Edi†or LETTER FROM THE
I finally wore down Mrs Christina Ong to grant me an interview, which was published as a cover story for the Financial Times, How To Spend It. British photographer Martin Morrell shot a rare portrait, capturing her warmth of spirit. Yet her reputation was one of cold reserve. This was because she had barely ever spoken to the press then, and rarely does now, choosing to live as privately as possible surrounded by loving family and friends.
Yet there are some things she cannot hide. This includes her indefatigable energy to create a world calibrated by beauty, passion, intelligence and commitment to excel. From a small boutique hotel in London opened in 1991 has grown a company with 13 world-class properties in countries ranging from The Maldives to Bhutan.
In 2016 – 25 years on from the founding of COMO Hotels and Resorts – Christina Ong talks again in the pages of COMO Stories. She is accompanied by her daughter, Melissa Ong, who until recently has been pursuing a very different path taking her from the Horn of Africa to Asia’s conflict zones. In this original mother-daughter profile – again, with portraiture shot by Martin Morrell – we discover not just how COMO was conceived in the beginning, but how it might evolve under new direction to remain at the cutting-edge of wellness, design, cuisine, and a life lived well.
I hope you enjoy the journey in these pages, guided, as ever, by the exceptional eye of Rashna Mody Clark, who has worked with the company since 2000 as its Creative Director. Her talent has attracted some of the most compelling names in photography, including Tom Parker, who shoots our Australian feature on page 76, and Lisa Linder, who is responsible for the photography in the new COMO Shambhala Cookbook, excerpted on page 118. More than anything, I hope this issue inspires you to travel and experience something of the COMO lifestyle, wherever you might find it.
Sophy Roberts
Editor
British photographer Tom Parker is a regular contributor to COMO Stories as well as Vogue, Departures, GQ and Architectural Digest. This issue he captured the beehiveshaped sandstone wilderness of Western Australia’s Bungle-Bungles, easily accessed from COMO’s new Perth hotel, COMO The Treasury. Featured on pages 76 to 85.
Caroline Metcalfe is an award-winning picture editor who has worked with the world's leading luxury lifestyle brands. Formerly the Director of Photography at Conde Nast Traveller magazine, Caroline is well-known for her ability to identify and enable rising talent.
Martin Morrell is a British photographer who has collaborated with COMO for over a decade. His images play a significant part in communicating the COMO Group’s passion for beautiful places. Martin was the natural choice when it came to shooting the portraits of COMO founder Christina Ong, and her daughter Melissa, on pages 8 to 13.