Celebrity Life

As we move into the final stretch of 2021, don’t overlook the importance of self-care and the beauty of taking a moment for yourself to just enjoy the silence. It is quite easy to get caught up in the feeling of needing to jump at a moment’s notice, running the hamster wheel of a 9 – 5, and balancing everything else we have on our plates. It’s time for the career driven professionals, and budding entrepreneurs out there to reflect on how much time in the day is truly spent on me time. Everyone needs a break now and then to dream, to reflect, to take care. Let’s remember to fight back and prevent potential burnout. Challenge yourself to incorporate these empowering practices into your busy schedule and prioritize your well-being plus recharge. #1 Set Boundaries  As a young professional it can be easy to become too wrapped up in work matters. It’s important that you start setting some boundaries for yourself. Remember you can only get so much done at once. To start, set …

Christine Hau is a co-founder of the Hong Kong-based architecture and design practice Lead8, which in just seven years has rocketed from start-up to the ranks of the world's leading firms. She tells us about its remarkable success and her own contribution towards it.

For an architectural firm founded just seven years ago to vault into the ranks of the world’s largest practices seems an achievement so remarkable that it’s frankly unbelievable. Yet that’s exactly the feat that Lead8 – a Hong Kong-based architecture, urban-masterplanning, interior-design, graphics and branding company that set up shop in a modest Quarry Bay studio in 2014 and now has offices in Shenzhen, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and London – has managed to pull off.

Not only does it currently rank in 53rd place among the globe’s leading architectural firms – with major projects ongoing in the Greater Bay Area as well as further afield, and a team of more than 250 in five locations around the world – but Lead8 also walked away with five 2021-22 Asia-Pacific Property Awards for its large-scale projects in Shenzhen, Nanjing and Chengdu, as well as a pair of Gold Stevie Awards recognising business excellence. Although continually engaged in the visionary exercise of re-imagining urban and interior living for a future that seems especially challenging, surely such an astonishing degree of success must have been beyond the wildest dreams of the company’s founding partners?

“When we set up Lead8, we’d already worked alongside each other for many years, and we shared a passion for creativity and excellence in design,” says Christine Hau, one of Lead8’s co-founders and executive directors who form the company’s global leadership team in Hong Kong. “We all wanted to bring about change, introduce new ideas to the industry and give back to our cities and communities through resilient, meaningful and impactful design. Setting up Lead8 gave us the platform to do that, so this has been a natural progression for us.”

At Lead8, Hau oversees the company’s business, financial, legal and operational sides, as well as leading its marketing, communications, branding and social responsibility activities. Born in Britain and one of the eldest daughters of constantly travelling parents from Hong Kong, her businessman father expected she’d work as his apprentice until an interest in design spurred her to study in that area, later combining it with management.

“You can put on a nice dress or jacket and it’s individual,” says the effervescent and engaging Hau, in an accent that bears no discernible traces of her Scottish birthplace, “but I feel building design – architecture and interiors – is for everyone. I’m captivated by the beauty of forms and details in buildings and cities, so I studied subjects that united my passion for design with my affinity for business – with business providing the means of turning creative visions into reality.”

After completing university, she began her career in the UK, and eventually made the decision to head to Hong Kong. It wasn’t simply a matter of having strong family ties here; she also felt this was a place where she could take her career to a new level and possibly a new direction. “This is a fast-paced place and an international hub, where there are opportunities both here in Asia as well as connections with the West.”

In any case, Hau was already accustomed to an international way of life. “We moved around and travelled a lot,” she says, “so my childhood was quite adventurous and exciting – a mix of cultures and experiences – which is partly why I’ve always believed we should explore opportunities as we go along.

“Learning isn’t just about formal education and books. Experience is also very important in life, which is how I’ve brought up my children. It also probably explains why I’ve persistently changed course in life, grasping opportunities to study and change direction.”

After spending time at other international design practices, where she gained further experience in areas such as finance, corporate law and governance, strategy and operations, Hau took the plunge and joined a group of architects and designers she’d worked closely with to found Lead8. The team moved into its first studio in Shipyard Lane, literally around the corner from the much-expanded premises on King’s Road that the company occupies now. “The move into this new studio was a defining moment for us,” she says. “It marked a step in our evolution from start-up to international design brand and set the scene for our next chapter.”

While the company’s meteoric growth is beyond impressive, it must surely have something to do with the sheer physical scale and breathtakingly imaginative reach of many of its projects, in which every detail – from the macro to the micro – is considered, and natural elements and the latest technologies both form integral parts. Yet for all the size and scope, Hau insists that much of Lead8’s work is underpinned by “design that understands people – and the urge to push the boundaries to deliver destinations and experiences unlike any other” in their respective locations.

Typifying this approach is the vast Hubei Coordination Urban Renewal Scheme in Shenzhen, due for completion in 2024, which conserves and protects a historic 500-year-old village, yet does so in the context of a dazzling and forward-looking 21st-century urban development. Another major undertaking in the Greater Bay Area is New World’s 11 SKIES at Chek Lap Kok, which will be Hong Kong’s largest hub for retail, dining and entertainment, in a development adjoining the airport terminals, along with grade-A office towers, immersive educational experiences and even an indoor/outdoor karting track.

For sheer imaginative bravura, however, it’s hard to beat HarbourLoop, a Lead8 social-responsibility case study that proposes a 23km-long walkway and cycle track encircling Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbour, with two elegant infrastructure additions linking the two sides and a series of community, culture and commuter hubs along the way. “We did it to show the possibilities of urban design thinking for Hong Kong – a zero-carbon network that unites both sides of the harbour,” says Hau. “As a design firm, we’re in the fortunate position of driving and sparking conversations about the future, which is what influences change.”

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As for her own role within the firm, Hau says she uses design thinking to inform the way she oversees Lead8’s business, financial, legal and operational activities. “It offers me and my team the opportunity to manage and build a design firm differently, and to help our team of designers do what they do best – which is to create designs that are positively giving back to our communities. We create the platforms on which our global team and operations can function, and we nurture, support and empower our teams – we’re passionate about our people.”

Asked about her experiences as a female in her industry, Hau says she believes that “when it comes to work, women have traditionally been conscious of their gender, but this is changing – and I see the younger generation of women and men active in this shift. But I’ve always had strong female leaders in the industry to look up to and my own experience has been that gender hasn’t limited my opportunities.

“No matter what your gender is, leadership is about more than just being a boss. It’s inspiring, motivating and empowering those around you. Just as design inherently gives back to the cities and communities it touches, at Lead8 we have a deep commitment to the next generations through mentoring and learning opportunities, and we’re equally dedicated to supporting causes that help to build a brighter world.”

And if you were wondering how – with eight projects nearing completion in the next year and several more about to kick off – this working mother manages to find equilibrium between office and home, Hau says there’s always a connection between work and life. “I’m fortunate to have a supportive circle of family and friends, which helps ease the pressure in challenging times. In any case, instead of separating, I prefer to balance these parts of my life, as I’m passionate about Lead8 and the firm we’ve created. Each day is different – and I don’t count the hours at work, but the results we’ve achieved.”

PHOTOGRAPHY KINWAI CHEUNG
STYLING TASHA LING
MAKE-UP KAREN YIU @MAKEUPBEES
HAIR GLOOMY KWOK @MAKEUPBEES
PHOTOGRAPHY ASSISTANT STEPHEN CHENG

The post Preventative Ageing: How Women in their 20s and 30s are Getting Proactive about their Skin appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

Gabrielle Chanel’s vision of how a modern woman should live and express herself extended beyond her devotion to fashion, accessories and perfume. The complexion, as it turns out, was on her mind as early as 1927, when she created her very first skincare line to preserve and maintain the skin’s natural beauty, for how would one live freely, if not holistically, healthily and with self-confidence? 

To introduce a holistic beauty vision, Chanel debuted a body oil into its line in 1929, so women could include, in their beauty routines, something that could soothe the skin and soul, bringing the luxury skincare experience to the next level. There was never doubt that Mademoiselle Chanel was a visionary for her time, and her avant-garde approach to timeless style lives on to this day.

The Sublimage line debuted with skincare in 2006, enriched with powerful active ingredients derived from vanilla planifolia. This year, the launch of Sublimage La Crème Corps et Décolleté introduced the premium skincare formulation into its body cream, extending the sensory experience to the body, while the signature Le Crème is also available in a new form, Sublimage Le Baume, that can be used as an intensive anti-ageing skincare treatment or even a mask.

The Sublimage La Crème Corps et Décolleté body cream is formulated so its texture transforms when applied to the skin, going from rich and enveloping on the first touch to a surprising regenerative freshness on further contact. The velvety cream is perfect for massages. Containing a high concentration of natural butters and oils, with micro-pearls that instantly brighten the skin, the formula is rich, yet easily absorbed by the skin, leaving it feeling fresh and deeply nourished at the same time. 

More than just a fleeting buzzword, the need for self-care has revolutionised an entire generation to embrace setting aside invaluable time to recharge and rebalance one’s body and mind.  Looking after your body while giving yourself some time to let go was the goal of the application technique developed by Chanel for Sublimage La Crème Corps et Décolleté. 

The ritual calls for twice-daily application, once in the morning on clean, dry skin to nourish and protect, and once in the evening to fully experience its comforting, regenerating effect. Chanel’s experts recommend the below four tips for visible, lasting results:

One, use your thumb and index finger to perform a series of deep, invigorating pinching movements on any areas of the body lacking firmness, which will help maximise the penetration of the cream’s active ingredients.

Two, warm up the product in your hands and apply the cream to the neck, décolleté and chest.

Three, move to other parts of the body, including the stomach, hips and buttocks, rubbing in a circular motion. Massage the legs and feet using smooth upward strokes then perform the same movements on the arms, paying special attention to the elbows.

Four, prolong the moment of total relaxation by applying light pressure to the driest areas of your body with the palms of your hands, which will help soothe and comfort the skin. 

Those looking to be completely pampered can also book an appointment with Chanel Privé, Chanel’s dedicated space for beauty treatments that allows women a break in their active day.

As Chanel's most luxurious and premium line, Sublimage does wonders for the skin, with the same skincare formulation applied to its newly launched body cream. Sublimage is the quintessence of Chanel Research’s expertise and embodies this holistic view from its founder. The story began in 1995, when Chanel researchers discovered the potent anti-ageing properties of vanilla planifolia, and established the maison’s first open-sky laboratory on the island in Madagascar in 2002 to cultivate and develop this magical ingredient. Every part of the plant is utilised: the fresh flowers, obtained between October and November, protect the skin from oxidative stress. The immature fruit, which forms in May, boosts skin regeneration. The fruit, which matures between June and August, is harvested to make Intense Vanilla Water, which combats free radicals and prevents the degradation of collagen and elastin fibres. The planifolia PFA also stimulates regeneration. 

The post Chanel Sublimage La Crème Corps et Décolleté: A New Sensuous Skincare Experience for the Body appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

Your skin loves summer just about as much as you do. Exposure to the sun — providing you’re creamed up — and fresh air does your skin lots of good, and nobody ever looks as healthy as they do with a light tan and that summer glow. That’s perhaps part of what makes the descent […]

As we head into the summer months, excitement is in the air, and many of us are gearing up to celebrate in style as social occasions begin to fill our diaries once again. After a difficult year, it’s tempting to brush aside our past troubles and go full-throttle into having fun – and while there’s […]

The post Summer self care strategies to integrate into your routine first appeared on Luxury Lifestyle Magazine.

Incorporating self-care into your routine, even just a little, can have major positive results in the long run for mental and physical health

Gwyneth Paltrow, the award-winning actress, author, and the founder of modern lifestyle and wellness brand goop, has partnered with Merz Aesthetics in the company's first global campaign for Xeomin. Merz Aesthetics is the world's largest medical aesthetics business, and the product Xeomin, is an FDA-approved anti-wrinkle injection targeting frown lines. Through her partnership with them, Paltrow hopes women and men can feel empowered to take control of their own minds and bodies and let their authentic selves shine despite ever-changing beauty standards.

There's often stigma linked to beauty procedures and invasive treatments, but Paltrow, who's no stranger to wellness and beauty procedures, has put her own weight behind this proven product, telling us that she's been a loyal user of Xeomin long before the company even approached her to become the global face for the brand. What's important and what matters the most is that products are proven safe and effective.

"It's really the cornerstone of my whole philosophy," she explains. "At goop, we also make products that we've tested rigorously and that don't have toxic ingredients in them. It's the same when you're sourcing food, anything you're going to put on or in your body, you want to know for sure that it is proven and it works, and also that it's as purified as possible."

One thing is for sure — body image and beauty standards affect each and everyone of us, and today especially, body dysmorphia is more rampant than ever in the age of social media. Celebrities feel this keenly too. Not too long ago, Khloe Kardashian posted a heartfelt plea on social media about her struggles with body image amidst constant judgment her entire life.

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In her youth, Paltrow recalls when a producer came up to her, squeezed her waist and told her to stop snacking because she was gaining weight. Paltrow even jokes, "Robert Downey Jr. always tells me I'm too tall whenever he wants me to wear flat shoes. But you know, I think women actors, we get a lot of that. We have to be strong and just believe in ourselves."

"I think it took me into my 40s to feel like I really knew myself," the actress continues. "And really like myself and embrace myself in a different way. I hope women, young women my daughter's age, in their 20s, can start to cultivate this kind of self confidence at an earlier age and just know that they're beautiful, exactly as God made them."

In the latest campaign with Xeomin, Paltrow speaks about embracing your true authentic self — the key here is really not to change or hide the way you look, but to embrace yourself, find confidence in your own self by investing in the health and wellness of your body and mind.

This wasn't something Paltrow thought about until her mid-20s when her father fell ill. "It was catalysed by my father getting sick with cancer and that's when I really dove into researching about the body, its capacity to heal environmental toxins and the ways that eating can affect our health. I've been interested in wellness since," she says.

Paltrow started goop well before wellness was seen as essential rather than a privilege. "It was always a real passion of mine to provide information and tools for people so that they could really make the most out of their lives and understand that the power to optimise your life is within you. All you need is to give yourself the permission to do it," she says. "That can be just like a great recommendation, or it can be you know, a full wellness regime."

Paltrow compares getting beauty treatments a bit to self-indulgence — it's all about balance. "If you're sleeping well, eating well, and you're exercising, even meditating that's helpful," she says. "But at the same time, we want products that are really efficacious, and with Merz I found a product that I really loved. I'm always about balance. I'm a person who tends to be on the healthier living side, but then I love a good martini and French fries, you know?"

Paltrow adds: "Everybody has the right to do what's right for them and feels great for them. I don't think there should be judgment about it. If you're in your 20s and you feel like something bothers you and you talk to your doctor who recommends something, you know, I think you should feel empowered to do it. I didn't do anything until I started to really see the signs of ageing, but if your doctor says it's ok, then why not?"

At the end of the day, it's about discovering yourself and allowing yourself to live a better version of yourself, flaws and all. "It's about being the best that you can be," says Paltrow. "Sometimes I think our flaws are what makes us interesting and unique. I think the more self-acceptance you can have, the better."

The post Gwyneth Paltrow: “The Power to Optimise Your Life is Within You” appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

Stuck at home because of Covid? A little self-care could go a long way toward boosting your spirits - and your immune system

Failure doesn't have to be an option — try these very doable commitments for health, self-care and smarts

Give the gift of self-care this Christmas with our beauty gift guide.

The post Give The Gift Of Self-Care This Christmas With These Five Beauty Products appeared first on Upscale Living Magazine.

A new study says daily novelty and diverse experiences are the self-care we all need right now

When you’ve finished that home workout routine and that book you’ve been meaning to read, it’s natural to feel at a loss of things to do while trapped at home. But fear not, major fashion houses such as Alexander McQueen, Loewe, Valentino and Gucci all have something special to offer – from art to music, to podcasts and more.

Previously, you’ve read about Bottega Veneta’s Virtual Creatives platform, Bottega Residency. Similarly, Alexander McQueen has unveiled “McQueen Creators,” a new social media project that encourages followers to engage artistically with their favourite Alexander McQueen pieces. The creative theme changes each week and includes digital tutorials from the brand’s teams and collaborators. So far, there’s been 3-D creation to home-embroidery, with its most recent project encouraging followers to illustrate silhouettes from Alexander McQueen’s spring/summer 2020 womenswear and fall/winter 2020 menswear collections. For that, McQueen collaborated with artist Howard Tangye in order for him to share his drawing and painting techniques on film to inspired participants.

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Loewe has come to the rescue for art lovers who haven’t been able to visit galleries and museums during their stay at home period. Its “En Casa” initiative, a series of online workshops, tours and events, will be streamed through Instagram live on weeknights and weekends, uniting previous artistic collaborators of the brand and finalists of the Loewe Craft Prize to celebrate artistic expression.

 

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Gucci, on the other hand, has collaborated with The Sex Ed, a sexual wellness podcast, for an exclusive episode featuring the house’s creative director Alessandro Michele and podcast founder, Liz Goldwyn. Filmed in the Gucci Hub after the fall/winter 2020 womenswear show in Milan, Michele discusses “his erotic relationship to nature, why Rome is his mistress, moving beyond the confining modes of masculinity, his passion for dressing like a 1950s granny and how he channels orgasmic energy every day.” On top of this, the brand has also started a new initiative called #GucciCommunity, which encourages followers to donate to the Covid-19 Solidarity Fund and saw musicians and artists contribute to the Gucci Instagram feed in order to start the ball rolling.

[caption id="attachment_206475" align="alignnone" width="629"] Gucci's Creative Director Alessandro Michele takes part in The Sex Ed podcast.[/caption]

Valentino has also created a hashtag #ChezMaisonValentino for its new series of performances that is streamed on their Instagram live. First to take place was Alicia Keys, who treated followers to soulful live renditions while poet Rupi Kapur was the most recent guest to perform. Anya Hindmarch has also launched a series of "Labelled Workshops" that the brand will stream on Instagram live featuring industry experts to help "de-clutter and organise your home, your inbox and your imagery."

 

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