Celebrity Life

That Michelle Yeoh is nothing like the characters she plays on screen becomes increasingly evident as our day’s shooting proceeds. She’s smaller than you’d ever imagine and exceedingly lovely to be around.

In between shots Yeoh catches up with those she knows around her. “I hope your mum is feeling better,” she says to an old industry friend, with evident concern. She’s just as easy among those she doesn’t know, so we slowly gather round and, before we know it, everyone’s talking about the latest app they’re playing with, whipping out their phones to show her their new obsessions, just as they’d do with their favourite auntie.

It’s difficult to imagine this is the same Yeoh who played Eleanor Young, the ferocious matriarch of Crazy Rich Asians, with such froideur, or the solemn and fierce martial-arts characters she’s known for -- from Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon to her recent role in Ip Man 4. The only clue is in her lithe and powerful body, which she stretches and flexes as lenses are switched and lights fixed.

When I mention this, Yeoh’s response is easy and immediate. “But of course I’m not those characters. I’m an actor, right?” She smiles and continues, “I’m an actor who’s stepping into different shoes and I hope that each time I get the opportunity to explore a character that isn’t me. Because I don’t want my audiences to go, “Oh that’s Michelle Yeoh playing [whatever character] in whatever movie, but it’s still Michelle Yeoh.’”

Michelle Yeoh, as it happens, almost didn’t become the household name it is today. The Malaysian-born Yeoh initally went by the stage name Michelle Khan in her early Hong Kong movies, a decision made by local studio D&B, which considered the name more marketable for international audiences. “It’s quite a funny story,” she recalls, “when they did that Michelle Khan thing.

“One day my uncle called my dad and asked, ‘Did Michelle marry a Pakistani? Why did she become Michelle Khan? Like Imran Khan? Which Khan is this?’ And my dad went back to me and said, ‘Yeah, so why is your name Khan?’ To which I replied, ‘Aiyah, long story.’”

Ultimately, it was Barbara Broccoli, producer of the James Bond movie Tomorrow Never Dies that Yeoh was working on, who encouraged the up-and-coming actress to use her own name. Broccoli rightly assumed that if audiences could pronounce Khan they could certainly pronounce Yeoh.

Yeoh, now 56, smiles as she recounts her past with easy grace, but each of her successes came with blood and sweat -- albeit probably very few tears. Although she still does her own stunts, reams of interviews recount her early days in the heyday of Hong Kong’s film industry when Yeoh pushed herself to the limit, crashing through glass, jumping off moving vehicles and continuing to perform take after take until a director asked her to rub the dirt off her arm, which in fact was large purple bruises.

“Inner strength, we call it,” Yeoh tells me. “Nothing in life is easy. Anything you want to do, it comes through discipline -- and because as I child I learned ballet, that taught me discipline. I mean, if you stand on pointe, you’re already learning how to smile through pain, so I think that conditioning teaches you that life can be hard but it’s OK, because if you ask yourself why you’re doing what you’re doing and you answer with all the right reasons, then you’ll put up with it.”

Does Yeoh reserve this strength for her work -- which currently includes a recurring role on the TV series Star Trek: Discovery and her recent casting in the Avatar franchise -- and separate it from her personal life? “It can’t be separate,” is her instant response. “I mean, even though we say we should keep it separate, it’s a part of you. You can’t possibly.

“I think where I’m very blessed is that my passion and work are all intertwined, so I don’t ever feel like, ‘Ugh, I have to go to work.’ I’m sure there are days where we all think, ‘Man, can’t I just stay in bed for another half an hour?’ because you know, we work crazy hours, but then once you’re there, the reasons for being there give you that excitement, that joy."[inline-quote author="Michelle Yeoh"]"And whatever I do, I do it full-on -- no half measures. Either that or just don’t do it because you won’t learn anything, you won’t be successful at what you’re doing. There’s no guarantee that it will be a great success, but the most important thing is that the attitude must be there."[/inline-quote]This all-or-nothing attitude is particularly evident in Yeoh’s philanthropic endeavours, to which she has devoted much of her personal time. A Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Development Programme since 2016, Yeoh was in Kathmandu during the devastating Nepal earthquake of 2015. “The day before, Jean [Todt, the French motorsport executive who’s been her partner since 2004] and I were in one of the pagodas that were destroyed and I thought, ‘Well, that could easily have been me,’” she recalls. “I felt very helpless. We got out safely, but when we were leaving I felt great sadness. That I was going home and leaving behind people who were homeless. But leaving was the right thing to do because I’m not a firefighter, I’m not a rescue worker, I wouldn’t be able to do the right things.”

Thanks, however, to an independence of spirit that she attributes to her father, Yeoh got in touch with the Drukpa nunnery whose nuns are trained in martial arts -- and whom she knew would be going to help the villagers beyond the capital. “They were the ones who really needed help,” she says, “because when it happened in Kathmandu, all the people came pouring in to help, to assist. But the Drukpa have worked with these families before and they knew them, they knew the number of people in the villages and they knew the needs. Because it’s one thing when you send a lot of things, but are you sending the right things to the right people? You can’t just send blankets upon blankets upon blankets -- what’s anybody to do with all of that when what they need is, say, powdered milk?”

Ultimately the right things went to the right people and Yeoh arranged to go back. That was when the second earthquake, the big one, hit the country. Despite the pleas of those around her not to go, Yeoh insisted. Why? “I always have this feeling that you have to believe. You can’t live in fear. That’s what I wish for our generations to come: freedom from fear,” she says eagerly.

“If you’re always afraid, afraid of dying, then what becomes of your life? I’m a part of this world that I want to be better and safer, and it’s a responsibility I have to our future generations. We can’t just come and do whatever we want, destroy whatever there is. And there’s always that lovely feeling of giving back, which is much more fun than simply taking. And we must learn to reach out a helping hand, because think back to when we came to Earth, someone reached out a helping hand to literally help us out. So I went back.”

Yeoh’s help came in the nick of time, as the imminent arrival of the monsoon season meant the taskforce urgently needed to distribute supplies before villages were cut off. Having ensured that rice and powdered milk had reached the families in need, she then returned a year later in her capacity as a UNDP Goodwill Ambassador, with the aim of helping to reinvigorate Nepal’s tourism industry.

“The tourism department said that if I showed that I was happy to go, then others might realise it was safe for them to go to Nepal too,” Yeoh explains. “While I was there, we travelled around the country to speak with the villagers and though things had calmed down, I realised that women -- whom I saw walking on the road as I was in the car -- were walking miles to get water."

“During the earthquake the wells dried up, the water disappeared and they couldn’t have trucks at every point, so they had to have a main station and these women would walk three, four hours to get there and carry water back on the heads. Water’s heavy, you know, and they’re not just carrying two small buckets. They have these huge things on their heads and if you think about that, it’s six hours of their time taken away from working in the fields or at home. So these poor women were running themselves ragged.”

Not one ever to sit wringing her hands, Yeoh returned home with a plan, which she executed on a trip to Kuala Lumpur with the help of some kindred spirits. “Fortunately, I was invited to a wonderful event by Mrs Wang at Shiatzy Chen,” she says.

“She’d brought in friends from Taiwan, Hong Kong and China, all lovely, lovely people, so I got up and told them I’d just come back from Nepal and that I knew they were all really generous in spirit and of heart, so could they help me. I started the ball rolling and put in US$10,000, so Madame Wang said she’d match me. Soon ladies were giving and giving -- and next thing we’d collected a good chunk of change and we built three wells back in the villages.”

Although she makes it sound easy, Yeoh’s ability to rally people around something she believes in stems from an innate love of family and community. “I have a great passion for what I do and I always think it’s a magical kind of work that brings people together. We have to work as a team, because we can’t work by ourselves. I love that people are in a sense forced to work together, to get on and make the best thing happen. I’m always learning something new and that’s why I find so much joy in it.”

“I wouldn’t be here without my family,” says the Ipoh native, who was bestowed the title Dato in 2001 for the recognition she brought to her home state. “But my family doesn’t just encompass the ones who are connected to me through blood. I have an extended family here in Hong Kong. I have a group of girlfriends. We’re like sisters with different surnames. So for me, this is also the family I choose. You can choose all these amazing people, so over the years, my family has extended beyond my brother and his kids. I have my godchildren, and my friends and their children, so I have a big family, an international family."

“And that’s how it should be. Because I think if you take care of other people, they will take care of you.”

Photography and Styling Olivia Tsang 

Hair Derrick Ng

Make-up Kamen Leung 

Wardrobe Loro Piana

Watches Richard Mille 

Location The Landmark Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong 

The post Michelle Yeoh Is Less Tiger Mom and More Your Favourite Auntie appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

The post In Her Shoes: Ana Rivera, Louise Wong and Alison Chan El Azar on Motherhood appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

In Prestige Online’s “Getting to Know” series, we ask our favourite personalities what they’re like outside of work -- and get a little more personal. 

If you live in Hong Kong, chances are you’ve seen Malaysian model Angie Ng at the hottest fashion parties, in ads at MTR stations, on television and maybe even in your gym studio -- she's one of the faces of Lululemon and also a trainer at boutique boxing gym Lights/Out). Between shoots and training, we caught a quick moment to find out what Ng is really like when she’s not in front of the camera.

What’s your normal weekend like?
I usually go to the gym and do a class, and then teach boxing on Saturdays. That’s a chill weekend for me. I’ll also hang out with my loved ones and friends.

 

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A post shared by Angie Ng / 伍靜麗 (@angiengcl) on Feb 16, 2019 at 8:18pm PST

What’s on your playlist?
I’m obsessed with "Old Town Road" by Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus. I love the swagger tone with the hip-hop edge.

What would you normally order at a bar?
I don’t drink much so I usually really do get water. But if I'm feeling it, I love sour cocktails or plum wine.

What is a favourite pastime of yours?
Naps and boxing.

 

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A post shared by Angie Ng / 伍靜麗 (@angiengcl) on Jan 12, 2019 at 7:51pm PST

Tell us something not many people know about you.
I'm really into tap dancing. I’ve been dancing since I was young -- I did modern ballet but my favourite is tap dancing. I love the beats and just the swag of tapping away. There's so much joy in it!

Who’s the last person you called?
James, my boo. We talk to each other almost every day at lunch time.

 

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A post shared by Angie Ng / 伍靜麗 (@angiengcl) on Jan 22, 2019 at 3:50am PST

What was the last meal you had?
Soup and dim sum! I love me some hearty soups and Chinese food.

Show us a recent photo of you!

 

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A post shared by Angie Ng / 伍靜麗 (@angiengcl) on Apr 15, 2019 at 6:50am PDT

What’s your guilty pleasure?
This changes from time to time but right now it's Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.

Upcoming travel plans?
Somewhere tropical! Bali maybe, and then a trip to Europe in the summer.

 

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A post shared by Angie Ng / 伍靜麗 (@angiengcl) on Jun 25, 2018 at 9:53pm PDT

Describe your perfect Friday night.
I am loving my home time these days … dinner, sweats and movies.

Name one beauty item that you can’t live without.
A good deep cleanser. With my work, I have makeup on all the time and it's so important to clean the skin thoroughly after a long day with makeup. The pollution doesn’t help, either.

 

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A post shared by Angie Ng / 伍靜麗 (@angiengcl) on Mar 21, 2019 at 5:36pm PDT

Tell us one thing that’s on your bucket list.
To go on an Africam safari. I want to see natural beauty that the world has to offer!

The post Getting to Know Model Angie Ng appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

Modelling since the age of 10, British-born Cara Delevingne has long been one of fashion’s most recognisable faces. The 26-year-old has since added actor, author, designer, musician and muse to her CV, and appears next in the Amazon fantasy series Carnival Row. We caught up with her between takes for her Dior Addict Stellar Shine shoot and video.

[caption id="attachment_140100" align="alignnone" width="790"] Behind the scenes at the Dior Addict Stellar Shine campaign shoot.[/caption]

What's your first memory about beauty?

My mum told me never to touch my eyebrows and it turned out for the best!

What's your daily beauty ritual?

On an everyday basis, I try to keep my skin clean, protected and moisturised. After that, my beauty ritual is very dependent on what I’m working on that day.

What are three beauty products you always carry in your bag? 

Moisturiser, lip balm and a hair brush.

First Dior Capture Youth Skincare, and now Dior Addict Lipstick. How does it feel to be a Dior beauty muse? 

Dior has always been a brand that I admired, and I feel grateful to be included in the company of the other brand ambassadors I share the title with, like Natalie Portman, Bella Hadid and Charlize Theron.

What values do you share with Dior? 

Creativity, high standards, audacity and above all, the desire to look forward and to go where no one expects to see us.

What inspires you the most about this latest collaboration with Dior? 

I’m inspired by this collaboration because it inspires women to be bold.

What are three things you and Dior Addict Stellar Shine have in common? 

Boldness, life, audacity.

Which is your favourite shade from this collection? 

It’s definitely Be Dior for day and night!

What's a normal day for you like? 

Literally every day is different. The one thing I do every day is meditate as soon as I wake up.

What makes you laugh?

Viral videos on Instagram.

What makes you cry? 

Sometimes the viral videos make me laugh so hard I cry.

You're know for your activism and charitable work. Which are the causes you hold closest to your heart? 

I’m currently feeling very passionate about youth and mental health. Both of those causes are extremely crucial to our future, so I really find it important to invest time into supporting them.

If you had a magic want, what would you wish for? 

I’d love to be able to teleport from city to city, so I don’t have to get on another airplane!

And or the world? 

Acceptance.

Finally, what's your dream holiday destination? 

Anywhere with a beach.

Rise and Shine

Dior's newest lip collection embodies elegance and attitude 

Inspired by what Christian Dior called “the colour of happiness and femininity”, the new Dior Addict Stellar Shine features an enhanced formula and case decorated in pink lettering. Beeswax and lightweight oils provide hydration, comfort and shine while micro-pearls reflect light for added radiance. The 24 shades, softly scented with vanilla, come in three finishes: Glazed, Sparkle and Mirror. “The star of all pinks”, #976 Be Dior is a universally flattering fuchsia that embodies the tagline "Be Dior, Be Pink".

[caption id="attachment_140101" align="alignnone" width="612"] Dior Addict Stellar Shine[/caption]

Photography Jean-Baptiste Mondino for Parfums Christian Dior 

Styling Mariel Haenn 

Hair Ben Skervin 

Make-up Peter Philips 

Manicure Ama Quashie 

Set Design Andy Hillman

The post Cara Delevingne Talks Beauty, Boldness and Big Wishes appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

As any well-attired gent knows, there's a huge gap between fast fashion and the price tag that comes with bespoke tailoring. That's exactly why friends Tobe Fong and TC saw an opportunity to develop something in between and bring something new to the market. The two built their friendship on a shared passion for sartorial splendour, and later began their business based on personal need: Craftsman Clothing is a sustainable, luxury menswear line that focuses on high-quality outerwear. (You may have already seen it featured on The Rake and MR PORTER.) We spoke to the Hong Kong-based company's co-founders open up about their childhood aspirations, how a “normal” day plays out, and what it takes to run a successful startup in a competitive market.

Names: Tobe Fong and TC Ng

Profession: Co-founders of Craftsman Clothing

Industry: Fashion retail and eCommerce

Startup since: 2015

Tell us about your business. What do you do?

TC Ng (TN): We’re Craftsman Clothing, a rather new brand from Hong Kong specialising in men’s outerwear. We believe luxury is defined by quality design and manufacturing. Our products are personalised using the finest materials -- Italian or Spanish leather, RiRi zippers, genuine horn buttons and Bemberg lining with customisable details.

Tobe Fong (TF): We also have goals to expand it into other sectors such as our own whisky brand or barber shop down the road.

Tell me about your best and worst day at work?

TF: Generally speaking, a good day would be when you are in momentous work flow to get a lot of things done, when sales are rolling in and you get invitation emails to be featured in magazines, when reputable retailers are interested in your brand or when a celeb represents you. Worst day would be when the factory deliveries don’t turn out as expected. It’s a waste of time and money!

TN: Any day that I can help people, solve problems and make significant contributions are my best days. And disappointing people are the worst days.

What do you do when you’re not at work? 

TF: I like to hit the gym, learn martial arts, attend music festivals and concerts, travel, etc.

TN: That doesn’t happen. I don't think I have ever taken a proper break, as working on social media is already enough to consume your life.

Looking back now, what would you have done differently?

TN: With the power of social media, we should have started to put our ideas in motion earlier. We may have hesitated a bit at the start as we were fearful we may fail, but now we realise that it’s just a part of the process that will lead to you to success.

TF: I wish we would have launched our eCommerce platform way sooner than just selling on Instagram the first two years!

[caption id="attachment_139807" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Tobe Fong (left) and TC Ng (right)[/caption]

What is a normal work day like?

TN: A lot of communication. I feel like I talk to people 24/7.

TF: Get up at 7am, hit the gym, breakfast, meditate, then work in 45-minute time blocks until around 7pm or 8pm.

What advice would you give to someone looking to start up?

TN: It’s important to understand your customers’ needs if you are looking to start a business. Be unique and different from others. Focus on a rapid growth plan with sustainable profits, as that is what is going to differentiate your startup from a small-sized company.

TF: Start early, there’s no better time than now. If you must learn, learn simultaneously while you are doing what you do. Also, stay in the game. Whatever you do, don’t give up!

What would you be doing if you weren’t doing what you do now?

TF: I’d still be running a startup I guess. Probably something in wellness perhaps, but owning a clothing brand has always been on my agenda so it’s hard to imagine doing anything else.

TN: A financial salesman.

As a child, what did you aspire to be?

TF: James Bond!

TN: I wanted to work in the banking and finance industry. That’s why I chose to study economics and accounting since high school. It is relevant to reality and society by understanding how the world works. Mathematics has always been my favourite subject; it's challenging and I like to solve problems.

What has been your biggest hurdle?

TF: Being a shy introvert.

How did you overcome it?

TF: I previously worked as a financial advisor and that definitely helped. I have also attended a lot of networking events and initiated more conversations. I guess as a business owner, introversion and shyness aren’t real advantages.

Why did you decide to base Craftsman Clothing in Hong Kong?

TF: I was born in Seattle but raised in Hong Kong. I was in the States from middle school to college; when I graduated, I wanted to come back and spend some time with my family. Also, Craftsman initially began with all products made in Hong Kong. Besides, there’s a definite logistics and tax advantage. Hong Kong also has a rich history in textiles and craftsmanship, and I want to remind people of that.

TN: I think Hong Kong has always been defined as one of the most successful business centres in terms of location, economy, policies and people, but most importantly, Tobe and I are based here with our production team and crafters with over 40 years of experience.

If you were to invest in another startup, which would it be?

TF: I am actually starting a new company selling watches that are powered by solar energy. There are very few, if any, aesthetically pleasing solar-powered watches out there and I want to change that. So, my own. Does that count?

TN: An e-Payment platform that helps handle cross-border payments. In addition to the digital and mobile payment tool offered by PayPal, an easier platform that streamlines international payments will be super helpful for companies to make payments for vendors from all around the world.

What are your goals for 2019? And in the near future?

TN: One of our main goals is still to increase our brand awareness. We have been doing a lot of influencer marketing to connect us with the right audiences. Expanding our retail distributions, both online and offline and wholesaling, are our focused strategies for 2019.

TF: This year I am very lucky to have met some people who are able to mentor me and help accelerate my business. My goal is to triple our revenue from the previous year. We are also going to exhibit at Pitti Uomo this summer, and we look forward to get into one of the biggest retailers in Japan.

How hands-on are you?

TN: Both Tobe and I are extremely hands-on, as that encourages a deeper understanding of every single task in the pipeline and helps increase engagement and moves us forward.

TF: Very! When we first started, it was just me and TC doing everything ourselves. But this year with more resources, we grew our team which helped to lighten our workload a lot. That being said, I’m still really hands-on!

How do you define success? Do you consider yourself being successful?

TF: Everyone has a different definition of success. When I first graduated, I was very money-driven and I was working long hours every day. I neglected other aspects in my life such as my relationships and health. As I grew older, I learned that you have to be patient and trust the process. If you put in the work, success will follow, so live in the moment and enjoy the ride! I wouldn’t say I’ve reached success yet, but I am getting there!

TN: I’d define success as happiness and personal achievement. It is not about how much money you make but the contributions you make in your life.

The post Startup Life: Tobe Fong and TC Ng of Craftsman Clothing appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

Jess Jann is many things -- a model, actress, food blogger, entrepreneur and (new) wife -- but one thing we didn’t expect from the Hong Kong influencer is her love for playing the role of a party host. She lets us in on her signature dishes, tips on how to throw a great dinner, and her obsessive collection for mugs in her kitchen cabinet.

How’s married life treating you?

Married life is great! I didn’t enjoy the wedding planning much as my husband Kenneth is quite the perfectionist, (and I am as well), but he takes it to another level. But now that that’s all over, I really do enjoy married life. It's great and we’re having a blast!

Now that you’re married, what’s changed?

We try to dine at home more, but I wasn’t gifted with cooking skills! I really admire people who can cook because I love watching all the cooking shows; MasterChef, Top Chef, Final Table, and I wish I could cook like that. I watch food shows religiously on Netflix too. Unfortunately, things get burnt or undercooked when I’m in the kitchen. What I can do is bake desserts though. I find it much easier as all you just have to do is just follow the recipe and you’re good to go!

So that would make Kenneth the chef of the house?

Kenneth is a really, really good cook so I got really lucky because he enjoys to cook and I like to eat. It works out great. I have no complaints here!

What’s dinner like at home?

I love spending time with my family and we’re really close. So we try to get the family or friends over when we can. I like hosting a movie night or game night. Though I’m not a good cook, I’m a really good host. Kenneth does the cooking, and I’ll prepare everything else. I usually have a theme when we host dinners. I make all my guests come in theme, and Kenneth will tailor the dishes to incorporate some element of the theme. I try to make it work, but I’m usually the one who’s really into the theme thing.

What makes for a good host?

Without sounding too cheesy, if you put love onto the table, people really take note of that and appreciate it. It’s all about the little touches you add to it. Kenneth’s mom is a really amazing host — So when she hosts anything, she has matching sets of everything! Placemats, tiny spoons (that I’m not sure what they’re used for), and ice cream makers – everything you can imagine! It’s great because these are the things that people really appreciate. If you put love and attention into it, it really sets you apart! As for myself, I’m really into tableware and making sure everything matches there.

Share some of your home decor and table setting tips!

Our place is currently being renovated, it’s taking a really long time! We put a lot of thought into how our house is going to look. We really enjoy the process of picking things out for our home – we’re still picking out things right now. We picked out some really classic pieces, but we also picked some more playful things for special occasions. I’m personally really into bold and bright colours.

We have an everyday set that we use when it’s just us. But we’ll bring out the fancier, more vibrant pieces when we have people over. I am currently obsessed with the Hummingbird collection by Wedgwood. It’s literally everything that I like – it’s something different that immediately stands out. It’s also different from the other Wedgwood collections that I have too, making it a really great collector’s edition. But these are definitely only for hosting. They’re too beautiful for everyday use!

What is something uniquely you that we’ll find in your kitchen?

I have a weird, almost unhealthy obsession with mugs! I have a huge mug collection and Kenneth has told me that I can't bring that into our new place because we don’t have enough storage for it. I’ve been trying to defend my collection by telling people that it’s a practical souvenir! I have around 50 to 60! But I only use a few, the rest are just to admire.

How far in advance do you start preparing for home gatherings?

Kenneth is very well prepared. He has a grocery list that he creates in advance, but he doesn't go to the grocery store until the morning of to make sure that all the ingredients are fresh. He takes his time to go through YouTube videos and cooking blogs for tips. He’s really into the whole cooking thing! I try to assist, but he usually trusts me with the simpler things – like selecting and opening the wine, or picking out the glassware and table sets. I also prepare salads, charcuterie boards and cheese platters.

What are some things that you’ll always serve?

Our lamb rack encrusted with garlic, parmesan and herb is a huge hit. I contribute a little bit with the marinade and rolling the lamb in the crust. We also do a vodka pasta that has now become sort of a signature of ours. My cousins saw a photo of it on social media and had asked us to recreate it for them. At that time we were just testing it out, but over time, we’ve perfected it and they always ask for us to serve our famous pasta dish when they come around.

What makes for a memorable dinner party? What makes it special?

It’s the company and the conversation. It’s a great way to unwind. Especially in Hong Kong when things are so stressful. A lot goes into preparing a dinner for a group of guests, and I wasn’t aware of that when I was younger. As you get older, it takes a lot of effort to get everyone together – so I really appreciate the time that I can share with my family and loved ones as it’s really hard to do sometimes.

About Wedgwood

The British premium lifestyle brand has a heritage of providing for the Royal Families, Heads of State as well as celebrities across the globe. Founded on the principles of design, quality and innovation, Wedgwood makes the highest quality fine bone china dinnerware, teaware as well as ornamental pieces.

Founded in 1957, Wedgwood celebrates 260 years of excellence guaranteeing English authenticity and values. To celebrate the special anniversary and in part of its newest store in Hong Kong, Wedgwood debuts its exclusive collection, “Hummingbird”. The new collection features exquisite hummingbirds and colourful botanical landscapes and is available at the new Landmark Prince’s location.

For more information, visit Wedgwood.com.

Wedgwood, Shop 246, Landmark Prince’s, 10 Chater Road, Central; +852 3483 9231

The post Jess Jann, The Host appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

“People travel a lot more and they want to learn about new cultures,” says Gert F. Kopera, Executive Vice President, Restaurants Global for Hakkasan Group. “Trying new food is as big a part of that desire as looking at art, going to concerts and shows, enjoying beautiful scenery and exploring great buildings.” Chris Hanrahan reports.

The restaurant scene has changed so much over the last 10 years or more that it’s easy to forget how much better and more diverse it is today than it was before. People eat out more often than they used to and they’re far more knowledgeable and adventurous about food than before - in good part thanks to the surfeit of cooking shows on television and the Web, helmed by an ever-growing army of celebrity chefs and foodies.

We’ve all witnessed the flamboyant rise of molecular gastronomy, and of “deconstructivist” cooking, nose-to-tail eating and the foraging and locavore movements. Open-concept kitchens have become the norm. We all want to eat healthier food with simpler ingredients, while also minimising our carbon footprint. Increasingly, we choose restaurants that follow socially responsible policies and practices, such as sustainable sourcing and waste reduction.

The Net and social media have had a huge impact on restaurants and restaurateurs. “Professional (food) critics are no longer the end-all for new restaurants; their opinions are important, but sites like Yelp mean that the opinions of the everyday guests can make or break a restaurant’s reputation,” notes the lightspeedhq website.

[caption id="attachment_139364" align="aligncenter" width="1000"] The swanky bar at Hakkasan. Photo by Haruns Maharbina & Joe Sabarto.[/caption]

“Bloggers with enormous followings create sites devoted to their love of food and dining, leaving restaurants even more open to criticism and reviews. Things are changing fast, and restaurants have to work hard to stay competitive and relevant to an extremely fickle customer base.”

The way people behave in restaurants has changed. The businessinsider website has published a long article about a Midtown East, New York City restaurant that carefully monitored how smartphones were affecting the actions of its customers.

In 2004, diners took an average of eight minutes to decide what to eat. By 2014, they took more than twice as long - 21 - minutes to
place their orders. Much of the delay was caused by customers checking messages and surfing websites on their phones - not to mention taking selfies with their friends. And as their plates arrived, they photographed their food as well.

How will restaurants change in the next five to 10 years? One of the most qualified people in the world to answer this question is Gert F. Kopera, Executive Vice President, Restaurants Global for Hakkasan Group. During a recent visit to Jakarta, the 56-year-old hospitality industry veteran, cancer survivor and latter-day fitness fanatic (he walks 16 km a day, takes the stairs up eight flights to his office, ignores the temptations of airport lounges in favour of strolling around the terminals and even reads while walking) sat down with Prestige (we suspect he would have preferred to do the interview standing up!) at Hakkasan, his company’s glamorous new gourmet Cantonese restaurant, which sits on top of the Alila SCBD hotel on Sudirman.

[inline-quote author="Gert F. Kopera"]"“You should go to the warungs and the food stalls. This is life, this is heritage”"[/inline-quote]

Brand authenticity, Kopera said after leading us on a whirlwind “back of house” tour (a rare opportunity for a journalist), is something today’s consumers desire more than ever. “They are looking for the real deal - genuine experiences and brands that stand for something,” he added. “Millennials, especially, are interested in discovering cool/hip dining experiences.

“People travel a lot more,” went on the top executive, who has over 30 years of global experience in hospitality and oversees his group’s collection of edgy restaurants from Las Vegas to Mayfair in London and Uluwatu, Bali. “Look at what’s happening in China. Up to 10 years ago, very few Chinese could travel overseas. Now, millions of them do and they all want to learn about new cultures. Trying new food is as big a part of that desire as looking at art, going to concerts and shows, enjoying beautiful scenery and exploring great buildings.

“People really want to try the local flavours they’ve read about or seen on TV or their smartphone screens. I think that that aspiration holds true in every price category, from fine dining down to coffee shops and food courts. So I would say that those global brands that have opened thousands of outlets - all of them looking alike and operating in more or less the same way - will not be the consumer’s first choice in future. What I call the blanket brands will diminish in importance as time goes on. In fact, I see that happening already - everywhere I go.”

Kopera, who lived here from 2003 to 2005 when he was Managing Director Indonesia of Rosewood Hotels & Resorts, has a handsome residence in Las Vegas filled with art he has collected over the years, including more than a few Hanafi abstracts that he picked up for a song during his time here. But he doesn’t see very much of his residence or family owing to his extreme – some would say insane! - travel schedule. He was on the road for no fewer than 260 days in 2018.

[caption id="attachment_139362" align="aligncenter" width="750"] Photo by Haruns Maharbina & Joe Sabarto[/caption]

It was a desire to see the world that propelled Kopera, who was born in the Netherlands and is an Austrian national, into the international hospitality industry in the 1980s. His first job was as a commis waiter at the Vienna Hilton. In search of more colourful challenges, he later moved on to the Middle East, becoming Hotel Manager at Al Faisaliah, A Rosewood Hotel, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in 2000. He went on to manage Rosewood properties in Tokyo and St. Moritz, before moving to Indonesia.

Kopera subsequently relocated to Dallas, Texas, completing his nine-year career stint with Rosewood as Vice President of Food & Beverage in 2012. He was Senior Vice President, Food & Beverage at Jumeirah Hotels & Resorts in Dubai and Chief Operating Officer of D.ream (Doğuş Restaurant Entertainment and Management) in Istanbul, Turkey before joining Hakkasan Group in Las Vegas in February 2017.

“To really learn about a culture when you’re travelling, you must try the local food and restaurants,” Kopera pointed out. “I have lived in 17 countries and I’ve always eaten local. I tell everyone: “You should go to the warungs and the food stalls. This is life, this is heritage.’ Aside from family, culinary experiences are the most important things in life.”

For a while, he waxed lyrical about the Malagasy cuisine he sampled while living in Madagascar, including mofo gasy, a breakfast food, and foza sy hena-kisoa, a seafood platter. “Many visitors are afraid to eat this food, but they love it when they try it,” Kopera said. “You can’t understand the French unless you sample oysters and cream. You can’t appreciate Austria without eating Wiener schnitzel. If you go to Hong Kong you’ve got to eat jelly fish. In Shanghai, you must go to a snake hot pot restaurant. Keep an open mind and just try!

[caption id="attachment_139363" align="aligncenter" width="667"] Hakkasan’s signature opulent interior. Photo by Haruns Maharbina & Joe Sabarto.[/caption]

During the back-of-house tour, Kopera proudly pointed to the spotless cleanliness and spick-and-span tidiness of the Hakkasan kitchens and storage rooms. Photographs of every dish on the menu are taped to the walls for the guidance of chefs and staff.

“Running a portfolio of top restaurants is all about having good systems in place,” Kopera said. “Everybody has to know what they’re doing. I don’t have a culinary background, but that doesn’t matter. You don’t have to be a doctor to run a hospital, but you do have to be able to manage people and systems.

“Above all, what you need to succeed in the food business is passion and creativity. It has to be a calling, and a lifestyle. Nobody should go into this industry if they’re just looking for a job. The workload is tremendous, the hours are long and the stress can be immense. But I think that if you really love what you do, then you can say that you don’t work – and I can honestly say that I have never worked an hour in my life!”

The post Gert F. Kopera: Trying New Food is a Part of Learning New Cultures appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

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“The rise of digital media has changed the way we consume. Fashion is no longer as exclusive as it used to be - it’s become more accessible,” Nicole Warne, the “Gary Pepper Girl”, tells Liviani Putri in an exclusive interview.

This is my first time in Indonesia and I only wish I had come here sooner,” smiles the “Gary Pepper Girl”, Nicole Warne, as she sits down with Prestige for an exclusive interview just before the grand opening of the new Masari store at Senayan City.
“The vibe here is exceptional and I have met a lot of amazing people. Actually, Masari and I started planning a collaboration a few months ago, but we still kept it all secret.”

Hailing from Australia, Nicole is one of the fashion world’s most important digital influencers. A true disruptor, she has a global audience of no fewer than 1.7 million followers on Instagram for her unique take on what’s going on in the fast-changing worlds of fashion, lifestyle, beauty, food and travel.

How significant is Nicole’s impact on the fashion business? She has made it into a Forbes 30 Under 30 list and earned a spot in Business of Fashion’s “#BoF500: The People Shaping the Global Industry”. Pierpaolo Piccioli, the Creative Director of Valentino no less, designed Nicole’s wedding dress last year.

She’s a creative director, social media consultant, brand consultant and digital strategist for an impressive gaggle of mega brands. These include, in no particular order, Chanel, Dior, Louis Vuitton, Valentino, Chopard, Cartier and Net-a-Porter. These are all impressive achievements, to say the least – and it all started with the creation of on online store for vintage women’s clothing.

“I named it Gary Pepper Vintage at first, in 2009,” Nicole recalls of her meteoric rise over the last 10 years. “I was 20 years old at that time, still practically a teenager. The inspiration for the business came from the Harajuku girls in Japan. They’re so quirky - and I wanted to be odd and memorable, too. My husband (photographer Luke Shadbolt) came up with the name, because he’s a genius. Gary Pepper… as soon as he said it, it just stuck in my head.

“At the same moment, I was looking at the blog around the same time. No one had an idea of what they were doing, so I created a very free creative outlet. There weren’t a lot of us around at that time. But I was inspired by people like Susie Lau (Susie Bubble), a fashion journalist who has an in-depth knowledge and writes very informative articles, and also Rumi Neely from Fashion Toast, who really started with outfits, blogging and looks of the day.

“This gave me the idea to begin modelling clothes at beautiful locations for my clients. I wanted my customers to go online, spend time in Gary Pepper land and enjoy the beauty around them. As time passed by, it naturally grew into a business.”

[caption id="attachment_137424" align="aligncenter" width="833"] Photo by Harun Maharbina[/caption]

In making it to the top in 10 years, alongside Chiara Ferragni of The Blonde Salad and Aimee Song of Song of Style, Nicole has become one example of a new breed of entrepreneurial bloggers who have become power players and game changers in the fashion industry.

“Ten years is a long time, but I think being open-minded enough to change, evolve and adapt is the reason I’ve survived,” she says of her own success story. “I haven’t followed trends or other people. I just stay true to myself and what makes me be me: creating beautiful content. I’ve also been lucky enough to work with amazing brands that have believed in me and helped me build a strong portfolio.

“The rise of digital media has changed the way we think and consume. Fashion is no longer as very exclusive as it used to be – it’s become more accessible, which I think is inspiring for future generations. Before Instagram came along, you could not understand the fashion industry unless you interned in it or knew someone who was in it.

[inline-quote author="Nicole Warne"]“But right now, I really need to push myself creatively and professionally in New York. I think it’s such an amazing city, with so much art and culture. It’s a melting pot, the epicentre of digital and fashion”[/inline-quote]

“A lot of things have changed in my opinion. People move as fast as they can and it will affect how you keep up with everything. I have to adapt by shifting from creating content on my Instagram account and becoming more creative at a faster pace. Everything is shared and easily connected, so there’s almost no privacy. Of course, that’s challenging. In order to survive, you have to invest in the quality of your production - like the equipment and photography as well. On the other hand, today’s situation is fresh air for the brands because it makes it easier for them to connect with everyone in a deeper way.”

A decade’s passing has changed Nicole’s own style. “Today, I would describe myself as classic and chic. I used to be loud and quirky when I was younger. Your twenties are the most transformative years of your life because you go to college, travel without your family for the first time, meet new people, get inspired and involved in so many new things. Naturally, as a person I have evolved in terms of my tastes and I think getting older is more about investing in high-quality pieces that are going to last for decades. I spending more on tailoring. I didn’t know what that meant back then. I just want everything to be more practical.

“It has also shaped how I appreciate the work of designers, both local and international. Among Australian designers, I love Christopher Esber. He’s a good friend, a creative force, very talented, and every collection is always surprising. As well there’s Dion Lee, who is incredible on sizing and everything fits perfectly. On the other side, Valentino has a special place in my heart because I wore it on my wedding day.”

Nicole and Luke tied the knot in March last year at The Rippon Hall in Lake Wanaka, New Zealand. The big event went viral as a “dream wedding” on social media because Nicole wore a custom couture gown designed by Pierpaolo Piccioli.

“I just burst into tears when I saw the sketches,” Nicole says. The gown was made of silk organza, with full sleeves in cady crepe canvas and a cut-out at the centre. The flowers and leaves were made from tulle stitched with silver thread. The hand-pleated organza petals were finished with a mix of transparent and iridescent sequins, crystals and glass stones. It took 20 people and four weeks to create it together with the cathedral-length veil.

“The dress’s journey from Paris to Sydney was insane, yet funny,” Nicole says. “As soon as it arrived in the hotel, it never left my sight. I slept with it, showered and ate next to the dress. At the airport, we both got upgraded to first class – me and the dress! It’s really a nice feeling I have to say, when you have to carry your wedding dress to the airport. Everyone there will willingly help you, especially women, because they get so excited. They share the same feelings and understand how special it is.

“Now I know why your wedding is the best day of your life, because you really appreciate everyone around you, family and friends. The feeling of being loved and cherished is so serene, so you give back to them in return. I think when the day comes, it really suits your perception on life and makes you feel more grateful.”

[caption id="attachment_137425" align="aligncenter" width="833"] Photo by Harun Maharbina[/caption]

Nicole has challenged herself by moving from laidback Australia to energetic New York City. “I love Australia with all my heart and I will eventually will end up back there when we have kids or retire,” she says. “But right now, I really need to push myself creatively and professionally in New York. I think it’s such an amazing city, with so much art and culture. It’s a melting pot, the epicentre of digital and fashion.

“The amount of creativity that my husband and I experience on a daily basis in New York is incredible. In Australia, the quality of life is amazing, but it’s very quiet, peaceful and slow in comparison. But for now I’m focusing my energy on the city, while settling into a new apartment, finding new offices and team members. Also, I have to focus on working on my book and developing some products later in the year.

“I hope everything will be easy, especially the challenge of living between New York and Australia successfully. Of course, exploring more places in the world like South America and Indonesia is important, too. And also maintaining the balance I have found between work and life.”

The post Nicole Warne’s Cyberspace: the Gary Pepper Girl’s Story appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

Nic Vanderbeeken, the Belgian chef behind one of Bali’s most recent must-visit fine dining establishments, Apéritif, gets face to face with Joezer Mandagi.

Dinner at Apéritif in Ubud starts, appropriately enough, with a round of apéritifs - at the venue’s opulent bar. This is also where diners first meet and chat with the restaurant’s affable Belgian Executive Chef, Nic Vanderbeeken. But when Prestige arrived, the highly esteemed chef was quick to point out that it was not all about him.

“I’m actually happy that all the diners we get, they come here for Apéritif,” Vanderbeeken insisted. “They don’t come for me, they come for Apéritif.”

It’s not hard to see why. The restaurant, which opened its doors late last year, is the quintessential Ubud fine-dining establishment. It’s located not too far away from the centre of the district - next door to the Viceroy Bali resorts - but still tucked into its own remote corner, surrounded by terraced rice paddies and boasting expansive views of distant rainforests, with Bali’s sacred Mount Agung looming in the background.

Unique among Ubud’s top-tier eateries, Apéritif’s colonial aesthetics have proven to complement the aforementioned backdrop quite nicely. This visual theme is quite evident from the exterior, but it is when you actually step inside that the shift really sweeps you off your feet into a completely different timeline: black-and-white polished marble, era-appropriate paintings, chandeliers hanging overhead and black-and-white plumage on every table.

All that being said, it’s also quite evident that plenty of guests do come for Vanderbeeken.

Like so many of his contemporaries, Chef Vanderbeeken started his culinary career in his teenage years, working weekends and holidays as a steward. He moved up from washing dishes to making mayonnaise and other simple kitchen tasks when a friend of his parents took him in and later convinced his parents to send Vanderbeeken to culinary school.

“I worked in gastronomic restaurants almost every weekend and I really loved the atmosphere,” Vanderbeeken began. Then he added: “I don’t know anything else, actually.” So, after finishing his studies and taking an extra year to learn about pastries, when he was given the choice of studying management or going to work, he immediately chose the latter. So, like most new chefs, he moved from restaurant to restaurant, picking up new skills and knowledge until, at the age of 22, he found himself working at ’t Convent, a Michelin-starred restaurant in Belgium.

There, fate gave him a little extra nudge forward. “The sous chef had an accident,” Vanderbeeken recalled, his tone almost apologetic. “He fell asleep in his car and drove under a truck. He took three months off to recover. During the time he was gone, the chef appointed me as his replacement. When the sous chef came back, I was told I could keep my position while the sous chef became a chef de tournant.” Then he went on: “From there, I moved faster.”

Moving faster meant moving on again, to other restaurants. Moving faster meant delving into new trends, like molecular gastronomy. Moving forward, however, meant slowing down a bit. As much as he wanted to keep up with new things, Vanderbeeken was, at the time, also a new father. So, he switched to bistronomy, where the pay is better and the hours are friendlier. And then came the move to Bali. Or, at least, the beginnings of moving to Bali.

See, after his sixth vacation on the island, Vanderbeeken decided that he’d sell everything he had and move to Asia. “But not Bali,” he pointed out. “I wanted to move near Bali, like to Singapore or Bangkok, so during the weekends or when I had a few days off I could come to my favourite holiday destination.” His parents, however, weren’t too thrilled about this plan. They wanted him to move only after securing a job offer first – and one that would be a step up from what he was doing at the time.

This brought Vanderbeeken to the culinary scene of Vietnam. Thinking that maybe moving to Asia wasn’t exactly the best career move, he then set his sights on Australia, perhaps Melbourne. As fate would have it, however, before making yet another major move, Vanderbeeken took another long holiday in Bali. And while there, he sent his résumé to a number of restaurants.

Anthony Syrowatka of the Viceroy was the first to invite him to do a test menu. After successfully preparing a six-course degustation menu in an unfamiliar kitchen, he was offered a contract. The rest, as the saying goes, is history, and Vanderbeeken became the driving force behind Viceroy’s successful CasCades restaurant.

“I thought that CasCades was the end,” Vanderbeeken said as our conversation moved on to his current position. “I mean, I thought I could not go up any more.” But he did. Not that it was smooth sailing from day one, of course. For one, a new team had to be assembled, although he readily admitted that that turned out to be the easy part.

A more pressing matter was location. The problem with having a secluded fine-dining establishment was that it was, well, secluded. “People that come here have to travel here - they have to plan it,” Vanderbeeken elaborated. “Even if they are in Ubud, they have to think about transport, for example. You don’t just pass the restaurant and come inside.”

But perhaps here too he needn’t have worried. “Before we opened, there were two Japanese ladies who came here in July or August,”
Vanderbeeken recalled with a big smile on his face, noting once again that the restaurant only opened around October. “We were almost finished with the restaurant, but we were not open yet. But they were so interested to see what was going to happen and they wanted to be the first to dine here in Apéritif. So, these two ladies came back from Japan, stayed here in the Viceroy and dined at Apéritif. We gave them a certificate, because they were our first official diners and they were so happy with that.”

So far, feedback from diners has been overwhelmingly positive. The food is, of course, stellar and packaged into a charming experience that begins with the eponymous pre-dinner drinks and canapés, followed by a culinary tour de force prepared in the restaurant’s open kitchen which marries Vanderbeeken’s roots in pure culinary techniques, his deep understanding for the flavours found in the region and, most importantly, the passion that he imparts into his gastronomical creations.

Asked whether he was still as passionate about his chosen profession today as he was all those years ago when he was only just starting, Vanderbeeken turned contemplative. “Since I was 18 years old I was tempted to leave Belgium. But then I fell in love and this and that,” he answered. “But because I came to Asia, a whole new world was opened to me - cooking, ingredients, recipes. I became interested again.”

Running his own fine dining establishment also proved to be a much-needed change of pace for Vanderbeeken. Back in Belgium it was often just him and his sous chef, doing 50 covers a night with an à la carte menu; here he works with more than a dozen people.

“You can be more detailed, more creative ... and it’s again an open kitchen so you have good communication with the guests,” he goes on. “So I still feel the same passion now. Sometimes it goes away a little bit – and that’s why I always need a new challenge.”

Certainly, Apéritif still has room to grow; it’s only been open for about half a year and Bali’s hospitality industry is as exciting as it is unforgiving and constantly changing. Vanderbeeken, though, seems to be more than up to the challenge.
He concluded our conversation thus: “It can only get better.”

The post Executive Chef of Apéritif Restaurant & Bar Nic Vanderbeeken Cooks for the Love of Bali appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

Nicholas Hoult calls me right on the dot at 9pm. Punctuality from a Hollywood star is something you don’t expect. And unlike many other celebrity interviews I’ve done, Hoult isn’t accompanied by his agent or minder. It’s just myself and his British accent.

He tells me he’s just wrapped up filming for The Great, a Hulu exclusive drama series that details Catherine the Great’s rise to power in the 1700s. In the movie, Hoult plays Catherine’s husband Peter, who was Emperor of Russia for six months before being overthrown by his wife. It’s not new territory for the British actor.

Prior to putting on a wig for Peter, Hoult had also played the statesman Robert Harley in the historical period comedy-drama film The Favourite. “I put on a wig for that one too, and it was surprisingly quite comfortable even though it was massive. The only problem was that it was full of hairspray and there were many candles on set; they wanted to light the movie naturally. So I was a bit of a walking fire hazard,” says Hoult, chuckling down the line.

The Favourite has won a raft of awards, including a best actress Oscar, Golden Globe, Bafta and Volpi Cup for Olivia Colman, a further six BAFTAs, and a Grand Jury Prize at the 2018 Venice International Film Festival, as well as garnering five other Golden Globe nominations and a place on the American Film Institute’s list of the top 10 films of 2018.

[caption id="attachment_137517" align="alignnone" width="1458"] Jacket Dunhill | Polo shirt Brooks Brothers | Polaris Chronograph Jaeger-LeCoultre[/caption]

But Hoult has never been the sort to chase awards or to choose a role based on the probability of being on stage to deliver a heartfelt thank-you speech. It’s an attitude that was wrought by close to two decades of being in the industry. He was a child actor who made his screen debut at the age of seven in a film titled Intimate Relations.

“You can’t modify your experience you had on a film based on the end result,” says Hoult. In this case, the actor is referring to both awards and box-office results. He’s starred in numerous critically acclaimed and commercially successful films, but he’s also appeared in a couple of flops.

The Briton admits that it used to bother him. Not any more. “As an actor, you have to learn to deal with that. Acting is quite an odd game in the sense that there are waves. You catch a wave for a minute and everything goes well. But then, the wave stops and it feels like you’re back to square one. So, that’s something I’ve had to learn along the way.”

Hoult is playing a different sort of role these days after his partner, model Bryana Holly, gave birth last April. The relatively private couple haven’t yet put up a picture of their child on social media but, by God, Hoult is sorely missing his sleep.

“The hardest part about fatherhood? Isn’t it obvious?” says Hoult, laughing out loud. “Your energy levels are always low and your reserve tank is always empty.”

He’s loving every minute of it, though. “All jokes aside, I found it a comfortable transition. It’s all about finding balance at the end of the day, which is probably the most difficult thing about fatherhood.”

[caption id="attachment_137520" align="alignnone" width="1390"] Coat Salvatore Ferragamo | Jumper Zanone | Trousers Katharine Hamnett London | Polaris Chronograph Jaeger-LeCoultre[/caption]

Becoming a dad has also rejuvenated him on the creative front, ironically because of the lack of time. When he used to readily commit to jobs that would take him away for months on end, Hoult has now dialled it back. He doesn’t want to miss any milestones in his child’s life.

“In the past, going away for a few months at a time for a role was no big deal. Now, in those three or four months, this little person can completely change. Your time with them is so precious. So I’m more energised to create different work.”

Hoult’s solution was to return to television, where he first forged his career in the early noughties as a young boy. Besides The Great, Hoult is also starring in Crossing Swords, yet another historical period TV series, and Watership Down, which as a mini-series pays more attention to detail than the 1978 animated movie could. It’s about a colony of rabbits defending their new home. Yes, you read that right. Rabbits. Once again, not entirely new territory for Hoult, who’s most famously recognised as the mutant creature Beast in the X-Men film franchise. Hoult will be donning his blue make-up once again in the middle of the year, when he reprises his role for the fifth time in Dark Phoenix.

Hoult doesn’t have to worry about being typecast, but he reveals that for a period of time he grew jaded with acting. As with any other job, the prospect of burnout is very real for actors, especially if you work as hard as Hoult did. Fifty-three acting credits across film and television in a span of two decades. That’s quite a lot.

“That’s why I try to do different characters and different genres of films. I try to never do the same thing again,” Hoult says.

He pauses. “I love acting. I love being on set ... the entire process. But there are moments when I’m not necessarily feeling it. That’s when you have to step back and tell yourself, ‘OK, remember how lucky you are.’”

[caption id="attachment_137526" align="alignnone" width="1671"] Suit and shirt Brooks Brothers | Polaris Memovox Jaeger-LeCoultre[/caption]

The actor also has the good fortune of not being plagued with the level of debilitating fame that has scarred some child actors. Think Macaulay Culkin and Lindsay Lohan, who both descended into a spiral of drug and alcohol abuse after enjoying early success in their careers.

“I have a fairly manageable level of fame. But grappling with fame is something I had to learn. Someone once told me that you have to learn to be famous and that’s true,” says Hoult. “It feels unsettling to be walking out and about, and have people look at you with a formed impression even before they get to know you. It’s a bit like being an animal in a zoo.”

Hoult credits his childhood for keeping him grounded. He grew up around women -- his mother and sisters. His father was a pilot who was away from home much of the time while his older brother left home when he was young.

“When I look back at my childhood, I feel lucky. You don’t typically know of it when you’re a kid, but then, when you become a parent, you suddenly realise all the sacrifice, time and energy your parents put in for you,” says Hoult.

“I grew up in a feminine environment. I took dance classes, but I never considered them as feminine activities. I was just a kid growing up and doing things that I liked. So, I’m creating an environment where my child can also feel happy and safe.”

The concept of masculinity intrigues Hoult, especially today when the idea of the modern man is constantly in flux. Hoult raised money for a charity last year called CALM, which raises the alarm about male suicide and offers support to men who feel they’ve reached the end of the rope.

“The old idea of masculinity is that you’re supposed to be strong, silent and stoic, but there’s this lovely transition now where men can talk about their feelings,” says Hoult.

“I don’t think masculinity has to be a certain thing. It can be whatever it wants to be.” In some ways, it’s similar to Hoult’s approach to acting, a chameleonic process where Hoult is game to try on any role without being encumbered by expectations. You could say Hoult is the kind of actor Hollywood needs right now.

Photography Rachell Smith 

Styling Steven Doan

Grooming Charley McEwen at Frank Agency using Tom Ford and Living Proof

Photography Assistants Cam Smith and Charlie Walker

Retouching Love Retouch

The post Actor Nicholas Hoult on Fatherhood, Fame and Masculinity appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

On April 11, he’ll share his love of avant-garde cuisine and the science of food at the South Florida Science Center and Aquarium’s annual gala at The Breakers in Palm Beach.

The post Richard Blais of Top Chef Comes to Palm Beach appeared first on Palm Beach Illustrated.