January 2021
I’VE NEVER BEEN someone to write New Year’s resolutions. To be frank, I think the only time I did, I revisited the slip of paper some three years later, finding it wedged between some pencils and a tape holder while clearing out my desk. But I do enjoy that sense of dreamy, contemplative tranquillity and limitless possibility that comes around each January. There are 12 months ahead to, say, resolve global warming, halt the spread of COVID-19 and – who knows – maybe even find a way for all of us to get along.
If there are two women who know how to make the most of a new year and the opportunity for a reset, it’s Rainie Yang ( page 66) and Chrissie Chau ( page 81). This month’s cover star is not only queen among Taiwanese songstresses but a pioneer of change, refusing to be boxed into a type and instead constantly refreshing her image and identity throughout her 20-year career. Similarly, Chau has embraced her resilience, adaptability and openness to challenge to become one of Hong Kong’s most successful modelsturned-actresses over the past 10 years.
Elsewhere in this issue, we offer ways to reboot your accessories ( page 18) with forwardlooking items that simultaneously draw from shapes of the past. For those who want to cleanse their aura, look no further than the coloured stones that sit front and centre in our jewellery shoot ( page 58). In our fashion shoot ( page 30), we propose that 2021 be the year that everyone can be who they want to be.
We also speak to Julien Dossena ( page 42), who has been quietly reinventing Paco Rabanne, and Alexis Bonhomme ( page 46) about why the Farfetch model has been so successful during the pandemic. In our culture section, Art Basel’s Angelle Siyang-Le discusses Hong Kong Spotlight ( page 110) and how the art world has embraced and innovated a new way forward for art fairs.
I hope, dear reader, that these pieces buttress you in ways big or small. The year ahead of us is likely to continue being an uphill climb, and whether you brace for it with crystals or the optimism of the different personalities we’ve featured across this issue, we at #legend wish you a truly happy and fulfilling new year.