Designs for Everyday

First published in RAW Magazine on 26 March 2012.

Granted, designs of masterpieces like the glass pyramid in front of the Louvre are pretty breathtaking, but those are more for a rare glimpse than daily admiration. The designs we put at home, on the other hand, plays a much more important role in our lives, though we do tend to disregard their aesthetic roles. Every piece of furniture you gathered at home doesn’t merely serve a function, but is also a good indicator of your immaculate taste and style, be it minimalistic or flamboyant. Here are two of the latest furniture pieces that I find sleek, practical, as well as environmental conscious.

Salute! Ways to Dress with Military Flair

First published in ELEQT on 29 March 2012.

Military pieces are quick additions for creating an androgynous feel to your otherwise rather feminine wardrobe. The solder touch is currently super trendy according to what was on display in the New York Fashion Week, and you can stock up pretty much everything at Doursoux, Paris' best kept secret, who supplies actual military wear that is fashionable enough to be worn on the Parisian streets. But how do you match the quaint marine hat and hip combat jacket with your existing wardrobe? Here are a few ideas:

Surprise, Coffee Lovers! Shanghai Tang X Nespresso

Published exclusively in this site on 26 March 2012.

Hey there, this is Keely, and I am an affectionate and playful coffee addict. A huge thanks to Gil for inviting Jas, Jess, and I to the most exclusive and fascinating events around town, as well as for encouraging us to become her guest blogger, on the side of my not-so-glamorous day job as a bank manager. From now on, I will be contributing about pretty much anything that is tasty, romantic, or beautiful.

Coffee always gives the impression of intense aroma and taste. Have you thought of what would happen when coffee meets with luxury, the Chinese way? The internationally renowned coffee brand Nespresso has paired up with the proudly Chinese fashion house Shanghai Tang to launched their first ever collaboration, the Shanghai Tang for Nespresso Dragon Collection, which was whipped up right in time for the auspicious year of the dragon.

Designed by Millicent Lai, Shanghai Tang's Chief Designer in home showcases, the collection is fabricated in the flamboyant red, and their signature coffee machines are embossed with the majestic Chinese dragon flying over meandering clouds, an ancient symbol for power, fortune, protection, and fertility.

Look at that Cow! Sessyu Teppanyaki

Published exclusively in this site on 23 March 2012.

Hey there, this is Jasmine! After accompanying the fabulous Gil to all these awesome events, I have decided that I need to boost my contributions to her blog. My plan is to write about anything fun, yummy, green or beautiful!

For my first entry, I thought I would review a restaurant I recently hit up in the new-ish Cubus Building in Causeway Bay. Each time I pass by it, I make a mental note to eventually try all the restaurants there. So when I read about Sessyu's one year anniversary special wagyu steak set, I jumped at the chance.

Sessyu is one of the many teppanyaki restaurants in Causeway Bay. The interior is what I guess you would call modern Japanese, with a long teppanyaki bar table on one side, and several regular tables on the other side. They also have a life-size cow figure smack in the middle of the restaurant. In fact, the first thing you see when you walk in is the rear-end of this cow, which I find rather amusing. A giant hint that you should be ordering beef! And after having tried their beef, I would say that is an awesome choice.

Fashion Updates for March 2012

First published in Aroxta on 28 March 2012.

Plukka is hosting an outrageously generous Facebook competition from now until 10:00am on Monday, 26 March 2012! PlukkaLOVES, as the giveaway is named, is generous mainly because they are giving stuff away in a multi-facet manner. Besides dishing out their ultimate Ramses I Ring which everyone who participates will get a chance of winning, they are also handing off a Bullet Ring everyday at 10:00am just by telling them what inspires your jewelry collection and get your friends to join in.

Instant Domestic God/Goddess - Secret Ingredient

First published in Aroxta on 23 March 2012.

If you have a huge birthday or anniversary is coming up, what innovative ideas do you have to surprise that special someone? Go out for a hum-dee-dum meal again at a posh restaurant that seats the two of you right next to another pair of strangers? Hmm maybe not. Then what about a secluded meal in the comforts of your own home? Not much of a cook? No worries, Secret Ingredient is here to the rescue!

The process is super simple. Just pick out a recipe from the four that they have on offer, which gets rotated every two weeks, then they will deliver the fresh ingredients right to your door all diced and ready for you to whip up a fancy dinner within half an hour. All you have to do is to follow their uber detailed step-by-step guide, and just chuck in the ingredients in alphabetic order. That's it. I love cooking but just hate having to go out and pick up all the stuff, which, let's face it, there are always one or two exotic items you just can't seem to find in Park n'Shop. And there is the added pleasure of having lots of spices and herbs that will just gather dust in your cabinet after that one meal, so the best part of this deal is they even provide the boring ol' salt and pepper so you don't need to go out and buy the entire bottle!

Genuine Easter Bash

First published in Aroxta on 16 March 2012.

Easter is definitely my favourite public holiday, since it is the only one that guarantees a long weekend. There really isn't any other holiday that will put the word (Good) Friday and (Easter) Monday right in the holiday name! But then again, it is a good idea to do more than just bumming around on a weekend where this dude died and resurrected around two thousand years ago, so here are a couple of ideas on how to celebrate the upcoming Easter holidays:

I know Shrove Tuesday was all the way in February, but what would Easter be like without pancakes? You really can't find a better excuse for piggin' out on good ol' McDonald's hotcakes. If you like your pancakes with a full range of choices, head over to Flying Pan for their all day breakfast, which in all honesty, isn't for anyone with choice dilemma. For the more local flavour, why not try out Match Box's banana pancake? Their decor definitely revives the sixties cha chaan teng, and makes a rather alternative Pancake Day meal. Ready to test just how local you are? Try some of Honeymoon Dessert's durian pancake, and prove to your pals what a China Hand you are!

From Seafood to Ocean - San Francisco Ocean Film Festival

Published exclusively in this site on 14 March 2012.

Hi there! I am Jess and I will be contributing to Gillian's blog every so often from now on. Right from the beginning of Gillian’s blogging adventures, she has been taking me and our fellow collaborators - Jasmine and Keely - to hot parties and exclusive events around town, and we were privileged to be joining her in setting our eyes upon exquisite fashion and beauty products before the rest of Hong Kong. Gillian knows very well that I lack the kind of dedication and motivation to keep a blog on my own, so when she asked if I could be a guest contributor to her fabulous blog, it sounded like the perfect gig and I jumped at the chance. Thanks Gillian for the invitation!

So what will you be reading in my posts? Well, I will be writing about exotic travel destinations, up and coming restaurants, inspiring fashion trends, any and every French happenings around town (oui, j'aime tout ce qui est Français!), and perhaps even a few odd posts or two on relationships!

To kick off my first post, I would like to clue you in on a cause that is super close to my heart. As a keen yet somewhat inexperienced scuba diver, I feel a strong connection to the ocean. That is why I seize every possible opportunity to submerge underwater in the hopes of perfecting my skills. I have just over 20 dives under my belt but it feels like I have already been to some of the best sites in the world already, including Sipadan in Malaysia and Palau. I know you have probably been hearing divers telling you that it is the most surreal experience to swim alongside with magnificent ocean giants like sharks and manta rays, but until you try it for yourself, you really don’t know what you are missing out on!

So when I heard about the first annual San Francisco Ocean Film Festival coming around to Hong Kong, I immediately booked my tickets and was so anxious for the day to come. The event is co-organized by the Ocean Recovery Alliance, a non-profit organization dedicated to participate in innovative projects and initiatives with the hopes of improving the health of our beloved ocean. The festival is going on at the same time as the one in San Francisco, showing over 40 films in a variety of length, hoping to raise public awareness on ocean protection. They are doing an awesome job bringing over some cool stuff like conservation, wildlife, marine protected areas, culture, sports and even a special screening dedicated to surfing.

Oriental Look

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

Blending in is a big part of what living in China is about, but putting on the full look might be a bit overwhelming. The aim is really to flaunt one really colourful vintage Chinese piece, and have it mingle along with your understated contemporary clothing, which should be in plain shades like black, white, or beige. Let’s see what traditional bits and pieces we can throw on along with our daily sweats to create an oriental look with a modern touch!

GIVEAWAY - Gillian Chu Blog X Girly Fashion

First published in ELEQT on 12 March 2012.

Wristlet/Hair Tie: wrapped around a scrunchie and tied the ends together in a ribbon

Noveltylane.com is feeling super generous, and is offering to giveaway three pieces of their beloved silk leopard print rectangular scarf from Girly Fashion to Gillian Chu - a Hong Kong Blog's readers! When you get to their Facebook fan page, look for their status that mentions this giveaway. In the comment box under that status, write one innovative use of the scarf as well as jot down your email, and this beauty will be yours! Three of the fastest individuals who manage to leave a comment will get the gift, so acting quickly!

Fashion Events for March 2012

First published in Aroxta on 7 March 2012.

On Thursday, 8 March 2012

Shop des Createurs is throwing a party starting 7:00pm on the coming Thursday, 8 March 2012, at the Space, the most funky pop-up space in town! They are presenting five of the most promising emerging designers, including some of my favourites: S.Nine, Tara Moor, and Niin. They will also be handing out beauty products from Nuxe, as well as passing around glasses of Marques de Casa Concha from Summergate. Over 200 fashionistas in the know have RSVP-ed already, so what are you waiting for? Get in touch with them and grab your spot now!

Art Events for March 2012

First published in Aroxta on 2 March 2012.

Visit to Asia Top Gallery Hotel Art Fair 2012

Remember I said you just must visit the Asia Top Gallery Hotel Art Fair? Well here are the snippets I brought home:

Over the last weekend, I was wandering about the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, going through works displayed by over sixty galleries from all over Asia. It was great to see Yuki Matsueda's large collection of works again this year, since I was very impressed with his exit sign from last year's exhibition. He is certainly one of the best in experimenting with recreating 2D graphics in 3D forms.