Celebrity Life

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.”

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 Sauvereign’s Bertrand Mak on Watch Collecting and Building a Legacy appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

Most of us know Wil Fang as the founder of Cookie DPT and Carbs. To his friends however, he's a bit of a hoarder. From sneakers and collectibles to a budding watch collection, the connoisseur of classic all-American fare tells us about his collecting habits, his quartet of Rolexes and what makes him tick.

Wil Fang will tell you he’s no watch collector – yet. He’s merely starting out, dipping his toes in. But step through the doors to his apartment that’s decked out in all sorts of collectibles – from Bearbricks to the Mr Moncler figurine created by artist Craig Costello and various Louis Vuitton x Supreme items – and you’ll see telling signs that he has the potential to become a very serious one.

That is, if his sneaker collection is anything to go by. Fang has a room lined with floor-to-ceiling shelving, dedicated to housing his 400-plus pairs of sneakers. At a glance, there are autographed Air Jordans, limited-edition Off-Whites, Fear of God, and more. His collection is still growing; he points to a couple of boxes stacked on a Supreme logo-ed folding chair – “I haven’t worn those yet,” he tells me.

Fang’s interest in sneakers grew from childhood – his first pair of Jordans was from his mother, when he was in third grade. He also has a single Jordan shoe, signed by the entire Chicago Bulls team, which he displays in a glass box.

“I even have a magazine signed by Dennis Rodman, Scottie Pippen and Michael Jordan after they won 72-10,” says Fang, referring to 1995-1996, when the Chicago Bulls set the record for the most wins in an NBA regular season. “I’m a huge Jordan fan and I always wear Jordans. He was my idol growing up.”

But back to watch collecting: “I’ve had quite a few watches, but I’d say the first serious timepiece I own is this Rolex, which my wife gave me on our wedding day,” says Fang.

The watch in question is a Rolex Submariner, in steel with a black dial and bezel. “When my wife got it for me, it wasn’t crazy expensive,” he continues. “Five years ago it wasn’t even difficult to get, like it is today. Things have definitely changed.”

Rolex was the definitive watch of Hong Kong culture, the ultimate milestone watch that you’d get for a special occasion. “It’s almost like the standard entry-level watch here,” says Fang. “Everyone’s got some sort of Rolex, whether it’s a Sub or a Milgauss – for a lot of my friends here, it’s very normal for them to get a Submariner for graduation or when they land their first job.”

The watch Fang got for himself when he got his first pay cheque, however, wasn’t a Rolex. When he graduated with a double major in mechanical engineering and business management from Bucknell University in 2005, he joined Ralph Lauren and was quickly sucked into the company culture.

“We weren’t required to wear any particular uniform, but as a young professional, you see your bosses walking around in suits and nice watches, and you start becoming part of that culture,” Fang recalls. “And, you know, it’s aspirational.”

And soon enough, his interest was piqued. The first watch he bought for himself with his own salary was a TAG Heuer Link chronograph, which he still owns. “In Hong Kong, maybe it’s not a big deal, but back then, when you’re 22 years old in the States, it’s a pretty nice watch. It was a gift to myself.”

Later, as Ralph Lauren ventured into timepieces, Fang also invested in a dress watch. “It was unnecessarily quite expensive,” he says with a chuckle. “It was a Ralph Lauren watch and I probably should have put that money into something else, but it’s a prototype model. It’s definitely sentimental and I’ll never sell it or get rid of it. It’ll stay in my collection.”

Later, Fang’s work brought him to Hong Kong and, in 2016, he found himself in Taipei with a group of friends launching a fashion retail concept store called DPT. “It was one of those dream-come-true situations,” says Fang. “I’m half-Taiwanese and Hong Kong was home, so I was commuting weekly back and forth from Taipei for
two years.”

It was at DPT that Fang’s sneaker collection really flourished. “I’m a sneakerhead,” he says, enthusiastically. “I’ve had sneakers my whole life, but when you open your own shop and brands send you 50 pairs and you could have your first pick, it was like, ‘Oh my God, I’ve made it.’”

Owning the sneakers – and the watches – was only part of the thrill. A huge part of what makes the community so exciting was the hunt for a good bargain, the relationships you build with your authorised dealers, and the full experience of receiving the goods.

“The cool thing about collecting is like, once you have it, you have it, but there’s also a story of how you got them, whether they’re sneakers or watches,” says Fang. “I’ve seen my friends pick up their watches at a VIP house and it’s a great day, you know, everyone’s excited and they come with a bottle of champagne. It’s all part of the process.”

After his wedding Submariner opened the floodgates, Fang picked up a “Panda” Daytona with a black ceramic bezel, an Explorer and a vintage “Pepsi” GMT Master with a faded bezel, explaining that Rolex was an easy entry point to collecting for him. “I like things that are more modern, a bit more subtle and sleek,” he says. “White gold or steel and black. Something that’s very clean and not too flashy.”

“Collecting watches is definitely a more expensive hobby. It’s not like collecting suits or sneakers,” says Fang. “But what I like about it is the community. It’s much smaller, more intimate. I don’t even consider myself a watch collector at this point, but from an interest perspective, I really like the circle. They come from all places – from F&B, fashion, finance, entrepreneurs – you meet so many interesting people through collecting. And a lot of them are successful, so it also gives me the drive and the mentality to work hard in my own businesses too.”

That drive is serving him well. Unfazed by the pandemic, Fang and the DPT Group are launching a takeout pizza business called Carbs – “I’m playing the devil’s advocate,” says Fang.

“Covid isn’t such a happy time but seeing the success of a fast-moving takeout delivery business gives us the confidence that, even in the toughest times, Carbs will be OK.” And how could it not be? Comfort mac-and-cheese, authentic Chicago deep-dish pizzas, fried chicken, and hands-down the best spicy vodka fusilli I’ve tasted. Perhaps as Hong Kong’s appetite for Fang’s goods continues to grow, so will his watch collection.

The post Wil Fang of Cookie DPT and Carbs on his Growing Appetite for Watch Collecting appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

The Peak's watch editor explains.

The post A brand’s best salespeople are its customers. It’s time to treat them right appeared first on The Peak Magazine.

The Peak's watch editor explains.

For more stories like this, visit www.thepeakmagazine.com.sg.

Tom Chng is a well-known name within the watch community, who founded the Singapore Watch Club in 2015 to share his passion for timepieces through his Instagram account, @singaporewatchclub, and meet like-minded individuals in the city and beyond at regular get-togethers. His personal collection is vast, and his watch knowledge even more so.

In 2017, Chng met Hosanna Swee (@hforhozzie), a photographer and currently Leica ambassador in Singapore. As the story goes, he saw her watch before he saw her face, but the pair clicked. Maybe, then, it’s not so unexpected that Chng would propose to Swee with a Ulysse Nardin Classico unique piece – and this is how he did it.

Does Hosanna share the same passion for watches? Who influenced who?

If you asked her, she’d probably say me. Because that’s what it seems like on the surface. I think I’m quite a bit more into watches than she is but, then again, when I think about it I can say she influenced my taste more. Because, honestly, she’s got a much better eye for design and luxury than me. So throughout the years, she’s unknowingly polished my taste and eye for design in watches. After meeting her, I found myself liking more classical designs. I seek out more timeless creations rather than something that could be trendy or popular at a certain point.

How did you guys meet?

We met on a dating app. And it’s quite a funny story, because in her pictures she cropped away her face. So all the pictures had no face, but I still was interested in her because she was wearing a very nice AP Royal Oak at the time. Today everyone’s quite crazy over the Royal Oak, but back in 2017 it was still an unusual choice for a girl. So that’s pretty much how we met.

Tell us about the proposal. Was it a long time in the planning?

I was quite adamant that I didn’t want to propose during the pandemic, because of all the social restrictions – our friends and family weren’t going to be able to be there. And she’s quite close to her family, so I always envisioned that they’d be there at the proposal. But at the end of last year, it all just felt right. Everything just fell into place. And then I thought, I guess I’ll do it now, in the middle of the pandemic.

It was our anniversary last month so I thought it would be a great time to do it. It was very impromptu and it was confirmed only a week before it happened. We went to a rooftop bar for drinks before dinner and then I presented her with the watch and told her how much I appreciated her. It was pretty simple, it was just the two of us; very intimate.

The watch wasn’t just any watch but a bespoke piece. Can you tell us about how it was made?

It was a year in the making. I provided Ulysse Nardin with the design, but of course the brand had some contributions to the design process as well. Hosanna fancies classical and minimalist designs; typography choice was also paramount, especially for a watch like this – the font choice can make or break the piece. The watch looks simple, but the little details are crucial and are often overlooked. Size of the markers, choice of hands, logo application, etc. Hosanna is extremely discreet and understated, so to adorn the dial with her name might be a tad too loud for her. The execution is key here; the idea was to create something truly personal but obvious only to the wearer and no one else.

You managed to spell out her name with the hour markers on the dial. That was very clever.

That’s what we love about it. The words were designed to be almost unnoticeable, even from 30 centimetres away. Even a lot of our friends are like, “Nice watch.” And then two days later they tell us they just noticed that her name is on the dial.

Is there a particular reason why you chose to work with Ulysse Nardin?

This watch is something that’s very meaningful to us. And longevity is the key here. I really wanted it to look as good 100 years from now as it does today. So in order to achieve that, you need an enamel dial. Ulysse Nardin’s dial-making subsidiary, Donzé Cadrans, is the most renowned and prolific enamel dial manufacture in the world, so it couldn’t have been an easier choice. It was a no-brainer. I also worked with Ulysse Nardin for our first Singapore Watch Club special edition back in 2017, so it was nice to work with them again this time around.

When I met Hosanna in 2017, that was the same year we released the first Singapore Watch Club edition with Ulysse Nardin. She wanted one, but at that point when the project was announced, we were already sold out for months. So she couldn’t get one. This is the perfect opportunity – not only does she get one, but she gets one that’s even more special with a special story.

Could you describe all the surprise elements on the watch?

The dial is in black enamel and there’s an applied logo at 12 o’clock. Compared to the production model, the Classico, which is the canvas for this piece, we’ve removed the date function and the small seconds, so it’s just hours and minutes on the dial. We also changed the hands from the regular leaf shape to the spade and whip hands you’d normally find on antique marine chronometers, which we also used in the SWC 2017 piece. The hour markers spell out Hosanna’s name, and at the back there’s a small engraving that says, “Marry me?”

Are you going to get yourself a matching watch?

We love to match watches! Very often we try to find his and hers for our watch collection. For this one, I already have one to match, because I’ve got the prototype from the 2017 SWC edition.

Have you both given each other watches previously?

This is the first. I’ve jokingly asked her before if she was going to buy me a watch. And she’s like, “Yeah, I will when I’m your wife.” She did say that now we’re engaged she thinks she needs to buy me a watch.

Have you set a date for your wedding yet? Or will you wait until the pandemic is over?

We’re waiting until it’s over. But we’re aiming for a timeline of maybe a year and a half from now. But really, we need to see how things pan out. It’s very tricky with all the restrictions here in Singapore. You’d have to divide your wedding into different zones of about 50 people. And people can’t mingle outside of those zones. It’ll be a nightmare.

One last question, now that Hosanna owns an engagement watch, will she still be receiving an engagement ring?

Haha, unfortunately not! However, she’s hinted at a more ornate wedding band, to make up for the lack of an engagement ring!

The post Watch Collector Tom Chng and His Bespoke Proposal appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

Discover Bulgari’s New Luxury Watches
by Yaren Arbak

Worldwide known Italian watch brand, Bulgari, released its’ latest luxurious and emblematic serpent-themed watch collection, named Serpenti Seduttor, meaning seductive snake. This fall, in Shanghai, the brand presented the collection, 9 brand-new Serpenti Seduttor models for women, high jewelry watches named Serpenti and Divas’ Dream and 19 piece for men luxury jewelry line extensions, made up off steel, gold and high carat diamonds.

Continue reading Discover Bulgari’s New Luxury Watches at Luxxu Blog.

Discover Bulgari’s New Luxury Watches
by Yaren Arbak

Worldwide known Italian watch brand, Bulgari, released its’ latest luxurious and emblematic serpent-themed watch collection, named Serpenti Seduttor, meaning seductive snake. This fall, in Shanghai, the brand presented the collection, 9 brand-new Serpenti Seduttor models for women, high jewelry watches named Serpenti and Divas’ Dream and 19 piece for men luxury jewelry line extensions, made up off steel, gold and high carat diamonds.

Continue reading Discover Bulgari’s New Luxury Watches at Luxxu Blog.

Among the civil servant's collection are a Patek Philippe Calatrava 150th Anniversary Officer’s watch and two Chopard Happy Sports.

The post Watch collector: Yu Chye Fong favours petite timepieces that pack a punch appeared first on The Peak Magazine.

Among the civil servant's collection are a Patek Philippe Calatrava 150th Anniversary Officer’s watch and two Chopard Happy Sports.

For more stories like this, visit www.thepeakmagazine.com.sg.

The Gravity Skeleton offers a scintillating look at Franck Muller’s savoir faire.

The post A look at Franck Muller’s Vanguard Gravity Skeleton timepiece appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.