Dian Lee

Malaysia

Dian Lee has perfected the knack of looking like a teenager despite being a mother of three and a successful businesswoman. Known for her fashion sense, ambition, happy family, and dedication to yoga and meditation, Dian has achieved more in her three decades than most people do in a lifetime. But don’t think all that success has gone to her head, as she’s also delightfully modest.

“When Tatler asked me out to lunch and gave me the letter about the award, I was like, ‘Did you guys print the name wrong? Because I’m really not a fashion icon.’” We beg to differ, Dian. Her simple, well-cut clothes, which are often accessorised with a good scarf or beautiful pair of earrings, bring to mind some of the best-dressed women of Paris or Milan.

“I think my style is pretty chic and relaxed,” she says. “I love white and gold, and my staples are pretty simple: sunglasses, Uniqlo jeans and white Dior shirts, which I often steal from my husband.”

But while she may be known for her relaxed, pared-back aesthetic, life as one of Malaysia’s top property developers and hoteliers—while also a mother of three children under 12—must be more than a little manic. “Yoga saved me,” she says. “What started out as the cure for a little back pain on holiday in Bali has changed the way I see the world. I meditate and practise mindfulness daily, because I just want to be at peace.”