Celebrity Life

He often grabbed headlines for his gaffes, but Prince Philip was portrayed by royalists as the silent stalwart, who shelved his personal ambitions to support to Queen Elizabeth II over seven decades.

Born into the Greek royal family — although he preferred to be thought of as a Danish prince — the Duke of Edinburgh never wore a crown himself. Yet he was a permanent public presence at the queen's side, who called him her "strength and stay".

Like her, his life was ruled by duty and tradition, putting his considerable energy behind numerous charities and carrying out 22,219 solo public engagements since Elizabeth rose to the throne in 1952. But Philip regularly got into hot water for what were politely referred to as "politically incorrect" off-the-cuff remarks — quips that from anyone else would be seen as downright racist.

"You managed not to get eaten, then?" he remarked to a British student who had trekked in Papua New Guinea in 1998. And on a historic state visit to China in 1986, the self-described "cantankerous old sod" warned a group of British students: "If you stay here much longer, you'll all be slitty-eyed."

There was also his reputation as a womaniser, something that worried the royal family even before he and queen married. They reportedly found the young naval officer "rough, ill-mannered and uneducated" and worried he "would probably not be faithful". The man the queen's formidable mother privately referred to as "The Hun" because of his German Battenberg blood, was quickly suspected of a string of affairs, which would later be resurrected in the hit Netflix series The Crown.

But Philip laughed off talk of philandering — with Sarah, the Duchess of York's mother often cited as one of his former lovers. "For the last 40 years I have never moved anywhere without a policeman accompanying me. So how the hell could I get away with anything like that?" he said.

At home, the duke had a reputation for being cold towards his four children, Charles, Anne, Andrew and Edward. But many observers considered Philip to be the glue that held together the royal family. And in a rarely seen softer side, it emerged the late princess Diana addressed him as "Dearest Pa" in letters in which he offered solace over her deteriorating marriage to his eldest son Charles.

Prince Philip: 'Trial and error'

Philip, the world's longest serving consort, was blessed with robust health for much of his long life, and conducted his final official appearance in August 2017 at the age of 96. But he was admitted to hospital with various complaints as he advanced into his 90s, most recently for a heart procedure.

In January 2019, at the age of 97 and still driving, he was involved in a car accident near the royal estate of Sandringham in eastern England. His Land Rover Freelander overturned and two other motorists were injured. Prosecutors decided not to press charges after the prince, who walked away unscathed, voluntarily surrendered his driving licence.

The accident saw him withdraw from public life and he spent much of 2020 in isolation with the queen at their Windsor Castle home west of London, shielding from the coronavirus pandemic. But he made several appearances, including at the wedding ceremony of his granddaughter Princess Beatrice in July, four months before celebrating his own 73rd wedding anniversary. He also attended a military ceremony at Windsor in July when he handed over his ceremonial military role as Colonel-in-Chief of The Rifles regiment to his daughter-in-law Camilla, wife of Prince Charles.

Never one to talk about his own feelings, the prince admitted in a rare 2011 interview that he had carved out his own role in the royal family by "trial and error". Asked if he had been successful, he told the BBC in his typical forthright manner: "I couldn't care less. Who cares what I think about it? I mean it's ridiculous." But the queen has been more forthcoming about his worth.

"He has, quite simply, been my strength and stay all these years," she said in a speech to mark their golden wedding anniversary in 1997.

Exile from Greece

Prince Philippos of Greece and Denmark was born on a kitchen table on Corfu on June 10, 1921, the only son of prince Andrew of Greece — the younger brother of Greece's king Constantine — and princess Alice of Battenberg.

Aged just 18 months, he and his family were evacuated in a British Royal Navy ship from politically unstable Greece, with the toddler reputedly carried in a cot made from an orange box. The family settled in Paris with young Philip heading to the austere Gordonstoun public school in Aberdeenshire, northeast Scotland, where he became head boy.

He pursued his love of sailing and at the outbreak of World War II in 1939 became an outstanding Royal Navy cadet before serving on battleships in the Indian Ocean and the Mediterranean. As the war progressed, Philip was mentioned in despatches and promoted through the ranks. By 1945, he was a first lieutenant and witnessed the Japanese surrender in Tokyo Bay with the British Pacific Fleet.

Philip had been formally introduced to princess Elizabeth, the future queen, in July 1939. The pair shared a great-great grandmother — Queen Victoria — making them distant cousins, and they kept in touch during the war, meeting on a number of occasions. But it was not until July 1947 that their engagement was announced and they tied the knot that year on November 20 at Westminster Abbey in London.

'Duty to serve her'

The royal couple made their first major tour together — to Canada and the United States — in 1951. By now a commander, Philip's naval career was cut short by the death of Elizabeth's father, king George VI, in 1952, which brought her to the throne. "Prince Philip was a highly talented seaman," said his contemporary Terence Lewin. "If he hadn't become what he did, he would have been First Sea Lord (chief of naval staff) and not me."

Philip once admitted the curtailment of his career was "disappointing" but said, "being married to the queen, it seemed to me that my first duty was to serve her in the best way I could". Yet he remained closely involved with the armed services and the queen marked his 90th birthday in 2011 by appointing him Lord High Admiral — the titular head of the British Royal Navy and an office until then held by her.

He was a keen flyer, clocking well over 5,000 hours of pilot time, and turned his love of horses to competition, first as a polo player and later representing Britain at carriage-driving. He also maintained an interest in science, technology and the environment and for years drove a liquid petroleum gas taxi around London. His greatest legacy may lie in the Duke of Edinburgh's Award scheme, which was set up in 1956 to develop the confidence and skills of young people aged 15 to 25 in Britain and the Commonwealth.

His youngest son, Edward, said its importance was likely to be greater due to the effects of the coronavirus pandemic on formal education. "I think the role of the non-formal in this present climate is going to be even more important than ever before because it's those skills and experiences which are going to be looked for," he told Sky News television

Philip was also patron of a number of organisations, including the World Wide Fund for Nature, and chancellor of the universities of Cambridge and Edinburgh.

[caption id="attachment_219862" align="alignnone" width="2462"] British Queen Elizabeth II enters the House of Lords with the Duke of Edinburgh, in a ritual steeped in centuries of pomp and ceremony, 14 May, when she opened the British Parliament with the traditional speech setting out Prime Minister Tony Blair's legislative program for the next 17 months. (Image: Gerry PennyY/AFP)[/caption]

An A to Z of Prince Philip

A for AWARD: Since 1956, millions of youths worldwide have completed The Duke of Edinburgh's Award, which promotes community service and self-reliance through volunteering, physical, skill and expedition challenges.

B for BARBEQUE: Prince Philip was in charge of grilling duties at the royal Scottish retreat at Balmoral, sizzling up the steaks by the river, with Queen Elizabeth doing the washing up.

C for CARRIAGE DRIVING: The duke took up the sport in 1971 after giving up polo. He compiled its international competition rules and represented Britain. He was still driving horses into his 90s.

D for DANISH: Philip was born into the house of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glucksburg and considered himself Danish by race.

E for ENGAGEMENTS: The prince conducted 22,219 solo engagements between 1952 and his retirement in 2017. He gave 5,496 speeches and 785 organisations had him as a patron, president or member.

F for FAMILY: The duke ran the royal family, deciding on his children's schooling, modernising the running of the palaces and trying to keep his son Charles's doomed marriage to Diana going.

G for GREECE: Born a prince of Greece and Denmark in Corfu in 1921, his family fled to exile in Paris within a year. He understands some Greek and signs his paintings with phi, the Greek letter P.

H for HMS MAGPIE: Philip commanded his own frigate from 1950 to 1952. The officer and his young bride spent two idyllic years stationed on Malta before King George VI died in 1952.

I for IRASCIBILITY: He is notoriously impatient and does not suffer fools gladly. Non-adherence to his "get on with it" approach is often likely to infuriate the hot-tempered prince.

J for JOKES: His off-the-cuff quips are designed to put the public at ease when meeting royalty but his politically-incorrect wisecracks have infamously come back to haunt him.

K for KURT HAHN: The Jewish educator heavily influenced the prince's life with his self-reliance doctrine. Hahn taught him in Germany then at Gordonstoun in Scotland, the school that Hahn founded in 1934, having fled the Nazis.

L for LIEGE MAN: At the 1953 coronation, he swore to be his wife's "liege man of life and limb" and to "live and die against all manner of folks", before kissing her cheek.

M for MOUNTBATTEN: Needing a surname after giving up his Greek and Danish titles to marry in 1947, he chose his mother's anglicised Battenburg family name. He was infuriated when told his children would be Windsors.

N for NATURE: An early activist for wildlife conservation, he spoke out on pollution in 1970 and was president of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) from 1981 to 1996, though he despised what he called green "bunny-huggers".

O for OLDEST: He is the oldest-ever male member of the British royal family and the longest-serving consort.

P for PARENTS: Prince Andrew, the son of Greece's king George I, left to live with his mistress on the French riviera, while Princess Alice was committed to a sanatorium. She is buried in Jerusalem.

Q for QUEEN: The couple met in 1939 when King George VI visited his naval college. They exchanged letters during World War II and he proposed in 1946. She described him as her "strength and stay".

R for ROYAL NAVY: The duke loved his naval years and was tipped for the top before his wife became queen. In 2011, she gave him her title as lord high admiral, the titular head of the service.

S for SPORT: He captained his school cricket and hockey teams and opened the 1956 Melbourne Olympics. A keen yachtsman, he played polo and led the International Equestrian Federation from 1964 to 1986. He captained an England cricket XI in 1949.

T for TELEVISION: The pioneering prince presented his own show in 1957, gave the first royal TV interview in 1961 and let in the cameras for a 1969 documentary that transformed how the world saw the Windsors.

U for UNCLE LOUIS: Lord Mountbatten — the last viceroy of British-ruled India — was a formative influence on the prince in the absence of his father. He steered Philip into the navy and took credit for engineering his marriage to the future queen.

V for VANUATU: The prince is revered as a god in a village on the island of Tanna. The cult grew when he appeared in person in 1974. They have exchanged gifts and pictures.

W for WORLD WAR II: He was mentioned in despatches for his role in winning the 1941 Battle of Cape Matapan, Italy's worst naval defeat. He was in Tokyo Bay for the Japanese surrender.

X for XIAN: Prince Philip's greatest diplomatic gaffe came at this Chinese university in 1986 when he warned British students against going "slitty-eyed".

Y for YACHT: The Royal Yacht Britannia served the family for 50 years. He helped design the interiors and in 1956-1957 did a four-month world tour.

Z for ZAZA: Also known as a gin and Dubonnet. The royals' preferred cocktail before lunch. Prime Minister Tony Blair described them as "true rocket fuel".

(Main and featured image: Toby Melville/AFP)

This story was published via AFP Relaxnews.

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As the world’s most recognisable male model, David Gandy celebrates 20 years in the industry and tells us how his success isn’t just down to his rugged good looks but also an independent spirit and a relentless work ethic.

Hiding those famous piercing blue eyes under an unassuming grey baseball cap, fashion’s best-known male model steps through the side door of an empty historic pub in London’s East End. Even in the shadows of a chilly spring morning, David Gandy cuts an impressive figure in casual jeans, T-shirt and cable-knit jumper. About 90 minutes later, under a row of freshly washed linen shirts, our cover star peels and eats a satsuma as we talk about Hong Kong, Shanghai and Taiwan, and his visits to all three. All the while, the photographer clicks away.

In person, David Gandy is way more relaxed and inquisitive than he appears on camera. We’re mostly used to seeing him smouldering intensely to the lens. With his famous brooding good looks, rugged masculinity and an intuitive sense for good branding, Gandy is arguably the world’s only male model to rival the female “supers” in longevity, status and influence. That achievement is partly due to his aforementioned qualities, but also to a fiercely independent spirit, graft and “the mentality that nothing is ever given to you.

“We weren’t wealthy by any means, and if you wanted pocket money, you worked for it,” he says, of growing up in Billericay, Essex. “I watched my parents build their businesses up – it was hard work and they’d be working until whatever time they had to.”

We catch him at a milestone that marks his 20th year in the industry. During that time, Gandy has pivoted fashion fame into a global voice and multiple businesses, partnerships, ambassadorships and investments. Decidedly off piste for a model, no matter how super, he spoke (rather well) at Oxford University Union in 2018, and Cambridge University has invited him to talk this year.

“The thing that people famously say about models is that they don’t have much of a shelf life,” Gandy says with a laugh. “Well, I’ve been here for 20 years, I think I’m doing OK, and I think Kate and Naomi are doing OK. It’s about business and having that longevity.”

It all started at the age of 21 when friends entered him into a modelling competition on a popular British daytime TV show. Gandy won (it landed him a Select Models contract) and spent five years working well but in relative anonymity. That all changed when he became the muse for Dolce & Gabbana, who cast him in that now notorious Light Blue perfume ad. After that, Gandy-fever officially landed, and more than 15 years on it hasn’t waned.

I’m working on a big launch, something that I can’t say much about — but it’s the biggest thing I’ve probably ever done, and fully independent.

David Gandy

Gandy’s look has long played into a romanticised vision of timeless masculinity, but he’s not shy of playfulness or sensitivity on camera. At 41, he’s aged divinely (seriously, even close up he looks as if carved from Italian marble). On set, he happily perches on tiny wooden stools too small for his frame, lounges around in a silk gown and white socks, and then goes suited and booted. Then there’s an uncanny ability (we soon discover) to make cackling while doing the dishes look and sound sexy. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, we got David Gandy to do chores. And no, he won’t come over to help with your washing up.

So it’s hard to imagine that he wasn’t always the popular, good-looking guy growing up. “Completely the opposite, I had a puppy-fat stage during the teenage years and then you shoot up and I became quite gangly – literally overnight I went up to six foot two,” he recalls. He played all the sports, but at school “I wasn’t the cool guy … I mean, I worked at dog sanctuaries over the weekends.” He confesses to having been “a bit of a loner” and, he muses, “I still am.”

Before superstardom or modelling, there were less than glamorous jobs. He delivered pizza for years, worked with dogs and helped his friend’s dad fit out enormous offices, on some weekends staying up 48 hours to complete the spaces in time for Monday morning.

“I always grafted and worked,” says the Essex boy. These days, it’s much more luxurious grafting, but the multi-hyphenate model still likes to keep very busy. He’s spent much of the last 12 months and multiple UK lockdowns working on his businesses and interests: “That didn’t stop and it couldn’t, because I’m kind of self- employed,” he says.

“I’m working on a big launch, something that I can’t say much about – but it’s the biggest thing I’ve probably ever done, and fully independent,” he explains, carefully picking his words. The launch is in the autumn and he’s working with the Hut Group, a Manchester-headquartered tech platform that specialises in direct-to-consumer business with a portfolio of premium beauty, wellness, design and lifestyle brands. That’s the only information I manage to work out of him.

“This year gave us plenty of time to focus on that and bring the team together – it was tough in many ways but we diversified and adapted...People were adapting too, from being in big corporations to wanting to go smaller and more independent … I managed to poach a few!”

Gandy now advises brands behind the scenes and comes alive when in expert mode, giving the impression that he’s probably more of an analyst than a showman. Twenty years of insider knowledge at the forefront of style have made him an authority on current industry evolutions. “Looking at the fashion world, I saw the change about five years ago with the direct-to-consumer, digitalisation trends, and I’d tell some of the brands I was working with to adapt. If these brands had adapted five years ago, they’d have been OK. But now you can literally see the downfall of the British High Street.”

I’ve never followed the crowd at any time in my life. I’ve never been one to do what everyone else does.

David Gandy

Cue headlines about UK and US retail giants suffering or folding because of poor online agility and too much fate sealed on expensive bricks and mortar. “There’s two sides of me looking at something like this,” he says of the digital rise. “As a businessman, when it comes to data and getting to the amount of people that I need, yes you can’t beat digital and social, everything can be analysed, algorithmic and targeted precisely, unlike on
a billboard … But there’s the creative in me that still thinks doing something like the cover of a print magazine, like Vogue, GQ or Prestige is, well, a prestigious thing to do. All models want covers and billboards. If I’m totally honest, that’s still the pinnacle … But today that’s got to be supplemented by digital, to push the sale of the magazine or product.”

He urges brands to look deeper than just numbers of followers and at influencer demographics and engagement, and how they translate into sales. “The younger people just think, ‘Social, social, social,’ but often don’t understand the big creative element to it. You still need to have that brilliant vision, that brilliant tagline, that brilliant campaign.”

Ironically, if Gandy were starting out in today’s dominion of digital influence, there’s a chance that his big break might have never happened. Nowadays, brands just take fewer big chances with unknown talent. In 2006, after Mario Testino first shot him for D&G’s Light Blue fragrance campaign – sun-soaked, in small white swimmers, off the aquamarine Italian coastline – the relatively unknown model was plastered on a billboard over Times Square (among other prime locations) and in countless global magazines. The video played in Imax theatres and online it racked up 11 million views in the first months. “Digital helped push, it but it was really the other stuff and the creative that built the buzz … I just don’t see that very often any more,” he says.

“Cindy Crawford always said, ‘I want a marriage with the brands, not a one-night stand.’ She’s a brilliant businesswoman, and when I read that, even before I did Light Blue, I knew it was what I wanted.” His work with Dolce & Gabbanna spans 15 years; in fact, he’s shooting for the Italian label the week after our cover. In 2011, the brand published a coffee-table book, David Gandy by Dolce & Gabbana, chronicling their collaboration. His work with Massimo Dutti has lasted 17 years, with Jaguar cars it has also been long-term. He’s clearly taken Crawford’s words to heart.

Working with the likes of Kate Moss, Christy Turlington and Naomi Campbell, Gandy learned “how these supermodel women, their agencies and management operated to get them into those positions”. He took it and ran with it, as no other male model had done before.

With his rise came a shift in fashionable male archetypes that spoke to a generation of young men who found his masculine form aspirational. Even in the early days, Gandy bucked the trend, resisting the call to conform to a skinny, high-fashion male silhouette popularised by the likes of Dior Homme.

“Honestly, I’ve never followed the crowd at any time in my life. I’ve never been one to do what everyone else does. It’s pack mentality, it’s safety. I’ve always been independent and happy to be myself, so that’s what I did in the modelling game.”

Despite firmly sealed celebrity status, Gandy isn’t in that fashion bubble: “I’ve never been part of that … I didn’t aspire to be in fashion. I’m into style, which is different.” While his contemporaries are running around fashion weeks, he’d much rather be off racing beautiful cars somewhere in the UK or Italy – at Goodwood or in the Mille Miglia. Motoring and cars are a greatly publicised, long-time love and passion – over the years he’s painstakingly restored a Mercedes 190 SL (now sold) and a Jaguar XK120, which took 2,700 hours.

“I love design, and we’re renovating this house, renovating cars. I’m in the fashion game, but guys see me doing all this other stuff and I really hope that they can relate to it a little bit more.” His partner, Stephanie Mendoros, is a barrister and mother to their adorable two-and-a-half-year-old daughter Matilda. He’s lived in Fulham for many years, and regularly says hi to locals at the gym or butchers. The couple are currently remodelling a new house overlooking Richmond Park, and spent much of the first lockdown in the countryside around Lancashire with Stephanie’s
mother. It all sounds a bit normal for a supermodel. Isn’t he meant to be doing TikToks in St Barts with Richard Branson or something?

Perhaps being more relatable is part and parcel of Gandy’s star appeal, especially outside fashion’s fickle world. The day of our shoot and interview, he’s perceptive and ultra-engaged. He has approachability (always has time for a chat or picture with a fan) as well as some self-effacing Brit humour (“I’d have loved to have been a vet, but the brain didn’t quite match my ambition at the time”).

What isn’t so relatable is the sheer range of his projects. Ambassadorships for Jaguar, London Collection Men’s, fashion partnerships (Marks & Spencer’s being one of the most profitable, “selling nearly £80 million of just loungewear in five years”). He’s been the face for Virgin America, Banana Republic and Vitabiotics, as well as D&G. There are multiple covers for Men’s Vogue, GQ, Esquire, L’Officiel Hommes, Men’s Health, Details, The Rake, Attitude and this magazine. He regularly writes for GQ, The Telegraph and Vogue, and is a keen investor, with stakes in Savile Row Gin, a footwear label and now celebrity hairdresser Larry King (with products and salons). There’s also the London Sock Company, “but’s it’s all British companies … Oh, and a number of funds that are just for investments.”

It was exhausting just writing this last paragraph. So why does David Gandy like juggling so many projects, or is he is just a sucker for punishment?
“Diversity certainly makes it chaotic!” he admits. “I just never wanted to think, ‘I wish I’d done that.’ I’m in a position where I can do it and help or invest in people I believe in.

“In many ways, I never look back. I never have regrets because I don’t think there’s much point, I think you should learn from failures and I’ve failed at millions of things … People used to laugh at me, because the day that something really successful came out, that evening I’d be really happy and the next day I’d be miserable. I’d always be thinking where to go from here, what’s next. My grandfather [who was in the Royal Marines] was the same … I don’t look back too much. Maybe I should; but it’s always constantly looking forward, forward.”

PHOTOGRAPHY OLIVIER YOAN
STYLING HANNAH BECK
GROOMING LARRY KING
PRODUCER HANNAH LEMON
STYLING ASSISTANT BRYONY HATRICK PHOTO ASSISTANTS YEVGENIY AND DASHA

(Hero image: TROUSERS HERMÈS SHIRT MARC-ANTOINE BARROIS)

The post David Gandy on His 20 Years as a Model and Independent Spirit appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

During a recent video shoot at Mont Rouge, Candice and Leonard Chao reveal to us what a typical day in their household is like.

What was your first home together?

It was an apartment in Columbus circle in New York. We had a beautiful view of Central Park and it was completely monotone. Everything was black and white.

Describe your dream home.

We have similar tastes in interior decoration and design, and are very fond of indoor-outdoor living spaces. We appreciate nature and the outdoors and would ultimately like to integrate them into our living spaces. We imagine our dream home to have a spacious indoor-outdoor living room that can open up in the summer for us to soak up and enjoy the sun, while also being able to warm up to a cosy fireplace while admiring the snow-covered trees in winter.

What’s the best thing that happened to you this month?

Our oldest son turned eight this month. We’re blessed to have three
healthy, happy children, keeping us busy at all times.

What’s one thing you’ve kept with you from your childhood?

A journal full of sketches and drawings, and wood carved stamps that I collected during my travels when I was a kid.

Which new hobby did you pick up in the past year?

We’ve started hiking as a family on weekends.

What’s your favourite thing to do at home?

Relax and spend time with the children. We like to catch up with all three of them to see what fun and exciting stories and experiences they have to share with us.

We appreciate nature and the outdoors and would like to integrate them into our living spaces

Leonard and Candice Chao

Which is your favourite room in your home?

The living room, where you can hear the birds singing in the morning when the windows are open.

Describe a typical evening at home.

We have a sit-down dinner every night together with the kids. Afterwards, we get the children ready for bed, read bedtime stories and tuck everyone in. Once the kids have fallen asleep, we like to catch up with each other, play an online board game or watch a movie.

You’re throwing a party at home. What do you prepare?

Korean barbecue on tabletop charcoal grills.

If you could invite anyone over for dinner, who would it be?

JK Rowling. The kids have been fascinated with Harry Potter lately
and I’m sure she’d have a few interesting stories to share with them.

What do you bring to a house party?

Champagne or cheesecake.

What’s your favourite cocktail?

C: Gin and tonic.
L: Vodka soda.

Where and how do you relax?

On our roof terrace, listening to music and tending to the plants and flowers.

Which TV show would you recommend?

We really enjoyed the Black Mirror series. Although certain episodes were a bit dark, it really touches on many social aspects worthy of thought.

Describe your perfect weekend.

Taking a ferry to an outer island and digging our toes into the sand while watching the children play on the beach, followed by a simple seafood dinner by the water.

If you could renovate your home, what would you change about it?

If we were to make any changes, it would most likely just be to upgrade some furniture. You’d be surprised by the wear and tear that three children can cause.

Where do you see yourself living in 10 years’ time?

It would definitely still be in Hong Kong. Nowhere else beats the convenience and efficiency of our city.

STYLING CHERYL YAM AND SU CHIU
HAIR KIDD YUEN
MAKE-UP SHIRLEY WONG @ NARS
LOCATION MONT ROUGE, KERRY PROPERTIES

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Hailing from one of Hong Kong and Macau’s most prominent families, Sarah Ho decided early on to carve out a path that’s truly her own. In a candid chat, she tells us about a life far removed from the trappings of society, the joys of her hard work rewarded, and how she would never dream of having it any other way.

Sarah Ho has lived much of her life at a fair distance from the shadow of her famous family. The granddaughter of the late casino magnate Stanley Ho, her father Robert is the oldest son of the patriarch and his first wife, Clementina. Yet Ho has shied away from the glitterati of the social circles of Hong Kong and Macau, opting instead for a relatively low-key life in London where she carved out her own path as a jewellery designer who runs a successful brand, Sarah Ho London (SHO), which this year marks its 15th anniversary.

I’ve had the pleasure knowing Ho over the years and, just as you’re drawn by the air of sophistication that envelopes her, you’re also enamoured by her self-effacing qualities and that hint of childish mischief. In an intimate interview, Ho opens up about her life abroad and on the journey she’s had so far as a jewellery designer, businesswoman, wife and mother. She also lets us in on how she and her family are settling into their new, sun-drenched life in Monaco.

How was it like living overseas at a young age? Did you like the obscurity?

Moving abroad to boarding school accelerated me as a person. I had freedom that I’d never experienced before, having lived a very restricted childhood growing up in Macau. I remember running across fields in the countryside and climbing trees for the first time. I wanted to experience life like everyone else.

When I was studying in London, I never told anyone about my family background – and it was great to be treated as a normal person, not being judged, as you’re born with all these privileges. Even [my husband] Sam didn’t know anything about my background until we got engaged and when he flew to Hong Kong for the first time to meet my family. That really gave him a big shock!

You and Sam make such a wonderful couple. How did you meet?

I met Sam early on in life. We’d been dating since we were 22 years old, so he’s been with me every step of the way during this amazing journey. He used to pick me up from uni or meet me during my lunch break if he had time. He also came to Antwerp to visit me for a few weekends during my studies there. And 2006 was not only the launch of my brand but also the year we got married.

Sam is my rock. We make a great team, and our skills are complementary, especially when it comes to travelling for shows and our VIP events and making sales.

Indeed, SHO has come a long way since you first started it in 2006. What was this journey like?

The first word that comes to mind is “rollercoaster”. It certainly hasn’t been an easy journey, but I’m extremely proud of what I’ve achieved. SHO has not only been a business development for me, but it’s also a personal one. It pushed me to do things that I never dreamed I would do. I’ve always been a very shy person – even at school I’d never speak up in class.

Having created my brand, it pushed me to do things that are outside my comfort zone and it’s still constantly challenging me to be a better businesswoman and designer. Without SHO, I think I’d be a vastly different person right now.

What was the most rewarding part of it all?

One of the most rewarding parts for me is seeing my work come to life from a simple idea to reality. I love it when I have time to design, as ideas come to me all day long, even in the middle of the night. I get excited when an idea starts to take shape while I’m drawing it out. If I get butterflies in my stomach, then I know it’s the one. Then I work closely with our workshop on the development side of the design, slowly seeing the piece taking shape in precious metal and gemstones. I can’t tell you how excited I get when we finish a piece.

By the same token, what was the most challenging part?

When I set up the company, I thought I just needed to be a good jewellery designer. I didn’t take into consideration running the business. My focus at the time was purely on creating beautiful and unique jewels. I was rather naive about the cost that’s involved in running a fine-jewellery brand, with PR, marketing and the investment in precious materials and gemstones. The overheads were incredibly high and at that time retailers in the UK would only stock more established brands. The only way to get visibility of your work was on a sale-or-return basis, which is extremely hard for a start-up.
To keep the business afloat, we had to keep our overheads to a minimum for the first couple of years until we started getting recognition from buyers. At the time, we operated the business in my one-bedroom apartment in London. I remember sleeping on the sofa bed in the living room during that time until we were able to have a small office.

Did you ever heed advice from your grandfather?

My grandfather was iconic in the world of business and I admired him for what he achieved in his lifetime. He’s a real inspiration and I hope I can achieve a small amount of what he did in my lifetime. I’m also hugely influenced by the work ethic and business acumen of the women in my family. My aunts have all been incredibly supportive in advising me on my work. Everyone is always interested whenever I’m home for a visit!

How good are you with compartmentalising?

I believe a work/home life balance is important. We’re a remarkably close family unit, and we enjoy spending quality family time together, whether it’s exploring new places and finding new restaurants, or having a long walk with the puppy and a picnic. When the children are at school or playing with their friends, there’s time for me to work and design, though I never really switch off.

After living in London all these years, you decided to move to Monaco. Why?

We moved to Monaco at the end of July last year, but the decision to move only really came about three months before. The move was a completely spontaneous decision we made during lockdown. Our plans were to move to the English countryside earlier last year but unfortunately things didn’t work out, so we decided to stay in London.

In May, a friend who lives in Monaco suggested that we should consider moving there, as it’s a great place to live, extremely safe for children growing up and the sun is always shining. From that moment on we started looking at the possibilities. Plus, it’s always been a dream of mine to live by the sea.

It all happened so fast. Was it an easy decision to make?

We flew to Monaco in June when the borders reopened to look at the options and immediately realised this was for us. We researched the schools, as the children’s education comes first, and they were quickly accepted. So, we searched for an apartment and before we knew it, we were packing up and making the move to Monaco by the end of July.

It all happened so quickly that it was a miracle! Our family and friends were shocked, and nobody could believe that, in the middle of an international pandemic, these were our plans. So, within three months of making the decision we were settling into our new life.

How different is it from life in London?

Monaco is very small, and life is at a much slower pace compared
to London, but it suits me. I think the whole of Monaco is roughly similar in size to London’s Hyde Park. Although it’s small, I really like it as I can walk everywhere. We also have similar restaurants, and it has a very international feel as well. In a way it’s like living in a mini-London by the sea and with good weather.

And you have quite a beautiful home in Monaco, too.

We looked at several apartments but as soon as we saw this one, we knew immediately that this was the one for us – and it has an incredible terrace, which is extremely rare to find in Monaco. We were in the right place at the right time.

I like decorating each new home completely differently from the last. I like the idea of a fresh start. With this place I wanted lots of colour – vibrant, exotic and with eclectic furnishings. Something about living by the sea has inspired me to go for a more bohemian style. We brought some furniture from London, then decided on a colour scheme and found new pieces to complement the style and ambiance we wanted to create.

The apartment is very light and airy, and I’ve created an area where I can design overlooking the terrace and sea. Without a doubt our terrace is my favourite part of the apartment. We have a lot of our meals here overlooking the sea and we can enjoy the sun.

How have you and the family been coping with Covid?

I learned a lot over the last year, especially appreciating the importance of time. It is, without a doubt, the most significant gift in life. During the lockdown I spend a lot of time for myself, taking care of my wellbeing, mentally and physically. I took the time to learn new skills and, most importantly of all, to spend quality time with my family.

For years and years, I was constantly saying to myself that I wished I had more time to do all these things, but with a busy work schedule this was always hard to achieve. I’m sure I’m not alone in this. In a way, I feel the pandemic has granted us the one thing we have always wished for – and it’s time. Having this time with myself, I now feel my priorities in life have changed, I now understand what’s truly important to me, which is family and a healthier lifestyle.

I think the pandemic opened a lot of people’s minds and to review their priorities in life. Things don’t have to operate the way we always thought they needed to. This is the time to reset ourselves so we can come out of this a healthier, better version of ourselves. If everyone uses this time wisely, just imagine the future ahead of us.

The post Sarah Ho’s Charmed Life in Monaco appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

For local lawyer Bill Bone, life’s about balance in all things—from biking to the boardroom and beyond

The post Bill Bone is an Easy Rider appeared first on Palm Beach Illustrated.

For local lawyer Bill Bone, life’s about balance in all things—from biking to the boardroom and beyond

The post Bill Bone is an Easy Rider appeared first on Palm Beach Illustrated.

Gabriella Garbarini dazzled judges with her studio work, classical dance, and contemporary dance and will advance to the national competition

The post Dreyfoos Student Wins NSAL Competition appeared first on Palm Beach Illustrated.

Gabriella Garbarini dazzled judges with her studio work, classical dance, and contemporary dance and will advance to the national competition

The post Dreyfoos Student Wins NSAL Competition appeared first on Palm Beach Illustrated.

Ever since it came to light that the COVID-19 virus originated in Wuhan, China, incidents of hate against Asians in America have been steadily on the rise. According to a study by the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University, San Bernardino, there has been an increase of 150 percent in hate crimes against Asians in the US in 2020 — more than double of 2019. These include attacks on people of Asian origin as well as the businesses run by them. The study found that two of the cities, where Asians have been targeted the most are Los Angeles and New York.

Stop AAPI Hate, a California-based reporting centre for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, has received nearly 3,800 reports of anti-Asian racist attacks since March 2020. Of these, 68 percent were reported by women. In 2019, it received 2,600 reports of hate incidents.

Experts such as Karthick Ramakrishnan, founder and director of demographic data and policy research non-profit AAPI Data, believe that part of the hatred against Asians has been fuelled by the repeated use of "China virus" and "Kung Flu" by former US President Donald Trump, conservative media outlets as well as his supporters when referring to COVID-19.

Commenting on the stereotypes that Asian Americans face in the US, John C. Yang President and Executive Director of the Asian Americans Advancing Justice (AAJC) told CNN, "Unfortunately, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders often are invisible to the public. Or, where we are visible, it falls into a couple of different stereotypes. One stereotype is the so called 'model minority' — the suggestion that there are no issues that really affect the Asian American community."

Referring to the history of Asians in the country, Doris Chang, Associate Professor at New York University and a clinical psychologist studying racism's impact on the AAPI community, said, "During times of social, political, economic instability," she continued, "then we are marginalised again and seen as a 'perpetual foreigner' and therefore a threat to national security."

This hate, marginalisation and stereotype assumed a horrific shape on March 16, 2021, in Georgia which sent shockwaves among Asians living in America and other parts of the world.

What happened in Georgia?

Robert Aaron Long, a 21-year-old white American, shot dead eight people at three massage parlours in Cherokee County and Atlanta city. Six of those killed were women of Asian descent. Long has been arrested and charged with eight counts of murder — four each in Cherokee and Atlanta, besides charges related to aggravated assault, attempt to murder and use of a firearm. Though Long claimed he was not motivated by the race of the victims and hate crime is not part of the charges against him, many, including Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, believe the mass shooting was an act of hate crime.

Has there been any incident post the Georgia spa shooting?

Multiple attacks on people of Asian origin have been reported across the US in the week since the Georgia spa shootings. A day after the incident, a 75-year-old woman was brutally assaulted in San Francisco. In three separate incidents on March 21 in New York City, a 54-year-old was hospitalised after being attacked, a 41-year-old was attacked from behind and a 37-year-old was assaulted on her way to an anti-Asian violence protest. While a man has been charged in the San Francisco incident, two men and a woman have been charged in the three NY incidents.

What has been the response to the attacks?

People have been highlighting these hate crime incidents on social media, raising awareness and asking everyone to look out for their Asian American family, friends and neighbours. Thousands took to the streets in New York, Atlanta, Pittsburgh, Washington and even Montreal in Canada in the last few days speaking out against anti-Asian hate, calling for police reforms and criticising Trump for his hateful rhetoric against China during the pandemic.

During one of the marches, San Antonio Mayor Juliàn Castro told demonstrators that "For generations, Asian Americans have been discriminated against. I don't have to tell that to anybody in this crowd."

Following the March 16 incident, the US House Judiciary Committee's civil rights committee held a hearing on the anti-Asian bias — a first in over 30 years.

Several Asian American female lawmakers including Representatives Grace Meng, Judy Chu, Doris Matsui, Michelle Steel, Tammy Duckworth and Young Kim testified about the discrimination faced by the community. They also urged Republican lawmakers to tone down their rhetoric as hate crimes continue to rise.

The woman who was attacked in San Francisco has decided to donate around $1 million raised for her via GoFundMe to help the Asian American community fight racism.

Any reactions from Biden-Harris?

In a statement on March 19, US President Joe Biden urged Congress to "swiftly pass the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act, which would expedite the federal government's response to the rise of hate crimes exacerbated during the pandemic, support state and local governments to improve hate crimes reporting, and ensure that hate crimes information is more accessible to Asian American communities."

The same day, Biden and Vice-President Kamala Harris visited Atlanta where they offered solace to Asian Americans and strongly denounced anti-Asian hate.

"Hate can have no safe harbour in America," Biden said at Emory University, "Our silence is complicity. We cannot be complicit."

[caption id="attachment_215286" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] US President Joe Biden speaks at Emory University. (Image: gregfenves/Twitter)[/caption]

In his address, Biden acknowledged, "Too many Asian Americans have been walking up and down the streets and worrying, waking up each morning the past year feeling their safety and the safety of their loved ones are at stake. They've been attacked, blamed, scapegoated, and harassed. They've been verbally assaulted, physically assaulted, killed."

Harris, who is the first Asian American, African American and woman to become the vice-president, said, "Racism is real in America. And it has always been. Xenophobia is real in America, and always has been. Sexism, too."

Are prominent people speaking out on this issue?

In the backdrop of the rise in hate crimes against the community, numerous celebrities have extended their support to rights groups and families of victims while expressing solidarity with Asians in America. Among them are actors Awkwafina, Lucy Liu, Sandra Oh, Olivia Munn, and Ken Jeong, designers Prabal Gurung and Yoon Ahn, models Mona Matsuoka and Soo Joo Park besides several others.

In an emotional Instagram video after the Georgia attacks, Tony Award-winning Ashley Park of Emily in Paris fame drew attention to the systemic racism that Asians face daily even "starting with children, when every Asian kid should be able to be good at math and play a classical instrument…"

"This racism starts at a very small level. It starts with things that you say. It starts when someone calls a virus that shut down the whole world the 'Kung Flu virus.' It also starts when you roll your eyes or make fun of Asian waiters or Chinese food delivery people and the nail artist," she says in the post that has been viewed over three million times.

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A post shared by Ashley Park (@ashleyparklady)

Min Jin Lee, the celebrated author of Pachinko, tweeted, "In less than 48 hours, we had a historic Asian Oscar moment with multiple firsts in 93 years — then a mass shooting targeting 3 Asian-owned businesses. This is how terrorism works — you’re not allowed to feel safe, accepted, or valued. We can resist. Take up space. Make noise.”

Appearing before the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties on March 18, The Good Doctor producer and actor Daniel Dae Kim called for the passage of the No Hate Bill and the Covid-19 Hate Crimes Act. Referring to the failure of the bill's passage last year, he said, “I was disheartened to find that for a bill that required no money or resources, just a simple condemnation of acts of hate against people of Asian descent, 164 members of Congress, all Republican voted against it. And now here I am again, because as every witness in this hearing has pointed out, the situation has gotten worse, much worse.”

He told the committee that even though the country Asians call their home "may consider us statistically insignificant now, but one more fact that has no alternative is that we are the fastest-growing racial demographic in the country. We are 23 million strong. We are united, and we are waking up."

Many celebrities have been raising the issue of hate incidents against members of the community for a long time. Others who have been vocal about it include tennis star and multiple Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka, who, in a Tweet on February 7, wrote, "The amount of hate, racism, and blame for COVID towards the Asian community is disgusting. The fact that this topic is not very widely covered makes me concerned. I only found videos and information because I was scrolling through my IG feed and by some algorithm it appeared."

Star Trek actor John Cho had in an essay for the Los Angeles Times written on April 22, 2020, noted, "The pandemic is reminding us that our belonging is conditional. One moment we are Americans, the next we are all foreigners, who 'brought' the virus here."

How can I be of help?

Report incidents of hate against Asians in America, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders at Stop AAPI Hate.

Or donate to:

Stop AAPI Hate

GoFundMe page for Support the AAPI Community Fund

Atlanta chapter of Asian Americans Advancing Justice

National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF)

CommUNITY Action Fund set up by Hate Is a Virus

Asian Mental Health Collective

Heart of Dinner (it delivers lunches and fresh produce to elderly Asian American community in New York City)

Send Chinatown Love

Save Our Chinatowns

Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund

End the Virus of Racism

besea.n (Britain’s East and South East Asian Network)

You can volunteer at Compassion in Oakland

Or attend the Bystander Intervention’s Stop Anti-Asian/American Harassment And Xenophobia Workshop

The post Here Is What You Need To Know About Asian Hate — And How You Can Help appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

The swimwear designer and Palm Beach Gardens resident shares her must-haves

The post Q&A with Brittany Kozerski Freeney appeared first on Palm Beach Illustrated.

The swimwear designer and Palm Beach Gardens resident shares her must-haves

The post Q&A with Brittany Kozerski Freeney appeared first on Palm Beach Illustrated.