SCION Apr-Jun 2015

Mother’s Day Tribute What Marion Caunter, Ruby Khong And Dian Lee Learned From Their Mothers

get romantic

COOL COOL Summer

FEEL THE WIND

Dreamy Spots To Light The Love Candle

Must-Have Looks From This Season’s Fashion

Fancy Convertible Rides That Will Turn Heads

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Co n t e n t s

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36 12 – AROUND THE WORLD 40 – A COOL BLAST OF SUMMER FASHION & BEAUTY 48 – SUN’S UP

ACCESSORIEs 24 – HOW TO SPEND IT

36 – QUEEN OF BAGS

69 – FEAST FOR THE SENSES

56 – NEWS FOR THE GLOBETROTTER DESIGN & SPACES

20 – FASHION & BEAUTY UPDATES

27 – FESTIVE THREADS AND FANCY STITCHES

TRAVEL & dining

50 – THE ART OF ACCESSORISING 52 – ARRIVING IN GOOD TIME

57 – ROMANTIC GETAWAYS FOR THE SUMMER 64 – ALL ROADS LEAD TO LONDON FOR FLEMING FANS

74 – UPDATES FOR your INTERIORS 75 – ITALIAN RENAISSANCE

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80 DRIVING FORCE 78 - Obsessed with cars 80 – WAKE UP YOUR SENSES

97 – HONOuRING THE FINEST PERFORMANCES 98 – SCION THROWS A PARTY 100 – STAY FOREVER YOUNG

SOCIETY

101 – LET THERE BE LOVE

85 – AT HOME WITH RINO DONOSEPOETRO

THE SCION GALLERY

89 – THINGS MY MOTHER TAUGHT ME

102 – ACCOMMODATION AT PARTNER HOTELS

96 – make me a bag

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Available at: BIAN HOE SDN BHD, No. 3, Spg. 41, Jalan Kilanas Mulaut, Kg. Kilanas BF2520 Tel: 244 8811/22/55 Fax: 242 1694 Email: sales@bianhoe.com Website: www.bianhoe.com

Ed it o r ’s Not e

SCI-ON [sahy-uh-on]

A noble descendant, a privileged individual. Scions have the world at their feet. They hold the key to a vault of privileges that only an exclusive few can enjoy. At SCION, the line of wealth, luxury and high-living begins.

April/May/June 2015 Publisher: Wan Zainal Shazali Managing Editor: Pauline Chan Art Director: Novri Rinaldi Copy Editor: Vittoria D’Alessio Assistant Editor: Intan Abu Daniel Finance Manager: Chin Hui Hui Sales & Marketing Manager Bina Chauhan Contributors: Rohaizatul Azhar, Shireen Zainuddin-Lowe Su Jia Xian, Karen Tee, Low Shi Ping, Daven Wu, Roderick Eime, Damien Reid

We know you turn to us to discover what’s hip and what’s coming next in the worlds of fashion, beauty, high-end goods and travel, which is why we’ve spent the past three months putting together a fabulous collection of stories on the latest trends, destinations and luxury experiences. What we hadn’t anticipated was how much pleasure it would bring us to explore stories dealing with family, tradition and unity. We hope you’ll share the simple joy that these more contemplative pieces have brought to the SCION office.

For this issue’s personal interview, we met the new CEO at the Standard Chartered Bank in Brunei – ‘Donny’ Rino Donosepoetro.

While Donny talked to us about his work and personal life with warmth and eloquence, his wife and daughters gathered around him with admiring attention while also tending most graciously to our intrusive little interview group. The presence of Donny’s family and the quiet connection between the four of them struck us as the secret ingredient behind Donny’s calm demeanour and positive energy, leading us to create our own maxim that behind this successful man stands a strong and loving family.

Over in Malaysia, we asked three celebrated women what lessons they’d learned from their mothers - and what messages they’d most like to impart to their own children. When Mother’s Day comes around every May, we’re reminded just how much mothers do for their kids, and how there is no single way to raise children. As a mum, I can’t say I always know exactly what’s best for my children (fingers crossed they don’t know it!) but I put great effort into the job, I try to be as available to them as possible, and like most mothers, I pray everything will turn out okay. Mother knows best?

Not always. But we can always keep trying and learning...

SCION A magazine of CHMP Media, Brunei Darussalam Tel: +673 2331031. Fax: +673 2231031 E-mail: info@chmpmedia.com

Scion is published by CHMP Media (Brunei). All correspondence and advertising should be addressed to Scion, CHMP Media, Unit 49, 2nd Floor, Hj Munchit & HJH DYG RAPIAH Complex, Kg. Jaya Setia, Berakas BD2713.

Brunei Darussalam.

Cover photo: Model Kasia wears a printed chiffon beaded dress with leather belt from Gucci

All materials are strictly copyright and all rights are reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part without written permission of the copyright holder. All prices and data are correct at the time of publication. Opinions expressed in Scion are not necessarily those of the publisher and the publisher does not accept responsibility for advertising content. Any images supplied are at the owner’s risk.

Photography by Jimmy Khoo @ZINQ Studio

is distributed to:

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Indian cuisine brings home the bacon Gaggan won top prize at the Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2015 awards ceremony held in March at the Capella Hotel in Singapore. Besides claiming the coveted title of The S.Pellegrino Best Restaurant in Asia, the Bangkok restaurant was also named The S. Pellegrino Best Restaurant in Thailand. Chef Gaggan Anand opened his eponymous Bangkok restaurant in 2010. His vision was to reinvigorate Indian cuisine by incorporating modernist cooking techniques. His passion, energy and creativity are evident in every aspect of the dining experience, from the colonial-style setting to the molecular twists added to traditional Indian dishes. Gaggan ranked number three at the same awards ceremony last year. It also debuted on the World’s Best Restaurant list in 2014, landing in 17th place. www.eatatgaggan.com

SPREADING THE CAFÉ LOVE Café Trussardi has plans to expand to the rest of the world. The idea is to bring the look of the iconic Milanese drawing room currently housed in the Trussardi Building overlooking Milan’s Piazza della Scala to international capitals everywhere.

The concept revealed at the IMM-Cologne furniture trade fair in January blends the style and design of architect Carlo Colombo with artistic input from Gaia Trussardi and the manufacturing expertise of the Luxury Living Group. This is the ultimate expression of Italian style – a contemporary space where Mediterranean cooking culture meets the Trussardi Casa collection. The first opening is scheduled in Dubai and future destinations include Ibiza, New York and Miami. www.luxuryliving.com

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Floating on a Dream Boat Ever fancied seeing a living dinosaur?

On the Amandira, you’ll get to watch komodo dragons in their natural habitat while never straying from five-star luxury.

Named after the Sanskrit-derived word for ‘peace’ and dira which means ‘intrepid’, Amandira is a custom-built, 52-metre, two-masted Phinisi sailing vessel available to charter in the Indonesian archipelago.

Amandira offers three spacious cabins, dive facilities, dive master and dive team.

A crew of 14 ensures top service. Two cabins are fitted with king-sized beds while a third offers a queen-sized bed or twin beds. Each cabin features a living area with sofa, coffee table and writing desk, as well as a spacious bathroom with shower and twin vanities. The Amandira takes intrepid explorers on Komodo Expeditions, exploring the UNESCO-protected Komodo National Park. Another trip not to be missed is the Raja Ampat Expedition – a spectacular adventure through exceptional coral reefs teeming with marine life. www.amanresorts.com/amanwana/ amandira.aspx

Spellbound by Paresa Embark on a traditional Thai lifestyle adventure with a Paresa Phuket ‘Exotic Expedition around Paresa’. Expect to sample deep-sea fishing on a long-tail boat and to then enjoy your catch for dinner. You’ll be invited to swim with elephants, learn about the lives of rice farmers and snorkel on ‘Wow’ Island, just 30 minutes from Paresa. You’ll be accompanied at all times by an experienced ‘adventure executive’. Exotic Expeditions combine idyllic relaxation at the Paresa resort

with an authentic taste of traditional Phuket life.

Paresa is a romantic, awardwinning ‘Millionaire’s Mile’ hideaway in Phuket, and is listed among the world’s Top 10 Places to get married abroad. It also ranks among the world’s Top 10 Proposal Destinations. In addition, it was voted Best Relaxation & Spa Hotel by Trip Advisor Traveler’s Choice Awards. www.paresaresorts.com/ bespoke-paresa/adventures

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The Allure of Alessi

Calendula (Marigold), 2010, c Valerie Belin.

Courtesy JÇrìme de Noirmont, Paris

FLORAL STATEMENT If you’re besotted by all things floral, make a beeline for the Gucci Museo in Florence and catch the seventh exhibition of the Pinault Collection, on show until September 20. The Language of Flowers is curated by Martin Bethenod, director of Palazzo Grassi-Punta della Dogana. In this exhibition, he brings together the works of four artists who love to play with the iconography of flowers. The artists are French photographer Valerie Belin, Dutch artist Marlene Dumas, Moroccan-born artist Latifa Echakhch and American photographer Irving Penn.

The pieces on show were produced between 1967 and 2012, and each one is remarkable for its power of visual seduction. www.guccimuseo.com

Let’s Do Brunch Lonely Planet has added The World’s Best Brunches to its World Best series of food books. Also in the series are Best Street Food and Best Spicy Food. The latest collection of mid-morning meals is accompanied by a description of the origin of each dish, a recommendation for the best place to sample a bite, and an easy-to-prepare recipe for throwing together the dish at home. With contributions by 42 food writers around the world, The World’s Best Brunches features 100 authentic recipes, drinks and condiments plus clear instructions, spread over 224 pages. It also includes a glossary of exotic ingredients with suggestions for easy-to-find alternatives and a foreword by acclaimed Australian chef Bill Granger. shop.lonelyplanet.com/world/worlds-bestbrunches-1/

Italian housewares and kitchen utensil company Alessi has introduced its delectable, multi-designer Spring/Summer 2015 collection. Innovation and artistry form the main creative vibes – as they generally do in Alessi collections. Some items have a whimsical touch, such as the Cheese Please grater by Gabriele Chiave and Lorenza Bozzoli, which looks like a cowbell. Alessandro Mendini’s Duomo di Milano bottle opener is another certain crowd pleaser. Impress your guests with the complete Colombina Collection cutlery set specially designed to prepare and serve all types of seafood.

Take breakfast to a whole new creative level with the Marcel Wanders ‘Dressed’ and ‘Dressed in Wood’ range of tableware and serving accessories. From

the Officina Alessi brand comes the wonderful ‘Opus’ centerpiece by Guido Venturini, which resembles a roughly cut rectangle of metal lace. www.alessi.com

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Ar o u n d th e W o r l d

ZOOLANDER FASHION SPARKLING DIVA

Zoolander 2 is coming back in 2016 – and we know this how? The big reveal came during Paris Fashion Week on the runway of the Valentino Fall 2015 Fashion Show. Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson, in character as the movie’s Derek Zoolander and Hansel, minced down the runway as the finale of the March 10 show. The surprise appearance by the famous duo gave a glimpse of the movie storyline, with Derek and Hansel back in their roles as fashion models. Stiller wore a custom Night Butterflies brocade suit with hand-embroidered overcoat and black Creeper shoes.

Wilson showed off a Silk Continent print pyjama suit with double cashmere overcoat and Open sneakers.

Award-winning jewellery brand Monica Vinader has launched a dazzling new collection in its Hong Kong store. Inspired by the geometric modern architecture of Charles Zana and Carlos Scarpa, the Diva collection zings with stunning simplicity.

Rings, earrings, bracelets and necklaces are available in sterling silver, 18-carat yellow and rose gold vermeil with pavé set diamonds, multifaceted green aventurine and rainbow moonstone. Designer, CEO and Founder Monica Vinader says: “This collection comes from my current obsession with barely-there diamonds and symmetrical shapes. The tiny circular ring is a gorgeous little addition to your accessories wardrobe, or you can layer up and wear multiple pieces at once – the effect is always amazing.”

The new designs are available at Monica Vinader boutiques and concessions, and online at www.monicavinader.com

As a tradition, Montegrappa has created a new pen every year for those who follow the Chinese Zodiac, and this year’s Goat-inspired pen is certainly one for the collectors. The barrel centre of the ‘Year of the Goat 2015’ pen is made from engraved sterling silver or 18-Carat yellow gold, engraved with five elements: Fire, Earth, Metal, Water and Wood. In between the elements are the years during the past century that correspond to the Year of the Goat in that specific element. The Year of the Goat 2015 is available in limited editions. Production is limited to 888 pieces of sterling silver fountain pens and 888 rollerball pens, while the 18-Carat gold fountain and rollerball pens are both limited to 88 pieces. www.montegrappa.com

Photo: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images For Paramount Pictures

WRITE ABOUT THE GOAT

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Fa s h i o n & B e a u t y

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Hello, Beautiful!

Take inspiration from Burberry’s latest make-up collection to give your complexion the dewy glow of Spring mornings.

The brand’s glamorous-yet-wearable take on this season’s beauty trends features tawny eyes in nude hues, deep ruby lips in matte textures and honey skin with an iridescent glow. To achieve the look created on the runway by Burberry’s make-up artistic consultant Wendy Rowe, apply Fresh Glow Luminous Fluid Base to your face then add a BB cream or foundation over areas requiring more coverage.

Next, dust eyes with a layer of Light Glow Earthy Blush No.7 and groom brows with the Effortless Eyebrow Definer to frame your peepers. Finish with Lip Cover in Ruby No.18 and you’re good to go.

Lighten Up

burberry.com

Beauty goes high-tech With their promise of spa-worthy results minus the expense or hassle, hand-held devices are all the rage for good reason. The latest addition to the burgeoning market is Skin Inc’s Optimizer Voyage, an anti-ageing light-therapy device. The Voyage harnesses NASA-style red LED technology and low-frequency current stimulation to activate skin cells, thereby enabling them to regenerate more effectively and to better absorb active ingredients. Daily use of up to 10 minutes is believed to result in plumper, healthier skin and a more defined V-shaped silhouette. To use the device, gently massage the skin in an upward circular motion after applying water-based skincare products. The Voyage runs on three AAA batteries, making it an ideal travel companion to ensure round-the-clock glowing skin. www.iloveskininc.com

The term whitening may have garnered a bad rep in recent years but the latest whitening ranges look set to overhaul public opinion. Instead of lightening the skin tone, today’s skincare products target dark pigmentation and reduce dullness, resulting in a more even and luminous complexion. Estee Lauder’s new Crescent White Full Cycle Brightening range is part of the new generation of creams that harness advances in science to create more radiant skin. The six-product range is designed to work in sync with the body’s natural repair mechanisms to protect the skin against further aggressors while repairing existing damage, including visible spots and uneven skin. The skincare collection also comprises a BB cream and powder foundation for complete coverage. www.esteelauder.com

The nose knows There’s always something exciting to discover at high-end multi-label beauty boutique Escentials. This season, one of the most interesting offerings is Diptyque’s Eau Plurielle, a multi-use fragrance that can be applied to both skin and fabric, without staining the latter. With a clean linen scent intermingled with ivy and Turkish roses, this makes a delightful fragrance for the home as well. For a fresh take on a rose-based perfume, check out Maison Francis Kurkdjian’s new A La Rose perfume. Each 70ml bottle, made with the petals of 400 Centifolia and Damascena roses, captures the essence of rose without ever being cloying, thanks to the canny addition of violet, cedar and musk. www.escentials.com.sg

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Fa s h i o n & B e a u t y

Princess Bride Looking for the perfect wedding frock? Check out the latest Zuhair Murad bridal collection. Exquisite pieces are now exclusively available at Belle & Tulle Bridal, one of Singapore’s top bridal boutiques. The Spring/ Summer 2015 collection from the Paris-based Lebanese designer features form-fitting shapes and full cascading skirts that manage to be both chic and irresistibly sweet.

Belle & Tulle Bridal is a multilabel international designer gown boutique featuring bridal collections from international designers including Elie Saab, Romona Keveža, Naeem Khan and Zuhair Murad. The store also stocks evening gowns from Tony Ward and bridal accessories by Jennifer Behr.

For more information, visit www.belleandtulle.com

Framing the Peepers Ermenegildo Zegna has teamed up with Marcolin Eyewear to launch its first joint eyewear range. The collection, which is available at leading optical shops and department stores, offers sunglasses and optical frames that closely follow Ermenegildo Zegna’s vision for men’s fashion, as championed by creative director Stefano Pilati. Each piece in the collection follows the company’s tradition of marrying vintage and contemporary styles. Only the finest-quality materials are used, in particular natural ones like horn and wood. A distinctive mark of each new model is the iconic “XXX” logo, which is made by hand in vicuna cotton thread. Available from www.zegna.com

Asia Rocks Gucci has unveiled a special ad blitz for the AsiaPacific region dedicated to watches, jewellery and eyewear. Fronted by South Korean actress Gianna Jun, the ad was shot in London by Norwegian-born photographer Sølve Sundsbø. In the ad campaign, the 33-year-old actress is seen wearing a white 18-karat gold Horsebit pendant necklace and matching ring, both embellished with diamonds.

These items are from the house’s Horsebit jewellery range. The accessories collection is available on www.gucci.com

Bag to behold Climb up the style ladder and raise your chic quotient with the latest arm candy from CH Carolina Herrera. Called the Vendome Petit Point, the bag symbolises tradition, craftsmanship and modernity, and represents the brand’s interpretation of one of the most charming areas of Paris. The bag features exquisite floral embroidery handcrafted onto the house’s signature perforated Olimpo leather. It also features nubuck sides, which give the bag structure, balance and strength. Available at L1-19/20 The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands. www.carolinaherrera.com

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how to spend it

by Karen Tee

Building a portfolio doesn’t have to limit you to stocks and bonds. Handbags, if chosen carefully, can also be smart buys that will hold their value over time – or better still, turn a profit.

Many of the finer things in life, such as art and watches, are regarded as more than gorgeous possessions by their owners – they’re savvy investment pieces too, steadily appreciating in value over time. Now handbags can be added to the list of acquisitions with the power to grow an investment portfolio.

luxury labels, including Chanel, Hermes, Goyard and Cartier.

This finding comes from a recent study of the retailer’s database of 500,000 luxury goods from 500 brands. Interestingly, labels that re-sell at around their original price include new upstarts like Victoria Beckham and Charlotte Olympia, as well as brands with a unique aesthetic, such as Alexander McQueen and Givenchy.

Women often justify their latest handbag purchase by claiming it’s “a great investment” but as a rule of thumb, fashion items start to depreciate the moment they’re carried out of the shop. It takes research, great instincts and a pinch of luck to turn a profit with arm candy.

One of the reasons classic labels never seem to go out of style is because of their “rich brand heritage and outstanding craftsmanship,” says Nejla Matam-Finn, CEO and founder of The Fifth Collection (www.thefifthcollection.com), a curated marketplace for luxury pre-loved and vintage fashion. MatamFinn says: “The treasures that come from the Hermes and Chanel ateliers continue to demonstrate the deep knowledge of these fashion houses, and consumers don’t seem about to change their

The Real Real – an online luxury consignment retailer – finds that the most investment-worthy bags come from traditional

minds about either.” Other brands that are popular among her collection’s customers include Celine and Balenciaga.

What these investment-worthy brands have in common is that they hardly, if ever, hold sales that cheapen the perceived value of their brand’s products. “In that sense, it creates a perception of purity,” says Milton Pedraza, CEO of the Luxury Institute – a research group focusing on high-end brands. “If I buy something, I will think, ‘Wow it has long term investment value,’ ” says Pedraza in a Fortune magazine interview.

As with many investments, good timing and luck also play their part. Chanel bags demonstrate this starkly. The price of new bags from the brand has been steadily rising over the last few years, leading to an increase in the value of pre-loved

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and vintage Chanel bags. The successful introduction of a new designer, such as Phoebe Philo at Celine in 2008, can also dramatically add value to a brand’s cachet.

Ultimately, whether or not you decide on a safe choice such as a vintage Hermes or Chanel, or prefer to take a bet on a new design that could morph into a future classic, what matters most is adhering to the principles of successful art collecting.

“Make sure you take good care of it,” says Matam-Finn.

“Store your bag in a ventilated place, stuff it with paper and keep all the original packaging. Normal wear and tear is understandable on the pre-loved market – however make-up and pen stains are less so.”

hall of fame Ready for your next investment purchase?

Here is our pick of the crop.

Givenchy Antigona You can’t go wrong with a structured everyday bag that’s roomy enough to stash the day’s necessities and then some. This Boston-style bag stands out for its angular lines, in keeping with the brand’s signature gothic aesthetic. The crocodile-skin version is an indulgence that’s worth the splurge, as the bag’s design allows the croc scales to be displayed to full effect.

Dior Lady Dior Before Carla Bruni became one of Dior’s most famous fans, there was Princess Diana. The late Duchess of Wales was particularly fond of the feminine and elegant Lady Dior handbag and was regularly seen with it. Indeed, the handbag’s structured shape provides an excellent counterpoint to ladylike outfits, and effortlessly glams up a casual jeansand-T-shirt look too.

Celine Classic Box This vintage-style shoulder bag hits all the right spots with its pared down shape, understated hardware and convenient shoulder strap. It’s sufficiently slim that it is frequently carried as a clutch. Best of all, there’s no discernible logo on the bag, which means it’s recognisable only to those in the know.

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Festive Threads and Fancy Stitches

Loewe Amazona The Loewe Amazona is believed to be one of the first day-to-night bags, with a supple and lightweight body that’s a far cry from the stiff, heavy bags that were the norm before its arrival. To reinforce the bag without compromising on its structure, leather square patches are sewn to the base. The Spanish brand uses only the top five percent of quality leathers from Europe’s most reputable tanneries for this bag and is said to get top priority when it sources from Spanish tanneries.

Balenciaga Motorcycle When it comes to slouchy-cool arm candy with attitude, the Balenciaga Motorcycle bag is still the one to beat. Since its release in the early noughties, this ultra-soft leather bag has captured the imaginations of bag lovers for its stylish insouciance – it looks just as good hanging off the crook of an arm as it does slung casually over the shoulder.

By Low Shi Ping

July and Hari Raya are just around the corner – the perfect reason to start rejuvenating your wardrobe.

We’ve handpicked four fabulous designers for you to take inspiration from. Are you ready to turn heads in their latest traditional wear collections?

Hermes Kelly

Its distinctive quilted leather and thin double-chain straps make this one of the world’s most iconic handbags. Coco Chanel designed this shoulder bag in the 1920s to free up women’s hands, and it became an instant hit. Since then, there have been several variations on the original design, including the 2.55 and Chanel Boy, all of which have been immediate bestsellers.

There’s nothing traditional about traditional wear – at least not according to the four Malaysian fashion designers who spoke to Scion about their latest collections. Through their imaginative use of fabrics, colour and motifs, these creative geniuses have turned the style on its head. What remains constant however is the femininity, elegance and delightful aesthetic of each piece.

Better still, these designers do not restrict themselves to traditional wear, instead offering collections for every occasion and lifestyle.

We speak to these talented artists about style and inspiration.

Bottega Veneta Knot It’s not difficult to see why this versatile minaudiere is a red carpet favourite of Hollywood celebrities like Gwyneth Paltrow, Nicole Kidman and Charlize Theron.

Take a leaf from the style books of these trendsetters and add the Knot clutch to your wardrobe. Its elegant, unfussy silhouette balances out lavish formalwear effortlessly while its signature woven pattern provides texture and visual interest to the design.

Photos: The Fifth Collection (Hermes, Chanel, Balenciage) Bottega Veneta, Loewe, Celine, Dior, Givenchy

Chanel Classic Flap

Together with the legendary Birkin, the Kelly bag ranks as one of the world’s most famous handbags. The bag is named after actress and princess Grace Kelly, who used it to shield her pregnancy from the paparazzi. Today, this bag remains one of the French luxury label’s most popular and coveted designs, as every bag is individually handcrafted by an artisan. It takes up to 25 hours to complete each creation.

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Calvin Thoo.

It’s his earnest, can-do spirit that makes Calvin Thoo a favourite among clients. Seven years ago, when asked by his regulars to design traditional wear, he agreed to try, confessing he’d never learned this style of dressmaking. The Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) graduate had always focused on Western-style fashion.

Undeterred, he married his powers of observation with techniques he’d learned in college. “I’m lucky to have clients who constantly encourage and teach me,” Thoo says.

His efforts have paid off. Today, he’s hailed as a celebrity designer in Malaysia, counting headliners such as Siti Nurhaliza, Anita Sarawak and Adibah Noor, along with members of the royal family, as his clients. He also jets to Brunei every two months for consultations and fittings with the country’s who’s-who.

Still, Thoo is quick to state that he hasn’t forgotten about the lady on the street. “It’s really my dream to be able to design for everybody.” And judging from his latest collection, this dream is on track to become a reality.

Photos: Courtesy of Calvin Thoo

His pieces are feminine, simple and elegant, marked with well placed but subtle details that act as a focal point. For instance, the bodice on a cheongsam might be heavily beaded, but look closer and you’ll see a story woven into the fabric.

Thoo’s philosophy focuses on comfort, which is why the cut and quality of the fabrics he uses are so important. “I want the outfit to complement the person, and not the other way round.” He commonly uses silk, citing its suitability for tropical weather and the flattering way it flows over the body.

At the moment, however, it’s taffeta that’s occupying space in his atelier. Thoo lets on that he will be using lots of it in his upcoming collections. He likes the way it enhances the silhouette and how it suits most body types. We can’t wait.

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Fa s h i o n & B e a u t y

Tom Abang Saufi

Fun, bright and exuberant – these are the adjectives that come to mind when looking at the collections by fashion designer Tom Abang Saufi. But take a closer look and the motifs on the pieces resonate at a deeper level.

Tom, who hails from Sarawak, is immensely proud of her roots and turns to them for inspiration. Elements include weaves, carvings and nature formations unique to Borneo. She also draws upon designs found in ethnic jewellery. “I tap upon my heritage because you must find a soul for your brand. I’ve always believed in keeping tradition alive. Without it, we have nothing to remember in life,” says Tom. When she’s at her drawing board, today’s youth figure prominently in her thoughts. The result? Creations young people are proud to wear. “That way, you have tradition and heritage coming out to play in the streets.” In 2000, when she first used batik in her collection, the reception was so warm, it became common to see young people wearing outfits made with the technique going clubbing.

Her focus on heritage also impacts the style of her designs. She uses minimal fastenings, preferring to get her clients to tie the cloth where possible, to accentuate their silhouettes. This is yet another nod to traditional wear as seen with the kebaya, sarong, sari, cheongsam and toga. “Yes, I am inspired by them, but I also give them a modern twist.”

This is one designer who has mastered the art of making tradition a statement in cool.

Photos: Courtesy of Tom Abang Saufi

Then there are the colours. Vibrant hues in every imaginable colour are splashed across Tom’s collections. “I use them because my designs are for wherever there is sun,” she explains. “I don’t have seasonal collections but I do keep tabs on the colour predictions in the fashion capitals.”

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Melinda Looi.

What do Britney Spears, Anne Hathaway and Cameron Diaz have in common? They’re all clients of Melinda Looi. The fashion designer succinctly describes her style as being influenced by culture and theatre. “The gothic tradition of avantgarde is my signature, and eclectic vintage is my handwriting.”

It’s no surprise then that the creations produced under her eponymous label are fantastical works of art – think bold colours, intricate detail, and eye-catching prints. Her five collections include Couture, Ivory, Ready-To-Wear, Islamic and Mell Basics.

Looi, who won Designer of the Year in 2004, 2006 and 2009, feels there is nothing complicated about her craft. “Fashion to me is art – an art form that’s created from fabrics, trims, thread, yarns, etcetera.” So no surprise that she draws inspiration from the planet’s greatest artist – Mother Nature.

Earth tones run through all her collections. Looi is also fond of using natural materials such as silk, cotton and stones to create pieces that flow over the form and are easy to wear. The same is evident in her Islamic Collections.

Photos: Courtesy of Melinda Looi

Looi has been creating custom-made traditional wear since she started her label in 2000. Her seasonal ready-to-wear Ramadhan Collection launched in 2013, with the promise of proceeds being donated to a selected charity each year.

Interestingly, Looi is not a Muslim herself. She turned to traditional wear after falling in love with the abaya and Islamic fashion. “It’s so simple and yet so elegant,” she enthuses. She says she’s thrilled that her designs have been accepted by the Islamic community.

Quiz her about what the Melinda Looi woman is all about and her reply comes without hesitation – she’s a “modern-day warrior”.

“She has a soft, feminine appearance but is strong in character and unafraid of challenges or new experiences. She is independent, confident and knows what she wants out of life.”

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Alia Bastamam.

If you’re looking for traditional wear that can stand the test of time, Alia Bastamam’s boutique is the place to visit. The fashion designer describes her aesthetic style as “simplicity” and she’s ever mindful that clothes should complement rather than “overpower” the woman donning them.

“I believe in classic timelessness. I imagine a design and then I imagine the design 10 years from now – it should still be a great design,” she explains. For this reason, she chooses lush fabrics like crepe silk, satin crepe, chiffon silk, sequins and French lace for her eponymous collection, combining these with sophistication, sharp cuts and fine tailoring.

Bastamam hopes to attract a client who is modern, intelligent and urban. “She’s the one who comes to me for a great cut – not some heavily-embellished frock,” says the Raffles Design School (Kuala Lumpur) graduate.

Designing traditional wear is something Bastamam has indulged in since childhood. Equipped with a sewing machine and a Vogue pattern piece book from the 1980s, she would alter her grandmother’s hand-me-down sarong kebayas and make clothes for Eid and other special events.

“As I grew older, these kebayas would be converted into wrap cocktail dresses and holiday dresses. This has inspired how I look at traditional wear, which is with a modern twist, making clothes versatile for Eid, weddings and cocktail events, as well as resort wear.”

Photos: Courtesy of Alia Bastamam

Inspiration can strike anytime and anywhere. For instance, an afternoon stroll at the bird park was the wellspring from which she drew ideas for her Resort 2014 collection. The designer also takes her cues from other women, such as Bianca Jagger, Catherine Baba and the late Gia Carangi, who are, or have been, extraordinary in their own ways, and have led Bastamam to create entire collections around them.

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Queen of

Bags With her classic bags favoured by some of the world’s most powerful women and her fun, kitschy bags adored by A-list celebrities, Anya Hindmarch is England’s undisputed matriarch of arm candy. ROHAIZATUL AZHAR speaks to the British designer in London.

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was a tough decision but one that ultimately enabled her to take her beloved company to the next level.

“I was spread quite thin, between fulfilling the creative role which I started with and loved, and running the business, which I also loved,” she says. “I was trying to decide which way to go, but ultimately I am not an expert at growing a business and actually the creative role is not as easy to fill [from outside the company]. So I made the big decision to fire myself and to hire a very seasoned pro.”

Big decision-wise, so far, so good. The fashion world believes Hindmarch is now producing some of her finest work. Items from her past few collections reportedly sold out three times over before their official launch, and have been pictured on the arms of some of the world’s biggest celebrities. And her latest collection will, no doubt, garner similar attention.

Hindmarch – who was awarded the MBE by Queen Elizabeth in recognition for her contribution to the British fashion industry – concedes that while courting celebrities is not her highest priority, high-profile endorsements do add credibility to her brand.

Hindmarch’s bags steal the limelight – as does the creative way she chooses to introduce them to the world. Take last year’s critically acclaimed autumn/winter collection, for example, which saw the catwalk morph into a supermarket conveyor belt. Thankfully there were no canned beans or bananas waiting to be bagged, but rather clutches and tote bags – all delightful accessories guaranteed to add a twist of luxury to the wardrobe of the lucky shopper.

Items on the conveyor belt included a roomy blue bag sporting a smiling Kellogg’s Frosties tiger and a Kellogg’s cockerel clucking from a white bag. There were also tasselled Daz and Ariel washing powder box purses, crinkled crisp packets worn across the body and round packets of McVities Rich Tea biscuits.

“I wanted to treat the everyday in an extraordinary way,” says Hindmarch, who adores a good joke. “I’ve always loved the idea of taking everyday things and making them beautiful.”

It was on a chilly spring morning that SCION met up with the British designer at her offices in Battersea, south London. Hindmarch was understandably tired, having presented her runway collection just the week before. Still, the hardworking designer looked impossibly chic in a crisp white shirt, tailored pants and a grey overcoat. She was already immersed in her next collection.

Hindmarch, who is the second of three siblings from a family of entrepreneurs, is certainly no fan of run-of-the-mill designs. This was demonstrated once again in March, when she presented her latest collection at London Fashion Week. Inspired by London’s M25 motorway, she sent models down the runway carrying miniature replicas of highway paraphernalia, including signs warning of road works.

“Basically, I spend way too much time on the M25. When you’re stuck in traffic, you tend to notice the graphics and the visuals that surround you. So I wanted to capture that slightly trance-like feeling you get when you’re in you car on the motorway and you’ve got a clear road in front of you with your favourite bit of music on.”

The collection was well received by the fashion media, needless to say.

“You’d think there’d be a rest period between the two seasons but we’ve got to finish up the spring collection within the next few weeks or we’ll be late for production,” she says.

Photos: Anya Hindmarch; Morgan O’Donovan

Like many fashion designers, Anya Hindmarch is inspired by her surroundings. But unlike most, the 47-year-old Brit likes to get playful with what she sees, creating collections that are both beautifully constructed and youthfully fun. It’s this terrific blend of quality and jauntiness that makes fashion editors take note of Anya Hindmarch. The fact that her shows are essentially accessories events does not seem to put them off.

It’s hard to imagine there being a designer who works harder than Hindmarch, and it’s her tenacity and passion for her work that have kept the Anya Hindmarch brand ticking over for the past two decades. But in 2011, the mother-of-five decided to “fire” herself as chief executive officer of the company she founded in 1987 at the age of 19, and to seek help. She brought in James McArthur, who once ran Harrods and has also worked as vice-president at Gucci.

Allowing McArthur to run the company meant Hindmarch could focus more fully on the creative aspect of the business. It

“Having celebrities pictured carrying your bags does make a huge difference. Of course, it also helps that they’re some of my good friends. But that’s not my starting point when coming up with new designs. Yes, it’s flattering and supportive, and I am thankful, but for me it’s always about the design of a bag and not about who is carrying it.”

Interestingly, Hindmarch does not subscribe to the concept of the It bag. “Our company is the absolute antithesis of that. I believe it takes more confidence to carry something that not everybody has. Also, I don’t like to make something that everyone has done before – it’s not very creative.”

Moreover, despite the kitschy motifs, her bags carry no prominent logos or company monograms. “I suppose this craze for It bags happens everywhere, but there’s more of it in new markets where there are many nouveau riche (newly rich) people. I mean, people who are successful or rich don’t need to proclaim what they are through their bags.”

Hindmarch describes the brand’s ideal customer as an individualist with a sensibility for beautiful craftsmanship.

She says: “Our customer is anyone who possesses a sense of humour – because our product is fun. She is confident enough to have a laugh and not seek societal approval because of the bag she carries. She has to be a snob about craftsmanship, though. Because that’s the most important thing for me.”

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A COOL BLAST OF SUMMER Stay cool but look hot with this season’s must-haves.

Choose from floral prints to bold stripes, add a statement bag, a pair of killer shoes and you’re ready to paint the town.

Cloud-print dress and diamante tiger bag from Kate Spade

Photography : Jimmy Khoo @ ZINQ Studio www.zinqstudio.com Art Direction : Jimmy Khoo Assistants : Wei Ping & Haziq Stylist : Christina Smirnova & Daniel Lim Make Up Artist : Kenny Yee @makeupmiracle Hair Stylist : Dylan Boon Model : Kasia - Tangerine Models

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Feather-print top and bird cage bag from Kate Spade

Sequin-embellished top and black & white stripe knitted skirt from Kate Spade

Knitted red & blue checked pullover and stripe skirt from DKNY Coral leather bag and black patent sandals from TODS

Embellished skirt from DKNY Stone-embellished multicolour leather bag from TODS Pink studded leather backpack from MCM

50 they account for 95 percent of the solar radiation reaching earth.

UVA doesn’t play an important Part in causing sunburn but it penetrates deeply into skin and causes wrinkles. It also increases skin cancer risk, so protection from UVA rays is important. But unlike SPF ratings, which are a universal guide for protection against UVB rays, there’s no standard rating system for protection against UVA. PA, however, is one of the most commonly used measuring tools, and skin experts recommend picking a sunscreen with a PA+++ rating or higher. Other rating systems include PPD (persistent pigment darkening) and UVA seal. Products offering good UVA protection usually list one of the following ingredients on the label: ecamsule, avobenzone,oxybenzone, titanium dioxide, sulisobenzone and zinc oxide.

Try: Clinique Even Better Dark Spot defence SPF45/PA++++

SUN’S UP Keep your skin looking radiant, wrinkle-free and most importantly, protected from skin cancers, with these doctor-approved tips on proper sunscreen application.

Chemical sunscreens work by absorbing the sun’s rays and dispersing them through a chemical reaction. Formulations with chemical filters are often light in texture and appear natural on the skin. But if your skin is sensitive, it may react to the chemicals and flare up, so it’s worth doing a patch test before slathering the stuff all over your face. You should also consider the potential longterm risks of using chemical sunscreens. It’s thought that some of the chemicals commonly used (including oxybenzone and retinyl palmitate) may be harmful, though the scientific jury is still out.

By Karen Tee

When asked to choose a single skincare product they couldn’t live without, skin experts inevitably name sunscreen. And for good reason. The sun’s ultraviolet rays are one of the key causes of premature skin ageing and changes in pigmentation. Even more alarming is the risk of dangerous skin cancers that comes from overexposure to UV. Thankfully, sunscreen offers a simple (yet sometimes overlooked) prophylaxis for both skin ageing and skin cancers – but proper application is essential. Here’s how to slap it on like a pro.

What is SPF? SPF stands for Sun Protection Factor and indicates a product’s level of protection against

Physical versus chemical sunscreens Sunscreens come with either physical or chemical filters. Physical sunscreens, which are made of minerals such as titanium dioxide and zinc oxide, protect the skin by scattering the light and reflecting it away. Such sunscreens are recommended for those with allergies to chemical sunscreens or with sensitive skin issues such as eczema. Generally, these formulations are also more stable than their chemical counterparts. It’s worth noting, however, that physical sunscreens tend to have an oilier texture and can look somewhat chalky on the skin.

UVB rays. From the SPF number, you can estimate how long you’ll be safe in the sun. to know how long your chosen product will keep you safe, simply multiply the SPF number by the length of time you know you’re fine in the sun without sunblock. Typically, someone with fair skin can tolerate 10 minutes of unprotected exposure while someone darker can stretch this to 30 minutes. For most people, SPF 15 is perfectly adequate. Bear in mind that the higher the SPF, the smaller the increased benefit – SPF 30 isn’t twice as strong as SPF 15.

Don’t skimp A smear of sunscreen is usually insufficient for a product to be effective. You need at least half a teaspoon of sunscreen for your face and neck and a shot-glass worth for your entire body.

Reapply often For ongoing protection, reapply every four hours. Sunscreen wears off over time and can get rubbed off when you sweat. If you’ve been swimming or undertaking some other physical activity, reapply immediately, even if you’ve been using a waterproof formula.

UV rays follow you indoors That’s right – to max out on sun protection, slap on sunblock even when you’re staying indoors, as reflected UV rays also cause damage. Those pesky rays penetrate car and building windows too. But if you’re planning to stay inside, feel free to choose a lighter formulation – a multi-purpose moisturiser or BB cream with an SPF rating will usually suffice.

Try: Shiseido White Lucent All Day Brightener SPF 36 or Clarins UV Plus Anti-Pollution Day Screen SPF 50 in Rosy Glow

Try: La Mer the SPF 30 UV Protecting Fluid

Cover up Sunscreen alone is not enough to protect our skin from a blazing sun. Long-sleeved clothing, long pants or skirts, sunglasses, hats and umbrellas all play a protective role in direct sunlight. Also, try to stay indoors between 10am and 4pm, when the sun is at its most intense.

What is PA? UVA rays are less intense than UVB rays but

Additional information provided by Dr Low Chai Ling, medical director, The Sloane Clinic

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DAUPHIN DAZZLERS Dauphin’s creative director Charlotte Dauphin de la Rochefoucauld hosted a Dauphin New Collection event at the Palais de Tokyo in Paris, to present her Collection II fine jewellery. Collection II explores the themes of time, matter and light with open circle shapes and lines in irregular patterns and layers.

Rings are seen to float above fingers and diamonds are set in different-coloured gold – pink, white, black and ink blue - resulting in creations that are both hip and modern. Highlights of the collection include a one-of-a-kind cuff necklace covered in pavé, princess and emerald-cut diamonds reminiscent of raindrops. maisondauphin.com

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THE YEAR OF THE SKELETON At this year’s Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH), Roger Dubuis offered a new line-up of watch models with skeleton movements to celebrate its ‘Year of the Skeleton’, as part of its Astral Skeleton range.

The Technical Skeleton models, under the name Excalibur Spider, take the skeleton look to new levels with the case, hands and flange all in skeleton form. Ladies are included in the club, with the watchmaker acknowledging their love of jewellery with Creative Skeleton models graced with splendid gemstones. For those with a taste for watchmaking traditions expressed in modern ways, Roger Dubuis offers a new generation of skeleton movements with its Excalibur Automatic Skeleton models– the first of their kind with a micro-rotor. www.rogerdubuis.com

WATCH THE EXPERIENCE If you’re eyeing up a high-end timepiece or own one already, chances are you have questions you’d like to put to the people who made the watch. With this in mind, Swiss watchmaker Zenith has introduced an iPad and Android app to help customers navigate the world of tourbillon and fusée-chain mechanisms, and to give them the full lowdown on watchmaking.

Zenith Watches – The Experience, is an informative tool available in seven languages, with videos, tutorials, texts and photos to help Zenith owners understand their watches and learn how to maintain them, so their purchases last a lifetime. Entertaining, informative and practical, the app is available for free in the Apple Store and on Google Play. www.zenith-watches.com

MILANO BEAUTY Pomellato has given a fresh interpretation to the fashion soul of Milan with a new ring collection named MILANO. Contemporary and sleek, with a delicate smattering of precious stones, MILANO rings are a musthave for the young and cosmopolitan.

Gourmette and torchon are two of the styles that inspire this playful collection. Double and single rings, in different textures and colours of gold, are designed to be mixed and matched to suit personal taste. The collection’s new campaign features actress Salma Hayek – the new face of Pomellato – bringing sensuality and femininity to the Italian jeweller’s creations. www.pomellato.com

Ac c e s s o r i s e

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arriving in

good time

By Su Jia Xian

A travel watch is a luxurious device to keep in one’s arsenal of timepieces – not least because it speaks of international travel and a jetsetting way of life.

Let’s face it, the problem of keeping track of time in New York and Hong Kong simultaneously is one many home-bods and cubicle-dwellers would love to be saddled with.

But for the international traveller, there’s a conundrum attached to their time-zone lifestyle: when shopping for a travel watch, should they choose a GMT (or dual-time) piece or the world time equivalent?

Basic and easy to understand, the GMT is a watch equipped with twin hour hands, one to indicate home time and the other for time at the current location, known as local time. Its simplicity and low cost make it the most common form of travel watch.

The GMT watch is synonymous with Rolex – the brand pioneered this complication with the first GMT-Master in 1955. Introduced as the world was embarking on the age of intercontinental jet travel, the GMT-Master was developed for pilots of Pan American World Airways, better known as Pan Am – now defunct but then the world’s leading airline.

Most dual-time zone watches, the Rolex GMT-Master included, display local time in 12-hour format on the main dial of the watch. Home time is shown using the secondary hour hand on the 24-hour bezel. This allows the wearer to swiftly distinguish between day and night back home – a challenge for the pilots of Pan Am and other frequent travellers crisscrossing time zones.

Some dual-time watches also feature a rotating bezel, allowing the wearer to keep track of a third time zone.

Patek Philippe

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Because the GMT function is simple – essentially a second hour hand plus a 24-hour bezel – it’s often bundled with other functions. A chronograph-GMT is a common recipe, offering a good combination of masculine aesthetics and utility. One example is the Patek Philippe Nautilus Travel Time, which combines a stopwatch with a second time zone display. Likewise, the Breitling Navitimer GMT, which adds a discrete second time-zone hand to the brand’s signature pilot’s chronograph, as does the Chopard Mille Miglia GMT Chrono.

day and night falls to the window at four o’clock, which shows either a stylised sun or moon.

changing the cities disc to reflect the new location also moves the hour hand, which will then show the updated local time.

Notably, the World Time Moon is the only Patek Philippe world time watch in recent years to have an additional complication.

More complicated than the GMT-type timepiece is the world time wristwatch. As the name implies, a world time is capable of showing all time zones around the world. The world time was designed by Swiss watchmaker Louis Cottier in the early thirties and then adopted by several watchmakers. Its closest association is with Patek Philippe, the brand that has enjoyed the greatest success marketing the complication.

Like the GMT, the world time can be combined with other complications. That said, the additional functions are usually simple, since world time watches already have busy dials packed with text on the cities ring.

For the intrepid traveller visiting places with 30 or 45 minute offset timezones, like Iran, Venezuela, and some Pacific Islands, Vacheron Constantin offers 37 time zones in its Patrimony Traditionnelle World Time. This timepiece functions like an ordinary world time watch, except it has slightly more complex gearing allowing it to track 37 time zones.

But a GMT can have a bit more flair, as Breguet demonstrates with the Tradition GMT. Instead of having both time zones on the same dial, the Tradition GMT shows the second time zone on a sub-dial at seven o’clock, with a display just above it to indicate day and night. With this arrangement, Breguet has managed to retain the open-worked, pocket watch-inspired aesthetic that’s typical of the Tradition, while giving the watch the asymmetrical layout favoured by the brand.

A world time watch typically has a ring around the dial with city names, each representing one of the 24 time zones in the world, along with a 24-hour disc. If the wearer is in Singapore, ‘Hong Kong’ will be positioned at the reference point on the dial (which is usually at 12 o’clock), since Hong Kong usually represents the time zone of GMT +8 in world time watches. The hands of the watch are set to show the time in Singapore.

Equally unconventionally is the Rotonde De Cartier Second Time Zone Day/Night, which accommodates the second time zone on a fan-shaped retrograde display. The second hour hand indicates the hours from ‘1’ to ‘12’, jumping crisply back to the beginning once it hits the twelfth hour. Distinguishing between

Once the local time is set as a reference, the time in any other time zone around the world can be read off the 24-hour disc with corresponding cities. So if it’s 1400 hours in Singapore, it will be 1500 hours in the time zone represented by ‘Tokyo’, 1600 in ‘Sydney’ and so on. And if the wearer moves to another time zone,

For its 175th anniversary last year, Patek Philippe unveiled the World Time Moon Ref. 5575G, with a traditional world time function and the addition of an oversized moon phase showing the age of the moon with a photorealistic depiction of earth’s natural satellite.

3.

And then there are a handful of travel watches that mix it up, combining GMT and world time functions. One of the most elaborate is the Greubel Forsey GMT Black, which is also equipped with an inclined, high-speed tourbillon for good measure. On the front, this watch shows two time zones – one on the main subdial and the other at 11 o’clock. At eight o’clock sits a rotating globe, linked to the second time zone, indicating which areas of the world are enjoying sunshine and which are catching zzz’s. Over on the back, a cities disc and 24-hour ring offers a world time display synchronised with the second time zone in front.

This is a watch for the sort of international jetsetter who eats continents for breakfast. And with a price tag of US$565,000, the Greubel Forsey GMT is unlikely to be found on the wrist of anyone flying cattle class.

4.

5.

6.

7.

1.

2.

1. Breitling Navitimer GMT 2. Breguet Tradition GMT 3. Greubel Forsey GMT 4. Rotonde De Cartier Second Time Zone Day/Night

5. Patek Philippe 6. ROLEX 7. Vacheron Constantin

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Shelter in the Woods

Located at 22 Greenwood Avenue in Bukit Timah, Shelter in the Woods is dedicated to serving classic European rustic food, rotisserie and charcuterie, with rich flavours and hearty presentations. Top picks are the Shelter Charcuterie Board, Rotisserie Rack of Lamb, Creamy Corn Soup Trio, Pâté en Croûte and Seafood Casserole. For pudding, the restaurant’s tarts and pies are hard to beat.

Three cheers for all children When in Bangkok, celebrate the Japanese festival of Tango-no Sekku (Boys’ Festival) at the award-winning Japanese restaurant Yamazato, and choose between a Gozen set lunch or a Kaiseki set dinner. Boys’ Festival on May 5 is a major event in the Japanese calendar. These days, it’s customary for children of both genders to be honoured on this day, however celebrations were strictly for boys only until 1948. Families still decorate samurai dolls to ensure good health for their boys and they fly carpshaped banners to symbolise success.

The special menu at Yamazato (located at The Okura Prestige) will be served from April 25 to May 5. It was created by master chef Shigeru Hagiwara as a fitting tribute to this important celebration. The Gozen lunch is priced at Baht 850++ (US$26) per set and includes grilled snowfish with miso and a tempura dish of deep-fried young sweetfish, shrimp and vegetables. The Kaiseki dinner is priced at Baht 3,000++ (US$93) and comprises seven courses with an assortment of sashimi and cooked fish. www.okurabangkok.com

www.shelterinthewoods.com

Photos: The Okura Prestige, Shelter in the Woods

When Singapore’s Shelter in the Woods reopened its doors after a stint of renovations in 2014, it gave diners not only a refurbished interior but also a fresh menu created by its new consultant chef Masashi Horiuchi. For decades, Chef Horiuchi has honed his culinary skills at Michelin-starred restaurants in Europe.

romantic getaways for the summer By: Daven Wu

Sometimes an amorous getaway is just the ticket to reignite that romantic spark. Here are six of our favourite dream spots.

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The Siam, Bangkok The glorious Siam hotel is easily Bangkok’s most intimate retreat. Under the watchful eye of its gregarious and charming general manager, Jason Friedman, the hotel effortlessly lures guests back to a gentler time when Bangkok was crisscrossed with klongs (canals) and the city was a whole lot less chaotic. Here, in a setting framed with lush palms, museum-quality antiques from the owner’s private collection and nostalgic sepia photographs of the old world, guests are seduced with ease. With only 35 pool villas and suites – each styled with a mix of

triumphant Art Deco and royal Thai flourishes – sprinkled over three acres, right on the edge of the Chao Phrya river, intimacy and luxury are a given. Connie’s Cottage, the hotel’s largest suite, started life as a traditional Thai house. The structure was originally transported to Bangkok by the legendary silk merchant Jim Thompson and his best friend, the Thai socialite Connie Mangskau. If you’re feeling energetic, the hotel gym features a Muay Thai boxing ring – but if you’re on a romantic holiday, there’s really no need to throw punches. The hush-hush quiet of the spa beckons...

www.thesiamhotel.com

Amanwella, Sri Lanka First-timers to Sri Lanka tend to return home a little starryeyed and spellbound. There’s a timeless quality to a visit to Sri Lanka that’s reminiscent of the island adventures of the legendary lotus eaters. The days condense into lyrical moments adorned by palm trees, powdery beaches and a horizon that melts into seemingly endless sunsets. Little wonder Sri Lanka remains such a honey-pot for honeymooners and couples searching for a little enchanted respite. The Amanwella (a portmanteau meaning peaceful

beach) ticks all the boxes that have made the island justly famed. Set in a coconut grove against a crescent-shaped beach, the 27-villa resort wraps its guests in a soft cocoon inspired by the works of Sri Lanka’s most famous architect Geoffrey Bawa.

If the 47-metre pool doesn’t lead to prolonged bouts of laziness in the sun, perhaps a spa treatment under the shade of the coconut grove (using only the most natural, locally sourced ingredients, of course) while being brushed with sea-salted air will do the trick.

www.amanresorts.com

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The Balé, Bali It’s simply impossible not to fall in love with the Balé. Named after the Balinese word for a place to rest, the Nusa Dua resort is, without overdosing on Bali kitsch, one of the closest things to heaven on earth. As overused as the word minimalist is these days, there’s no other way to describe the hotel’s elegantly pared-back feel, beginning with the long marbled corridor flanked by black infinity pools and continuing with the monastic sequence of stepped terraces rising to the top of

the property with suites off to each side. Everywhere, the sound of running water gently tumbles down the terraces or by the pools. And though there’s no beachfront to speak of – the place is actually set quite close to the road – there’s never any sense of urgency about the Balé.

Instead, a wonderful mood of escapist fantasy pervades. The most important decision you’ll ever have to make is what to have for breakfast and when to get a massage.

www.thebale.com

Capella, Singapore Starchitect Lord Norman Foster was tapped to convert what was once a complex of British military barracks from the late 19th-century into the modern pleasure dome known now as the Capella. The bones of the building remain reassuringly colonial, while the thick backdrop of tropical foliage and air of discrete solitude (say hello to your personal butler) conspire to shut off the outside world.

However, it’s the 112 rooms and suites, and the wonderfully landscaped 12-hectare grounds that hold the biggest surprises.

Here, the uber-designer Jaya Ibrahim has worked his magic

to conjure a slice of tropical Bali.

Muted silk furnishings, textured stone, soft linen and judicious lashings of warm timber combine to create an atmosphere of indulgent romanticism. The Balinese references continue with the three irregular-shaped swimming pools that are terraced into the hillside like rice fields. With so much space, there’s never a real sense of the other guests – only the delicious illusion that here is an idyllic escape just waiting to be taken advantage of, especially as you sink beneath the gentle pressure of a massage therapist’s fingers in the womb-like Auriga spa.

www.capellasingapore.com

Tr a v e l & D i n i n g

J.K. Place, Capri The mere mention of Capri conjures images of idyllic, sunkissed days on a charmed island with nothing more on the agenda than swim, party and drink chilled champagne while toasting the good life. There might, however, be interludes that involve a spot of shopping while dodging the paparazzi in the style of Jackie O and Maria Callas, followed by languid naps on the decks of yachts moored on the mirror-flat waters of the Bay of Naples. At

J.K. Place, the seductive quality of this fantasy is lived large. Guests are coddled by warm and friendly service, and the prevailing mood is a mix of hipster louche and blatant cinematic love-fest. Stocked with products from with the cult brand Santa Maria Novella, the spa – even for hardened cynics – is a case study on what a spa should aspire to. Test your resistance against the lavender and floral facial or a massage using warm Shea butter candles.

www.jkcapri.com

The Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, London The Mandarin Oriental brand rarely deviates from a tried and tested MO – flawless service, plush rooms and a fabulously indulgent spa. At the Hyde Park property – conveniently for shopaholics, just across the road from Harvey Nichols and a skip to Harrods – all these elements come together in a lovely, finde-siecle pile where the best rooms front onto Hyde Park and on the ground floor, celebrity chef Heston Blumenthal helms Dinner, one of London’s best restaurants. The romanticism is ramped-up especially over Christmas when a horse-drawn

carriage ferries guests snuggled beneath piles of blankets and sipping hot chocolate across a magical landscape of frozen lakes and unfrocked trees. At any time of the year, it’s de rigueur to succumb to the lingering touch of a massage therapist in the lavender-scented spa. Twitchy types should hightail it to the hotel’s new swimming pool annexe, a modernistic stoneclad grotto whose soft-lighting and absolute privacy conspire to create a mood of general bonhomie, not to mention amnesia of anything related to the outside world.

www.mandarinoriental.com

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Visiting Central London is like walking through a movie set. So many films and television series have been set in and around the English capital, entire neighbourhoods can trigger nostalgic memories – even for those visiting them for the first time.

Everyone has their favourite London film (Sherlock Holmes, Jack the Ripper, Notting Hill, Sliding Doors…) and their most loved TV show (Only Fools and Horses, Doctor Who, Minder, the Avengers…), but as a lad hardwired for adventure, I’m drawn to Bond – James Bond. And now I’m on a quest to conquer Bond’s London.

The seed that became the world’s most popular spy was germinated by author Ian Fleming, who has himself been the subject of a swashbuckling BBC America mini-series, entitled Fleming: The Man Who Would Be Bond. In this new series set in World War II London, the young, high-living Fleming (a real-life agent before becoming a writer) joins a clandestine service for His Majesty’s Government while still finding time to indulge in parties and an expensive lifestyle. Familiar to Bond lovers? Just a tad perhaps.

Followers of the 23-installment Bond movie franchise are well versed on the routine that makes 007 such a winning formula: the playboy spy circles the globe vanquishing evil but always returns to London – the epicentre of British counter-espionage and the home of MI6. These days, MI6 (Military Intelligence Section 6) is more commonly dubbed Secret Intelligence Service or SIS and has headquarters located at 85 Albert Embankment, Vauxhall. Until recently, its existence was masked by the bland title ‘Government Offices’ but it is now forever etched into our minds as the building that exploded in Skyfall. No, you can’t take a tour, but the £152 million (US$245 million), 25-year-old building with 100mm-thick windows will be willingly pointed out on any sightseeing tour.

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ALL ROADS LEAD TO LONDON FOR FLEMING FANS Giving ‘Bond Street’ new meaning, movie and car buff Roderick Eime follows the tracks of the world’s most famous spy through the streets of London.

Photo: BBC America

By: Roderick Eime

On the edge of St James Park, a stone’s throw from Number 10, are the Churchill War Rooms, one of the five branches of the Imperial War Museum. Located in the basement of the Treasury building in Whitehall, they were constructed in 1938 and operational just before Britain declared war on Germany (clearly somebody was in the know). The rooms are well worth a visit. Touring the restored subterranean corridors of power recreates an eerie sense of the horrors of the Blitz, when all of London went underground for nearly 12 months between 1940 and 1941. Churchill’s bedchamber and those of Britain’s highest ranking military men can be found here, as can the planning rooms and mess halls. You can easily imagine Fleming pacing these corridors, waiting nervously for his moment with the famous British Bulldog.

While you’re touring the many 007 film locations from Trinity Square to Canary Wharf, don’t fight the urge to mimic the lavish lifestyle of Britain’s number one licenced-to-kill

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Roderick Eime

1. Actor Dominic Cooper who played Ian Fleming in the BBC mini-series ‘The Man Who Would be Bond’

2. Dame Judi Dench as ‘M’ with Daniel Craig, the newest 007 3. The Churchill War Rooms

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Tr a v e l & D i n i n g To experience some of the adrenaline-charged excitement that made Bond the man he is, jump aboard The Ultimate MI6 Spy Experience. This high-speed waterborne thrillride emulates, in a fashion, the wild boat chase along the Thames from 1999’s The World is Not Enough.

Passengers skim the water at a heart-stopping while a guide bombards them with a commentary highlighting 007 locations along the way.

While there’s no denying the exhilaration of film scenes involving rocket-propelled boats, jet fighters and motorcycles, it’s for his cars that Bond is best known.

Really fancy cars. Each one of the 23 official movies made since 1962 has featured signature vehicles that have propelled our heroic super-agent in pursuit of villains or in some other equally death-defying escape. Right in the heart of the famous theatre district of Covent Garden is the London Film Museum. On display until March 2015 (at the earliest) is ‘Bond in Motion’ – the official exhibition of James Bond vehicles from the original film series. It’s the largest display of its kind ever staged in London.

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Getting Around London Depending on where you have chosen to stay, you’ll find London a relatively easy city to get around, with many of the more popular sites within walking distance of each other.

While taxis are plentiful and convenient, they are not always the most economical. If you are keen to see as many of the sights as possible, then think about one of the hop-on-hopoff bus services offered. Buy a ticket for the desired length of time, and use the service as often as you like, usually with either a live guide or pre-recorded commentary. Otherwise, the famous London Underground is fast and efficient.

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super spy and his suave creator. When it’s time for dinner, do as Fleming did and dine in classic style at Scott’s, where the agentcome-writer would enjoy the best seafood with his close friend in the service, chief of staff Bill Tanner, or with his secretary Mary Goodnight.

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Originally in Coventry Street, Scott’s now sits on Mount Street.

Breakfast is performed as a military routine. In London this means sitting down to The Times, with two large cups of “very strong coffee, from De Bry in New Oxford Street”, brewed in a Chemex coffee-maker, and an egg served in a dark blue egg cup with a gold ring round the top, boiled for three minutes twenty seconds. Wholewheat toast, Jersey butter and Norwegian heather honey from Fortnum and Mason in Piccadilly follow.

Dressing to kill is part of the Bond allure and this is where a little mystery arises. No one appears to know who Flaming used as a tailor, though John Pearson, Fleming’s biographer, claims he bought his suits “off row” from Benson, Perry and Whitley on Cork Street and wore them “until they were in threads”. Bond needed to up his game from the wartime austerity instilled

by Fleming, and it seems 007 wandered around the block to Savile Row and the century-old establishment of Anderson & Sheppard (at 32 Old Burlington Street), where Count Lippe, his adversary from Thunderball, also shopped.

VisitBritain

Arrival and Transfer to London Royal Brunei Airlines flies daily to London Heathrow, arriving and departing from Terminal 4.

Transport into London itself can be by rail or road, all with varying convenience and price. If you have already pre-booked your hotel, consider one of the door-to-door shuttles that will deliver you to the hotel for a fixed price and at a fraction of the cost of a taxi.

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4. Scotts Restaurant in Mayfair, Ian Fleming’s favourite 5. Oysters at Scott’s 6. Savile Row 7. Jet boat ride on the Thames

Scotts

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8. Lotus Esprit S1 submersible 9. Pierce Brosnan as 007

Feast For The Senses

Most of the machines were specially-constructed movie vehicles, but also on display are 20 ‘regular’ Honda motorcycles that appeared in Skyfall’s Istanbul scenes. Along with Bond’s street bike, these include police bikes and two CRF450R motocross bikes used as high-speed camera mounts–the only bikes fast enough to keep up with the action.

London Film Museum

The exhibition is a virtual toyshop for boys who refuse to grow up.

Boys like me. All my favourites are here – from the camouflaged Honda CRF250R that Daniel Craig puts through its paces chasing a similarly-mounted fugitive villain across the rooftops of Istanbul in Skyfall, to the signature Aston Martins and missile-equipped Jaguar XKR convertible from Die Another Day. There are no replicas. Each of the 50 cars on display was either retained after filming or was hunted down and recovered from franchise owners, EON Productions (which produces Bond films), or the Ian Fleming Foundation (IFF). The IFF owns 33 original vehicles, 17 of which are part of the display. There’s Goldfinger’s magnificent Rolls-Royce Phantom III and the unmistakable Lotus Esprit S1 submersible from The Spy Who Loved Me, displayed alongside lesser-known 007 cars such as the Citroën 2CV (For Your Eyes Only) and the Crocodile Submarine from Octopussy.

This departure from ultra high-tech, Q-inspired gadgets and computer graphics heralds a return to a purer form of action, more reliant on the skills of the stunt team and regular ‘street’ vehicles. So apart from such dastardly four-wheel weapons as Die Another Day’s Aston Martin Vanquish with specially installed Ford V8 engine, custom all-wheel drive and cloaking device, the London exhibition gives space to such cute accessories as the tuk-tuk from 1983’s Octopussy and even a restored 1970 Honda ATC 90 (trike) ridden by Sean Connery in Diamonds are Forever.

Despite a briefcase full of passports and the freedom to travel anywhere at the pleasure of Her Majesty’s Secret Service, James always puts his feet up in his flat off the King’s Road in Chelsea. Bond’s 24th film is due to begin filming in early 2015 with Daniel Craig confirmed again in the lead role. There will be snow and sand, but we put our money on London making yet another stately appearance.

By Low Shi Ping

Set in the mountains, desert, jungle canopy, sky and sea, our selection of dining experiences proves food isn’t always best enjoyed within four concrete walls.

Photos: Timo Laapotti

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At its best, eating out is a holistic experience. It’s about ambience as much as what’s on the plate or how the food is prepared – and the more unique and exquisite the set-up, the better. In SCION’s mission to push ‘dining atmosphere’ to its limits, 3.

we’ve sat at tables suspended 50 metres above ground, pods sunk five metres under water and tables set besides roaring waterfalls. We hope you’ll feel inspired to be next in line to take a meal on the wild side. Bon appttit!

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Baby, It’s Cold Inside: SnowRestaurant Kemi, Lapland, Finland

In Another World: Sounds of Silence Alice Springs, Australia

Enter a restaurant in wintery weather and it’s normal to shrug off those heavy coats, hats and gloves and thaw out in soothing warmth. Not here. At the aptly-named SnowRestaurant – found at a latitude of 64°N by the Gulf of Bothnia in Finland – expect to enjoy your meal at a steady -5 °C. Why? Because the establishment is made of snow and ice, of course. The menu is crafted from Finnish produce including reindeer, lamb and smoked salmon, enjoyed on a table made – no surprises here – from ice. Operational only during the winter months, this high-concept eatery is part of the larger SnowCastle project – a hotel sculpted from snow and ice, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. Reservations for lunch and dinner are a must. Warm dressing is recommended.

However you get here – by camel, helicopter or four-wheel-drive – you’ll be blown away by the Sounds of Silence, located in the Uluru Kata Tjuta National Park, deep within the Australian outback. Canapés and sparkling wine are enjoyed with a gourmet buffet made from native bush ingredients, including barramundi, kangaroo and crocodile.

The restaurant is cradled between the monolithic Ayers Rock and the undulating domes of Kata Tjuta, and the dining experience is accompanied by didgeridoo playing, traditional Aboriginal dancing and a talk on the night sky with its vast display of stars and distant galaxies. Not to be missed earlier in the evening is the sunset over Australia’s red centre – the colours are simply spectacular. +61 2 8296 8010, www.ayersrockresort.com.au

Timo Laapotti

+358 16 258 878, www.visitkemi.fi/en/snowcastle

Back to Nature: Treepod Dining Soneva Kiri, Koh Kood, Thailand Make like a monkey and eat in the trees at Soneva Kiri resort in Thailand. At Treepod Dining, meals are served in luxurious woven-rattan-wrapped bamboo pods (think birds’ nest) hoisted five metres above ground. Most amusing of all, while you hang out in the native canopy with the occasional squirrel and butterfly for company, your host Khun Lek will be zip-lining up and down from a nearby hill, serving your food. Menus have a jungle theme using produce from the island of Koh Kood. Between courses, take time to admire the boulder-strewn beach and glittering Gulf of Thailand. +66 (0) 82 208 8888, www.soneva.com/soneva-kiri

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Into The Deep: Ithaa Undersea Restaurant Conrad Maldives, Rangali Island, Maldives Plunge deep into the sea without the aid of breathing apparatus at Ithaa Undersea Restaurant. Built five metres below sea level, this unlikely restaurant takes minimalism to new depths – which makes sense when you consider the ceiling and walls are all curved, transparent acrylic, much like those found in aquariums. From your table, admire the 180-degree panorama of the Maldivian ocean life and the vibrant coral garden surrounding the restaurant. Serving up contemporary European cuisine, this fine dining establishment offers a four-course lunch and six-course dinner featuring lobster, caviar and reef fish, paired with wines from Champagne in France. This month, Ithaa celebrates it 10th anniversary and guests can look forward to celebratory highlights. +960 668 0629, conradhotels3.hilton.com

Photos: Events in the Sky

Up, Up and Away: Dinner in the Sky various locations Those who suffer from acrophobia had better stay away from this high-flying restaurant. Conceptualised in Belgium, Dinner in the Sky is an event that involves using a crane to suspend a dining table with a seating capacity of 22 people, 50 metres above ground. Whether it’s for a private celebration or a corporate function, this dining experience is one novel way to mark a milestone. To date, Dinner in the Sky has been held in more than 40 countries, dangling over monuments including the Tower of London, the Strip in Las Vegas and Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris.

Whoever said the sky’s the limit? +32 2 333 38 10, www.dinnerinthesky.com

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Italian Renaissance

by Karen Tee

Not a furniture label for shrinking violets, Visionnaire draws on Italy’s golden age for its decorative-yet-functional and utterly lust-worthy designs.

LET’S SIT OUTSIDE

Cobra – the latest innovation from the Innermost Spring/Summer 2015 collection – has been engineered for precision task lighting. Composed of one continuous adjustable spine that opens to reveal an anodised aluminium hood with a powerful LED light source, this slender helper can twist and turn to adapt to any lighting need. Each Cobra is encased in a skin of natural leather and comes in two colours – brown and white.

There is also the option of installing a USB port, allowing Cobra to double as a charging station that supports the latest generation of smart phones and tablets. www.innermost.net

Ethimo is available from Studio 216 at The Gardens, Kuala Lumpur www.studio216.co www.ethimo.com

Photos: Innermost, Ethimo

SLENDER SILHOUETTE

If you’re at the Milan Salone Internazionale Del Mobile this April, why not check out the beautiful outdoor furniture at the Ethimo salon? The Italian brand offers an sharp collection of sofas, tables and chairs, armchairs, benches, lightings and other accessories suitable for outdoor use. Ethimo promotes minimal impact on the environment.

Its furniture is made from materials such as teak that have been sourced from plantations that follow strict reforestation regulations. The brand’s steel and aluminium undergo special non-toxic treatments and paintwork, while the woven resin fibres used in its furniture are completely recyclable.

Now that’s furniture made for the future.

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Looking to give your home a lavish touch? Here are the highlights of Visionnaire’s The Great Dandy collection.

Windsor dining table You can’t go wrong with a stylish marble top table dressed up with elegant gloss lacquered wood and polished brass friezes.

Primrose bed The large headboard featuring a leather-trimmed backlit frame and a decorative f lower s-and-ravens-print fabric makes for an attractive focal point in the bedroom.

Jackpot sofa The semi-circular silhouette of this settee, made with memory foam and luxurious goose feathers, is an interesting design element that adds visual interest to the living room.

this bold collection evokes the dreamlike, fairytale atmosphere of 19th century London. It’s the unflinching attention to detail that design connoisseurs appreciate and covet.

Visionnaire has a clientele base that’s among the world’s most refined and exacting, so it’s no surprise that the company offers a bespoke service. Visionnaire has its fingers in all manner of pies. It fits out restaurants, five-star hotels, private yachts and even jets. Once, the brand’s artisans crafted a horseshoe-shaped sofa with a blue agate base measuring a whopping 40 metres.

“Our collections are reminiscent of an Italy when it was more powerful. Michelangelo, Da Vinci... We represent Italy for what it stands. Visionnaire is all about Italian style; the past dressed in contemporary fashion,” says Leopold Cavalli, the CEO of IPE Cavalli, which owns Visionnaire, in an interview with The Times of India.

But despite taking its inspiration from the Renaissance, the brand’s designers are far from old fashioned. The pieces strike a balance between traditional and modern, glamorous and luxurious, elegant and functional. Best of all, unlike many other manufacturers, which specialise in one aspect of furniture, Visionnaire offers a wide-ranging collection to create a living space that fully embodies the brand’s aesthetic philosophy.

Indeed, with over 2,500 pieces per collection, it’s possible to transform a space into a “total look” with no detail left untouched.

Take, for instance, the brand’s 2014 Great Dandy collection. With its imposing black, wrought-iron gates, tall, glossy display cabinets, romantic vanity sets and marble floors inlaid with gold and silver,

Today, Visionnaire can be found in 90 countries, with 18 standalone stores and an extensive network of high-end multi-brand luxury boutiques, including one at Studio At 216, The Gardens, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. In 2014, the company’s turnover exceeded 40-million Euros, with an estimated growth of over 14 percent.

Photos: Visionnaire

If the furniture industry boasted an haute couturier, its name would be Visionnaire. Founded in 1958, the furniture label is best known for creative pieces that embody the ideals of luxurious living – the Italian way. Think of grand, sweeping residences with elaborate chandeliers, plush settees with fine embroidered brocades, and ornate tables of marble tops and lacquered wood.

This “couturier of one-thousand-and-one nights’ dreams” has certainly come a long way since the brothers Pompeo and Vittorio Cavalli founded the company with the idea of constructing furniture from polyurethane – a soft yet strong material commonly used as car seat padding. The functionality of pieces quickly won the brand customers, paving the way to international recognition.

The secret to its success, it appears, is remaining true to the Cavalli brothers’ philosophy that every piece of furniture should be striking and creative while also paying close attention to comfort and innovation. In an era where simplicity and efficiency are prized above all else, it’s refreshing to encounter a brand that takes pride in fine craftsmanship above all else.

Buchanan door Make an unforgettable first impression with this elegant Victorian-inspired wooden door, with an oval bas-relief pattern and gloss lacquered perimeter frame, embellished with polished brass inserts.

Retablo flooring When regular tiles just don’t cut it, Visionnaire’s Retablo marble flooring, with an etched bas relief pattern decorated with gold or silver leaf, adds a touch of opulence to any room.

Owner Luigi Cavalli – son of founder Vittorio and father of current CEO Leopold – describes the company’s impact best.

“Visionnaire is a mix of many materials and various styles but also offers new sensations and responds to a need for a different system of furnishing compared to the past,” he says, adding: “Every object you see in a Visionnaire-styled home will make everything else that you have seen seem old and dated.”

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D r i v i n g Fo r c e

The BMW 1 Series gets a makeover

Jaguar Land Rover goes evil The bad guys will be burning rubber in spectacular cars made by Jaguar Land Rover in the latest Bond film. While 007 will of course take the steering wheel in an Aston Martin, his enemies will give chase in a fleet of Land Rovers and Jags that include the amazing CX-75.

BMW has at last banished the cross-eyed styling of the 1 Series for a much cleaner and sharper look, inspired by the closely related 2 Series Coupé. The new 1 Series gets an entirely different front end, as well as tweaks to the lights and fresh styling at the rear.

The CX-75 is Jaguar’s stillborn electric supercar. Canned because of spiralling development costs, the CX-75 has lived on as a future technology prototype and now will feature in a tyre-shredding car chase through the streets of Rome.

The changes are even bigger under the skin: the 1 Series is the first rear-wheeldrive BMW to get the new three-cylinder petrol and diesel engines.

Other scenes, set in the snowy peaks of the Austrian Alps, will feature the Range Rover Sport SVR and some bespoke Defenders – Bigfoots, featuring huge 37” wheels and lifted suspension for tackling serious offroad terrain.

Petrol-lovers can choose from a threecylinder turbo 116i with 110hp, or a fourcylinder 118i with 135hp and 125g/km. 120i and 125i versions will also be available, but if it’s power you want then you’ll want to upgrade to the M135i, with its 322hp and 4.9sec 0-100kmh time.

King of the pile: Audi’s super-SUV Volvo designing self-fuelling cars It’s only a matter of time before cars slip off to fuel-up while you relax, according to engineers working at the coalface of autonomous technology. So far we’ve seen cars that can drive themselves and park themselves, and now Volvo has plans to create cars that can head off to the nearest petrol station for a fill-up.

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“Vehicles that act on their own initiative might sound like science fiction, however a lot of technology has already been designed, and developments are moving very rapidly,” says Pether Wallin, CEO of AstaZero, Volvo’s autonomous car-test facility.

Audi boss Rupert Stadler has confirmed what we’ve long suspected – the company is working on a super-SUV, badged Q8, to sit at the very top of the Audi model pile.

The system sends a text code to a fuelling attendant, giving them onetime access to the fuel flap and filler. The attendant then tops up the tank before the car robotically heads off again in search of its owner.

The decision is driven by the fact that demand for big, luxurious SUVs is growing significantly, particularly in China, the US and the Middle East.

Speaking to Bloomberg News, Stadler said Audi was “working heavily on this project – it would strengthen the brand.

I’m convinced we need the car by 2020.”

The Q8 will platform share with the newgeneration Q7, and will likely feature both a plug-in hybrid drivetrain and a pure-electric e-Tron model, as well as conventional diesel and petrol powerplants.

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Wake up your senses

By Damien Reid

The time is right. The sun is inching towards the horizon, the grass is releasing its freshly mown perfume and here comes the breeze. Yes, evening is approaching and finally there’s nothing standing between you and the great outdoors.

There can be few better ways to soak up the world than by driving a convertible, as you’re actually part of the scenery this way, not just watching it through a window. And you’re experiencing it with all your senses while the sound of a lusty engine fills your ears, unmuted by closed windows or sound-deadening manmade materials.

Now for the good news: we’ve got the scoop on the best four-wheeled roofless exotica on sale this summer.

Porsche 918 Spyder Let’s start at the top: the Porsche 918 Spyder.

Why? Because this is the ultimate drop top car money can buy. It represents the pinnacle Jaguar F-Type

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Some say it’s the ultimate Grand Tourer – and the Vanquish Volante is the zenith of the Aston Martin family.

Made entirely from carbonfibre, the Vanquish Volante seats four in extreme comfort yet can still reach 295kmh and pass 100kmh in just 4.1 seconds, thanks to the hand-built, 6-litre, V12 engine sitting under its long hood.

The car’s triple-layered, powered roof take 14 seconds to fold away, and with its high beltline you feel wrapped inside the car.

Push the crystal start key into the console and it barks into life.

Select first gear and the big Aston Volante has the potential to eat entire countries for breakfast.

For US$300,000, you could spend many happy hours behind the wheel, soaking up the road.

Alfa Romeo 4C Spider No car is more distant from the Aston Martin in terms of its Porsche 918 Spyder

Aston Martin Vanquish Volante

of Porsche performance and 21st century technology, and as the name suggests, only 918 specimens will be built. The car’s 4.6-litre, twin-turbocharged V8 engine is mid-mounted for perfect handling balance with flame-spitting exhausts aiming for the sky. It’s also a hybrid, powered by two supplementary electric motors delivering an extra 279bhp to the already impressive 608bhp from the V8.

Power from the petrol engine drives the rear wheels with one electric motor driving each front wheel, making it an all-wheel drive. And for those times when you want to go unnoticed, you can slip it into full electric mode where it will still do 150kmh in complete, emission-free silence. In full attack mode, it covers 0 to 100kmh in 2.6 seconds, 0 to 200kmh in 7.2 seconds and climbs to 300kmh in 19.9 seconds. How much you say? US$845,000.

Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupé Admittedly, most Rolls-Royces are to be driven in rather than self-driven, however with a car like the Phantom Drophead Coupé it’s hard not to grab back the controls.

Currently the most expensive Rolls-Royce at US$443,000, the Drophead Coupé is the sportier, two-door version of the flagship Phantom and it features the same over-the-top luxury and refinement as its statesman-like brother.

Its powered hood is made from five layers of material that include cashmere, making it both quiet and luxurious when in place, while the doors are hinged at the rear to offer better, more discrete access to the back seat. The leather is hand-stitched and takes over two weeks to complete using nine hides.

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intended function than the little Alfa Romeo 4C. This car takes Alfa back to its full-blooded sports car roots and is one of the most fun cars you’ll ever drive.

The Spider version was launched in January and weighs a lithe 1,128kg. It’s a mid-engined, rear-wheel drive with no power assistance for the steering, so you feel like your fingers are connected to the front wheels.

It has a tiny 1.7-litre, turbocharged, four-cylinder engine that sings to infinity, which is guaranteed to cause spontaneous outbursts of laughter as it’s right behind you. With the roof stowed away, there’s simply no need for conversation – the aural delights from the car’s high-revving engine are far more entertaining than chitchat.

Despite its small engine, the Spider will hit 250kmh and get to 100kmh in 4.1 seconds, and at US$67,500, it makes a Porsche Boxster seem cheap. Incredibly, that’s the price you pay for a hand-built jewel with its carbon-fibre tub, rear-wheel drive with a mid-mounted engine, all built inside the Maserati factory in Italy.

Jaguar F-Type Over the past few decades, Jaguar has slipped into being known as a manufacturer of large, comfortable saloons for old people, with an occasional coupé and convertible version thrown in, yet from the 1940s to the ’60s it built some of the finest, purpose-built convertible sports cars out there, including the XK120 and E-Type.

As its name suggests, the F-Type is the spiritual successor to the E-Type and was designed to be a convertible first with the coupé coming later. It’s not based on any saloon equivalent – the F-Type is a pure bred, two-seat convertible sports car.

Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupé

Externally, the standout features include a large yacht-style teak deck lid that covers the roof when stowed, while the bonnet can be ordered in bare brushed steel that’s been applied by hand, of course.

This car comes in over 44,000 colour options but if you still can’t find what you’re looking for, Rolls-Royce will match any colour you desire, whether it comes from a favourite lipstick, nail polish or a vintage red wine.

Aston Martin Vanquish Volante There’s something very special about an Aston Martin. It’s a LeMans winner with an amazing motorsport heritage, yet it’s regal enough to park alongside the Rolls-Royce Phantom.

Alfa Romeo 4C Spider

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Ferrari 458 Speciale Spider

Gaining its power from a 488bhp, 5-litre V8 engine, the Jag takes just 4.3 seconds to reach 100kmh from standstill and has an electronically governed top speed of 300kmh, driving through an eight-speed auto transmission.

The Ferrari 458 Speciale Spider has just hit the market and if you’re into two-seat sports convertibles, this one ticks all the boxes – not least the fact that it carries a Ferrari badge.

The stats are certainly impressive, but what we love most about the US$92,000 F-Type V8 S is that it takes Jaguar back to building what it does best – awesome sports cars.

Limited to just 499 cars, this car uses the 4.5-litre V8 borrowed from the regular 458, which now produces 596 bhp and gets you to 100kmh in three seconds flat and on to 200kmh in 9.5 seconds.

Ferrari 458 Speciale Spider The 458 is the quintessential Ferrari, being mid-engined and V8-powered, while the Speciale version is the full-blown sports pack you can take to track days and have a bit of fun with on the circuit.

So what could be better than a convertible version, making a cruise down to the beach café just as fun as clipping apex points on the track?

The metal roof stows electrically behind the seats under the engine cover, leaving a rakish flying buttress profile reminiscent of some of the most famous Ferrari drop tops.

No price has been specified but with the coupé selling for US$288,000, expect this car to fetch around US$300,000.

* All prices in this article are recommended by the manufacturers.

Get to know the personal side of Standard Chartered Bank’s new Brunei CEO, and learn how he likes to unwind and have fun when he’s off duty.

Photos: Flo Von Linpr un

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There’s a whole lot of warmth in the way Rino Donosepoetro greets us at the door. It feels like he’s welcoming an old friend into his home. A generous smile, firm handshake and a bright: “Hi! Come in!” is all it takes to charm us into the official residence that Rino, better known as Donny, occupies in his new role as CEO of Standard Chartered Bank Brunei. We sit with this affable man from Indonesia, his lovely wife Annastasia and their two daughters, Nadja and Lea, at their Kota Batu house, and over a generous spread of tea and snacks, we ask about life both in the bank and at home.

Donny has enjoyed a long career with Standard Chartered Bank. He started in 1997 as a graduate trainee in Indonesia. He worked in Consumer Banking sales and operations for a few years before moving to SCB London in 2002 to work as business planning manager for the then group chief executive.

Travelling became a constant in his career as he continued to jetset around the world for the bank over the next few years. In 2004, he packed his bags for Dubai for a regional role in Consumer Banking. The following year, he found himself back in Indonesia as chief operating officer for one of the bank’s franchises. London called again in 2006 so Donny moved there to work in the Merger & Acquisition division. In 2007, he landed the CEO position in the Falkland Islands and prior to his assuming the role of CEO in Brunei, he lead as regional head of audit for Asia in 2010, working out of Singapore.

As the CEO in SCB, Donny serves as the custodian of the franchise in the jurisdiction that the bank operates.

The ambit extends to governance, people, business performance, and brand and client relationships. He is also the newly appointed chairman for the Brunei Association of Banks. Standard Chartered has been in Brunei for 57 years and Donny explains their business direction. “We have a strong commitment to the country and to our clients,” he says. “We will continue to focus on the high value and the growing affluent segments while deepening client relationships in the SME and corporate segments. We see significant opportunities in these areas and we will leverage on our strengths in the digitisation agenda and international network to facilitate trade and investment for our clients, particularly in ASEAN, where we are present in all the 10 ASEAN countries.”

SCION: How do you kickstart your day?

RINO DONOSEPOETRO (RD): With a nice cup of coffee and newspapers – it’s part of my ritual to read newspapers in the morning. Even during travel, which I did quite a lot of in my previous role as regional head, I always make it a habit to read the local newspapers (in English of course) when I get up in the morning.

SCION: How do you manage to balance a healthy lifestyle with a demanding career?

RD: My wife would say I didn’t have the right balance in the past but I think it’s improving.

There are two aspects to having a healthy lifestyle – physical and your mental state. I used to play basketball a lot in my younger days and now I try to practise with the team at Standard Chartered more regularly – great thing we have a very active basketball team in the bank. It is equally important to have mental relaxation. As well as going on family vacations during school breaks, I typically read books or watch TV for 30 minutes before I go to sleep as part of my winding-down routine.

SCION: What’s your greatest business tool?

RD: There’s no silver bullet there but I think the most important element is about understanding people – how they think, what motivates them and how they perceive things.

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SCION: What do you like to do in your free time?

RD: Explore new places to eat with my family – we love our culinary experiences (perhaps a bit too much) and I like to play golf and watch movies. I’m a big fan of the Star Wars franchise.

SCION: What is Sunday like at home?

RD: Pretty quiet in the morning – we typically have brunch together at home or at some place outside. The afternoon would be spent watching movies or playing some sports together as a family – badminton, bowling or basketball, depending on where we are.

SCION: What is your favourite piece of technology?

RD: I must say motion picture devices – for example, my television, as I love watching it.

Obviously I appreciate the latest tech version, and the bigger the better.

1. Donny taking a stroll in the garden with his daughters 2. An intricate sailboat from Donny’s collection 3. One of the many sailboat-themed paintings around the house 4. A Star Wars fan, Donny has a fine collection of Lightsabers

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The Donosepoetro family - Donny, Annastasia, Nadja and Lea

SCION: What is your favourite timepiece?

RD: I am not much of a watch person – I’m more of a car person – but if I had to choose, it would be either a Breitling or a Hublot, for different reasons.

SCION: What are you currently reading?

RD: Capital in the Twenty First Century by Thomas Piketty.

Given Financial Times accusation on his gross error in the data, I just have to know for myself what the controversy is all about – it’s been a slow reading though.

SCION: Name one thing about yourself that most people don’t know.

RD: I am a qualified race director for international marathons – for three years, I directed the Standard Chartered Stanley Marathon in the Falkland Islands, which was and still is the most southerly AIMs-certified marathon in the world.

SCION: If you weren’t a banker what would you be?

RD: Probably a chef or a basketball coach.

THINGS MY MOTHER TAUGHT ME

By Shireen Z ainudin-Lowe

When a child is born, the mother is born again ~ Anonymous As my mother’s daughter, I have vivid memories of growing up with an immaculately turned-out woman running an immaculate home. I suffered through the strictest curfews and Doris Day movies. I revelled in the seduction of wafting kitchen smells and the security of love. That love was often tough, sometimes comforting, but always unconditional. Since the arrival of my children, I’ve experienced both a growth surge and a regression to my past. My modern mothering gives an odd, nostalgic nod to an idealised childhood. There’s

an intersection now where past and present slot together beautifully. I will always be my mother’s daughter, just as I will always be my daughter’s mother.

In celebration of Mother’s Day in May, I spoke to three dynamic Malaysian mothers of daughters. I asked them how they parent their daughters today, and how the lessons passed down to them by their own mothers has influenced their parenting styles.

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“Motherhood is probably one of the most rewarding journeys we will embark on in life.”

Datin Dian Lee

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atin Dian Lee is doll-like. Tiny, with a flawless complexion, it’s hard to believe she has been around long enough to achieve all that she has. But beneath the porcelain exterior simmers a cauldron of energy and ideas. Mother of three, driven property developer and restaurateur, passionate purveyor of healthy living with her BE Urban Wellness Centre – Dian is never still. And now a new string has been added to her bow in the form of an organic vegan food delivery service. All this while she’s barely in her thirties.

Dian is the eldest daughter of an eldest daughter. Her mother (Puan Sri Lee [nee Tan] Bee Hong) came from modest beginnings to apprentice at a popular hair salon in Johor. She went on to marry Dian’s father and settle into motherhood with five children and, for a while, no help.

DATIN DIAN LEE

Dian honed her leadership skills at a young age, helping her mother by “bossing around her younger siblings”. Growing up, she always wanted to be like her mother, whom she admired for her deep well of patience. But, sadly, patience was an elusive quality for Dian and she grew up to be a typical teenage rebel. Motherhood brought out a softer side, and with it came an even deeper connection with, and appreciation for, her mother and the grounded values passed on to Dian and her siblings. Today, nothing gives Dian more pleasure than to spoil her mum with massages and family holidays.

Dian believes in spending quality one-on-one time with all her children, without gender bias – though she does admit that her daughter Jora, aged five, is already her best friend. The two of them recently enjoyed their first girls’ weekend break together.

They shopped, indulged in girl chat and ate sushi in Singapore.

Dian aspires to equip Jora with the tools to love herself, be gentle with herself, protect herself and to view the world with an open mind. She also hopes to pass on a skill inherited from her own mother – the ability to keep life simple in a material world. To this end, she has given each of her children three money boxes – one for savings, one for treats and one for donations to a chosen cause. She firmly believes children like hers, born into a life of privilege, must learn to give back.

The unstoppable entrepreneur has given a lot of thought to motherhood and what it means to today’s career woman.

Her conclusion? To be the best mother possible, you must feel complete as a person and not lose your identity in the demands of motherhood.

A challenge for sure. Which is why Dian believes a mother’s efforts should be honoured daily. Some days, however, focus the mind more fully than others. Like Mother’s Day – an occasion her family takes joy in celebrating every year.

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arion was a hugely successful television presenter, hosting The Biggest Loser Asia, the same year she snagged the coveted E! News Asia anchor role. That year – 2010 – she also married S.M. Nasaruddin, corporate scion and joint group executive chairman of the Naza Group. From then on, she has been widely viewed as a socialite as much as she has a television icon – an association that makes her sigh in both frustration and resignation.

So how does the 30-year-old view herself ? “I’m just a normal mother to two girls – Leia Rose aged 3, and Lana Rose aged 1 – who’s learning on the job,” says Marion.

She juggles motherhood with an entrepreneurial venture into her big passion – fashion, as expressed through the LA-based label Marna Ro. As if that weren’t enough, she also owns Hairplay – the hair salon of choice in Kuala Lumpur for celebrity tresses. And yes, she manages to do all of this while remaining effortlessly gorgeous.

Marion’s genetically blessed DNA may well have come from her mother, Min Caunter (nee Tiong Min Chor). Marion remembers how her mother never left home without being “put-together” with at least a slick of lipstick. This, despite her busy schedule running a household without help, raising three daughters and working full-time as a teacher in a boys’ high-school in Penang.

“She was always busy and stressed and yelling at us,” recalls Marion. But she was also always “there.” “Whilst I was definitely

a daddy’s girl and was indulged by my late father, the one thing I truly inherited from my mother was strength,” says Marion. It’s this strength that has seen her through the challenges of career, marriage and motherhood.

Marion is grateful for the sheltered security her parents gave her growing up in Penang. There was a convent education and homecooked meals and church on Sundays. “My mother never sat me down to pass on words of wisdom but I learned organically, just watching her. Her values, the way she was always grounded, and with both my parents being academics (her late father was a biology professor), I learned the importance of a good education.”

She adds, with a chuckle: “I want to pass all this on to Leia and Lana but without the screaming. I think it’s important to relate to your kids in a way that they will understand – to reason with them and not just dictate. Times have moved on since my mother’s day.”

What matters most to Marion is running a happy home. In the Nasa-Caunter household they laugh, dance, act and read together.

“I want the girls to learn manners, respect and to know the value of hard work. But above all, I want them to be happy children.”

This Mother’s Day, the three generations will celebrate together, in what has become a new tradition for this growing family.

“It’s important to me, this marking of Mother’s Day, because now I truly understand how much my mother went through,” says Marion.

“The toughest job I’ve ever had but without a doubt, the most rewarding.”

Marion Caunter

MARION CAUNTER

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“The best thing we can do for our children is to allow them to experience life on their own terms and pursue careers they are passionate about. It’s our job to raise children who will make the world a more compassionate and peaceful place.”

Dato’ Ruby Khong

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or the first 15 years of her married life, Dato’ Ruby Khong played the role of pampered socialite, directing all her attention on her three children. Then in 1994, a conversation with her spiritual guide led her down a radically new path of service and charity – and the rest, as they say, is history.

DATO’ RUBY KHONG

Photos: Datin Dian Lee, Marion Caunter, Dato’ Ruby Khong

Today, Dato’ Ruby is best known for her presidency of the much-respected Kechara Soup Kitchen Society, a nonreligious community action group serving the needs of the homeless. The society provides meals, laundry facilities, medical aid, job placement counselling and other life tools.

Dato’ Ruby is also director of the Kechara World Peace Centre and a developer for the Kechara Forest Retreat – an organisation serving those wishing to spend time in meditation. The remarkable Dato’ Ruby sees herself as a privileged ‘servant’, whether in her role as caregiver to her children or helper for society’s most needy.

She believes her desire to help was acquired from her mother Peggy Chee, who died 12 years ago. Her mother lived with quiet stoicism, adhering to that old adage of the privileged: don’t explain, don’t complain. Dato’ Ruby learned to face private challenges quietly, in the belief that others shouldn’t be burdened with her personal grievances.

Dato’ Ruby’s mother, like her, was deeply spiritual. Their strong Buddhist beliefs date back to Dato’ Ruby’s great-grandfather, who in his later years renounced life as a family man, donated the family mansion for use as a temple and proceeded to live as a monk.

Dato’ Ruby’s childhood was not, however, one of unadulterated sacrifice. Her best memories of her mother are of joyous Lunar New Years spent together. Her mother, a successful business woman, would take three whole days off from work to be with her children.

As Dato’ Ruby reached adulthood, she remained close to her mother. They’d take treasured holidays together and share evenings at restaurants or karaoke clubs, with Dato’ Ruby’s sisters in tow.

Looking young for her early fifties, Dato’ Ruby became a mother at an early age. Her girls – Elena, 28 and Elisa, 27 – are often found in New York and LA, running branches of the Kechara Foundations.

Yet, despite the distances, the girls remain close to their mother.

When together, the three of them spend time cycling, eating and shopping, and the generation gap counts for nothing.

Children, she says, are like sponges, learning by example. Like her and her mother before her, her daughters value perseverance and compassion. But not everything is learned from one’s elders, laughs Dato Ruby – her girls certainly haven’t inherited a love of order in the home.

Kechara is another significant responsibility in Dato’ Ruby’s life.

The organisation’s legacy is something she feels strongly about. To this end, she is grooming her daughters to take over one day. She does this by “walking the talk” and providing exemplary leadership.

While Dato’ Ruby appreciates the importance of pausing in the course of life to give thanks to one’s mothers, Mother’s Day is not a significant feature in her yearly calendar. “Any day could be Mother’s Day,” she says with a contented smile.

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MAKE ME A BAG

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Honouring the Finest Performances

What: A private luncheon hosted by Marigay McKee- the President of Saks Fifth Avenue- to introduce Ethan K to Saks Fifth Avenue’s top couture clients.

What: 21st Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards When: January 25, 2015

When: 20 November 2014

Where: Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles

Where: Bar Boulud in Boston.

Highlights: Presentation of awards for acting in film and television, with awards on individual performances and the work of the entire ensemble of a drama series and comedy series, and the cast of a motion picture; SAG Life Achievement Award to Debbie Reynolds; announcement of honourees for Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Film and in a Television Series.

Highlight: Exclusive preview of Ethan K’s upcoming Midnight Magician collection.

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1. Marigay McKee and Ethan and a guest at the private luncheon.

2. Marigay McKee (President of Saks Fifth Avenue) with Ethan Koh. She is carrying her favourite Rapunzel clutch.

3. Marigay McKee, Ethan Koh and Sinesia Karol.

Photos: image.net by Getty Images

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1. Adrien Brody; Lenny Kravitz 2. Maggie Gyllenhaal 3. Emma Stone 4. Jennifer Aniston; Julia Roberts 5. Reese Witherspoon; Sarah Paulson 6. Matthew McConaughey; Jared Leto 7. J.K. Simmons 8. julianne moore 9. The cast of “Downton Abbey” 10. Edward Norton; Michael Keaton 11. Eddie Redmayne kevin mazur/WireImagE

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SCION Throws a Party

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What: SCION Magazine’s first anniversary celebrations When: February 5, 2015 Where: Mutiara Ballroom, Radisson Hotel Highlights: A fun and relaxed afternoon with copious canapés and conversations with light jazz music; the story of SCION was recounted by the Managing Editor, Pauline Chan; SCION magazines were given out to every guest who came for the celebration.

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1. Feri Ferdian; Chin Hui Hui; Filzah Saiman; Wan Zainal shazali; Pauline Chan; Intan Abu Daniel; Clarissa Lim; Bina Chauhan 2. Anyati Abdullah Orcullo; Fortuna de Marco; Dr Jana Heilmaier; Naj Ford; Arlene Whittaker 3. ALINA DATO TALIB; LISA IBRAHIM; HASLINA TAIB; YVONNE KUAN; ALIZAN MAIDIN; ZAINAB JALIL 4. Hafiz Hasheim; Ng Yick Wei; Judith Lee; Cheng Yee-Man 5. Nadya Ong Abdul Rahim; Hj Ahmad Nizam Pehin Dato Hj Abd Wahab; Azlan Ahmad 6. Wan Zainal shazali; Joanna Kwan; Sujee Abdullah Chan; Areesha Zain; Barri Suhaili 7. Kent Lim; Mei Law; Hamdi Matussin 8. Rex Hatherley; Carole Hatherley; Edward Findlay 9. Bina Chauhan; Noormala Othman 10. Zul Idris; Antonia Jasmine Kumanireng 11. Jane Wong; Hazizah Osman; Azhani Abu Daniel 12. Efarina Abang Osman; Zurina Abdul Samad; Pauline Chan 13. Yong Chee Ting; Kok Zi Ling 14. Wafi Akramin Mohammad; Leonard Lim 15. Olivia Yong; Grace Lim 16. WAN ZAINAL SHAZALI; NG HUI FONG 17. Chee Ling; Leonard Lim; Jackie Cheong; Christina Goh 18. THINAG HARAN; ANNISON; ALVIN

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Stay Forever Young

Let There Be Love

What: Birthday bash of Datuk Gordon Leong, prominent lawyer in Sabah.

What: The wedding reception of Terence Han and Melati Dato Yusof

When: February 3, 2015

When: January 4th, 2015

Where: Hyatt Regency Kinabalu, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah Highlights: Pre-dinner cocktails and canapes at the newly renovated lobby of the hotel; dinner at Nagisa Japanese Restaurant with a special menu personally created by Chef Tungku Farazil Hussain

Where: Royal Berkshire Hall, Jerudong Polo Club Highlights: Accoustic performance of romantic ballads by Kala K throughout the evening

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1. DAMIEN OI; DATUK GORDON LEONG 2. KARTINA SULONG; JUANITA SULONG 3. DAMIEN OI; SUSAN LEONG; ELIZA GOH; DATUK GORDON LEONG; DATO LOUIS TAN KAR LEONG; ROGER YEN 4. TASHA AHSAN 5. FIONA HAGAN; PRAKASH GOPALAN 6. GERARD MONTEIRO; ELAINE MONTEIRO; DATIN PONEY PANG; DATUK PETER PANG; DATUK GORDON LEONG 7. DATUK WONG CHOON SENG; DATUK JONISTON BANGKUAI; DATUK GORDON LEONG; DATUK KELVIN TAN; DAMIEN OI; DATIN LUCY IRENE YONG 8. MARTIN TIU; SAM KAM; DATUK GORDON LEONG; DATO LOUIS TAN KAR LEONG 9. ROGER YEN; STEPHANIE YEN; DATUK GORDON LEONG; DR SHARON PAULRAJ; DR LIM HOCK LENG 10. KERRY YONG-NAIR; ELIZA GOH; DATUK GORDON LEONG; MENG TAN; TASHA AHSAN

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Photos: Ministry of Moment

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1. Terence Han and Melati Dato Yusof 2. AMRI WAHID; IZATI ZAINAL 3. ALLEN ANG; FEN; ANGELA ANG 4. LINDA WONG; HAN FOO KWANG; DATO PADUKA HJ YUSOF HJ ABD HAMID; DATIN MAHANI DATO HJ ABU ZAR 5. NASRUL AZIZI RAHIM; KALA KARWANAMURTHI 6.RAFIDAH ABU DANIEL; NOOR AZIMAH ARIF SOFFIAN; NOR AZAH HJ ABD RAHMAN; SITI NAASIRAH HJ AJI; SITI HAWA ABOO SAMAH 7. ZUBAIDAH DATO HJ ABU ZAR; SITI AISHAH ABU ZUBIR; MAHANUM DATO HJ ABU ZAR; ZARENA AWANG

8. NOOR AZIMAH ARIF SOFFIAN; AZIHA ABU DANIEL; AZHANI ABU DANIEL; INTAN ABU DANIEL; NURUL IMAAN ABD HAKIM 9. PEHIN ORANG KAYA LAILA SETIA DATO SERI SETIA HJ ABD RAHMAN HJ IBRAHIM; PEHIN ORANG KAYA SERI KERNA DATO SERI SETIA (DR) HJ AWG ABU BAKAR HJ APONG; PENGIRAN LAILA KANUN DIRAJA PENGIRAN HJ BAHRIN PG HJ ABBAS 10. PEHIN ORANG KAYA HAMZAH PAHLAWAN DATO SERI SETIA AWG HJ ABDULLAH BEGAWAN MUDIM DATO PADUKA HJ BAKAR; GENERAL (RTD) PG HJ IBNU BA’ASITH PG DATU PENGHULU PG HJ APONG

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Ac c o m m od a t i o n

Scion Partner Hotels

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Scion Partner Hotels Whether you’re visiting for business or leisure, the Renaissance

rooms with a view at the miri marriott

Kuala Lumpur Hotel is a five-star luxury accommodation located

Nestled in lush tropical gardens a mere two hours from Brunei,

exactly where you want to be - the heart of the Golden Triangle. It

the Miri Marriott Resort & Spa offers 220 luxuriously appointed

is a short walk to the Petronas Twin Towers and is two monorail

rooms and suites with serene views over the South China Sea.

Discover the Renaissance Lifestyle

stops from the nearest business, financial and retail hubs. The Renaissance features 910 beautifully appointed rooms and suites.

Combining business with leisure, the resort provides secretarial

For conferences and events, the hotel boasts a Grand Ballroom and

services and a full-service business centre. When work is

26 multi-purpose function rooms.

There are 7 dining options, including the Sagano Restaurant for Japanese cuisine, TEMPTationS coffee house, Vogue Café for allday dining and the Dynasty Restaurant, serving exquisite Chinese cuisine by award-winning executive sous-chef Kok Chee Kin. Guests can also enjoy the hotel’s two-storey fitness centre, tennis courts, Olympic-sized swimming pool and rejuvenating treatments at the Mandara Spa.

Renaissance Kuala Lumpur Hotel Corner of Jalan Sultan Ismail and Jalan Ampang 50450 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Tel: (603) 2162 2233 E-mail: rhi.kulrn.sales@renaissancehotels.com Website: www.klrenaissance.com

done, guests are free to enjoy the hotel’s fitness centre and sauna, lounge around the freeform pool (the largest outdoor swimming pool in Sarawak), or indulge in spa treatments at the Mandara spa.

The resort’s Zest restaurant is famous for its weekend buffets, while freshly baked desserts are available at the Borneo Baking Company.

If it’s just a drink you’re after, sip it on the Matahari Pool Terrace and enjoy the magnificent sea view at the same time.

Fit for a Prince

Fun & Relaxation at the Tanjung Aru

Prince Hotel & Residence in Kuala Lumpur is just a few minutes’

A modern flourish has been added to the rooms at the Shangri-

walk from Bukit Bintang, Petronas Twin Towers and the Kuala

La in Tanjung Aru, Kota Kinabalu, giving a contemporary twist

Lumpur Convention Centre. This five-star hotel presents 445

to the resort’s traditional décor.

Miri Marriott Resort & Spa Jalan Temenggong Datuk Oyong Lawai Miri 98000 Malaysia Tel: (60 85) 421 121 E-mail: reservations.miri@marriotthotels.com Website: www.marriott.com/myymc

spacious rooms and luxurious suites, and 157 full-service apartments with spectacular views over the city. Relaxation

The Shangri-La’s Tanjung Aru Resort and Spa is immersed in

facilities include an outdoor swimming pool, tropical garden, the

25-acres of green gardens, taking full advantage of the area’s

Sompoton spa, a fitness centre and a kids club, lower case.

enchanting tropical landscape. On top of its 492 upgraded rooms and suites, the resort boasts a new 2,000-square metre

Prince Hotel offers seven food and beverage venues to cater to a

swimming pool with tapered shoreline, infinity edges and

variety of palates. At the Eccucino Buffet Restaurant, you will be

custom-built jacuzzi beds.

spoilt for choice with local and international delights. Tai Zi Heen, the hotel’s signature restaurant, serves contemporary Cantonese cuisine and delectable dim sum.

Whether you’re travelling for business or pleasure, the Prince Hotel & Residence is ready to make your stay in Kuala Lumpur a memorable one.

Prince Hotel & Residence 4, Jalan Conlay 50450 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Tel: (603) 2170 8888 E-mail: enquiry@princehotelkl.com.my Website: www.princehotelkl.com

Guests are encouraged to treat themselves to walks along the resort’s private beach. Iced drinks are served at the Sunset Bar, with spectacular views of the setting sun thrown in for free. Dining options include the lively Café Tatu, the Chinese Shang Palace and the award-winning Italian restaurant Peppino.

With its 522 luxurious rooms, suites and villas, the sumptuously

Embedded in the vibrant hub of Clarke Quay, the Novotel Singapore

furnished Empire Hotel & Country Club offers an experience that

Clarke Quay combines comfort and convenience in the heart of

is anything but ordinary. The club’s accommodation is fit for a king,

Singapore. Guests will feel at home in its 403 rooms, as all are equipped

and the events venues and banquet rooms – including the Indera Samudra Grand Hall – are lavishly impressive.

with modern amenities and high-speed WiFi internet access.

Golfing enthusiasts are sure to enjoy the resort’s premium golf

Visitors can work out at the In|Balance Fitness centre or lounge by

swimming pools and a private beach. Catch a movie at the club’s cinema, or indulge in a game of bowling, a spa or gym session.

There is a selection of high-end restaurants. Savour authentic Chinese cuisine at Li Gong restaurant, Italian fare at Spaghettini’s or Japanese delights at Zen Teppanyaki. Alternatively, enjoy the sunset at Pantai restaurant - a venue specialising in international fare and seafood barbecue.

No. 20, Jalan Aru, Tanjung Aru 88100 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia Tel: (6088) 327 888 E-mail: tah@shangri-la.com Website: www.shangri-la.com/ tanjungaru

The Novotel Experience in Clarke Quay

A Majestic Experience at The Empire

course, while sun seekers are spoiled for choice with three outdoor

Shangri-La’s Tanjung Aru Resort and Spa

The Empire Hotel & Country Club Jerudong BG3122, Bandar Seri Begawan Brunei Darussalam Tel: (673) 241 8888 E-mail: sales@theempirehotel.com Website: www.theempirehotel.com

the outdoor pool. This family-friendly hotel provides a play area for little ones equipped with an Xbox Kinnect; a dedicated children’s menu is also available.

The SQUARE serves local and international cuisine, and is one of Singapore’s most popular restaurants. Other dining options include the Dragon Phoenix Restaurant, serving authentic Cantonese fare, and the Moghul Mahal Restaurant, serving delicious North Indian cuisine.

Novotel Singapore Clarke Quay 177A River Valley Road Singapore 179031 Tel: (65) 6338 3333 E-mail: H5993@accor.com Hotel code: 5993 Website: novotelclarkequay.com

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Scion Partner Hotels

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THE PULLMAN NETWORK A Pullman hotel with 513 contemporary bedrooms has opened in Kuala Lumpur, taking the number of Pullman hotels in Malaysia to three. The new hotel is strategically located in Bangsar, so perfect for MICE events. The other two Pullman hotels in Malaysia are the uber-modern 389-room Pullman in Kuching and the stunning Pullman Putrajaya, located on the shores of the Putrajaya Lake.

Pullman is the upscale international hotel brand of Accor, the world’s leading hotel operator. Accor is established in 92 countries, employs 160,000 personnel and boasts a portfolio of over 3,600 hotels.

Pullman Hotels and Resorts is principally aimed at cosmopolitan, seasoned travellers either touring alone, with family or with colleagues. The network has more than 80 hotels and is expanding rapidly in the Asia-Pacific region.

Epitomising the brand in Asia is the Pullman Thamrin Jakarta, which recently underwent a 15-million US dollar renovation. General Manager, Philippe Le Bourhis says: “We want this to be a vibrant hotel where leisure meets business as defined by the Pullman ‘bleisure’ concept.”

Pullman, like many of Accor’s brands, is proud to offer Le Club Accorhotels loyalty programme. For further information, on both this programme and Pullman hotels in general, visit: www.pullmanhotels.com.

1. PULLMAN THAMRIN JAKARTA 2. PULLMAN PUTRAJAYA LAKESIDE 3. Pullman Kuching 4. PULLMAN KUALA LUMPUR