A New Merchant of venice

T Fondaco dei Tedeschi by DFS provided a majestic backdrop for our Asia’s Most Stylish shoot

hen eight glamazons from across Asia flew in for a weekend of celebrations tied to the opening of DFS’S first European retail destination, romantic Venice glittered just that little bit brighter. The style mavens proved unflappable when faced with the odd challenge during shoots in and around the historic Grand Canal building that houses T Fondaco dei Tedeschi by DFS. Singaporean Ho Ching Lin ably posed in Dior and Fendi in Fondaco dei Tedeschi amid the chaos of preparations for the opening party the following day. Stephanie Zubiricrespi of the Philippines looked amazing in Michael Kors as a water taxi zipped her along the canals around the store, and Hong Kong’s Valerie Chow—dressed in a Loewe skirt made entirely of rubber bands—braved a rocky ride in a gondola. Designed to carry just a gondolier and two passengers, Valerie’s vessel was overloaded with a stylist, photographer and cameraman.

When making their way up to the top floor of the building for a group shot on the final evening, the glamouristas couldn’t help but be sidetracked by the sartorial delights on display. Thailand’s Vatanika Patamasingh na Ayudhya, Melissa Zuo from Mainland China and Christina Lim from Indonesia didn’t get far into the ground floor, once a bustling medieval courtyard, before being lured by the Gucci and Bottega Veneta boutiques, while Zaida Ibrahim from Malaysia and Patty Tsai from Taiwan couldn’t resist a detour to the magnificent shoe salon on the third floor. Once everyone had reached the rooftop, a hush fell as they admired the panorama of Venice before them, from the Grand Canal to the Venetian Lagoon and beyond to the peaks of distant mountains. Viva Italia!

Turn to p.114 to meet Asia’s Most Stylish Acrobats scale the arcades of T Fondaco dei Tedeschi by DFS during the gala opening celebration