Celebrity Life
Actress Karena Lam on Fame, Family and Living in the Moment
Karena Lam didn't set out to be rich, famous or – what one might assume, given her nearly 20-year career on the big screen – an award-winning actress. A 14-year-old Lam was simply hanging out at her mother’s restaurant in Vancouver when a Taiwanese talent scout handed her a business card and suggested she get in touch.
“I thought it was a hoax,” recalls Lam, the second of four sisters who grew up in the Canadian city. “But that winter break, I went back to Taiwan with my classmates. She’d said to check in with her and then all my classmates were like, ‘Go, go, go!’”
[caption id="attachment_177706" align="alignnone" width="1347"]
High jewellery Serpenti necklace in white gold with pear-shape emeralds and pavé diamonds; High jewellery Serpenti ring in white gold with pear-shape aquamarine, pear-shape sapphires and pavé diamonds Bvlgari | Outfit Giorgio Armani[/caption]
Lam went, was signed on the spot and one year later released a record with PolyGram. Despite spending almost 10 years in Taiwan, Lam never felt comfortable as a singer. “I didn’t really know what I was interested in, but it wasn’t singing. It just didn’t feel right. But [I was told] that’s the quickest way to get people to know you, so I just went with it.”
After so many years as a “puppet”, Lam scored her next break when producer Derek Yee asked her to audition for a role as a precocious student in the Hong Kong drama July Rhapsody. She flew to Hong Kong, her father’s hometown, got the job and found a new calling as an actress.
Now, 17 years after July Rhapsody swept the Hong Kong Film Awards with Lam winning Best Supporting Actress and Best New Performer, the 41-year-old is set to wow audiences again with her starring role in this month’s thriller Declared Legally Dead.
Lam’s success in the Hong Kong movie industry, which includes more than 30 films and multiple acting awards, is a testament to her hard work and dedication, not only to her craft but also to learning Cantonese from scratch. “I’m still learning,” she says. “But it’s nice to be able to pick up Cantonese over the years, because once you feel like you can relate to the words, then you can really fully express yourself.”
[caption id="attachment_177705" align="alignnone" width="1810"]
Serpenti Bangle in white gold with emerald eyes and full pavé diamonds; Serpenti Seduttori watch in wiitegold case with cabochon-cut blue stone and blue hands, full pavé dial and case, and white gold bracelet; Divas' Dream openwork ring in white gold with aquamarine and pavé diamonds; Serpenti Viper band ring in white gold with demi and full pavé diamonds; Serpenti Viper band ring in white gold and full pavé diamonds Bvlgari | Outfit Giorgio Armani[/caption]
Besides a new language, acting also brought out something in Lam that singing never had. “I could feel my heart pounding and my blood was boiling. I was like, ‘This is it; this is what I want,’” she recalls of her first day on set with director Ann Hui.
“Her way of directing is, she doesn’t tell you specifically what to do. She just says, ‘Oh, the framing is from this wall to this chair.’ So you’re free to move. It felt so liberating. You know the silence between lines when your co-star is just watching you? That’s what I enjoy most. It’s not only the words but the silence between the words.”
Lam went on to film two to three movies a year after July Rhapsody, and became a regular on the awards circuit. But acting came so naturally to the budding star that all the accolades didn’t quite make sense to her. “I remember being on stage [at my first awards ceremony] and saying, ‘I’m not worthy,’” she recalls. “I didn’t understand what was happening. I just followed my intuition and felt like I was actually living a different life [when I was acting].
[caption id="attachment_177707" align="alignnone" width="905"]
Fiorever earrings in white gold with two central and pavé diamonds; Fiorever bracelets in white gold with central and pavé diamonds; High jewellery ring in white gold with round brilliant-cut and pavé-set diamonds; Fiorever ring in white gold with central and pavé diamonds; Serpenti ring in white gold with full pavé diamonds; Serpenti Viper band ring in white gold with grey mother-of-pearl, and full pavé diamonds; Serpenti Viper band ring in white gold with demi and full pavé diamonds Bvlgari | Dress Giorgio Armani[/caption]
“When we still used film, I remember going to see the dailies. They have no sound, and I saw me and my co-star Jacky Cheung kissing. I was thinking, it’s so weird because I remember this happening just the other day and why is it on the big screen?”
It wasn’t until she’d completed her 10th film that Lam knew she needed to step away and take back control of her life and career. She decided to go to Paris for six months and study under renowned physical-theatre professor Philippe Gaulier when he was working at Jacques Lecoq’s theatre school. “Everyone around me was like, ‘Are you crazy? This is the time where you can maximise your chances and your profits. And you’re going to take six months off to go back to the theatre?’ But I had to, because I felt this big impulse that if I continued, I’d end up hating what I really love, which is acting. It would become something that I hate.”
[caption id="attachment_177708" align="alignnone" width="1351"]
Serpenti earrings in white gold with pavé diamonds; High jewellery necklace in white gold with onyx inserts, round brilliant-cut and pavé-set diamonds; High jewellery ring in white gold with onyx elements, brilliant cut and pavé-set diamonds Bvlgari | Outfit Giorgio Armani[/caption]
Lam used that time to learn, observe and explore acting in the safe environs of the rehearsal studio. “You can go to the unknown and no one will judge you. You can just try a lot of things,” she says. “You see so much and it all goes into your library [of experiences]. I still miss those days, and I’m so glad I took those six months off.”
The next time Lam took time off was several years later, after she started a family with her director husband Steve Yuen. The couple took their two daughters, now aged six and nine, back to Canada for a year and then returned to Hong Kong, where Lam took another four years off from acting.
“I wanted to experience a lot of their ‘firsts’,” she says. “I wanted to be very hands-on. You know in Canada there are no helpers, right?” she says. “I’m breastfeeding and then I’m pumping right after to keep every bit of milk. Then I’m holding my baby and picking up remote controls with my toes. But I really cherish those times, because if you’re going to be an actress, I feel like you really have to live life. For me, those five years are something I’ll never forget.”
[caption id="attachment_177709" align="alignnone" width="1358"]
Fiorever earrings in white gold with diamonds; High jewellery necklace in white gold with pear-shape blue sapphires, round cabochon spinels, round brilliant-cut and pavé diamonds; Serpenti bracelet in white gold withe pavé diamonds sand emerald eyes; Serpenti one-coil slim bracelet in white gold with full-pavé diamonds; Serpenti ring in white gold with full pavé diamonds; Serpenti ring in white gold with full-pavé diamonds; Serpenti Viper band ring in white gold with demi and full-pavé diamonds Bvlgari | Outfit Giorgio Armani[/caption]
Lam first met her husband on an advertising shoot, but the pair didn’t start dating until eight years later. Now they’re together in more ways than one, with Lam starring in and Yuen directing Declared Legally Dead. It’s a delicate balance for Lam, who knows Yuen’s every move yet still wants to retain an element of surprise.
“I deliberately hide certain things from him,” she says. “He’s always keen to ask me how I want to do a scene. So he’ll prepare the camera blocking and I’ll deliberately not tell him what I’m planning to do. That’s the exciting part. I want to let him know there’s still so much more to me. Making films together is so adventurous.”
For her role in Declared Legally Dead, starring opposite Anthony Wong and Carlos Chan, Lam had to transform into a partially blind woman who walks with a limp. Her preparations included visiting a casino – in Macau – for the very first time, and practicing the various physical elements.
“I remember I wanted to practice the walk, so I put some weight on my left leg as I’m sending my four-year-old to kindergarten,” says Lam. “I was walking with a limp and I remember her saying, ‘Mommy, what game are you playing?’ Then we were both limping and her teachers were at the door like, ‘Are you OK?’” she recalls, laughing. “It’s so funny. This is for sure not your everyday family. There were times when I wanted to practice having my left eye out of focus and my girls would know what I was doing and what’s involved.”
[caption id="attachment_177704" align="alignnone" width="1345"]
Serpenti earrings in white gold with pavé diamonds; High jewellery necklace in white gold with onyx inserts, round brilliant-cut and pavé-set diamonds; High jewellery ring in white gold with onyx elements, brilliant cut and pavé-set diamonds Bvlgari | Outfit Giorgio Armani[/caption]
Lam also studied the women who visited the small casinos in Macau in the afternoon: “After they lose their money or win their money, they go home and cook. And no one knows. I prefer not to get my references from other movies. I prefer to meet [real] people.” She also ate “a lot” in order to gain around 10 pounds and have a thicker waist.
But no matter the role or the movie, Lam has learned to follow her intuition. Which means that no matter how much research or homework she’s put into a role, once she’s on set she puts that aside and follows her gut. “It’s instinct. You do all your homework and then you throw it away, right? I always find that hard to explain. Like you’re acting out your intuition. It takes a lot of practice.”
When it comes to awards, Lam is similarly detached. “I’ve always given them either to the movie company or to the director, because I don’t want constantly to look at the award and remind myself of what I once did. I let go of the past, but I don’t fantasise about the future yet because I’m always living in the present.
“Of course, there’ve been a lot of remarkable moments for me throughout my career, because making films is a beautiful process. You work with creative people, and each and every one counts. It’s like this big family working together. As for awards, going on the red carpet, all that’s a bonus. It’s always been about making something beautiful.”
Photography CK at Secret 9 Production House
Art Direction Sepfry Ng
Styling Christie Simpson
Stylist Assistant Angela Leung
Hair Hin Wan
Make-up Will Wong
The post Actress Karena Lam on Fame, Family and Living in the Moment appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.
Christmas Gift Guide For Him
Men are hard to shop for, we know. We all have that one friend -- the one who either has everything or who’s extremely discerning. So when it comes to choosing a gift for him, stress levels are high. Fret not, we've got you covered. Whether this hard-to-shop-for person is your best friend, brother, boyfriend or dad, we’ve scoured the stores and internet to select a variety of items that he will love now and years to come. From timepieces to workout gear, here are the 10 gifts to get your guy.
The post Christmas Gift Guide For Him appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.
Italian Style as Espoused by Daniele Carettoni as He Struts the Streets of Southern Italy
From the back streets of southern Italy comes Daniele Carettoni, a fashion renegade armed with style, attitude and a comb. Featured in Yacht Style Issue 50.
The post Italian Style as Espoused by Daniele Carettoni as He Struts the Streets of Southern Italy appeared first on LUXUO.
Ferrari and Armani Are Going to Start Making Clothes Together
Photo Shoot: Fall Guise
Whether autumn brings you reflection or exuberance, greet the season of mellow fruitfulness with sober monochromes or breezy separates.
[gallery ids="172085,172082,172084,172077,172079,172080,172086,172076,172081,172078,172083"]
Photography Kinwai Cheung
Styling Bhisan Rai
Hair Peter Cheng
Make-up Gloomy Kwok at HK Makes Artist by Karen Yiu
Casting Director Janice Yip at Yon Management
Styling Assistant Nisham Limbu
Models Sean Chan at Primo, Yang Shuo and Neo S at Yon Management
The post Photo Shoot: Fall Guise appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.
Living the Dream: Sean Lee-Davies
Artist, adventurer and international activist Sean Lee-Davies shares the inspiration behind his passion for travel in the wild, as well as his vision for adventure on the ocean and beyond.
[caption id="attachment_170494" align="alignnone" width="1152"]
Johnnie Walker house at Sea, exclusively on Dream Cruises | Suit Giorgio Armani | Jumper Ralph Lauren | Bracelets Tod's | Watch Sean Lee-Davies' own[/caption]
What do you love in life?
I love the visual arts, nature, the wild, film-making, travel... I’m just trying to do what I love, plus a little bit of something to fix today’s environmental situation.
Where did you get this passion for the natural world?
Growing up in rural Hampshire, in my early days, it was just the simple act of going down to the local river in the summer and seeing the fish in the water. As the Editorial Director of a luxury lifestyle magazine, I had a great few years in Asia promoting the very best in life, but then seeing the rampant air pollution, and the degradation of the waters here in Hong Kong, it spurred me on to do something to try and counter it. And then, of course, I met some inspiring people along the way, like David de Rothschild, Jane Goodall, Sir Richard Bonham; all people doing incredible things.
Tell us about your travels; where has moved you, what does travel mean to you?
India is a phenomenal place. Rajasthan, for example, is a human and animal safari combined; so many religions, so many types of people, and animals, all intermingling, which is very rare. There’s something magical about it. In terms of incredible wilderness, the Leuser Ecosystem in Borneo is the only place where you still get rhinos, tigers, elephants, orangutans, all still living in one eco-system. It’s one of the lungs of Asia, just an incredible place. Sri Lanka as well, is amazing. And because it’s been through a lot of conflicts it’s kind of stopped tourist developments and it’s allowed the animals to remain. It seems where humans don’t go, it allows nature to flourish.
[inline-quote author="Sean Lee-Davis"]"Adventure is really about the unknown... you've got to be outside of your comfort zone."[/inline-quote]
You have a real love for the water, too.
Yes, I do spend a lot of time in and around the ocean. It’s one of those unique spaces. I’m a free diver and a scuba-diver, so I’ve taken a lot of my photographs under the water. I’m also a keen sailor and paddle boarder – I have a little boat here in Hong Kong. I was actually out paddle boarding recently, with my two dogs, and we came across either a bottlenose or a spinner dolphin in Deep Water Bay, which is highly unusual. It was really an incredible moment.
An ocean holiday sounds as if it was made for you! Do you think a luxury cruise would be a good way of making special occasions?
Luxury cruises are a particularly great way to celebrate special occasions as they are a one-of-a-kind experience with unlimited leisure options to make your time extremely unique. What better way than to wake up with a panoramic view of the ocean, let alone a different view every morning?
What does adventure look like to you?
I think it’s really about the unknown. It’s doing something with a goal attached to it; you’ve got to be outside of your comfort zone, there’s got to be a light at the end of the tunnel, so you have to suffer a little bit to get to that goal. And usually doing it with other people. So, we’re doing another Kilimanjaro climb early next year to raise money for some charities, and that’s the perfect adventure. You don’t really know if you’re going to make it to the top because of the altitude; you’re traversing every eco-system on the planet in the seven days you climb; you’re just in an incredible environment that’s hard to beat.
Photographer Pierre Dal Corso
Art Director Harriet Gregory
Stylist Tasha Ling
Hair and Makeup Gloomy Kwok
The post Living the Dream: Sean Lee-Davies appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.
This Season’s Soft and Seductive Tailoring Silhouettes
Already the go-to designer when it comes to chic workwear and formal suiting, Giorgio Armani has created a new tailoring aesthetic for autumn/winter 2019.
The women’s collection is defined by simple yet seductive shapes, with sculpted jackets and high-waisted trousers that recall jodhpurs. Day and night versions are reimagined in luxurious materials such as satin and velvet.
“I wanted to enhance the soft precision of the silhouette, playing with the combination of black and blue, which I find particularly pleasing,” Armani says of the colour palette. “The effect is a gradation of light in the darkness, creating an elegance filled with subtle nuances.”
For the menswear collection, the designer opted for “soft formality” with a variety of jacket shapes and styles from deconstructed double- breasted versions to structured single-breasted ones. Even the signature Armani aesthetic of the 1980s returns in a contemporary take on the bold-shouldered oversized jacket with low buttons.
“We’re living in times of determined informality, but I think that the jacket, the pinnacle of my work, remains a fundamental element for every man,” Armani says. “The idea that I suggest strongly is that of an eclectic jacket, one that’s never rigid, and that’s truly suited to today’s lifestyle and the diverse personalities of the
modern man.”
[dual-images right-image-url="https://www.prestigeonline.com/hk/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/GA-FW1920-FASHION-SHOW_LOOK-10.jpg" left-image-url="https://www.prestigeonline.com/hk/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/GA-FW1920-FASHION-SHOW_LOOK-3.jpg" right-caption="Giorgio Armani's new tailoring silhouette is soft, seductive and a perfect match for today's lifestyle." left-caption="Giorgio Armani's new tailoring silhouette is soft, seductive and a perfect match for today's lifestyle."]
The post This Season’s Soft and Seductive Tailoring Silhouettes appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.
Accessories to lift your wardrobe
Bring your wardrobe instantly up to speed with everything from shield sunglasses to quilted jackets.
The post Accessories to lift your wardrobe appeared first on The Peak Magazine.
Accessories to lift your wardrobe
Bring your wardrobe instantly up to speed with everything from shield sunglasses to quilted jackets.
For more stories like this, visit www.thepeakmagazine.com.sg.
Who Were The Best-Dressed Celebrities at the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival?
Hot on the heels of the Venice Film Festival, the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival has already come and gone. And while the focus is naturally meant to be on the films, we're more excited by all the celebrity fashion. Night after night, stars made their appearances on the red carpet and showed off their camera-ready style. We've rounded up the best-dressed celebrities, from Jennifer Lopez’s yellow daffodil gown by Egyptian couture Maison Yeya, to Felicity Jones’ floor-length sheer metallic gown by Valentino, for your viewing pleasure.
See below for our gallery of the best-dressed celebs this year.
[gallery ids="164429,164417,164432,164428,164431,164427,164418,164424,164420,164423,164433,164426,164421,164425,164434"]
The post Who Were The Best-Dressed Celebrities at the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival? appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.
The Collection That Embodies the Seduction of the Night
Seductive, mysterious and glamorous as the night are just some of the terms that can be used to describe Giorgio Armani’s Fall Winter 2019-20 collection. Making its debut at the Milan Fashion Week earlier this year, the selection featured an elegant range of casual and formalwear for both women and men.
Marked by a sophisticated simplicity, the collection expressed a certain sensuality through hues of blue -- from the deep richness reflected by a glistening sapphire to the indigo inkiness of midnight blue, and the enticing black of a dark night. Here and there, touches of a flowing shimmering fabric or the sparkle of intricately placed flourishes and details broke through the severity of the shades like streaks of lightening across the dusky sky.
Deceptively clean, assured silhouettes with a bold character that transforms every piece into a statement marks Armani’s gorgeous creations. And this collection is no different. Strong, long and lean feminine lines that embrace the body curvaceously can be seen through a selection of ankle-length dresses, pencil skirts, high-waisted trousers, jumpsuits, and Jodhpur-pants. Short jackets and draped blousons enhance the sense of the lean and elongate the womanly frame. Stylised knot motifs, swirling galaxy prints, ruffles around the neck, and flowery extensions along the shoulder add a girlish appeal.
[gallery ids="162626,162625,162624,162623,162622,162621,162620,162627"]
The glamour quotient is heightened in the eveningwear through the use of rich velvets and silks, the fluid materials glimmering with every sashaying movement of the long flowing dress or graceful pantsuits.
“My night is composed of clean lines, uninhibited sparkles and precious materials,” says Armani. “I like the idea of creating an evening dress that’s as easy to wear as a T-shirt; a tuxedo that’s as soft as knitwear.”
The men’s selection is equally enchanting, without losing its masculinity. Double-breasted blazers, coats, parkas, jackets and tuxedos in midnight blue velvet impart a strong sense of distinguished elegance, stylishly complemented by exquisitely tailored trousers.
[gallery ids="162614,162615,162616,162617,162618"]
Despite their very obvious charisma, there is an extraordinary effortlessness in these creations. As Armani explains, “My clothes are not made to disguise people, rather to give them a certain aura. At night, just as during the day, you have to be yourself: this is the only way to achieve true style.”
For more runway and backstage looks, visit armani.com/hk.
Giorgio Armani Boutiques: Chater House, Harbour City, Elements.
The post The Collection That Embodies the Seduction of the Night appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.