be used to also apply lipsticks,
brow powders and any cream-textured product with precision.
The Trait d’Hermès Eyelash curler, $131, is another indispensable
tool for opening up the eyes.
Adaptable, mutable and utterly modern, it’s time to
rediscover the power of colour with Le Regard Hermès.

75
 Act YOUR AGE
The beauty sphere’s obsession with youth takes an intriguing turn with kidcore.
Words EMILY HENG

T
here is a kind of nostalgic allure to the word ‘play’.
For most of us, the idea of play is a cornerstone of our
childhood. It is in the meet-ups we had with friends
and the games we came up with to pass the time.
Sometimes, we conjured up fantastical trivialities and
rules to justify our fun, from lava floors to imaginary foes. There
were Barbies sporting pastel pink ensembles, as well as remote-
controlled cars and scooters that cemented our belief that the
essence of play is intrinsically linked to toys. This is conceivably
why we feel a sense of loss when we arrive at the juncture where
we are expected to cast off certain treasured possessions of youth.
Unless you decide not to.
In the present day, a new genre of adults has emerged:
the ‘rejuveniles’. Sometimes affectionately referred to as ‘kidults’,
they are a subgroup of individuals
who refuse to relinquish the action
heroes, figurines and characters
they grew up with. “They are people
“In the present day, a
who cultivate tastes and mindsets
traditionally associated with
new genre of adults has
those younger than themselves,”
states author and researcher, emerged: the ‘rejuveniles’.”
Christopher Noxon, who examined
the phenomenon in 2006 and published his findings in a book
titled Rejuvenile: Kickball, Cartoons, Cupcakes, and the Reinvention
of the American Grown-up.
Indeed, it is a widespread enough occurrence that other
industries have begun to bank on this movement, amalgamating
the wonder and whimsy of toys with the functionality of day-to-
day products. The beauty industry is one of them—and naturally
so. As children, we are drawn in by the transformative quality
of make-up, painting our cheeks in dabs of rouge and smears of
lipstick to imagine ourselves in different roles. A touch of lipstick
brought to mind the image of a motherly figure; cakings of blush
were reminiscent of clowns spotted at the circus. And while
putting on make-up as an adult is no less experimental, it does
come with higher stakes. Harsh, streaky blending could invite
the judgement of strangers or call your professionality into the
question. Stray lipstick stains on teeth is regarded as a faux pas.
From left: Paul & Joe
Treatment Lipstick,
Anna Sui Sundae
Pretty Pink Eau de
Toilette, Paco Rabanne
Phantom Eau de
Toilette, Marc Jacobs
Fragrance Perfect
Eau de Parfum, The
Face Shop Avocado
Body Wash The Miffy
PHOTOGRAPHY BY SABINE VILLIARD/TRUNK ARCHIVE
Edition and Anna Sui
Fantasia Forever Eau
de Toilette.
BEAUTY Viewpoint
Mismatched foundation, too, has been the subject of many scathing
TikTok videos.
Amid such pressure, the incorporation of a friendly face to
your make-up arsenal acts as a balm to frayed nerves. It evokes
a sense of nostalgia too, harking back to a time when putting on
make-up was a form of play rather than a means to an end. “Toys
and novelties from their childhood can help them relive some
memories and the emotions associated with them. Some may
find comfort, joy and security in familiarity from the past,” shares
Syaza Hanafi, a certified clinical psychologist with Psychology
Blossom. “For some kidults, they may not have had the opportunity
to play with some of these toys as a child. Being able to afford
these toys as an adult could allow them to play in the way they
had always desired.”
It does, however, explain
why collaborations between
children-centric corporations
and beauty brands are so sought-
after. More often than not, limited-
edition ranges sell out within
minutes of release, as evidenced
by Shu Uemura’s partnership with
Sailor Moon. Eyeshadow palettes,
highlighters and lipsticks were given the magical girl treatment,
where each item was adorned with key motifs and symbols from
the hit anime. Then there was The Face Shop’s Miffy edition,
which reimagined fan-favourite Face Shop formulas into all-new
flacons featuring the fictional white rabbit. Not forgetting fashion
houses such as Marc Jacobs and Anna Sui as well, which tout
playful renditions of their make-up and perfumes encompassing
popular adolescent icons such as butterflies and rainbows.
There is no doubt that the intersection between toys and
the beauty realm is a formidable one. Maybe it has to do with
remembrance—a sense of yearning for the whimsy and freedom
we once possessed in spades. Or, perhaps we are simply looking
to immortalise our childhood heroes through new forms of self-
expression, in ways that feel true to who we are at this point in
time. And if that looks like a fruity-sweet perfume housed within a
whopping ice cream sundae shell, so be it.
 HEARTof GLASS
Glamour, uncontained. Vogue Singapore turns up the volume with Chanel’s 31 Le Rouge,
a mesmerising feat that marries technical mastery with unparalleled elegance.
Photography BEN SIOW Beauty direction ALLI SIM Words EMILY HENG

78
BEAUTY Make-up

THIS PAGE
Available in 12
flattering hues, Chanel
31 Le Rouge pays
tribute to Gabrielle
Chanel’s creations,
ateliers and more.

FACING PAGE
A unique
amalgamation of
glass and metal
forms Chanel 31
Le Rouge’s vessel,
with the element of
translucency allowing
the metallic gleam of
the bullet and shade
of the lipstick to
shine through.
THIS PAGE
A technological feat
comprising pigments
and mother-of-pearl
powder reveals
intense, vivid washes
of colour that stay on
pouts for hours on end.

FACING PAGE
Interchangeable refills
allow a seamless
swapping of shades
depending on one’s
needs and wants.
 BEAUTY Make-up

he matter of firsts is deeply

intentional at Chanel.
The sentiment takes
into account the house’s
inception in 1910 as well as
the essence of trailblazing
that has defined and shaped the brand
since. It begs the question: does innovation
pose more of a conundrum for entities that
are rich in history, stories and character
or does it work in their favour? In the
case of Chanel, it seems the latter holds
true. This year alone has proven to be a
landmark one with the unveiling of Tweed
de Chanel, a high jewellery interpretation
of Chanel’s trademark fabric. Not
forgetting, of course, a prolific runway
presentation held in Dakar, Senegal, its
first in the African continent. And that’s
far from all. In 2023, Chanel’s beauty arm
broke new ground with the launch of
31 Le Rouge, a lipstick that embodies the
spirit and philosophy of the house in form
and function.

Quintessentially Chanel
“Lipstick is the most emblematic
cosmetic product for women, regardless
of nationality and culture,” states Sylvie
Legastelosis, director of packaging
creation and graphic identity at Chanel.
“It is a product dating back almost 5,000
years. We have recreated this almost
banal everyday object, but provided it
with all the house values of luxury and
creation. We wanted to incorporate
durability concerns as it was important for
us to make it a new model of luxury with
different materials and usage, elevating it
to the level of a future icon.”
Every facet of 31 Le Rouge reflects
meticulous thought and craftsmanship,
from the crisp ‘click’ issued with the
opening and closing of each lipstick to its
intuitive refill mechanism that snaps new
bullets seamlessly into place. As with each
exquisite couture creation from the house,
every aspect of a Chanel product serves
a dedicated purpose and comes together
in harmonious amalgamation to deliver a
luxurious new experience.

The making of a masterpiece

It is apparent at first glance that
31 Le Rouge is a love letter to Coco
Chanel. The flacon housing its intriguing

81
BEAUTY Make-up

formula sets it apart from Chanel’s other

rouge variants; a square, faceted glass
case that pays homage to the mirrors
that line the art deco staircase at 31 rue
Cambon, the label’s titular residence that
houses Gabrielle Chanel’s apartment,
workshops, haute couture salons and
boutique. Its various other elements, too,
borrow the sensibilities of fragrances and
jewellery that came before, from the iconic
Chanel No. 5 spray with its golden ring
to a quilting motif from the Coco Crush
jewellery collection.
“We started with the legacy of
Gabrielle Chanel and we have interpreted
it with our own vision, our emotions and
our sensitivity to create an object that
projects us into the future. Mademoiselle
was simultaneously creative, audacious
and strong, but also acknowledged her
vulnerable side,” elucidates Nathalie
Lasnet, vice president of the make-up
creation studio at Chanel.
Indeed, the embracing of such
paradoxes shines through in 31 Le Rouge.
It boasts long-wear capabilities, but also
moisturising benefits and a luminous,
high-shine finish. Its utilisation of glass
feels cool and imposing to touch, but
warms in the sun and disappears in
the light. Its shade range emphasises
vivacity and high-octane pigment, but
without compromising on versatility or
complexion-enhancement.

One for the books

If it seems that 31 Le Rouge has all the
makings of a disruptive force, it is because
that was the aim from the get-go. “It is
the first lipstick to incorporate both
immediate and long-term effects while
guaranteeing an intense make-up result,”
states Nathalie Volpe, international
director of innovation, research and
development at Chanel. “31 Le Rouge had
to have everything, had to be able to do
everything and offer everything.”
It is a tall order that took over four

It is apparent at first glance years to achieve, a fearless venture and

exploration of what Chanel stands for—

that 31 Le Rouge is a love letter
to Coco Chanel.
and what it hopes to be—through its key
mediums of fashion, beauty and jewellery.
And with that, it seems the house has
acquired another feather in its cap: the
immortalisation of an entire legacy within
a slim vessel made of glass and gold.

82
THIS PAGE
The incorporation of
gardenia oil into its
formula grants new
dimension to Chanel
31 Le Rouge, where it
doubles as a lip care
product as well.

FACING PAGE
Its fine, silky formula
ensures that Chanel
31 Le Rouge glides on
with ease.

Producer, David Bay; director

of photography, Ben Siow;
art assistant, Sandra Sek;
hair, Yuhi Kim; make-up,
Kenneth Chia; make-up
assistant, Natalie Dykes;
manicure, Felicia Widjaya;
camera assistant, Leonard
Lim; key grip, De Souza
Jeremy; lighting, Abdul
Siddiq, Gabriel Lim, Zhang
Jia Pei and Shun Rong;
production assistants,
Jeremiah Cheong; beauty
intern, Valecia Lee; models,
Lotte Bella Tscharntke/
Mannequin Studio, Sophia
Begum/Mannequin Studio
and Kaimin Hu.
BEAUTY Director’s Cut

Le Labo Lavande 31, $325 for 50ml,

exclusively at Le Labo Marina Bay Sands
Forsake everything you know about ubiquitous lavender: calming,
comforting, spa-like. Le Labo’s regressive Lavender 31 upends
notions of the herbaceous flower with ambery, bergamot and
musky notes that are reminiscent of fresh laundry with its soapy
nature. To some noses, it’s clean, and to others, dirty with musky,
ambery notes. Either way, spray this on for instant intrigue.

Jo Malone London Ginger Biscuit Cologne,

$254 for 100ml
Spritz on the spirit of the season with this ultra-cosy, gingerbread
house-inspired cologne. Spiced with warming ginger, nutmeg and
notes of cinnamon and caramel, the cologne unveils a heart of
roasted hazelnuts and base notes of vanilla and tonka bean. Good
enough to eat.

FRAGRANCES
Gucci A Floral Verse,
$575 for 100ml eau de parfum
Another chapter in The Alchemist’s
Garden collection by Gucci, this poetic

of the SEASON
From elevated florals to spice-forward scents,
floral green fragrance by perfumer
Alexandra Monet allures with Indian
jasmine sambac, most potent in the
moonlight, and Sri Lankan black tea,
handpicked just before sunrise. This
nuanced dusk-to-dawn scent with a
fall for this crop of nuanced fragrances. white musk base captures the warmth
Words ALLI SIM Additional reporting VALECIA LEE and sensuality of these exotic blooms.
What’s also impressive is Gucci’s use of
alcohol made from 100 percent recycled
carbon emissions.

Tom Ford Beauty Myrrhe

Mystère, $610 for 50ml
eau de parfum from Tangs
Celebrating one of perfumery’s most
revered essences, Tom Ford Private
Blend unlocks a sensual yet modern
expression of myrrh resin. The heady
scent exudes an ultra-vanille accord
grounded by Australian sandalwood
and is formulated with a scientific
technology that enables the scent to
develop further depending on one’s
body chemistry.

Guerlain Tonka Sarrapia

Extrait 75, $950 for 100ml
Decadence encapsulated. Appreciating
delicious tonka means zooming in on
its natural coumarin extract which
lends a sweet, dessert-like personality
to the scent. Meticulously sourced
from Sarrapia trees, what lies at the
heart of this ambery scent is the warm
complexity of tonka, enriched with
bitter almond essence.

84

Available in four
colourways with
six interchangeable
mood cartridges,
The Beem by Mudo
Labs empowers users
by enhancing their
lifestyles through
mood management.
HIGH Beem
Aromachology, acupressure and an innovative
new way to experience ancient botanicals:
how Singapore-born Mudo Labs is changing
the game with The Beem.
Words ALLI SIM
C
onsider the last time lavender essential oil moved
you from a state of flight or fight to instant calm.
Recall how the notes of bergamot in your first cup
of Earl Grey tea instantly revived the spirits or how
exotic lemongrass helped you journey deeper into
restoration at the spa.
The power of scent to immediately provide ambience or
shift the mood is not lost on anyone. Commercial fragrances aside,
till now, there have been a few prescribed ways to enjoy herbs
and aromatherapy: one could burn, diffuse, massage or bathe in
the essential oils and not much else. Which is why Mudo Labs’
creation of The Beem is an innovative take on aromachology—the
power scent has on influencing our behaviours and regulating
our moods.
Meet the mood experiences
IMAGE COURTESY OF MUDO LABS
Elevating our connection with ancient herbs and botanicals,
The Beem is a chic, pocket-sized device which aims to provide a
sense of wellness. Developed by Singapore-founded Mudo Labs
in conjunction with scientists, psychologists, researchers and
industrial designers, every stainless steel-sheathed Beem contains
an aluminium cartridge of responsibly sourced botanicals to
shape your mood experience.
With its lab also headquartered in Singapore, it seemed
only fitting that The Beem should draw from revered Asian health
Wellness
traditions, from traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), Indian
ayurveda, Javanese jamu and Japanese kampo.
Experience Rest features tongkat ali, a herb native to
Southeast Asia, for a sense of inner peace. Experience Kinetic
Force is formulated with ginseng, giving you the energetic perk-
me-up without caffeine when you need it the most. Experience
The Bond uses rose to encourage feelings of love and tenderness.
Experience Satisfaction harnesses moringa, native to India, to
promote feelings of safety and contentment. Experience The
Surge, on the other hand, is engineered with sage to induce a
state of exhilaration, while Experience Confidence offers liquid
courage sans the booze with aromatic damiana.
Hacking your moods with The Beem
In order to further enhance your mood holistically, The Beem
incorporates the tenets of acupressure. Users press the
ergonomically designed device on their Cupid’s bow, also known
as the GV26 point, simultaneously inhaling these botanical
compounds. Mudo Labs’ research suggests that acupoint
stimulation, drawing from the principles of TCM, may produce
mood hormone-like activity.
“We are constantly tired, stressed and overwhelmed
by society’s ever-increasing demands,” shares Sophian Abdul
Rahman, CEO of Mudo Labs. “Through our science-based
approach, Mudo Labs intends to create a safe space for all of us
to decide how we would like to feel. There is a need in the market
for our functionally and emotionally meaningful, and convenient
products designed to enhance anyone’s sense of well-being.”
The Beem, $78, is available in four colourways and six
interchangeable mood cartridges priced at $15 each. They can
be purchased from Mudo Labs’ website. Each scent is formulated
with all-natural essential oils and contains no artificial fragrances
and colouring, alcohol, parabens, menthol, camphor or silicones.
85
BEAUTY Nails
“Since chemistry and
material science is a
prime use case for AI,
we’re excited about
the innovation that
these AI-enhanced
processes can
produce. We also
believe that AI can
help power business
processes that
empower creative
expression,” explains
Kiki founder, Jana
Bobosikova.

Talon TIME
On the surface, nail polish and AI seem to be worlds apart.
Here’s how and why Kiki World has merged the two.
Words ALLI SIM and EMILY HENG with VALECIA LEE

86
 “We live in a world where brands
tell us what to want and buy. Our aim
is to create a world where we ask
our members what they want and
create it with them.”
T
he hardest thing about getting a manicure should be
picking the shade du jour. For Kiki World, an innovative
Los Angeles-based beauty brand, the process of colour
creation and even selection is unlike anything on the
market today.
With today’s shoppers constantly spoilt for choice, decision
fatigue is a very real conundrum. At the other end of this spectrum
of choice, often for choice’s sake, is landfill from excess waste.
While COVID-era beauty birthed a slew of customer-
centric beauty technology experiences, from skin analysis to try-
on technology, Kiki’s peel-off, odourless formula, use of artificial
intelligence (AI) and mission of sustainability are what set this
community-led nail colour brand apart.
In Kiki’s world, shades are created by members, for
members, in real time without a marketing department that
manufactures trends. Guided by this ethos, founder Jana
Bobosikova sheds light on her philosophy towards self-expression,
the symbiotic relationship we have with technology and the power
of building an authentic community.
IMAGES COURTESY OF KIKI WORLD
Power to the people
“Our goal with Kiki is to empower expression, online and offline,”
Bobosikova declares. “We live in a world where brands or designers
tell us what to want and buy. Our aim is to create a world where we
ask our members what they want and create it with them.”
Kiki’s progressive strategy of encouraging members to vote
for their desired shades has not only shifted power back into the
hands of consumers, it has also fostered a like-minded community
of nail art aficionados.
Perfecting the polish
For most, a manicure begins with a trip to the nail salon. Or,
for the more audacious, a cautious application of press-ons
at home. After six to eight weeks, it’s time to bring out the
acetone and switch things up—that is, before you cringe at your
unsightly damaged nails. It’s a quintessential routine we know
all too well and a fate we’ve been seemingly resigned to.
The Pretty Nail Graffiti by Kiki seeks to disrupt this entire
process. Armed with the unorthodox notion that swapping the
colour of your nails should be spontaneous and fuss-free, Kiki’s
iconic nail pen was conceived. With optimised user function
at the top of their list, the Kiki team designed a ‘nail pen’—a
custom-tooled aluminium body with an air-tight mechanism and a
retractable marker-type brush for ease of self-application.
The odourless nail polish can be peeled off as it’s designed
to be applied and changed on the go, just like lipstick.
“While most of the industry is invested in acrylics and
acetone, we chose an ultra-clean, 17-Free formula that is easy
to apply and remove,” shares Bobosikova. Apart from
maintaining the health of your nails and satisfying your
aesthetical whims, members can return and refill their
Pretty Nail Graffiti pens—effortlessly being a part of a more
sustainable, circular consumption system.
Liberate and innovate
From gaining valuable feedback from members to
crafting virtual experiences, Kiki’s ‘Beauty by you’ philosophy
has allowed the team to create purposeful products that
empower their customers.
“Once we’ve gathered their insights, we challenge
ourselves to revert to founding principles and utilise the latest
manufacturing innovation. In the midst of this, we also think
deeply about the holistic experience we want our members to
have,” shares Bobosikova.
“In the coming years, I hope to see more genuine
innovation and less commercialised products. Be it a company
or a creator with an audience, using technology to drive innovation
and transparency is definitely a step in the right direction,”
she adds.
Backed by innovation and maintaining a bona fide
connection to its community, Kiki optimistically materialises
what the future of beauty could be.
87
Make-up that is far from seasonal. It’s time to
endorse the theatricality of bold brights and
vibrantly flushed cheeks for the long term.
Photography JIN JAIJI Words EMILY HENG

PS
EE
rK
G fo
YIN
PLA

TONE UP
Getting a good stretch
is made easy with a
robust resistance band
that helps build muscle
and bolster flexibility.

Calvin Klein bra top;

Rui leggings; AGL heels
 BEAUTY

ROPE PLAY
Limber up by threading
an intricate series of
weaves and twists
through tresses. For
the perfect finishing
touch, lock it all in
with Oribe’s Superfine
Strong Hair Spray.

Maison Sans Titre

vest and skirt

89
BEAUTY

A REAL
EYE-OPENER
Let your peepers do
the talking. To make
this eye-catching
statement, delve into
the unexpected by
dusting lids in an
unconventional
hue—think shades of
citrine or chartreuse
from Natasha
Denona’s Yucca
Eyeshadow Palette.

90
SEAL IT
WITH A KISS
A dark, vampy lip
gains new dimension
when it is topped
with a metallic sheen.
Simply encase your
pout in KVD Beauty’s
Everlasting Hyperlight
Transfer-Proof Liquid
Lipstick in Black
Briar and top it off
with the Pat McGrath
Labs’ Lust: Gloss in
Aliengelic to achieve
this hypnotic effect.

Didu vest and leggings

 BEAUTY

POWER POSE
Go for glow with
Augustinus Bader’s
The Body Oil that
envelops skin from
top to toe in a halo
of luminosity
and suppleness.

Calvin Klein bra

and underwear

93
BEAUTY

PERFECT
UNISON
Full-body partner-
assisted stretches are
the ultimate tension
reliever. Unwind the
knots in your shoulders
and back with a
simplified version of
the bridge pose.

Wolford bodysuits

94
BEAUTY

TOUCH
YOUR TOES
For make-up that stays
on through a sweaty
full-body stretch, apply
a generous helping of
Charlotte Tilbury’s
Airbrush Flawless
Setting Spray.

Rui Zhou top

and gloves

96
IN THE PINK
OF HEALTH
Monochromatic
make-up acquires a
new edge thanks to
the unique placement
of eyeshadow along
the brow bone. Score
the full face with
Fenty Beauty’s Snap
Shadows Mix & Match
Eyeshadow Palette
in Rose.

Calvin Klein bra top;

Prada skirt

Artistic director, Matt

McDonald; hair, Zhao Wen
Zhi; make-up, Wang Qian;
models, Liu Hu Yi Ke, Zhang
Na, Dai Yu Ruo and Zhu
Ling Er; stylist, Charlie
Chin; set designer, Li Ling
Hui LLI; production editor,
Summer Guo; art designer,
C Side Production; stylist’s
assistants, Jerry Kao, Susu
and Meng Nan.
VITRINE Trends

2.
3.
1.

5.
4.

8.
6.
7.

Freeze FRAME
Playful characters and whimsical scenes are captured within the faces of intricate
métiers d’art watches like pages in a picture book.
Edit JESSLYN LYE
1. Chopard Happy Sport Métiers d’Art Polar Bear edition, $465,000 2. Van Cleef & Arpels Lady Féerie Or Rose, $157,000
3. Hermès Arceau Hermès Story, $101,000 4. Arnold & Son Perpetual Moon 38 Mintnight, CHF64,600 5. Jaquet Droz Opal Loving Butterfly Automaton,
price upon request 6. Vacheron Constantin Métiers d’Art Tribute to Explorer Naturalists Straits of Magellan (1833/1834), price upon request
7. Dior Grand Soir Automate Étoile de Monsieur Dior, price upon request 8. Louis Vuitton Tambour Fiery Heart Automata, $546,000

98

Richard Mille’s
RM 07-01 Coloured
Ceramics capsule
collection in shades
of powder blue,
blush pink and
lavender pink.
Memphis CALLING
Richard Mille’s latest capsule collection
taps into the ’80s design movement for levity and colour.
Words GORDON NG
A
t Swiss luxury watchmaker Richard Mille, you might not
expect to find joyous colours. It’s a brand better known
for high-tech, high bravado pieces, after all. But under
the watch of creative and development director Cécile
Guenat, the house has taken big, bold steps towards more playful
designs, often in the realm of ladies’ watches.
The latest from the brand is a second edition of its RM 07-
01 Coloured Ceramics capsule collection. First launched in 2021,
these are perhaps some of Richard Mille’s most aesthetically
lighthearted designs. The trio of new Coloured Ceramics watches
are inspired this time by the Memphis Group, the Italian art and
IMAGE COURTESY OF RICHARD MILLE
architecture movement from the 1980s that upended and rebelled
against modernist design. Key motifs of Memphis design include
unbridled use of colour, plastic-like textures and materials, and
combinations of simple asymmetric shapes—traits that led
early detractors to call it a bad marriage between Bauhaus and
Fisher-Price. But the influence of Memphis style, and its founder
Ettore Sottsass, has persisted. Today, it continues to be a highly
influential source of inspiration for many serious designers
who know how to take their upbeat kitsch seriously. For Guenat,
tapping into Memphis design meant reinventing the dials and
Spotlight
moving on from the first release’s art deco-inflected botanical
and sunburst motifs. This time, there’s a play on geometric forms
and textures, mixing materials such as ceramic, rubber and gold
in the same way, Guenat says, that “an object was designed in the
Memphis movement”.
This juxtaposition of materials is a nod, perhaps, to the
Richard Mille ethos of combining hyper modernity with tradition.
There’s the biocompatible TZP (tetragonal zirconia polycrystal—
so light and durable they were first used for human joint
replacements) ceramics that make up the case, which is framed by
micro-blasted white gold casebands with polished pillars. There’s
also the skeletonised calibre CRMA2 automatic movement with
the baseplate and bridges crafted from titanium. But the dial’s
where the magic is at with these Coloured Ceramics watches.
Each colourway features a differently ordered assortment of
decorative shapes. These are framed in gold and filled in with
coloured ceramic, laser-cut rubber and PVD-treated red gold in
either smooth or hand-guillochéd finishes, as well as a circle of
diamonds. The effect of these whimsical assemblages is a bit like
a zany, totemic piece of Memphis furniture that adds fun and levity
to a room. How’s that for a smile-making machine on the wrist?
99
VITRINE Jewellery

BORN Pink
Uœùw®à
Ǻ
´’s first collaboration with house ambassador
and global star Rosé takes the form of the Tiffany Lock Rosé Edition,
a romantic reimagining of the brand’s Lock collection.
Words JESSLYN LYE

100
 THIS PAGE
Tiffany Lock Rosé
Edition small pendant
in rose gold with
pink sapphires.

Tiffany Lock Rosé

Edition medium
earrings in rose gold
with pink sapphires.

FACING PAGE
The Tiffany Lock
Rosé Edition is the
singer’s first design
collaboration with the
jewellery house.

B
lackpink’s Rosé is many things to many people. She
is an irreplaceable part of one of the biggest K-pop
groups in the world, a fashion icon in her own right,
and most recently, both muse and namesake for
Tiffany & Co’s new capsule collection. A homage to the
house ambassador, the Tiffany Lock Rosé Edition is a romantic
reimagining of the Tiffany Lock, embodying both the essence of
the Lock collection as well as the Korean star’s artistic identity.
Inspired by an archival padlock from 1883, the Tiffany
Lock is a celebration of the unbreakable bonds that tie us together.
Sleek and minimalist, it is a collection made with inclusivity in
mind—with versatile, gender-neutral designs crafted to look good
on anyone. Beyond its appearance, it also takes after a padlock
in its movement, with an innovative mechanism in the clasp that
allows it to swivel close with a satisfying click, the same way a
padlock would.
Launched in January, the Lock collection elevates a humble
everyday object into an expression of fine craftsmanship and
pays homage to the brand’s illustrious heritage with beautiful
creativity. August saw the collection expand to include earrings,
pendants, rings and a new bangle, with a Love Locked campaign
that starred Rosé, Jimin of BTS, Lebanese singer Nancy Ajram and
IMAGES COURTESY OF TIFFANY & CO

actress Florence Pugh.

And now, the newest expression of the Tiffany Lock
has arrived in the form of the Tiffany Lock Rosé Edition. Pink
sapphires take centre stage in Rosé’s first design collaboration
with the jewellery house, lining elegant pieces with vibrant
sparkle. One of nature’s rarest colours of sapphire, these precious
stones symbolise the infinite power of love. Hand-set on 18-carat
rose gold as a fitting allusion to the singer’s name, the collection is
offered in a bracelet, earrings and pendants.

101
 THIS PAGE
Plume de Paon Question
Mark necklace in
white gold and ombréed
titanium, paved with

TS
diamonds, sapphires
and tsavorites, and
crowned by a 3.94-carat
oval tanzanite.

FACING PAGE
Boucheron’s inviting

GH
temple of high jewellery
at Marina Bay Sands
takes its design cues
from the maison’s
Paris flagship.

LI
GA D E
RDEN of

At French high jeweller Boucheron, which

opened its revamped boutique in August,
heritage and innovation still rule the day.
Words GORDON NG

P
lace Vendôme in Paris’s first arrondissement is one
of the most storied spots in the city. For more than a
century, it’s been the world’s hub of high jewellery—
home to some of the loftiest and most desirable names.
The first great contemporary jeweller to move into the square
was Frédéric Boucheron, who set up shop in 1858 at 26 Place
Vendôme. Boucheron, working from this address, came to adorn
women in Paris in his creations, which espoused a spirit of
freedom and audacity.
Marcel Proust even writes in his novel In Search of Lost Time
that Boucheron’s creations were sought after by courtesans and
socialites alike. Indeed, Boucheron defined himself by an empathy
for his clients—responding to as much simplicity or frivolity
as they desired. More than a century later, the spirit of Boucheron
is much the same as it was when it was founded in Paris.
That was certainly the thought behind the revamped
Boucheron boutique at The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands,

102

which reopened in August. The design of the refreshed boutique
takes its cues from Place Vendôme; its exterior featuring details
such as a banded stone facade and intricate marble framing.
The inside of the boutique takes a modern approach
to a luxury shopping experience: warm, bright and inviting,
furnished almost like a tasteful living room to set one at ease.
The design of the VIP room was inspired by Marina Bay and
features wallpaper in a moiré pattern of blue and green that
shift with the changing angles of light. Also on display are
eight coral reef drawings by French environmental artist
Jeremy Gobé.
But no one goes to a Boucheron boutique just for the decor.
In December, this boutique will showcase special sets of Question
Mark necklaces, which are some of the house’s most iconic
creations. First designed by Frédéric Boucheron in 1879, these
sinuous high jewellery necklaces are a marriage of simplicity
and opulence. They’re defined by a thin circular wrap around the
neck that trails down the chest, blooming into its design around
the décolletage. The original from 1879 was a naturalist design,
with lotus flowers, bunches of grapes, poppy petals and a curling
snake—almost as if it were a magically charmed branch that
found its way onto a lady’s neck.
“The apparent simplicity of the choker and the off-
centre motif represented a total break with the subtle harmony”,
explains the house’s creative director Claire Choisne, who revived
IMAGES COURTESY OF BOUCHERON
the Question Mark necklaces in 2020 and reintroduced them to
the maison’s contemporary vernacular. These curved necklaces
were wildly innovative at the time of their creation when
symmetry and geometry ruled the day. But one feat, Choisne
adds, helps explain its longevity: “The absence of any clasp,
which allowed women, if they so wished, to put on their jewellery
alone, without the assistance of another person.”
Choisne’s new interpretations of the Question Mark
necklaces tap into one of the house’s specialities, which is to
VITRINE Jewellery
transform metal and stone—ostensibly hard materials—into
stunningly lifelike impressions of nature, with all its curves and
undulations. There’s the Lierre de Paris pieces which recreate
sprigs of wild ivy, where diamond- or emerald-set leaves are fixed
en tremblant (on coiled springs) so they sway and move when worn.
But the newest stars of the Question Mark line are the
Plume de Paon, or peacock feather, designs. Choisne pulled
techniques of setting, adjustment and precious metalworking
from the late 19th century in order to achieve these designs,
which carefully recreate the floaty, suspended qualities of a bird’s
feathers. The stems and vanes of the feathers are articulated
so that even though the necklace is large and statement-sized, it
dances with a remarkable lightness.
From this year, the Plume de Paon (previously and still
available in white gold and diamonds) novelties take things a
step further by introducing even more lightness and the actual
vibrant colours of a peacock. In addition to white gold, these pieces
are crafted from titanium, which shave off just enough precious
few grams of weight to make the necklace even more airy.
On the colour front, Boucheron has used an anodisation
technique on the titanium to create beautifully graduated
shades of blue, green, red and purple. Tsavorites, sapphires and
diamonds trail the curve of the necklace, culminating in a large,
oval tanzanite as the centrepiece.
As is the case with high jewellery, many of Boucheron’s
most innovative technical feats are hidden in plain sight.
There’s the maison’s signature openwork technique, which
removes metal beneath the stones to allow more light
to sparkle through the gems, as well as the fact that the
anodisation treatment not only colours the titanium but coats
and protects it as well. It’s the kind of thing that lends itself
to more expressive, emotional design—harking back to the
heritage and roots of the house, yet with unceasing modernity
and inventiveness.
103
OUTof the BOX
The Mosaico range of high jewellery from history-obsessed brand
Buccellati is only its second to be designed as a single, cohesive collection.
Words GORDON NG

I
n a blue velvet-lined space, an
Italian woman sits at a desk
surrounded by an array of tools.
A pair of spindly magnifiers is
perched on her nose, and in her
hands, which rest on a leather sandbag,
are an unremarkable slab of metal and a
wickedly sharp burin. There’s an almost
imperceptible scraping sound as she
carves tiny, pinprick lines on the metal
with the tool.
It’s hard to make out at a distance
what effect her minute movements are
making. But an uncomfortably close lean
into the table reveals straight lines being
shaved off to create square sections, tiny
circles carved to form holes for gems, and
a lighter, shinier surface revealed by the
engraving. Beside her, Luca Buccellati,
a third-generation member of the Italian
jewellery house, is twisting a gold
bracelet—the flexible, finished form of
that slab of metal—in explanation. The
burin, he recounts, can be dangerous; as a
child with neither training nor expertise,
he had mucked around with one and
ended up in the hospital with a hole in
his hand. It’s an interesting anecdote that
highlights the craftsmanship demanded
of the techniques employed at Buccellati,
which has made age-old, Renaissance-
era methods its signature. I’m in Macau
to witness an exhibition of its works—
enhanced by the presence of an artisan to
demonstrate in real time—as well as the
opening of a new boutique at MGM Cotai.
At the heart of this newness is
the Mosaico collection of high jewellery,
inspired by Byzantine mosaics.
According to third-generation creative
director Andrea Buccellati, the creative
challenge was to take something that
had been explored decades ago by the
house’s founder Mario Buccellati and
give it a twist. “The motif, of course, is an
inspiration. We don’t want to reproduce
a mosaic.” That meant taking Byzantine
geometry and colours and applying the
house’s techniques and aesthetics to
Talita von Fürstenberg them. “More modern in a subtle way, more
(yes, granddaughter contemporary,” explains Andrea, “but
of that Diane) is the keeping the DNA.” In effect, that meant
ambassador and
mobilising Buccellati’s goldsmithing
star of the Mosaico
collection’s campaign. techniques, such as its range of hand-
engraved finishes which coat virtually

104

Buccellati prides
itself on finely honed
artisanship, with a
wide range of hand-
wrought techniques
that date back to
the Renaissance.
every exposed surface of every piece, and
plenty of fine, honeycombed openwork to
give the pieces a contemporary lightness
in look and weight. “You will never find
heavy jewellery in Buccellati,” proclaims
Luca, who manages VIP clients and
special sales.
Earlier this year, the Mosaico
collection was reported to comprise
between 36 and over 50 pieces. But
Andrea reveals that the collection is in fact
closer to 70 pieces. There aren’t enough
at a given time to see the full breadth of
the collection at a go, but that’s because
the pieces take nine months to upwards
of a year to craft. And, according to Luca,
because several pieces are already spoken
for before they can be displayed to the
press and public.
IMAGES COURTESY OF BUCCELLATI
One of these is a Mosaico necklace
in white and yellow gold, lined with drop-
shaped yellow diamonds, set all over with
white diamonds, and featuring seven
rare bezel-set and cushion-cut Kashmir
sapphires. Intensely blue with a velvety
texture, Kashmir sapphires are marked
by minuscule inclusions dubbed ‘silk’ that
make the colour of the gems more intense
and glowing. The remote Kashmiri mines
that are its only source were depleted
more than a century ago. “The moment
this necklace was finished, it was
immediately sold,” says Andrea. “People
know the value of this stone, and to put
together not one but seven [Kashmir]
sapphires together is something quite rare
in the business.”
This particular piece took a
year and a half to make. The rarity of its
centrepiece sapphires notwithstanding,
there’s the fact that even details like the
bezel settings are hand-engraved to give it
texture and shine.
The charm of Buccellati is that
the workmanship found in its loftiest
collections carry over into its fine and
even silver jewellery. “They feel like
unique pieces because the engraving
is different,” says Luca of the house’s
signature metalworking technique. There
are many styles and names: Rigato, in
which fine parallel lines of engraving
create a texture reminiscent of dupioni
silk; dense, crisscrossing Segrinato which
creates the look of velvet; cross-hatched
Telato which invokes gauzy linen; precise
VITRINE Jewellery
Ornato where brocade and lace patterns
are carved from metal; and Modellato
which is basically high-relief 3D sculpture.
Because of their hand-worked
nature, even two pieces of identical
styles are intrinsically different. “Actually
everything is one of a kind,” says Luca. It’s
at the heart of this Milanese house, which
in its earliest days in 1918, with its shop
set up near the famous La Scala opera
house, had no ready stock to sell and only
displayed sketches and drawings from
which orders could be made.
The whole idea of designing
collections, as a matter of fact, is relatively
new to the brand. “This is the second
collection that we’ve designed in such
a way,” Andrea reveals. “The first was
Giardino (a high jewellery line inspired
by gardens, launched in 2021). Before,
we did a lot of unique pieces. But not
connected one to the other. So it was
very interesting to design this collection
where I can express a certain concept or
idea all together.” Old is evidently gold
where craftsmanship is concerned with
Buccellati, but here’s some proof that new
tricks certainly aren’t beyond it.
105
House ambassadress
Keira Knightley wears
(from left) Tweed Icône
Lion ring in yellow gold
with diamonds, rubies,
red spinel, yellow
sapphires and garnets;
and Tweed Icône
Etoile ring in yellow
gold with diamonds,
sapphires and onyx.

Dream WEAVER
Tweed de Chanel high jewellery unveils a precious tale
of the house’s favourite fabric reimagined in gold and gemstones.
Words CELINE YAP
A
s imaginative as it is original, the idea of a high jewellery
collection inspired by tweed could only have been
envisioned by Chanel. Tweed in its myriad styles has
been deeply evocative of the house since the time of
Gabrielle Chanel, who single-handedly uplifted this utilitarian
fabric, transforming it from ordinary to extraordinary. Fashion
lovers and Chanel acolytes could wax lyrical for days on the allure
of a classic Chanel tweed jacket and yet would barely have brushed
the surface of what is beyond any doubt one of the most iconic
fashion objects of all time. Since its first appearance in Chanel’s
sketchbooks in the mid-1920s, the house has crafted many and
more creations from tweed, including bags, shoes, accessories
and lately, high jewellery too.
Transmuting this unique textile from high fashion to high
jewellery, Tweed de Chanel puts the intricate art of tweed weaving
under the jeweller’s loupe. For almost 100 years, Chanel has used
all kinds of materials for its tweed, such as wools, silks, cottons
and even cellophane, but never before has the truly precious, such
as gold, pearls, diamonds and coloured gemstones, entered its
lexicon—until now. Featuring 64 creations across five different
themes, the collection presents tweed in its most luxurious and
artful interpretations yet, and indeed the house could not have
found a more suitable and emblematic motif to realise its high
jewellery ambitions.
This brilliant move traces back to the visual acumen of
Patrice Leguéreau, director of Chanel’s fine jewellery creation
studio, whom Vogue Singapore had met in London where the
collection was launched in June. As he considered the point of
origin for Tweed de Chanel, Leguéreau took a jaunt down memory
lane: “When I arrived at Chanel 14 years ago, I met François Lesage
from Maison Lesage (the legendary Paris embroidery workshop
that’s part of the couture house’s métiers d’arts and which began
developing tweeds for Chanel in the ’90s), and he introduced me to
the archives of Lesage. He showed me the very beautiful samples
and explained to me the details, the techniques, the specificities [of
handcrafting tweed]. And that was a part of my inspiration. At that
VITRINE Jewellery
time, I really wanted to imagine creating the fabric in jewellery—
very precious.”
Leguéreau further elaborates that when he first entered
the Chanel universe, he had discovered a great many things, all of
which he processed at pace, formulating many ideas as he went but
keeping some of them for later. “I took my time to develop slowly,
collection after collection,” he adds, confirming that the idea for
tweed-inspired high jewellery didn’t happen overnight but, rather,
was a long and contemplative process for him and the house.
Which makes Tweed de Chanel all the more incredible
considering how the house’s high jewellery has evolved so much
over the last five years, showcasing ever more distinctively the
classic Chanel verve. Tweed de Chanel first appeared in 2020
and it was an instant revelation. How absolutely wonderful it was
that the house that redefined tweed, that turned it into a bona fide
symbol of luxury, would also come to establish it as an emblem
of high jewellery art? Says Leguéreau: “With the jewellery, I
really wanted to create an even more precious tweed. Because
tweed is always developing, enriching, it’s always new and it’s a
great source of creativity. There are different levels of the trade,
different complexities and many different kinds of tweed. As a
jewellery creator, I trained to create very precious tweed, even
more than what was done before. Tweed made with only precious
materials, precious metals, precious stones and a very precise and
complex technique.”
A River Runs Through It
So Tweed de Chanel draws inspiration from the fabric as much as
the story, but this time, instead of the famous Lesage workshop,
the savoir-faire comes from 18 Place Vendôme—Chanel’s high
jewellery workshop just a few blocks away from Gabrielle’s
famous apartment and flagship at 31 rue Cambon. And instead of
fibres, the craftsmen work with gold made just as supple in order
to evoke the lightness and vitality of the fabric. Then they weave
pearls, diamonds and other precious gemstones of varying sizes
and colours. As the house’s second tweed-themed high jewellery
107
VITRINE Jewellery
With tweed he brought something never before considered
as a contender on which to base an entire high jewellery
collection—and yet which is so intrinsic to the house.
collection, it ventures deeper into the Chanel universe, weaving in
its warp and weft other classic Chanel motifs such as the ribbon,
camellia, lion, comet and sun.
Under Leguéreau’s perceptive eye, the collection extends
through these core themes and first debuted at a private art gallery
where the presentation space was divided into two distinctive
zones. The first paid tribute to the Scottish countryside where the
River Tweed runs its course—picture rolling hills, open skies and
ancient woods. Pieces from the first Tweed de Chanel collection
were nestled among mossy rocks and tiny, pretty florals endemic
to that landscape, where Gabrielle vacationed often with her one-
time beau Hugh Grosvenor, the second Duke of Westminster.
From the evocative Scottish Highlands, the exhibition
implored us to continue through to the next phase of Tweed de
Chanel, which in striking contrast was an utterly contemporary
room bathed in light. The bold juxtaposition between past and
present, then and now, and the visions of Gabrielle and Leguéreau
were immediately palpable, and both universes were connected
by a corridor decorated with rows of Chinese ink paintings known
as gouaches in jewellery crafting speak. These paintings were
made by Leguéreau and they depict tweed in its myriad colours,
styles, textures and dimensions. He had envisioned a space that
is resolutely modern and current for the new Tweed de Chanel
collection and it could not have been more refreshing to see
high jewellery ensconced within a vibrant canopy set against
immaculate white walls.
Here, the pieces were displayed without any glass barriers,
with all the necklaces placed on mannequins, just as Gabrielle
did in 1932 when she debuted her first collection of high jewellery
on mannequins as opposed to how her overwhelmingly male
contemporaries would present them on trays. Indeed, to truly see
how Leguéreau and his team had successfully reimagined tweed
108
for high jewellery, one had to wear the pieces to feel how supple
they are against the skin. Viewing them on a mannequin, while not
quite the same, is a close enough substitute.
Icons of the House
A star piece of the collection is the Tweed Royal necklace, themed
on the lion, where shimmering yellow gold intertwines with
an exceptional array of rubies and diamonds. This piece took
Chanel 2,400 hours to craft and features a lion head at its centre,
completely detachable to be worn as a standalone brooch. There
is also a singular pear-cut diamond at the bottom which can also
be detached and worn on a ring. The parure comes with matching
earrings and a beautiful statement bracelet featuring strings of
ruby beads along with the tweed motif in yellow gold with rubies.
The Tweed Camélia necklace, as well, is an extraordinary
work of art, with cascading pink sapphires in graduated sizes
and a variety of different cuts intermingling with the tweed
motif in pink gold and accentuated with diamonds along with
a large diamond-paved and open-worked camellia centre motif
crafted in white gold. Next, the Tweed Mademoiselle necklace
is a hot favourite, playing with the ruban (ribbon) theme with a
monochromatic allure. Set entirely with diamonds, it evokes an
image of a tweed fabric sample that’s still in the making, brilliantly
capturing that joie de vivre we often find in Chanel’s most talked-
about creations. Five rows of diamonds, in both round and oval
cuts and set in white gold drape across the décolletage, are held fast
by a tweed ribbon motif also in white gold and diamonds, which
includes an exceptional 5.01-carat oval-cut DIF stone.
“I pushed everything,” says Leguéreau of the five house
icons anchoring the collection. “All the details and points. I pushed
them to the limit and I developed each aspect of a piece of jewellery.
The stones, the colour, the storytelling, the icons, the techniques.
 The Tweed Royal necklace in yellow and white gold, set with diamonds and rubies.
This design is transformable: both the lion and the main 10.17-carat diamond can be detached and worn in different ways.

109
Knightley wears
the Tweed Byzance
brooch, which features
a sun motif that can
be removed and worn
on a chain. On her
hands are the Tweed
Gabrielle and Tweed
Cambon (also on
facing page) rings.

So for me it’s a richer, more complete collection.” To him, the first
Tweed de Chanel collection was an introduction to this unique
vision. It was a way for Leguéreau to show how Chanel could take
such an audacious approach with high jewellery and to exhibit
such mastery of hard elements as to make them appear soft and
pliant. He elaborates: “It was the meeting between the fabric and
the jewellery as an element, a structure.”
In contrast, the second collection embeds the tweed motif
within the Chanel high jewellery design vocabulary. Where
formerly he explored the camellia, comet, lion, the number five
and even travel destinations associated with Gabrielle, with tweed
he brought something never before considered as a contender on
which to base an entire high jewellery collection—and yet which is
so intrinsic to the house.
“The new collection is deeper and more precise about the
storytelling,” he says. “I really wanted to make an evolution on
the top of the structure, to bring lightness, to work on fringes, and
to create a variation of the fabric. The tweed could be tighter or
looser. I worked on this aspect more now than on the first one.”
Vibrant Aesthetics
Two other symbols that are a favourite of Chanel are the sun and
comet. To bring out the fiery nature of these celestial bodies,
IMAGES COURTESY OF CHANEL
Leguéreau considered materials that offered new opportunities
in colour, cut and dimensions. The Tweed Byzance bracelet, for
instance, captured the yellows of a blazing sun with beautifully
faceted beryls with an intense bright yellow hue, pairing them
with box-set diamonds for extra sparkle as they converge towards
the centre to highlight an exceptional 2.07-carat cushion-cut
DIF Type IIa diamond. This dazzling aesthetic continues in the
Tweed Byzance brooch as well as matching earrings featuring
VITRINE Jewellery
chandelier-cut beryls and rock crystals custom-cut to Leguéreau’s
specifications. He reveals: “It’s a very special shape. Technically,
it’s made possible because it’s rock crystal and yellow beryl, and
any cut could be done. This is the interesting thing. With precious
stones or fine stones, we can recut a little bit but not a lot. That was
the interesting point and why I chose these stones.”
Lastly, the comet sheds its tail this time, festooning the
Tweed de Chanel collection with adorable star motifs deliberately
made extra small and delicately positioned all over the pieces,
like sprinklings of stardust. The Tweed Astral ring plays up the
dynamic contrast between riveting blue sapphires, and diamonds
in white and yellow hues, further enhanced with the rich tonality
of white and yellow gold. What is slightly less obvious but does an
incredible job bringing out the incredible cobalt-blue stones is the
presence of buff-top black onyxes alternating with faceted oval-cut
sapphires, all of which encircle a singular 23.84-carat sapphire.
To celebrate the incredible achievement of a high jewellery
collection that so succinctly unites its distinctive savoir-faire
in high fashion and high jewellery, Chanel threw an epic gala
evening at the British Museum graced by brand ambassador Keira
Knightley plus a special performance by pop icon Kylie Minogue.
Ruminating on the collection once again, Leguéreau
appreciates the opportunity he has had to offer a novel take on
tweed for the house, an approach he looks forward to revisiting
in the not-too-distant future. “For the first collection, I was very
happy to have been able to realise the first tweed collection. For the
second one, I wanted to extend the potential and the possibilities
from this theme. And I want to continue. I want to do it again
differently. It’s a very interesting theme because it’s timeless. It
could be developed with many colours and different feelings. It’s
timeless, I think.”
111
 A Glance Askew

A playful, surrealist eye gives these classic and timeless jewels a fresh perspective.
Photography THOMAS ROUSSET Edit THOMAS DELAGE

112
 VITRINE Style

THIS PAGE Tiffany & Co Elsa Peretti Bone Cuff in rose gold
FACING PAGE Cartier Grain de Café necklace in yellow and white gold with diamonds

113
VITRINE Style

THIS PAGE Chopard Happy Diamonds ring in rose gold with diamonds
FACING PAGE Bulgari Serpenti Viper necklace in white gold with diamonds

114
115
116
 VITRINE Style

THIS PAGE Boucheron Quatre Double White Edition large ring in white gold and Hyceram with diamonds
FACING PAGE Van Cleef & Arpels Vintage Alhambra sautoir necklace in white gold with chalcedony

117
VITRINE Style

THIS PAGE Chaumet Joséphine Aigrette head ornament in white gold with Akoya cultured pearls and diamonds
FACING PAGE Fred Force 10 XL bracelet in pink gold with diamonds

Set design, Camille Lebourges; hand model, Charline Muse; manicure, Alex Feller; with thanks to Studio Daguerre.

118
119
LIFE Voices

North I
t is 3pm on a Monday and I am seated in a conference room
on a high floor in Tiktok’s Singapore office. I am 15 minutes
early for my meeting but the time passes quickly, thanks
to a panoramic view of the city through the ceiling-to-floor
windows bracketing the room. When Shou Zi Chew bursts

STAR
Shou Zi Chew, the Singaporean CEO of
TikTok, opens up about unintended fame,
the newest member in his family, and what it
takes to lead the behemoth digital platform
shaping global culture.
Photography SAYHER HEFFERNAN
Styling DESMOND LIM
Words CHANDREYEE RAY
in, I leap to my feet, startled out of my reverie.
Dressed in a pair of jeans and a simple T-shirt, Chew makes
a beeline for me with his hand outstretched. “I must say, I never
expected to do a Vogue interview,” he jokes. We sit down to chat and
he listens to my questions intently. When he answers, he is open but
never overshares. I get the sense that a personal interview like this
one is not yet second nature to him, but he is determined to make
this worth my time.
Chew became the CEO of TikTok in May 2021, just two
months after he had joined the app’s parent company—China-based
ByteDance—as its chief financial officer. Since his appointment
at TikTok, the social media platform specialising in short-form
video content has grown considerably, surpassing one billion users
worldwide under his leadership.
In March, the 40-year-old Singaporean testified in a US
Congress hearing about TikTok’s relationship with China and
protections for its youngest users. Several global news outlets
characterised the questioning targeted at Chew as “contentious”
and “aggressive”—with US lawmakers repeatedly cutting him off
midsentence—and video clips of the hearing quickly went viral.
One unforeseen consequence of this virality came in the
explosion of Chew’s public presence. As his composure, congeniality
and eloquence during the congressional hearing drew praise online,
Chew’s 19,000 followers on TikTok grew to nearly four million. In
just a week, he had gone from being relatively hidden from the public
eye to a household name.
“The publicity that came along was unexpected. But as a
company that is growing, it is important to be a little bit more visible
so that people can understand us better—and we can earn the trust
that we need to,” Chew reflects.
On his TikTok account (@shou.time), Chew now posts at
least one video a month, sometimes more. As for subject matter, they
run the gamut. Some videos are informative, like when he shares
new product developments at the company, or shares mini-vlogs
of exhibitions he visits around the world. Others—like one where
he uses CapCut transitions to telekinetically change his outfit—are
more tongue in cheek. “I try to use the effects we offer in the TikTok
library from time to time. You might have seen some of them. There
was a ‘green flag’ one and some AI ones. Those are very fun,” he says.
While he is no longer shying away from the public eye,
Chew’s family is where he draws a line. “I do try and keep my family
out of the spotlight,” he says.
Still, he is happy to share that his wife and he welcomed a
new member to the family this year—their third child. “There’s quite

120
Shou wears
Louis Vuitton blazer,
sweater, jeans and
boots; T-shirt, his own
Shou wears Louis
Vuitton sweater

“I made some lifelong
friends in secondary school
and junior college whom
I still keep in touch with.”
LIFE Voices
an age gap between this kid and the previous kid. My wife and I are
relearning everything, like changing diapers,” he laughs.
Chew met his wife, Taiwanese-American Vivian Kao, while
they were pursuing MBAs at Harvard Business School. They got to
know each other the summer after their first year, when they had
internships in California. Kao was working for Better Place, a clean
energy start-up.
At the time, Chew was working for a start-up too. It was
called Facebook.
Today, the family is based in Singapore, where Chew was
born and bred, and his parents and siblings live. Growing up in
the city in the ’80s and ’90s, he had, in his own words, a typical
Singaporean childhood.
He shares: “I went to a neighbourhood primary school
called Hong Dao Primary School. It doesn’t exist anymore and has
been assimilated into Anderson Primary School.” As a child, he
reminisces fondly about playing soccer at the void deck with his
friends. “I wasn’t very good, but I’d keep asking for the ball and they’d
pass it to me. Then I’d have no idea what to do with it.”
He then went on to The Chinese High School and Hwa Chong
Junior College—since merged to become Hwa Chong Institution—
which consistently ranked among the top schools in Singapore.
“I made some lifelong friends in secondary school and
junior college whom I still keep in touch with,” he says. “Then came
National Service, of course. It was exactly what you’d expect. I have
lots of stories of us training in the jungles of Brunei.”
TikTok’s headquarters are spread across Los Angeles
and Singapore. Chew travels extensively to the US and around the
globe—and battles a killer time difference with his colleagues
abroad. Still, he says, nothing feels like home. “You know that
feeling when you haven’t been back in Singapore for a while?
You touch down at our beautiful airport and then are hit by the
humidity the minute you step out onto the street. That’s home.”
Chew traces his journey with TikTok back to a decade ago,
when he first met the team behind the app while leading a group of
one of ByteDance’s earliest investors.
“About 10 years ago, I met these founders who were building
a very cool app. The idea behind it was interesting. Let’s recommend
content to people based not on who they knew, but on their genuine
interests,” Chew says, excited like he’s hearing it again for the first
time. “They were small then—a team of 30. But I became a user of
TikTok and really connected with what it was trying to do. It brought
joy to a lot of people, and that was something I was drawn to.”
There is an earnestness with which Chew speaks about
TikTok that perhaps explains why the company has reached such
heights with him at the helm. He is, without an inch of pretension, a
true believer in its power.
“Do you know Khaby Lame, the most followed person on our
platform? Khaby was not famous. He was a factory worker in Italy
123
LIFE Voices

before he became popular on TikTok,” Chew shares. “Obviously, he

is very funny and people connected with that. But they were able to
discover him because TikTok is a platform that allows for that. If it
were based on who Khaby was before he started making content,
there would have been very limited means for him to be discovered.
That, to me, is the most powerful thing about this platform.”
Chew is alluding to the democracy of content on the app.
TikTok’s recommendation algorithm, or “discovery engine”, as
Chew calls it, is the app’s most unique trait. Unlike any other social
media platform before it, TikTok shows you content based not on
your social network but what you truly like.
According to Chew, TikTok’s algorithm uses machine
learning to analyse the behaviour of its users across the globe (who
number over a billion), using patterns in their responses to different
pieces of content to come up with tailor-made recommendations
for each user. So, does TikTok read your mind? Yes, with the help
of math.
“The beauty of the product is that it is designed for
everyone to be heard. If you have good content that resonates with
people, they will see your video. It’s not only the users who are
already famous who can grow their platform here—TikTok gives
everyone a voice.”
It is, in part, due to this evening of the playing field that
TikTok has become a frontrunner in recent years in driving cultural
conversation and trends. From fashion to music, the app’s creators
and users now form an all-powerful ideological marketplace that
dictates what becomes popular worldwide.
“There’s this great story of a TikTok user longboarding
down California with Ocean Spray cranberry juice and Fleetwood
Mac’s ‘Dreams’ playing in the background. That song re-trended
in the top hits because of his videos,” Chew shares. According to
Ocean Spray’s CEO, the cranberry product company saw a spike in
demand too.
Where, then, does all this influence go from here? To Chew,
the evolution of TikTok is an open-ended question that must be
left as such. “These things cannot be engineered; they have to be
authentic and organic.”
That may be so, but the sheer rate of TikTok’s growth has led
to myriad consequences, from escalating speculation on when the
app will go public with what analysts anticipate to be a blockbuster
IPO to governments debating restrictions and bans on the platform.
With the weight of it all on his shoulders, I wonder out loud how
Chew unwinds after work.
“The beauty of TikTok is “It is hard. You constantly have to try and carve out some
time to slow down a little bit. I’m still trying to find that balance. I

that it is designed for don’t think I have a very good solution to this yet,” he says.
Well, I could offer some advice. As I tell him, there is nothing
I like more after a long day than curling up in bed with the lights out,
everyone to be heard.” ready to scroll for hours on my TikTok For You feed.

124
Shou wears
Brunello Cucinelli
blazer, Louis Vuitton
jeans and Chelsea
boots; T-shirt, his own

Fashion assistant, Nicholas

See; make-up artist, Zhou
Aiyi/Makeup Entourage.
LIFE Partnership

Looking
GLASS
The Macallan House is a demonstration

W
hen Alexander Reid bought an estate in the heart
of Scotland’s Speyside in 1824, it was because the
of the intimate ties the brand’s exquisite single
combination of its fertile alluvial soil, which was
malt whiskies share with nature. perfect for barley cultivation, and its location by
the River Spey, which has the purest water in the British Isles, held
great promise for whisky making.
Almost two centuries later, this celebration of nature
remains synonymous with the brand. This is evident at The
Macallan House in Singapore, the brand’s newest experiential
retail setting and the first of its kind in the world. Situated at
Raffles Hotel and designed by award-winning British architect,
Jamie Fobert, the 3,000 square foot space serves as a looking
glass into The Macallan’s history, philosophy and innovation
with elements that hint at the brand’s deep-seated relationship
with nature.
The experiential journey begins in the main space
where one can experience the four distinct microclimates of
The Macallan Estate through sight and scent: the barley field,
River Spey, the woodland, and the brand’s spiritual home, Easter
Elchies House. Bottles of whisky serve as artwork on the wave-
patterned panels, which mimic the roof design of The Macallan
distillery and transport visitors to the natural topography of the
Speyside region.
Copper walls pay homage to the distillery’s copper
stills, which are one of the smallest in the single malt industry.
Handmade by Scottish coppersmith company Forsyths, these
squat stills allow for more precise and controlled distillation,
adding to the whisky’s deep amber tones and flavour palate. Red
is another dominating feature in The Macallan House as a nod to
Reid’s penchant for the colour and the red door that ushers people
into the Speyside distillery.
The use of high-quality sherry-distilled American
and European oak in The Macallan’s maturation process is
symbolically represented by the oak flooring as well as a striking
textured wall that morphs into floating shelves, forming the
backdrop to the bar area. Elsewhere, an undulating stone wall is
reminiscent of the rolling hills of the Scottish countryside, while
a large stone bar counter is a nod to the granite rocks around the
Speyside distillery.
To lend a sense of place to the experience, two local
artists were commissioned to create site-specific artworks. A
freestanding sculpture is crafted out of green onyx by industrial,
interior and architectural designer Nathan Yong displaying
The Macallan M Collection. Meanwhile, a woven fabric mural
IMAGE COURTESY OF THE MACALLAN

made of wool and silk by textile artist and Royal College of

Art graduate Tiffany Loy reflects the warm amber hues of
The Macallan’s whiskies.
In encapsulating the brand’s spirit of collaboration and love
for craftsmanship, The Macallan House serves as a fitting gallery
With unique design for the art of whisky-making—perfect for whisky enthusiasts,
elements, The Macallan
connoisseurs and new entrants alike.
House pays homage
to the brand’s
history, philosophy The Macallan House is located at #01-07/08/09/10 Raffles Hotel
and innovation. Arcade. It is open from 11am to 8pm daily.
 Design

1.
2.

3.

Designer
TOYS
Indulge your inner child
7. with a playful curation
of chic collectibles and
luxury novelty items,
each meticulously crafted
to add a spark of joy to
your living space.
Edit JESSLYN LYE

1. L’objet Haas
tic-tac-toe
2. Tiffany & Co
Race Car clock
3. Hermès Apres la
Vague set of two
beach rackets
4. Off-White x Monster
High Electra Melody
5. Louis Vuitton 4.
Vivienne Exotic 6.
6. Cartier solitaire
board with
panther motif
7. Chanel minaudière 5.

127
LIFE Music

From left: Bj Wnjn, Mudd the Student, Chanhee Hong, Leesuho, Omega Sapien, Sogumm and San Yawn (in frame).

Sonic BOOM
Seoul-based collective Balming Tiger are on their way to redefining what Asian music looks
like to the world. Their latest step? An electrifying, 14-track debut album titled January Never Dies.
Words AZRIN TAN

128
 “Most of the artists we like have
actually defined the genres they’re associated with.
Perhaps Balming Tiger could do the same.”

B
alming Tiger have stopped working from home. Instead, artists we like have actually defined the genres they’re associated
their office schedule demands that everyone in the group with. Perhaps Balming Tiger could do the same,” proclaims Hong.
of 11 report at their studio in Seoul by 10am. Rather than January Never Dies has undoubtedly been a step in the
rigid disciplinary action, the new framework is a result right direction. Since they first formed in 2018, the group has been
of the music collective learning how pertinent it is to see putting out single after single—each one a result of creative bursts of
one another in the process of creating music. This is but one of the energy sparked by a few of its members. When an entire album
many things they gained from going on not one, but two, far-flung was in the works, however, the approach was understandably
songwriting retreats in the middle of the mountains with no one different for everyone.
licensed to drive. Mudd the Student, the most impressionable of them all, saw
One other thing they’ve gained from their time together on his working style shift completely. “I usually prefer to work alone,
the retreats? Their first full-length album. At the time of writing, but while surrounded by the rest during the songwriting retreats, I
the Seoul-based collective—comprising performers Omega Sapien, became more outgoing and it changed the way I viewed the album,”
Sogumm, Bj Wnjn and Mudd the Student; producers San Yawn he says. Sogumm adds: “In this album, we tried things we haven’t
and Unsinkable; video directors Jan’ Qui and Leesuho; visual artist done before and individually challenged ourselves. We hope
Chanhee Hong; DJ Abyss; and writer Henson Hwang—have already listeners can feel the healing energy we poured into each song.”
released four songs from January Never Dies, and are on the precipice The members may have all dialled in for a Zoom call from
of releasing the rest of the 14-track effort. a scattering of different devices, but a certain fondness for one
Taken in full, the album refuses to be defined by any one another hangs in the air. Omega Sapien sums it up: “If you’ve got
genre. According to Balming good vibes, good music will
Tiger, that is precisely the point. come to you.” It is quite possibly
The first track to be released was the sole thought that binds them
the explosive ‘Sexy Nukim’ in all. Unsinkable quotes the songs
2022 featuring the deep, sensual made during the songwriting
vocals of BTS’s RM. The next three retreat as close to his heart,
pre-releases—‘Trust Yourself’, Mudd the Student remembers
‘SOS’ and ‘Kamehameha’—are how enjoyably chaotic it was in the
a prime showcase of the group’s studio while creating ‘Buriburi’,
colourful soundscape. and Sogumm confesses sweetly:
Between strong influences “We affect each other so much
of hip-hop and R&B, intoxicating that sometimes I worry about
swathes of psychedelic impacting the others negatively.
pop and jolts of indie rock, But they’re such a positive
the tracks are emblematic influence on me and a big part of
of Balming Tiger’s sound— who I am now.”
consistently defying definition Just as they resist any one
while bending, curving and genre, decoding Balming Tiger’s
twisting into something new each musical narrative is no easy task.
time you think you’ve put a finger “Our songs are made up of what
IMAGES COURTESY OF BALMING TIGER; NIKOLAI AHN

on what their style is. “If we were
Album artwork for
to ever put out a classical album, it
January Never Dies.
shouldn’t seem like anything out
of the ordinary,” Sogumm quips.
The group credits their eclectic style to the diverse
mish-mash of musical backgrounds they come from and the
different influences they each bring to the table, fusing together
to form one creative crescendo. “We all like different things so the
big challenge is to somehow combine all of this randomness into
one group. But we always have a lot of fun,” Omega Sapien says.
Just as the group’s musical inspirations (such as Tyler,
the Creator and alternative hip-hop collective Odd Future) have
birthed whole genres from themselves, it makes sense for Balming
Tiger to have their sights set on owning their sound. “Most of the
we feel in the moment and what
we have learnt throughout our
lives. Rather than trying to find
a single message, hopefully
listeners can think about what they relate to in each song,” Omega
Sapien muses.
So, what sits at the heart of the Balming Tiger universe?
You may hazard a guess as you experience the sonic energy of
January Never Dies or while witnessing the group at their ongoing
world tour, but who really knows? Somewhere in a studio in
Seoul, the self-proclaimed ‘multinational alternative K-pop group’
have probably already gathered with their heads together, set to
redefine what the face of Korean and Asian music looks like to
the rest of the world yet again.

129
LIFE Technolo
Game CHANGER
Iddris Sandu, founder and creative director of Spatial Labs, tells us how the
technology disruptor is shaking up culture by revolutionising digital experiences.
Words JESSLYN LYE
O
n the cover of Vogue Singapore’s October ‘Voices’
issue, you’ll find a circular chip embedded at the
bottom of the page. It is small—approximately the
size of a coin—yet the possibilities it opens up are
immense. In this instance, simply hovering your
smartphone over the chip unlocks an immersive soundscape that
encapsulates the spirit of the issue, adding a whole new layer to
the reading experience.
The technology that enables this is an NFC-enabled
Continuity™ Chip from Spatial Labs. Founded by Iddris Sandu in
2019, Spatial Labs develops innovative hardware that takes us into
the future of digital experiences, opening new doors to ways in
which we can bridge the physical and digital.
Having worked on digital content for the likes of Rihanna
and Beyoncé before founding the company—which is now backed
by Jay-Z’s venture capital firm Marcy Venture Partners—Sandu
has a deep understanding of how technology can both impact and
build upon culture. “When I looked back at all the different people
I had worked with, I felt that there was a need for a company that
connects culture and technology. I was doing a lot of that on an
“The NFC-enabled
Continuity™ Chip is small,
yet the possibilities it opens
up are immense.”
130
individual level, but it made sense to get a team together to do it on
a larger scale.”
Thus, Spatial Labs was born, and with it, a groundbreaking
piece of technology: the NFC-enabled Continuity™ Chip. Much of
its power lies in its versatility. Vogue Singapore’s interactive cover
is but one of the potential ways it can be used. Not only can the
chip be embedded into any physical product, it can also be used
alongside Continuity™ Studio, an online platform that allows
brands to create unique digital experiences and push new forms
of media to their audience without having to manage individual
chip life cycles.
Sandu elaborates: “The Continuity™ platform’s analytics
feature allows brands to see who is tapping on their products,
where they’re located and the types of devices they’re using to
access these services. They can even trigger specific benefits
according to location. Ultimately, what makes the platform
most exciting is that it gives brands free rein to create curated
experiences rather than just the ones that we’ve thought of.”
This, he believes, is going to revolutionise the way people
interact with physical purchases, especially in fashion.
Comparing it to another trailblazing technological service,
IMAGE COURTESY OF SPATIAL LABS
he explains: “Our chip technology is the biggest thing since
Shazam, the music identification service. We’re allowing people
to collect and store metadata into everyday products the same
way that Shazam allows you to access and learn about new forms
of music just by recording five seconds of it. Our chip technology
introduces that in the fashion world: the ability to tap on any
garment and see where it was manufactured, what materials it
is made out of and even other similar types of clothing, without
having to sift through all the redundant details around it.”

TOP SHELF
In town for this year’s Singapore Writers Festival,
Viet Thanh Nguyen—author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning
novel The Sympathizer—rounds up his favourite reads of 2023.
As told to JESSLYN LYE
Orphan Bachelors by Fae Myenne Ng
Fae Myenne Ng’s first novel, Bone, was
transformative for me. It depicts Chinese
immigrant and second generation life in
San Francisco’s Chinatown, and cuts to
the bone. Orphan Bachelors is Ng’s memoir
of that same place and it vividly connects
Chinese immigrant history to the Asian
American present—telling of a life built in
a nation insistent on exclusion.
5.
Trust by Hernan Diaz
One of two novels that won the Pulitzer
Prize for Fiction in 2023, Trust is an epic
and surprising account of how a financier
helped shape the US in the 20th century.
For a novel of such intelligence, it is highly
readable and absolutely memorable.
Demon Copperhead
by Barbara Kingsolver
As the other Pulitzer Prize winner for
Fiction, this novel is a smart rewriting
of Charles Dickens’s David Copperfield.
Set in the poor white communities of
Appalachia, it features a sensitive young
protagonist who is absolutely winning in
his voice and insight.
Books
The Secret Life of Saeed:
The Pessoptimist by Emile Habiby
The great critic Edward Said thought
very highly of this Palestinian novel. The
journey of its Candide-like protagonist
is surreal, funny and haunting—and
with Palestine still embroiled in political
turmoil, the story retains its edge.
A State of Freedom by Neel Mukherjee
Through a range of characters whose
lives eventually intersect, Neel Mukherjee
portrays a contemporary India sharply
divided between the haves and the have-
nots. This is a novel that is both intimate
and gothic, sharp and poignant.
Home Fire by Kamila Shamsie
This utterly relevant novel of
contemporary Britain, America and
Pakistan starts with the quiet tension of
an unjust security screening at Heathrow
Airport. Gradually, inexorably, it builds a
gripping plot that illustrates the costs of
the war on terrorism.
131
LIFE Partnership
LIFE of
the PARTY
A spectacular range of offerings from
Hendrick’s Gin infuses the holiday
and gifting season with a shot of gaiety.
T
here is an art to hosting the perfect holiday party. It
takes patience and flair to gracefully balance its many
moving parts—from festive menus to celebratory
drinks and holiday decor. But when all is said and
done, there’s nothing quite as joyous as having loved
ones come together under one roof.
Beyond the logistical planning involved in putting
together a memorable soirée, one special challenge lies in the
blending of different groups of friends and acquaintances.
A truly skilled hostess knows that presenting an array of
tantalising tipples is a wonderful way to celebrate the splendour of
the evening.
Made with special botanicals like Bulgarian rose petals
for nuanced fragrance and cucumbers for a refreshing touch, the
original expression of Hendrick’s Gin is the preferred liquid of the
refined palate. The unusual elixir is layered with chamomile and
elderflower, then lemon and orange peel for a lifted citrus tone,
lending itself well to libations of all sorts.
To kick off the festivities on a jubilant note, consider
Hendrick’s French 75. Originally created in Paris and made with
HENDRICK’S FRENCH 75
Ingredients:
30ml Hendrick’s Gin
10ml sugar syrup
10ml lemon juice
Champagne, for topping
Cucumber, 1 slice for garnishing
Method:
1. Add gin, sugar and lemon to a cocktail shaker.
2.Add ice, shake well and fine strain into a flute.
3.Top with champagne and garnish with a slice of cucumber.
132
the original Hendrick’s Gin, this bubbly cocktail epitomises the life
of the party. Think of it as a Tom Collins where the soda is replaced
with champagne—yes, it is as indulgent as it sounds. For a more
Yuletide feel, turn to the ruby-hued Hendrick’s Cranberry Fizz.
Tangy, fruity and effortlessly delicious, this sparkling concoction
encapsulates the invigorating spirit of Christmas.
With its boundless serving options, there is a Hendrick’s
Gin cocktail for everyone—which is what makes the versatile
spirit ideal for bringing to parties as a house gift for your host.
For the more adventurous of your friends, consider picking out a
collectible bottle from Hendrick’s Cabinet of Curiosities.
The newest in the series of limited-edition blends is
Hendrick’s Flora Adora, which takes on a heady floral dimension
with lavender and hibiscus laden atop the signature rose.
Hendrick’s Neptunia, on the other hand, takes inspiration from the
ocean, capturing the “freeing feeling of the sea” with distinctively
fresh coastal herbs, sea botanicals and an unmistakable clean,
bright citrus finish that lifts and lightens each sip. No matter which
you find yourself drawn towards, rest assured that it’ll be a holiday
gift to treasure.
HENDRICK’S CRANBERRY FIZZ
Ingredients:
1 part Hendrick’s Gin
IMAGE COURTESY OF HENDRICK’S GIN
2 parts cranberry juice
1 part sparkling wine
Cucumber slices, mint sprig and cranberries to garnish
Method:
1. Combine all ingredients in a highball glass filled with cubed ice.
2.Lightly stir.
3.Garnish with cucumber slices, mint sprig and cranberries.
 Travel

Bare SOUL
Shishi-Iwa House is a small collection of intimately crafted
boutique hotels in Karuizawa that marries architectural experiments
with century-old Japanese tradition.
Words CHANDREYEE RAY
 he Japanese concept of ma is centred on the
value of emptiness. It can be found in the silence
between the notes which make music or the
purposeful pauses in speech that make words
stand out. You may even see it at the end of the
respectful Japanese bow, when one deliberately
holds at the deepest point of their bend to ensure
there is enough ma to convey feeling.
In architecture and design, ma lives in the spaces where
nothing is added, like the carefully positioned gaps between tatami
mats in a traditional Japanese teahouse or alcoves left intentionally
empty to display a single artwork or object. Engawa, a veranda-like
space that surrounds a traditional Japanese house, exemplifies ma
by offering a transitional zone. Instead of separating the inside
and outside environments, it connects them—blending the man-
made into nature.
Over time, the ubiquitous presence of engawa in Japanese
architecture has quietly faded. With it, the traditions of ma have
disappeared from modern Japanese buildings in pursuit of urban,
mass-produced housing that prioritises privacy and security over
openness and connection.
An hour’s shinkansen ride away from Tokyo is Karuizawa,
a picturesque town nestled in the mountains near Nagano.
Wrapped in lush forest, the small town is known for mild summers,
a gorgeous natural landscape and easy access to activities such as
hiking, golfing and skiing.
What many may not know is that Karuizawa is also home
to a secretive collection of three intimately crafted boutique hotels,
known together as Shishi-Iwa House. Located minutes away from
one another by foot, the three interconnected properties offer
134
under 13 guest rooms each, making the experience of taking up
temporary residence in any one of them genuinely exclusive.
Opened in phases, each new Shishi-Iwa House is an
architectural jewel envisioned by giants of Japanese design, such
as Pritzker Prize winner Shigeru Ban, who is behind the first two.
Known for his mastery of wood and socially driven approach to
building construction, the universally lauded architect was given
free rein to imagine what an ideal nature retreat melding Japanese
tradition with modern considerations might look like. Wrapped in
warm cedar wood, Shishi-Iwa Houses Nos. 01 and 02 have emerged
with different design features, but share in being spacious, open to
nature and in balance with ma.
Earlier this year, the newest instalment to the collection
opened its doors. Designed by Pritzker Prize winner and Sanaa co-
founder Ryue Nishizawa, Shishi-Iwa House No. 03 pays homage to
traditional Japanese residential design.
Within a striking black facade built from burnt cedar, the
main character of the House lives in rare Japanese hinoki cypress
wood, which features prominently throughout the property’s
interiors. Sourced from Gifu prefecture (care has been taken to use
Japanese-sourced, carbon-friendly materials as far as possible),
Nishizawa deploys the distinctive shade and fragrance of the
prized wood to great effect.
The scent stands out in particular. Upon first entering, it is
hard to believe that it’s not just incense or an unusually pervasive
candle you are smelling, but the sweet, smoky aroma of wood. It
comes as little surprise that hinoki is considered sacred in Japan,
used for generations to build shrines, temples and palaces.
Shishi-Iwa House No. 03 consists of a network of 10 elevated
pavilions, connected by seamless engawa, or floating walkways,
 LIFE Travel
THIS PAGE
Rare Japanese
Hinoki cyprus wood
features prominently
throughout the
interiors of Shishi-Iwa
House No. 03.

FACING PAGE
The intimate boutique
hotel pays homage to
traditional Japanese
residential design.

“Inside the rooms, walls are left intentionally bare,

producing a sense of solitude that strips away worldly
concerns and pushes your mind inward.”

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LIFE Travel

IMAGES COURTESY OF SHISHI-IWA HOUSE

THIS PAGE
Shishi-Iwa House
No. 03 comprises 10
elevated pavilions
connected by floating
walkways known
as engawa.

FACING PAGE
The bathhouse offers
stunning views of the
surrounding courtyard.

136
 “Each new Shishi-Iwa House is an architectural jewel
envisioned by giants of Japanese design. ”

that weave through the property. True to their traditional function,

the engawa serve as a passage between the guest rooms and their
surrounding courtyard gardens—filled with statuesque trees,
gravel and a few boulders that had fallen from the mountain
centuries ago, and now sit as preserved design features.
To call the hotel meditative might be an understatement.
Guided by the concept of ma, Nishizawa deliberately creates
emptiness throughout. Common areas are minimally but
thoughtfully furnished with a few pieces of classic mid-century
furniture, a scattering of rare antiques and the occasional ukiyo-e
woodblock print. Each guest room features open windows on all
four walls, allowing natural light to stream in continuously.
Inside the rooms, walls are left intentionally bare,
producing a sense of solitude that strips away worldly concerns
and pushes your mind inward. The seamlessness of design makes
it feel almost as if the entire room has been constructed from one
fluid piece of hinoki wood, lending a degree of austereness that is
a visual statement in and of itself.
Balancing this desirable loneliness are the common areas,
where guests are welcome to congregate and feel social once
again. These are found on the second floor of Shishi-Iwa House
No. 02 (the first floor is strictly for guest rooms). The crowning
glory lies in Shola, the signature restaurant which reflects the
hotel’s deep reverence of terroir.
Named after the endangered Shola Forest in South India,
the restaurant’s culinary ethos is deeply rooted in seasonality
and the beauty of nature. Sourcing from a labyrinthian network
of Nagano prefecture’s native farmers and vendors, Shola puts
provenance on the plate with exceptional refinement.
Executive chef Masashi Okamoto is renowned for his
highly experiential approach to the seasonal menu. Having left his
post as head chef at a leading hotel in Tokyo to come to Karuizawa
in 2022, he leads a close-knit team of young and curiously cool
staff at Shola. From the small group of servers to the sommelier,
each team member has a unique special interest or skill which Duca Farm, meanwhile, is an organic vegetable farm
they manage to incorporate into the guest experience in some way. located a 40-minute drive from the hotel. The family-run operation
With an ever-changing menu rooted in seasonality, dishes produces a plethora of delicious herbs, kaleidoscopic fruits and
are prepared in a classic French culinary style with a modern vegetables that taste unlike anything our local palate in Singapore
Japanese twist. One appetiser might simply be beautifully plated has experienced. Turnips as sweet as apples, coriander spicy like
grilled micro-vegetables, dressed with an assortment of exotic it has been steeped in chilli—and farmers friendly enough to pick
herbs and edible flowers, all sourced from a local vegetable farm. the produce for you to try on the spot, should you head down on one
Next, a glistening piece of barely seared shorthorn beef arrives in of the hotel’s organised excursions.
an oyster shell. Topped with wasabi gratin and precisely marbled, It is a symbiotic relationship that these local farmers and
it is a startlingly delicious bite. vendors share with Shishi-Iwa House. While they supply the hotel
This beef, too, is sourced from a local vendor the hotel with delicious harvest and products exclusive to their region,
partners closely with. Jun Ito is the 70-year-old cattle farmer they are proudly championed to a wider international audience,
at the head of Davos Ranch, located on a high plateau on gaining name and recognition for their respective expertise, which
Nagano mountain range and covering an area of 380 hectares otherwise goes unnoticed.
for only 50 cattle. Here, the cows roam freely, feasting on But it’s the guests who come out as the biggest winners.
natural grass pasture. From witnessing Japanese tradition through landmark
Japanese shorthorn cattle have become increasingly rare, architectural experiments, retreating fully into gentle nature,
with shorthorn Wagyu accounting for less than one percent of and learning about the landscape of local agriculture in Nagano,
total Wagyu production in Japan. Still, instead of fattening them up Shishi-Iwa House affords the holistic immersion of a lifetime.
quickly with commercial corn-feed, Ito’s priorities lie in providing Naturally, the hotel has become accustomed to repeat guests who
his cows with high-quality feed that is made from soybeans, okara may stay for months, finding it difficult to leave Karuizawa’s well-
(bean curd), grape skins, little grains and other food by-products. kept secret and beloved playground.

137
 A club like no other
Insider access, exclusive gifts and special events for Members only.
Maison Margiela bra; dress, stylist’s own

139–169
 Photography PETRA COLLINS
Styling SPENCER SINGER Words AMELIA CHIA

KIKO MIZUHARA
After two decades in fashion, the influential multi-hyphenate
is moving into a new space, both literally and figuratively.
140
THIS PAGE
Schiaparelli jacket;
Marc Jacobs briefs

FACING PAGE
Miu Miu top; Marc
Jacobs briefs; vintage
Ferragamo shoes
 o Kiko Mizuhara, hugs
are a novel thing. It’s
not something she
embraced growing
up, neither were they
offered in abundance.
Growing up in Japan,
in a country notorious
for its lack of public
displays of affection, or skinship as
they call it, a non-hugging culture was
an accepted norm to her. This was until
Mizuhara set foot in the US for the first
time after the COVID-19 pandemic to visit
her boyfriend, keyboardist and record
producer John Carroll Kirby.
“It’s really beautiful that people
are hugging and expressing themselves,”
Mizuhara tells me earnestly over a Zoom
call. “In Japan, we don’t express our
emotions. We think that overly expressing
our emotions could be overwhelming to
others. So, we don’t hug. There’s no such
thing as physical touch as an expression
in our culture.
“It is crazy to me that I spend all
this time with my family and I never think
of hugging them. I went to my mum after
coming back from the US and said, ‘Mum,
it sounds weird, but I want to hug you’. In
the beginning, it was a bit awkward, but
now we hug all the time.”
Mizuhara giggles, holding up her
phone as she walks down the hallway
of her brightly lit apartment to find a
comfortable spot. It is 10.15am in Paris,
where she is at the moment for Paris
Fashion Week. She eyes a couch in the
distance and deems it worthy, before
plopping herself down with a flourish.
Dressed in an oversized white T-shirt
with a chihuahua on it, Mizuhara is
prettily bare-faced, her dark chest-length
hair brushed casually over her
shoulders and her oval face glowing
with insouciance.
The model, actress and
entrepreneur was born to an American
father and a Japanese mother in Dallas,
Texas, but considers herself Japanese
for the most part, having lived in Japan
since she was two years old. Japanese
is her first language, but she is fluent in
English, save for a few brain fog moments
when she halts to come up with the right
words to say. Mizuhara currently resides
in Setagaya in Tokyo, a neighbourhood
known for its trendy coffee shops and
142
book stores. Her breakfast choices are
also Japanese: usually fruit, a steamed
mushroom or potato, or on special
mornings, a typical Japanese spread of
rice and miso soup.
At 33 years old, Audrie Kiko
Daniel—known professionally as Kiko
Mizuhara—has lived a lifetime in fashion.
She started her modelling career at the
age of 12 when she entered a contest for
Seventeen, where readers could select
their new favourite face of the magazine.
Four years later, she moved alone
from Tokyo to Kobe to advance her
modelling career.
Mizuhara gazes solemnly at me
as she recounts trying to break into the
global market in Paris when she was 18.
“At the time, the definition of beauty was
very different. You needed to be this tall,”
she says, raising her hands high above her
head. “I kept getting rejected as nobody
wanted Asian models at that time. I was
heartbroken. But then, thanks to social
media, the definition of beauty changed.
I never thought it would happen, but I’m
finally getting recognised.”
Getting recognised is of course,
a gross understatement. The lithe multi-
hyphenate is loved by many as a cool It
girl, and has been touted by The Cut
as “the most famous woman in
Japan” owing to her amassing of 7.8
million followers on Instagram, brand
opportunities and the number of
advertisements she has going at any one
time. She has walked numerous fashion
weeks and has been the face of campaigns
such as Vivienne Tam, Phillip Lim,
Tiffany & Co and Shiseido.
Mizuhara had a special place in
the heart of Karl Lagerfeld, who shot her
personally for Chanel’s Little Black Jacket
campaign in 2012. Eight years later, she
was appointed the first Asian
ambassador for Dior Beauty and the
ambassador for Coach’s global advertising
campaign. “I feel lucky because my career
thus far has been an extension of play
since my childhood,” she sums up.
There’s plenty to be said about
her acting career, too. Mizuhara is an
accomplished actress, her first film being
Tran Anh Hung’s Norwegian Wood in 2010.
The role surfaced after that stint in Paris
when she repeatedly got turned down as a
model—and proved to be a breakthrough
moment for her. She’s been in various
films and television series since, such as
Attack on Titan and Tornado Girl.
Fashion insiders will be
acquainted with her collaborations with
Opening Ceremony and her label OK—
Office Kiko—a loungewear brand and
creative space she launched in 2017. OK is
chockfull of fun, graphic and dizzyingly
colourful pieces that serve as Mizuhara’s
personal playground. “Office Kiko was
always the place for me to express myself
and I’m very involved in the design
process,” Mizuhara explains. Her next step
forward for the brand is to go in the way of
pop-ups and capsule collections, starting
with a collaboration with a Japanese-
based artist for a shop in China.
It feels to me that Mizuhara is
ostensibly on the precipice of change and
a brand-new chapter, and I tell her this.
She bobs her head quickly and leaps up to
fetch herself a glass of water.
“When I was stuck in Japan during
the pandemic, I started thinking about my
purpose and what I can bring to the table,”
she says thoughtfully. “I love nature, so I
learnt scuba diving and travelled around
Japan exploring the countryside and
its beautiful beaches. I fell in love with
Japan again and it led me to want to start
something new.”
Mizuhara grins as she apologises
for not being able to let on too much about
her latest venture that will take off in
spring 2024. As she tells it, however, the
concept for her new project is starting
to take shape in my head. It’s a holistic
lifestyle and beauty brand inspired by her
intrinsic love for nature, and a longing to
showcase these undiscovered plants and
herbs to the world.
“Basically, we’re making skincare
edible. The idea is if you accidentally eat
it, it’s not a big deal,” Mizuhara explains.
“How is it that we are fine with putting
chemicals on our skin, but never want to
eat it?”
She adds: “When people think of
Japan, they think of sakura or the streets of
Kyoto, which we do love. But the Southern
Islands are filled with so many different
ingredients, plants and fruits that I’ve
never seen before. There are also so many
elderly people in the countryside. Our
population in Japan is declining and we
need help. There are experts who make
combs out of wood, or craftsmen, but they
are all older, in their 80s or 90s. >>
 Saint Laurent by
Anthony Vaccarello
top, skirt, blazer, belt
and pocket square

“I fell in love with Japan again and it led me

to want to start something new.”
THIS PAGE
Maison Margiela bra
and underwear; dress,
stylist’s own

FACING PAGE
Kiko wears Prada
dress; archive Dior
shoes from New York
Vintage; headpiece,
stylist’s own

Left model wears

vintage Junya
Watanabe top; Marc
Jacobs briefs; Prada
shoes; headpiece,
stylist’s own

Right model wears

Judy Turner sweater;
Marc Jacobs pants;
Saint Laurent by
Anthony Vaccarello
shoes; headpiece,
stylist’s own
145
Vintage Hysteric
Glamour yukata
>> We need to introduce their craft and
expertise to the world.”
Mizuhara has a deeper desire
to address cultural and societal norms
within Japan, and incite change on certain
things. She believes Japan has a long way
to go when it comes to its people finding
freedom of speech and expression. “We
need to speak up, which is such a hard
thing to do in our culture,” she says. “We
need to be honest with ourselves, because
we are hitting a wall.
“Sorry, this is so hard to describe,”
she swallows hard after a long pause. “But
there is no place for creativity; perhaps it’s
due to a lack of understanding between
the older and younger generations. In
China and Korea, I see creatives in their
early 20s and they know what they want.
They have no fear of failing or making
mistakes. In Japan, on the other hand, we
care too much about what people think
and that people will judge us.”
While she wishes to be a
changemaker—and for that fact she will
never fully leave Japan—Mizuhara also
recognises her need to come full circle
with her American roots. She has decided
to spend more time in Los Angeles at the
beginning of next year, in part to be with
her new management and Kirby, and
in part to reconnect with her Western
side—which she spent her childhood
disconnecting from. Being a mixed-race
child posed challenges of being fully
accepted in Japan, and young Mizuhara
was determined to do everything it took to
prove her authenticity.
Before that move, though, a
birthday trip to Italy is in store for her
family. Mizuhara shares her birthday with
her mother, and her younger sister, Yuka,
has a birthday five days apart from them.
Her wish is for her mother, who is an opera
singer, to be able to soak in “real opera”
in Italy.
A few days ago, I caught a glimpse
of this particular trip on Mizuhara’s
Instagram feed (@i_am_kiko). The trio
looked like they had a splendid time at
the opera, wandering around the streets
of Rome and Florence, and tucking into
fresh Italian produce. The last picture is
one of Mizuhara, Yuka and their mother,
with gleeful smiles on their faces and their
arms outstretched as they stand close to
each other. It was an expression of love
and a poignant display of skinship.

147
THIS PAGE
Miu Miu top; Marc
Jacobs briefs

FACING PAGE
Kiko wears Saint
Laurent by Anthony
Vaccarello top, pants,
belt, tights and shoes

Left model wears

vintage army surplus
from The Supply
Sergeant; headpiece,
stylist’s own

Right model wears

vintage army surplus
from The Supply
Sergeant; headpiece,
stylist’s own
149
Saint Laurent by
Anthony Vaccarello
top, jacket, skirt, tights,
gloves and shoes
THIS PAGE
Maison Margiela bra,
top, blouse, undewear
and tights; headpiece,
stylist’s own

FACING PAGE
Schiaparelli jacket;
Marc Jacobs briefs;
archive Maison
Margiela shoes from
Artifact New York

Make-up (Kiko), Yukari

Bush using Shiseido;
make-up (Ellen and Janice),
Crystal Lozada; hair, Rob
Talty/Forward Artists
using Bumble & Bumble;
set design, Britt Porter;
supporting talent, Ellen Vu
and Janice Kim; production
director, Serie Yoon;
producer, Alex Rubinstein;
image retoucher, Lindsey
M Thompson; production
company, 360 PM;
creative producer, Amelia
Kring; photographer’s
assistant, Juliet Lambert;
hair assistant, Saruul
Bekhbaatar; set assistant,
Leanda Harley; production
assistant, Jason Won Luffy.
153
Ralph Lauren coat
and sweater
 KRYSTAL JUNG
It’s been a landmark year for one of South Korea’s most successful idol-turned-actors.
Hot off her Cannes Film Festival debut, the Ralph Lauren ambassador delves into the black
comedy film Cobweb and how her travels have influenced her personal style.
Photography HYEAWON KANG Styling JIBIN YUN Words AZRIN TAN
K
rystal Jung has a can-do attitude. I noticed this when I
had the pleasure of meeting her on set earlier in the year,
when we were shooting a video for a beauty brand. The
concept required her to guess the origins of different
scents—a task she embraced with verve and gusto. Had it not been
for her spirited enthusiasm, I’m inclined to believe that the shoot
might not have gone as well as it did.
That same fervour applies to how she approaches her
career, facing scripts head-on and wilfully venturing out of
her comfort zone. At just 29 years old, Jung’s filmography is a
behemoth of its own; ranging from light-hearted romances to
spunky action thrillers. In the last few years, her spirited approach
to life has also caught the eye of American luxury fashion brand
Ralph Lauren, earning her the title of global ambassador. It just
might be her starring role in acclaimed director Kim Jee-woon’s
black comedy film Cobweb, however, that catapults her name to
even greater heights.
In Cobweb, Jung plays the unabashed Han Yu-rim, a rising
actor in the South Korean entertainment industry in the ‘70s, who
shows a passion akin to Jung’s own for her acting career. With
veteran industry names Song Kang-ho and Oh Jung-se in its cast,
the film premiered at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival, where
it received a 10-minute standing ovation as the credits rolled. For
her red carpet appearance, Jung donned a glamorous gown and
looked every bit the part of her Cobweb character—a reminder of
her commitment to transforming into her on-screen roles.
When it comes to choosing her next script, Jung prefers
roles that are fresh and challenging as she believes they will
develop her career as an actor.
At press time, Cobweb has hit cinemas worldwide and Jung
has just stepped off the Busan International Film Festival red
carpet. As the radiant beauty and effervescent actor sits on the
cusp of bigger things to come, she opens up to Vogue Singapore
about her role in Cobweb, her relationship with Ralph Lauren and
what’s next.
What was it like attending this year’s Cannes Film Festival?
It was a dream come true. It was such an honour to be there with
my Cobweb team and I was so grateful. The funny thing is that I
couldn’t decide on the final look until the day of the red carpet,
so I packed three dresses with me. That pink satin gown from
Ralph Lauren was my final choice because I wanted to convey
that classic, old Hollywood vibe.
Tell us about auditioning for the role of Han Yoo-rim in Cobweb.
The moment I read the script, I knew that I wanted to be a part
of it. Everything about it was so attractive; it didn’t matter what
role or how many lines I had. The fact that I got the opportunity
to work with director Kim Jee-woon and some of the most
respected actors in the industry was a blessing in itself. I
remember texting director Kim Jee-woon about how I really
wanted the role and was certain I would have a lot of fun with
it. It was something I had not done before, so I didn’t want to
miss out on it.
What were the most challenging things about filming Cobweb?
I had to learn the acting style of the 1970s—everything from the
accents to the body gestures. I even had a coach who helped
me with the accents and I researched ’70s movie clips. Certain
scenes involved some stunts which were pretty exhausting but
overall, I enjoyed playing the role of Han Yoo-rim.
You tend to experiment with different genres and roles. What
do you want to challenge yourself with next?
There is no specific role or genre I want to try next. I’m open to
anything that can take my acting to the next level, so if I feel I
can nail it, I’ll go for it.
You’ve lived and travelled to many cities around the world. How
would you say your travels have inspired your personal sense
of style?
Whenever I’m travelling, I love having nights out, enjoying
outdoor activities in the day and just making the most of my
trip. I always pack a range of outfits and try to find the best
looks for various occasions. Travelling around the world has
shaped my ability to plan ahead and think about how to look
good for special occasions.
Describe Ralph Lauren in your own words. How does the
brand’s aesthetic resonate with your own?
Classic and timeless. Since I was young, I have preferred
clothes that are simple and elegant. My mother has Ralph
Lauren pieces from over 20 years ago and the pieces are still
in excellent shape today. I wear some of her vintage jackets
quite often. Working with Ralph Lauren means a lot to me. It’s
a brand that has been close to me since my childhood years
and now that I have the opportunity to wear all these beautiful
dresses from the house’s archives, it’s been an absolutely
wonderful experience.
Our theme for our November issue is ‘Play’. When do you think
you are the most fun-loving as a person?
I’m such an introvert that it takes me a while to get to know
others. But I’m the type of girl who’s fun and playful when
I’m around people I’m comfortable with. The shoot for Vogue
Singapore was such a fun environment for me to work in
because I was surrounded by people I’ve been working with
for a long time and I know very well.
What’s next?
I’m open to all possibilities. It could be another film, another
drama series or even an album, who knows?
155
FACING PAGE
Ralph Lauren dress

156
 “Working with Ralph Lauren means
a lot to me. It’s a brand that has been close
to me since my childhood years.”
THIS PAGE
Ralph Lauren dress
and boots

FACING PAGE
Ralph Lauren jacket

Hair, Kyung Min Jung;

make-up, Oh Ka Young;
producer, Sooh Hwang.

159
Dries Van Noten coat;
Prada dress; Khaite heels
Photography LARISSA HOFMANN Styling Alex Harrington
THIS PAGE
Giorgio Armani dress

FACING PAGE
JW Anderson top;
Bottega Veneta shorts
The Row sweater;
Louis Vuitton scarf

164
THIS PAGE
Jason Wu
Collection dress

FACING PAGE
Duran Lantink coat
THIS PAGE
Maryam Nasir Zadeh
top; N21 by Alessandro
Dell’Acqua dress

FACING PAGE
Giovanna Flores top;
Khaite heels

Hair, Blake Henderson;

make-up, Fara Homidi;
manicure, Saffron Goddard;
tailor, Gillian Ford; model,
Lila Moss/KMA.
LAST PAGE

“Haven’t you heard?

I’m going to Next in Vogue.”
Mark your calendars. In her signature retro style, illustrator Hoon Jialing, Scan to find out more
better known as Jaeyyelle, draws an out-of-this-world comic about a about Next in Vogue.

landmark Vogue Singapore event coming your way this month.

170