And it all began with Erica

Published exclusively in this site on 29 February 2012.

CAP 32 Companies Ordinance s107(1): Subject to this section and section 109, every company shall once in every year make a return, in the specified form, which shall contain, with respect to the company, such particulars as specified therein.

Although this blog isn't exactly a company, I reckon an annual review couldn't do much harm. That's right, this blog is officially 1 year old. The story of this blog began with Erica. Yes funny enough, the story actually didn't start with me. So if there's annual report for blogs, then consider this post my director's report!

Gillian Chu - a Hong Kong Blog

Director's Report for the Year Ended 29 February 2012

Most Fancy Handbags on the Market

First published in ELEQT on 4 March 2012.

Last time, I went through the versatile bag options for the upcoming season. In all honesty, we do occasionally require more flamboyant bags, be it for giving a spark to the hum-dee-dum look, or perhaps even for lifting your spirits on the rainy days. Here are a few of my favourite fancy looking bags for the upcoming season:

Itzelli recently brought over an amazing Latin American handbag brand, A7 (Altura Siete), and I am totally eyeing their beautiful shoulder bag, which is named Mojito Horse, with tactile hair that makes it feel exactly like a horse. There isn't much of the Latino fashion scene Hong Kong yet, so you can be sure you bag is next to unique!

Candies without Calories - Interview with Sue Yuen, Creator of CatRabbitSky

First published in Aroxta on 29 February 2012.

Having been asked to be someone's bridesmaid has got me thinking a bit about weddings recently. Sue invited the bride-to-be and I to visit her workshop at the Cat Store, where she was giving a class on creating miniture Chinese wedding set, filled with traditional food pieces that make up part of an auspicious wedding. She was kind enough to clue us in as to how she started this venture, and gave us some tips on resin clay making!

Chinese Numerals - Interview with Adrien Choux, Founder of the Chinese Timekeeper

First published in ELEQT on 3 March 2012.

Jasmine, Keely and I met up with Jerome's adventure racing teammate, Adrien, who isn't only up for a physically demanding challenge. He is the founder of the Chinese Timekeeper, the first luxury watch brand that is proudly Chinese, rooting from our very own little city, and building upon the rich heritage of our Chinese culture. As a French dude, why does he embrace the Chinese traditions so much that he wants to make a career out of it? Adrien gave us some interesting insights towards his view for the Chinese philosophy, and how he blended it with his expertise in watch-making.

Beyond the Misery - Ping Shan Heritage Trail

First published in ELEQT on 1 March 2012.

Tin Shui Wai is more than just a city of misery, contrary to what the mass media has to say. Wai is a name for the early settlements in Hong Kong, and Tin Shui Wai has a longstanding history, developed by the Tang clan in the 12th century, whose clans people were bright enough to have been mandarins in the ancient Chinese court. The clan was obviously loaded, so they built astonishing architectural complexes for community events and schooling purposes, the remains of which are now conserved as part of the Ping Shan Heritage Trail.

Hassle Free Beauty - MyLuxBox

First published in Aroxta on 27 February 2012.

This city is all about getting the most in the fastest way possible, so why should skincare products be any different? The hottest thing in town now are beauty boxes, which is essentially, at a click of the mouse, delivering a box of assorted beauty products from a range of the hottest brands, including Givenchy, Laura Mercier, and Chantecaille, so that you can try it out and see whether it is worth getting a full size version of. MyLuxBox, the first in Hong Kong to start this business, don't just deliver the tip top products - they also blog about how the products should be used to maximise its effects, so that you can make the most out of the samples. Let's face it, merely reading reviews on magazines or having a small dab of it on the back of your hand is pretty much an impossible way of figuring out whether the product is worth your time or not, so MyLuxBox is here to fill in the gap. The stuff they chuck in there is rather thoughtful - I already booked my brow-shaping session with Laura Mercier. Woo-hoo!

Tales of Two Events (And a Bit More)

First published in Aroxta on 21 February 2012.

February has been a rather eventful month for me, and I have been fashion-filled from top to bottom! Here are some of the exciting events that I have been to for the past week, see if you will find any inspirations for your upcoming spring wardrobe.

John Hardy

John Hardy has shipped their 2012 Spring collection over to Hong Kong last week, so Jasmine and I naturally had to pop by for a sneak peek! The collection, with some new pieces for all their classic lines, is firmly modern and clean cut, with a variety of vibrant colours, bringing together the best of what Bali has to offer.

Most Versatile Handbags on the Market

First published in ELEQT on 22 February 2012.

It is important for a bag to be functional on top of merely looking fabulous, since the aesthetics is rather much expected of from luxury handbags. Finding out that it also does A, B, AND C would actually make or break the deal when it comes to investing in yet another new bag. Here are a few pieces recently on the market that I find rather versatile:

78%’s Peppe carry-on travel bag doesn’t only deliver a classy twist to an old-fashion school bag, but can also carry enough stuff compactly for a short business trip! Made of Japanese canvas and Italian leather, it has its very own padded laptop, cables and charger compartments, as well as separate pockets for your passport, documents, and iPhone. Three separate compartments for clothes, laptop, and files mean that you never have to fumble through your entire bag to grab hold of your boarding pass at the gate ever again.

Fashion With Passion - Amenpapa

First published in ELEQT on 18 February 2012.

There are lots of people in the fashion industry trying to think of inspirational messages for their creation. Remember the "I'm not a Plastic Bag"? What about "Impossible is Nothing"? Honestly, most of these slogans will fade in time, but there are some that just won't go away, and for over 2000 years, no less. Salina, the founder of Amenpapa, wanted to blend enlightening messages from the bible with a trendy twist, so she brought in a fashion design team who previously worked with I.T to created pieces that are pippin' hot and yet more meaningful than just mere clothing. She even started a blog of her own, demonstrating how you could wear their motivational pieces in an edgy manner.

More Restored Barracks - Hong Kong Heritage Discovery Centre

First published in ELEQT on 19 February 2012.

There are tons of restored barracks scattered around town, since the Brits established quite a few of them to strengthen their defences on their new found colony a few centuries back. The Hong Kong Heritage Discovery Centre is among the lot, transformed from the former Whitfield Barracks, which was built in the 1860s at Tsim Sha Tsui, now making a part of the Kowloon Park. Originally made up of 85 structures designed in the typical Victorian colonial military fashion, they are now only able to preserve four of those, with the restored Blocks S61 and S62 forming part of the centre. Serving as a conservation works education centre, its building structure is also a live tribute to sustainable architecture in Hong Kong, adapting the historic military blocks to suit the complexities of modern devices and displays. Obviously they did a rather good job, because last time I was there, lots of recent local graduates from the nearby universities were on site, posing for various group shots.

More Art Events for February 2012

First published in Aroxta on 16 February 2012.

From Wednesday, 15 February 2012 to Friday, 17 February 2012

Last year, I went to Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra's complimentary performance at the ArtisTree, and it made an awesome break from work. After Hour Classics, as the event was called, will be on again this year starting at 6:30pm from tomorrow, 15 February 2012, to Friday, 17 February 2012, in none other than the ArtisTree in Tai Koo Place. Tomorrow they shall be featuring the Robert Ho Fellows in Concert, with Fu Shui-miao on the viola. The theme on Thursday will be about Forests, conducted by Francesco Lecce-Chong. On Friday, why not have a weekend rendezvous at their Classical Affair, featuring David Thompson on the horn?

Serene Heritage - Asian Society Hong Kong Centre

First published in ELEQT on 15 February 2012.

 

The Asian Society recently transformed the Old Victoria Barracks, a set of Grade 1 listed structure, into their new Hong Kong headquarters, with the official launch held last Friday, 10 February 2012. My family joined in with their site tour around what was the explosives magazine compound last Saturday, 11 February 2012, to take a closer look at their thoughtful conservation and amazing adaption of the former British military architecture, as well as to admire the rare art they had on exhibition. The Asian Society itself was founded by John Rockefeller 3rd as a NGO educational platform, and its Hong Kong Centre is now conveniently located across the Conrad Hong Kong and right next to the British Consulate in Admiralty, so it was a pretty chill walk over from Pacific Place.

Last Minute Touch-Up for Valentine's Day

Published exclusively in this site on 12 February 2012.

Valentine's Day is cutting really close by now. Have you got everything sorted yet? No? Don't worry, I have already came up with a quick plan for you right here:

Joseph Ribkoff, an iconic fashion brand proudly made in Canada, has created a wonderful 2012 Spring/Summer collection that will take you straight from the office to your Valentine's dinner date. Grab one of their signature wraps from LoveIt, who has stocked up with over 150 styles from their latest designs!

Swarovski 2012 Spring/Summer Runway Show

First published in Aroxta on 9 February 2012.

Jasmine, Keely and I were invited to Swarovski's 2012 S/S runway show yesterday, 8 February 2012 at the French Window. The collection, named Sweet Sixties, is filled with jewelry and accessories that swings and shines literally.

Fashion Events for February 2012

Published exclusively in this site on 8 February 2012.

Although it is still pretty cold, the fashion world has swiftly moved onto their 2012 Spring/Summer collection already. To celebrate the launch of these skimpy pieces, there are loads of spring parties going on all over town this month. Make sure you catch a few of them and stock up your wardrobe for the coming season while enjoying some bubblies!

Tory Burch will be bringing an early spring party at their boutique in IFC Mall from 7:00pm tomorrow, 9 February 2012. Not only will you be taking the first glimpse of their latest spring collection, you will also get a whopping 10% discount on the products, with 10% of all proceeds going towards Room to Read, a very worthy cause in educating those who needs it most. So RSVP here, and get ready for some yummy champagne as well as accessories with their signature buckle!

Adventures of Tea Tasting

First published in ELEQT on 12 February 2012.

Wine tasting is out! So what's in? After I got back from Hangzhou, I have been rather fond of Dragon Well, and have been drinking it in the office regularly. I have been surfing Tea Guardian, a website established by tea enthusiast Leo Kwan for more information on types of tea, and methods of usage, but thought it might be worthwhile to learn a bit more about the art of tea tasting in real life, so I went for Andrew's Tea Tasting Workshop for a sampler of various Chinese Tea. Andrew's family has been running Wah Fong Tea since 1952, so I knew we were in safe hands.

Getting Ready for Valentine's Day!

First published in ELEQT on 11 February 2012.

I reckon you would want to look for best for Valentine's, especially if this is the first one you guys are spending together as a couple? Here are a few pointers on what to look out for!

Boys - What to Wear

Hugo Boss came up with a wide range for their 2012 S/S collection, with the classy look from Boss Selection, so you can go to your Valentine's dinner straight from work, as well as the more casual Boss Orange look, so that you can look preppy and hip effortlessly for your date.

More on What to Get Her for Valentine's Day

First published in ELEQT on 11 February 2012.

Need more ideas on what to get her for Valentine's Day? Here are a few extra picks!

Jewelry

Is your girl the kind who is elegant but with an edgy twist? Get her an unique piece from Nymphenburg Jewellery, which is a classy yet trendy Swiss brand, with a dash of extra charm by pairing contrasting materials like porcelain and silver together. These celebrated pieces are available at Galerie Huit in Wanchai!

Art Events for February 2012

Published exclusively in this site on 2 February 2012.

On Friday, 3 February 2012

Hong Kong based French artist Charles Munka, and Los Angeles based artist/musician TEEBS (Mtendere Mandowa), will be jointly hosting their exhibition, Archipelago, in Ap Lei Chau. The event will be held at Seventy Eight Percent, who will be turning their studio into a pop up gallery for a week, starting from the opening party at 6:30pm tomorrow, 3 February 2012. The evening will feature a special live concert by TEEBS, so RSVP here now for an awesome night out!

Ideas for Valentine’s Day Gifts

First published in That's Zhejiang on 1 February 2012.

For Him

Are his shirts built for cufflinks? What better way is there to complete his refined look than with One Bond Street's ultra English sterling silver cufflinks? Fresh from London, he will be impressed by the attention you pay to the details. This quintessentially British brand is suitable for any occasions, like the sky blue half Jack cufflinks. Crafted with Union Jack in mind, it makes an eye catching piece for the modern day gents. Their lime green quarter Jack cufflinks, on the other hand, gives the classy look a quirky twist, expressing his refined taste. What is so special about this gift? You can get a matching pair for yourself as well, and pull off a slightly androgynous couple’s look!