Get Summer Ready
If you’re wondering why we decided to do an ultimate summer guide despite living in perpetually sunny Singapore, well… why not?
I don’t know about you, but all the new beach resorts opening around Asia (page 98) look mighty enticing, and I’m thinking of booking an island getaway pretty soon.
If you are too, you’ll love the stories we have lined up for you that will put you in a holiday mood. Think: musthave footwear (page 22), pretty handmade jewellery (page 26), and vibrant hair colours (page 58) that’ll turn heads.
No plans for travel? No sweat. Eating has got to be our national pastime, and I’m thrilled that we’ve profiled some of the best female chefs and meatsmiths (page 84), as well as an awardwinning patissier (page 76) this month.
For all that sexist talk about how women belong in the kitchen, isn’t it ironic that men still outnumber their female counterparts in professional kitchens around the world? From Cloud Street’s Maira Yeo, who was crowned Asia’s Best Pastry Chef this year, to pitmaster Jayce Ho who makes a mean beef brisket, to nose-to-tail connoisseur Alysia Chan, who’s head chef at Rebel Rebel Wine Bar, these individuals have succeeded despite the odds, and they mean business.
Someone else who also means business is cover girl Kim Lim (page 36). She’s a combination of funny and selfdeprecating confidence when we meet on set. While looking through the photos together, she quips with a laugh: “I love this shot, I look like a serious businesswoman!” Then, a moment of earnestness shows. “I am a serious businesswoman. I’m building my own empire.”
And indeed, she seems well on her way to do so. No stranger to Her World, she’s launched a skincare range and opened new stores for her Illumia Therapeutics and Papilla Haircare brands since we last interviewed her. Despite being thrust into the public eye, there’s something to be said about how candid she is about her struggles, mental health and self-acceptance.
She marches to the beat of her own drum, and we’re here for it.