One Man's Trash - Destiny of Unwanted Chinese New Year Gifts

First Published in Lifestyle Asia on 7 February 2011.

Don't know what to do with your endless supply of Ferrero Rocher Chocolates, Kjeldsen's Butter Cookies, or even Dried Mushrooms from your well-meant relatives who you only get to see every Chinese New Year? Here's a couple of ideas: 

1. Share it with your Colleagues

With the public holidays around the corner, people in the office are bound to be in a holiday mood. What can be better than gossiping about that new kid with the weird hair while munching on some snacks you have got from CNY?

Wanna check out the rest of the tips? Read the rest of the article at Lifestyle Asia!

One Bag, Infinite Possibilities - Cocomojo’s Exclusive Bespoke Service

First published in Lifestyle Asia on 31 January 2011.

More than just a Bag

If you like the idea of an unique handbag, reflecting your distinctive personality and style, then there is someone you can finally turn to! Cocomojo has recently launched their Bespoke Service, where you can transform your good taste into a real-life handbag in just three weeks time.

The Bespoke Service is extremely accessible. You can either first convey your ideas with them through email, or you can look around their shop at Lee Gardens while discussing with their representatives to get an idea of what you would like to make.

In comparison to the usual long wait for a custom made piece, Cocomojo has a major advantage of having their production team based in Hong Kong, making any Bespoke Bag orders ready in just three weeks’ time. If you are in a real hurry for a major event or an important anniversary gift just around the corner, they can even prioritize your order to meet your deadline.

Wanna know more about the process of making a Bespoke Bag? Read the rest of the article at Lifestyle Asia!

Fresh View to Photography - Interview with Manuel Wong

First Published in Sassy Hong Kong on 25 January 2011. 

Guest Blogger Gillian caught up with Manuel Wong, an experienced Mexican-Chinese photographer, to share his thoughts on rubbing shoulders with world renowned brand names. Manuel specializes in Commercial photography, and is particularly well known within the trade for Events photography. He gave us some valuable photography tips, and has even offered a very special discount to us Sassy Girls, so make sure you read below on how to redeem it! 


How did you get into photography?


I picked up photography when I was at university in Canada. I am particularly keen on Commercial photography, because of its exposure with the general public. I was inspired by Chase Jarvis’ work. He has made Commercial photography an art form, and I am very impressed with that.


As a Mexican-Chinese, I am an open-minded and easy-going individual who enjoys meeting new people and tackling new challenges. This is why I have chosen to pursue a career in photography. Having a different background has enabled me to think out of the box and offer a different view to my patrons.


It was an easy transition from my previous desk job to my current job as a photographer, because I did a lot of Events photography and small scale photo shoots before I started my own studio, so I had much of the resources readily available.

BMW X3 Launch Party - Sizzling launch of a new SUV

First Published in Lifestyle Asia on 7 January 2011.

There's no better way to beat the freezing weather with flaming performance, sizzling bubbly and scorching new SUV! BMW Concessionaires brought it all together in their BMW X3 Launching Party on 6 January 2011. Held at the Ocean Terminal Rooftop Carpark with the amazing backdrop of the Kowloon Peninsula, the undeterred BMW fanatics and celebrities witnessed the unveiling of the amazing new BMW X3.

Wanna see us checking out the cars? Read the rest of the article at Lifestyle Asia!

HANALIE Charity Fashion Show - By our new Party Correspondent, Gillian Chu

First Published in Lifestyle Asia on 22 December 2010

Lets face it, having to work for LifestyleAsia.com has its perks. We get invited to the best events around town, eat awesome food, free booze and go home with great goodie bags to boot. So how would you like to join us and party like a VIP?

Every 2 months, we'll be choosing someone from our Facebook fan page to represent us at the city's best events. Simply 'Like' us on Facebook and recommend it to 10 friends to qualify. Our first Party Correspondent in HK is LifestyleAsia.com junkie, Gillian Chu!


Like Cocomojo, the Chinese International School (CIS) girls are out there in the fashion world to get us. Hanalie is another brilliant example of where passion meets ambition. Our two CIS girls, Haylie and Natalie, brought their fashion sense together with determination, and went on to set up Hanalie.

To celebrate the official launching of Hanalie, they hosted a stylish yet cozy fashion show in Volar on the 21 December 2010. There were many familiar faces at Volar supporting Haylie, Natalie, and the Hong Kong Cancer Fund, the beneficiary of the event.

Wanna check out my favorite pieces from the collection? Read the rest of the article at Lifestyle Asia!

Sassy Guest Blogger: Gillian – The Custom Shoe Queen

First published in Sassy Hong Kong on 10 June 2010.

We are going to leave this intro short as what we have to say is nowhere near as important as what Gillian is telling us below! Gillian gives us the inside scoop on a number of Custom Shoe stores around town. We would love to see her shoe collection as we are sure it is quite drool worthy. If you have any others to add to this list make sure you comment below. Enjoy!

JJ Partners

G/F, 173 Wong Nai Chung Road, Happy Valley, Hong Kong
2577-2383, 2577-1006

It's more like a normal shoe shop that does some custom made shoes on the side, rather than a custom made shoe shop itself. They can do anything you'd like, but they don't trace your feet or measure it out, so it's up to you to try the sizes and get a feel of what you are. The up side is since they're not really a custom made shoe shop, they have a lot of stock on hand, so if you like the sample they've got you can bring it home immediately. They've got all sorts of shoes you can think of, boots, sandals, platforms, stilettos, ballerina shoes, etc. Books of leather available in store for browsing. They do bags and men's shoes too. They take 3 weeks to deliver to the shop. Prices around $600-$800, paid upon purchase. I've bought a pair of blue/brown/beige snakeskin short-ish boots with frills attached to the zipper on the back and a dark brown leather piping. They didn't let me choose from a range of samples for the piping, but just talked me through it. It looks amazing, has cushioning on both front and back, feels slightly more prominent on the back. It's not very stuffy inside, but the buckle does clank a bit as I walk though. The fit is amazing, and if I may say, even better than those whose made by measure.