The Lucky Ones

For Van Cleef & Arpels, luck means hope and inspiration. For Dawn Koh and Trina Liang-lin, however, its notion takes a completely different meaning. They share with Cheryl Chan what luck means to them

When it comes to the idea of luck, there are arguably many definitions and interpretations. For some, it is happenstance, the idea that moments can be serendipitous. These are the eternal optimists, the romantics who choose to believe that fate is beyond our control. For others, luck is summoned through elaborate rituals. They try to exercise ownership over their destiny by wielding charms to try to steer their luck in the “right” direction. Then, you have the pragmatic realists who believe that luck simply is a combination of hard work and opportunity. For French jeweller Van Cleef & Arpels, the element of luck is its guiding spirit and the inspiration for its luxurious designs. It all began with Jacques Arpels, the nephew of founder Estelle, who would search for four-leaf clovers in the gardens surrounding his home and present them to the Van Cleef & Arpels staff, along with a poem titled Don’t Quit to encourage them to never give up hope. This gave birth to the brand’s most iconic collection, the Alhambra. While not many of us have the luxury of time that young Jacques had, lucky for us, Van Cleef & Arpels has incorporated the four-leaf clover into its designs and has since released many iterations over the years, giving customers a beautiful good luck charm to wear and pass on the good fortune for generations to come. We speak to two inspiring women, who touch upon the luck they have received in their lives and what it means to them.