In living colour
SOME OF THE inalienable rights of spring are colour, reawakening and the unavoidable bounce in one’s step that happens as a result of all of this new life. No matter how gung-ho I was last year to adhere to an austere pandemic lifestyle, come May and I’m looking forward to longer days, shedding layers and something better to do. So, having had enough of neutrals, we’re presenting you with our Colour issue.
Hopefully, we make our point clear in our fashion shoot “Taste the Rainbow” ( page 18). We interview JJ Martin of La DoubleJ, a dress and homeware label that believes in the power of myriad hues ( page 30). Carlyle & Co. has just opened its doors to members and, to brighten up the journey to the dark side, it enlisted artist Christina Zimpel to enliven the interiors ( page 112).
There are, of course, other ways to interpret the notion of “colour” and in the wake of the #StopAAPIHate movement, it seemed only right to show support. In our monthly Think section, we discuss the effects of months of protest and what still needs to be done ( page 118). Architect and designer André Fu discusses what it means to be the only Chinese designer in the prestigious roster of Louis Vuitton’s Objets Nomades ( page 114) and Poppy Dongxue Wu, curator of X Museum in Beijing, explains why she chose to focus her garment industry exhibition on designers from the Southeast Asian region ( page 110). Let’s not forget Leonard Cheung, who brought his experience at Eleven Madison Park and Otto e Mezzo Bombana back home to Hong Kong and struck out on his own with new restaurant Cultivate ( page 132).
Fortunately, it seems that many residents of the city also feel it is high time for some excitement and so we get to say hello once again to Art Week. Both Art Central and Art Basel will be holding physical shows between May 19-23 and to put you in the mood for exhibitions that are not only beautiful but socially powerful we take a look at Jack Whitten’s solo show at Hauser & Wirth, where each piece speaks to the African American artist’s experience in the Western art history tradition but also as a piece of activism ( page 106).
We didn’t forget that May 9 is Mother’s Day, so we interviewed supermodel turned supermom Cindy Crawford (page 54). And should you want to take your mother out for a nice time, take a look at our spotlight of five amazing F&B professionals at Rosewood Hong Kong (page 120).
Finally, Irene Kim is our cover star this month. We chose her because of her indefatigable optimism – always willing to bet on the bright side and work hard with optimism. Her brand Ireneisgood is known for its sunny shades, its unicorn mascot and its belief that a bright hue is almost always indicative of a good time.
So put on your brightest pieces and your cheeriest mask, and go forth in search of even more ways to enjoy life than we present you in our 100 takes of flavour ( page 136).