Celebrity Life

With the 2021 Olympic Games in Tokyo on her resume, Dani Goldstein-Waldman is a champion in more ways than one. A campaigner for gender equality in sports, this feathered-hair beauty believes that you should never apologize for being yourself.  Dani, tell us a bit about yourself. That could be a long story! I grew up […]

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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.

“It has a joyful vibe. It’s a glamorous collection, for a versatile wardrobe,” the designer and A-lister favourite Alessandra Rich says of her spring/summer 2021 offering. “You can find velvet party dresses, sequin tweed tailleurs, floral negligées and matching bikinis. Everything you need to feel confident and seductive.”

Glamour, à la Alessandra Rich, is an exquisite rose-tinted affair that’s provocative and prim in equal parts. Her label’s vintage inspirations and tongue-in-cheek celebration of ’80s/’90s maximalism has won her fans that include British royalty, such as the Duchess of Cambridge, stars Rihanna, Beyoncé, Meryl Streep, Sienna Miller and Sarah Jessica Parker, as well as the likes of Samantha Cameron, who wore Rich on an official visit to the Obamas when her husband was Britain’s prime minister.

With her girlish candy hues, twee-with-a-twist matching sets and all that elegant, flashy eveningwear, Rich has created a very defined aesthetic in a short period of time. The London-based, Italian-born designer is in the midst of shooting her very first pre-autumn collection when we speak, just after the release of her delightfully titled Euphoria spring/summer ’21 release.

The typical Alessandra Rich woman is both “confident and seductive”, albeit sugar-coated and with a wink. There’s a delightful irreverence that goes with her clothing. This goes for that spring/summer ’21 collection, which she designed while stuck in confinement because of the pandemic.
During a tough year for all, Rich coped by being productive: “I never stopped working, I changed my plans and my tools, of course, and I miss all my ‘live’ relations, but I also had new energies around me,” she explains. “I think everything should strengthen us. It’s still tough, but we’re all waiting for the Spring.”

These bold, colourful floral dresses, girlish bikinis and swimwear worn with sheer cover ups, lingerie inspired pieces, midriff-baring looks and cool ’70s-style pantsuits – it’s joyous fashion that we’re all dying to indulge in after a year of restrictions. The spring/summer 2021 Alessandra Rich girl is amused and amusing, and, as the collection notes express, “adventurous, fearless and self-confident. She never looks back – all that she asks out of life is that it be a constant and unending euphoria. And the rest is lust and stardust.”

Rich, for her part, begins each collection by always starting from “the idea that women have fun, and feel self-confident and seductive with fashion.” And while that attitude might have garnered her a rather coveted, well-heeled celebrity and royal fan base, she argues that the outfits are interpreted by how the individuals wear them. “It’s always the woman who makes the difference,” she says.

Humour-hungry Brits have been particularly taken with Rich’s quirky sensuality, and how at times it pokes fun at the buttoned-up aristocratic inspirations that her outfits reference. Princess Diana, who was an expert at wielding the power of style, has provided inspiration for the designer – and with so many eyes glued to The Crown on Netflix, the late princess’s influence on style is a timely one.

The designer remembers how some of her formative encounters with style proved to be so impactful. “I always noticed the outfits of my mother’s girlfriends who’d come over for tea on a Sunday,” says Rich. “I was fascinated by observing the details of everything they wore – it was like a safari in the living room.”

Vintage references from eras past (lately a bold ’80s Dynasty look has taken hold) provide plenty of room for creative exploration each season. Rich often roots through her mother’s wardrobe for inspiration – “It’s a treasure chest,” she quips. And then there are “all my interests: cinema, art, flea markets, city streets, memories” that provide a personal touch to her designs.

“I believe in a cosmic and powerful femininity. It’s important to consider what’s femininity: to me, it’s more about self-confidence than about a deep neckline.” It’s with a deft hand that Rich’s outfits achieve a delicate and well-humoured balance between prim and provocative. Here’s a designer that loves “the idea of this delicate balance, because it's like a secret or a mystery but it can also be broken sometimes. In fashion there are no rules.”
With unisex fashion becoming all the rage, there’s something quite daring about Alessandra Rich’s femininity. And after a year of staying at home more, we are expecting a hard rebound in women’s appetite for glamour and maximalism as the light at the end of the tunnel is in sight. Her brand really speaks to this.

“I believe in a cosmic and powerful femininity, which is more about self-confidence than about a deep neckline”

Alessandra Rich

“I believe in a cosmic and powerful femininity,” says the down-to-earth designer, who this season often wears a rock ’n’ roll black leather jacket from her current collection. “It’s important to consider what femininity is. To me, it’s more about self-confidence than about a deep neckline. You can be sensual in different ways and outfits. It’s one of the reasons why I love lace – it’s a second skin, a game of transparency and mystery.

“That’s the point: femininity is a mystery,” says Rich, who thinks that, in a sense, women will always want the same from fashion: “fun, self-confidence and seduction” and, perhaps now, “a healthy planet”.
Although many of her preferences might be rooted in eras past, when she thinks of maximalism she usually envisages young people, whom she calls the prophets of the future of fashion. “I’m fascinated by their ever-changing style: expressive, maximalist and colourful.”

Her sense of luxurious fabrications and beautiful craft also gives this designer a huge edge. All her clothing is made in Italy by the “best hand-crafters”, whom she knows personally. Her native country is, of course, synonymous with style expertise: “It’s a treasure trove of relations, know-how and expertise. It’s essential for the brand,” she adds.”

“Everything is influenced by my Italian roots. Inspiration and passion are important, but so are the tools you need to create something beautiful, all of which I can find in Italy.” Not a formally trained designer, Rich worked in art, real estate and home interiors before launching her eponymous fashion brand in 2010. More than 10 years on, she’s new a regular A-lister and red-carpet favourite, who’s found in top stockists such as Harrods and Net-a-Porter. She’s developed a distinctive aesthetic, rooted in seductive vintage-influenced floral and embroidered dresses, and glamorous, glitzy matching pants/skirt suits, along with candy hues and bold shoulders in swathes of silk, wool and dramatic drapes.

Her sense of playfulness, too, has followed on in Rich’s very first pre-autumn capsule collection, the pictures of which have just been released; the collection is out in June. It’s a line-up grounded in freedom and an irreverent ’70s vibe, with plenty of easy separates, such as cropped tees, cool denims, striking knits and easy day dresses with a daisy print.

Rich’s penchant for romanticism with a modern edge, combined with luxurious fabrics, girlish embellishments and svelte silhouettes, makes her a natural go to for party and occasion-wear, but as the pre-autumn line-up shows, there are plenty of inviting casual pieces in the designer’s repertoire.

With her fashion star firmly in ascendency in the 11th year of her label, we’re loving the positivity, wit and slightly escapist beauty that her fashion can offer. It’s partly why the Alessandra Rich look is so appealing now. We want fashion to make us dream, especially as society emerges from tough and even traumatic times. Already there’s talk of a post-Covid spirit, one of rampant celebration that might mirror the 1920s surge of creativity and elated spirit. But for Rich, her story is also one of perseverance, not just passion:

“I just celebrated my anniversary in 2020: 10 years in fashion,” she says. “Passion is important, but on its own it’s not enough, it’s more rational than passionate. It’s another kind of love, one that lasts over time.”

The post Alessandra Rich on Sensuality, Springtime Optimism and Her 10 Years in Fashion appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

The Langham, London first opened its doors in 1865 as Europe’s first ‘Grand Hotel,’ with its prime, central London location sitting just at the top of Regent Street, along with style in abundance. After an extensive transformation in 2009, this elegant hotel offers spacious and luxurious guestrooms and suites and impeccable service. And excitingly, renowned […]

The post A New Chapter For The Langham, London As Renowned Hotelier Doris Greif Is Named Managing Director appeared first on Upscale Living Magazine.

Jacquelyn Sherry Coombe, Founder, and COO of Elite Strategies, have emerged as an unstoppable force in the digital industry.  Jacquelyn has managed to skillfully harness her strengths as a woman, mother, and entrepreneur as a powerful asset to blaze her path in the arena. Her vision has redefined SEO by fusing it with cutting edge […]

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Kristn Assad, General Manager of The Joule  Upscale Living Magazine had the exclusive with Kristin Assad, the General Manager of The Joule. Here is what she had to say: How did you begin your career in hospitality? After graduating with a degree in hotel management from Texas Tech, I took a position in Austin with […]

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The feted film actress explains how she's able to fully become the complex women that she portrays on screen.

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Recently your property was flagged. What does this entail? Our resort flagging was a strong, symbolic moment highlighting the arrival of The Ritz-Carlton brand in Ras Al Khaimah. All the work done in the last year came to life on this flagging day. What do you feel were the key transformations in making the transition […]

The post Interview With Amit Arora, GM of Ritz Carlton Ras Al Khaimah Properties: Al Wadi Desert and Al Hamra Beach appeared first on Upscale Living Magazine.