Angelica Cheung (Editor-in-Chief, Vogue China)

 ‘A red dress my mother made for me when I was a teenager. I haven’t worn it in over 20 years, but I will always keep it.’

Tory Burch (Designer, New York Fashion Week)

 ‘A sunflower pendant my father had made for his mother.’

Sarah Rutson (Vice President, Global Buying at Net-a-Porter)

‘It’s a family signet ring, a very large signet ring which was unusual for a woman, it comes from about 1720, so it was a great great great great grandmother, and she was a very bold dresser’

Anna Dello Russo (creative consultant, Vogue Japan)

‘I collect clothes…it’s not about this piece, another piece…all of them are a treasury. It’s an entire collection…’

Mary Katrantzou (Designer, London fashion week)

‘I’d say my Alaia dress. It has really intricate embroidery in it, and comes out for very very special events. I only wore it to see the Queen and to the British Fashion Awards. And a pair of Miu Miu earring’

Jenna Lyons (Creative Director and President, J Crew)

‘My ten-year-old Okura jeans’

Aerin Lauder (Senior Vice President and Creative Director, Estee Lauder)

‘My Tiffany gold wedding band’

Photo courtesy of businessoffashion.com, Noah Griffel, Vogue

In the throes of Fashion week, we asked our KOTUR Fashion MUSES the most important question any handbag designer must be able to address… What do you never leave home without… Here are our answers, and yes, they all fit into KOTUR

Sarah Rutson (Vice President, Global Buying at Net-a-Porter)

‘Wearing scent. Perfume is very important to me, which is why I’ve got a very large nose – for a reason. I never leave home without wearing my perfume which is one of 3 brands: Jo Malone Lime Basil and Mandarin, the other is Bulgari and Clarins in the red bottle. I never walk out of the house without scent on – I feel naked’

Jenna Lyons (Creative Director and President, J Crew) 

‘My 1969 Gold Rolex’

Cornelia Guest (Handbag designer and Animal Advocate)

‘My Amex Card’

 That Weinrib was going to be a designer – and one prone to finding inspiration from exotic climbs – did not come as a surprise. Her Grandfather founded the Aladdin’s cave that is the furniture emporium ABC Carpet and Home and Weinrib grew up surrounded by some of the world’s most wonderful things. Initially, she used her interest in design to fuel her skills as a painter before turning her hand to decorative arts and creating her first collection of rugs for the store in 1997. From there, she went on to launch her own design business, quickly making a name for herself as the woman who put the hip into hippie chic for today’s interior design space as she went.

 Aside from being beautiful, what we really appreciate about Weinrib’s work is its artistry and adherence to traditional techniques and craft. She has worked with artisans in Nepal, India and Morocco, found inspiration everywhere from Pakistan to Africa, trained with specialists in Venzuela and worked with craftsmen in Tibet, all as part of a quest to produce pieces that are as authentically made as they are new and as thought out as they are refreshing. Collaborating regularly with the Neue Gallery and designers including Soledad Twombly and Manolo Blahnik, her approach to design is that of an artist. She reimagines the beauty of centuries past for today, preserving techniques and traditions as she goes and giving new life to some of the world’s most precious crafts. Plus, she is an avid wearer of the kaftan, seen often out and about clad in her own ikat versions paired with shades and a slash of red lipstick. For these and many other reasons we love what she does. Here, she reveals the secrets to her fabulous sense of style.

What’s in your make-up bag?
Concealer by Cle De Peu, Scarlet Red Lipstick by Lipstick Queen and Stila Intense Black liquid eyeliner

Do you have a beauty secret?
I have a facial once a month and use products by Biologique Recherche. I am also addicted to my own argan oil that I use for my hair and body.

What would be your desert island essentials?
A big hat, sunblock, sunglasses, and lots of pencils and paper to draw with.

What do you wear on a fat day?
I wear a kaftan, but I also wear them on skinny days too.

How would your female friends describe your style?
I decided to ask a few of my friends this very question. When they realized I was serious, I received two answers: Boho Chic and Classic with a twist

What’s the most treasured item in your wardrobe?
My Sugarloaf Sapphire ring made by Munnu Gem Palace.  It was a gift from my boyfriend and it’s my greatest treasure.

Is there anything in your wardrobe you should get rid of but can’t?
Old jeans, I have tons of them.

What do you never leave home without?
Cellphone, lipstick and, during the day, sunglasses.

Hot date night with your husband/boyfriend/lover, what do you wear?
Always a little Black dress with red lipstick.

When home alone, what do you wear?
A Kaftan

What do you wear to bed?
Nothing

You’re the fashion police for a day, what do you ban?
Knockoffs

Have you ever worn anything you now regret?
Only in photoshoots

How high is too high a heel?
A heel is too high if you can’t walk with ease.

How old is too old for jeans?
No such thing!

If you could live in any other time for its fashion, when would you choose?
Greco Roman. I adore the ease and comfort of the dresses, and how the fabric drapes.

What is your most recent purchase?
I bought some beautiful Kaftans in Morocco

Can you judge a book by its cover?
No. Sometimes I think I can but I am usually wrong.

What are your bad habits?
Enjoying my food a little too much

What’s your greatest extravagance?
Travel

What are your guilty pleasures?
I don’t feel guilty about my pleasures.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given?
To pay attention to my own intuition.

What’s your favorite smell?
Orange Blossom and truffles, but not together.

What’s your idea of a great holiday?
I love traveling for work so much, it feels like a holiday.

What are you most proud of?
My work

What is your pure bliss?
A day to potter around the house

Who or what would you like to be reincarnated as in your next life?
My dogs

What would you eat for your last supper?
Pasta with truffles.  But I would like to eat it in Umbria.

If you could meet someone from history who would it be?
I would love to visit Mario Fortuny in his palazzo in Venice

Yes or no to a nip and a tuck?
I would love to, but my other half is strongly against it. So, unless we break up, I’m going to age naturally.

Do you have a favorite purse or bag?
I made a bag about eight years ago with my Suzani Fabric.  I still use it all the time.

Do you have a favorite KOTUR bag?
A beautiful KOTUR clutch made out of wicker. It’s my favorite summer bag.

How would you like to be remembered?
I would like to be remembered for my textile collections and for putting together an original body of work.

Photo courtesy of  Madeline Weinrib & taken by photographer Jason Frank Rothenberg

Nineteen years later, Hicks still calls Harbour Island home. She has written several books that pay homage to island life, opening a window onto the paradise that she has carefully crafted over the years. The latest, Island Style, is out this month and showcases her inimitable approach to decorating. In it’s pages, her home, Hibiscus Hill, stands testament to her unique approach – a blend, as she puts it, of her traditional British past and rich Caribbean present with her own eccentricities thrown in.

Whilst her first fashion moment may have been clad in frills as a bridesmaid to Prince Charles and Lady Diana, these days she is known for a much more laid back approach, one that seems as effortless as it is glamorous. To that end, she has just launched her own brand featuring fragrances, accessories and jewelry. Sold both through her website indiahicks.com and a direct selling network of Style Ambassadors, she is on a mission not only to deliver a slice of island style to the world, but also to empower women with the tools to earn money from their own homes by joining her.  “I want to say to these women ‘Do it on your own terms, and do it your own way,” she explains. It is a mantra she more than lives up to herself. Here, she answers our questions.

What’s in your make-up bag?
I never used to have one until quite recently, it never occurred to me. Having been a model for so many years, everyone else did my make up so I never had to carry some. Now, however, most essentially I carry red eye drops because I’m always on a plane.

Do you have a beauty secret?
I think we inherit a great deal genetically. My mother has incredible skin and has never done anything to it, so I’m rather hoping I’ll inherit a little bit of that. I tend to focus much more on the exercise part of life. I’m pretty religious about making sure that I am fit and healthy rather than relying on a beauty secret.

What would be your desert island essentials?
Marmite, for so many reasons. Even the fabulous design of the pot would keep one going on a rainy day.

What do you wear on a fat day?
For me, it’s not so much a fat day as an utterly exhausted day. This year I’ve been setting up a business and there have been days when I just couldn’t even think about what I was going to wear. Then I turn to a pair of jeans and a cowboy shirt.

How would your female friends describe your style?
It depends who you ask.  I have some very high fashion friends who would probably describe me as rather unadventurous, and then are others who would say it’s either fairly tomboy or the other extreme. There’s not much in the middle.

What’s the most treasured item in your wardrobe?
My grandmother’s white fur stole with its satin lining and her coat of arms embroidered on the inside. I don’t really dare to wear it, but I do wonder at all the adventures it must have had when she wore it regularly.

Is there anything in your wardrobe you should get rid of but can’t?
My Birkenstocks. Both my 7 year old daughter Domino and David are horrified by them. David would like me to dress like Grace Kelly, and I don’t think she would have a pair in her wardrobe.

What do you never leave home without?
My India Hicks English Rose roller ball. It’s travel sized and great because I spend too much time in stinky airports, and I live in the tropics. Plus, it reminds me of where I’ve come from rather than of where I’m going.

Hot date night, what do you wear?
Heels or bare feet – nothing in between. And good underwear. Elle Macpherson is a mate, and she always said good underwear is essential, especially as you creep into middle age. You must never forget it.

When home alone, what do you wear?
Yoga pants, a sports bra and a sports top.

What do you wear to bed?
David’s boxer shorts.

You’re the fashion police for a day, what do you ban?
High-heeled flip-flops. I can’t bear them. And also men who wear singlets on airplanes. I mean, for God’s sake.

Have you ever worn anything you now regret?
Who hasn’t! Really so much, and the alarming part about this is that it wasn’t even so long ago. I look back to last year and think what was I wearing! I did once wear high heeled over the knee leather boots with a leather mini skirt – I mean, what was I thinking.

How high is too high a heel?
If you’re stumbling around ungraciously, then they’re too high.

How old is too old for jeans?
Never too old.  In fact, the older the better.

If you could live in any other time for its fashion, when would you choose?
I would choose the 1700s, but I would have to be Anne Bonny the pirate, who was an extraordinary character and never disguised herself as a woman pirate. Think of those leather boots, big wide buckled belts, lacy shirts and a sword at your side, plus the confidence to steal someone else’s ship.

What is your most recent purchase?
A Filson roller bag.  It is canvas with leather straps and it had better stand the test of time.

Can you judge a book by its cover?
I pick up a beauty product because of packaging, I will buy a car because of the way it looks from the outside not the engine, so I am deeply shallow!

What are your bad habits?
Chocolate for breakfast. And for the rest, I think you should be asking my other half. He’d have a very long list.

What’s your greatest extravagance?
My kids, and flying my kids back and forth across the Atlantic and home. One of the prices we pay for living in paradise is that our children have to be educated overseas, but I can’t bear the separation so there is a great deal of travel involved.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given?
It’s not so much that I’ve been given advice, it’s that my parents have been an influence on me. My father was a very tricky character, very opinionated, but he was very individual and he lived life differently, as did my mother. She didn’t do what was expected of her. They both lived very individual lives, and for me that has been very important. The one thing I would say to my children is, ‘be individual.’

What’s your idea of a great holiday?
All my kids together, and everybody being content. I have an 18 year old down to a 7 year old, so it’s hard to find somewhere we are all happy to be.

What are you most proud of?
That I’ve kept my sanity being a mother of four boys and one tomboy. And, though one never wants to voodoo it, that David and I have somehow managed to make island life work for our family and us.

What are you least proud of?
The fact that I don’t read enough. I still don’t read the newspapers every day; I cheat and get David to give me a weekly synopsis of what’s going on in the world. I should take more control of that.

Who or what would you like to be reincarnated as in your next life?
My dachshund, Banger.  Who wouldn’t want to be a big fat dachshund living in the Bahamas?

If you could meet someone from history who would it be?
Tough, but my grandmother Edwina Mountbatten would be very interesting. She died in 1959 and she certainly was an individual. She definitely had a varied life.

Yes or no to a nip and a tuck?
Oh my God, yes! But again it depends who you are and what you need and how much. Moderation!!

Do you have a favorite KOTUR bag?
The James studded clutch is pretty sensational.

On a scale of one-to-ten, how good looking are you?
Jesus Christ! This morning probably about a three and half! With a lot of help, I could maybe get to a seven!

How would you like to be remembered?
As enthusiastic.

Photo Credit: Marzena Kosicka

As my personal and ultimate muse, Andrea Robinson shares with us some of her musings.

What’s in your make-up bag?
A lip pencil from drug store brand Prestige. A hard to get lipstick from Jemma Kidd, the color is Peggy and I have about 20 for fear of it discontinuing. Laura Mercier cream blush and a foundation by my new brand Mrs. Robinson (Launching in 2015).

What do you wear on a fat day?
All black and very high heels. Height makes you look thinner.

How would your female friends describe your style?
Minimal and chic. I do love frou frou shoes and bags though, I would wear a simple coat with a huge, luxurious fur hat. I like to focus on accessories, you will often see me in big, statement earrings.

What’s the most treasured item in your wardrobe?
A small string of pearls that my mother used to always wear. I feel like I inhabit her when I wear them now, which is a lovely feeling. She wore a lot of black too, so maybe I took after her in that respect.

Hot date night with your lover, what do you wear?
I would wear something very sleek and simple with a lot of subtle sex appeal.

When home alone, what do you wear?
My most favorite things  – oversized silk men’s pajamas. I currently love the Joe Fresh ones.

What do you wear to bed?
Depends on who is there.

You’re the fashion police for a day, what do you ban?
Trendiness for the sake of trendiness. I always prefer style, worked in with something modern around it.

Have you ever worn anything you now regret?
Probably lots of things in my life! I mostly regret things when I see pictures of myself – and I think why did I ever think I could get away with that?

If you could live in any other time for its fashion, when would you choose?
I love comfort, so probably sometime in the future when clothes will feel weightless. I feel most comfortable when I’m walking around without any clothes on. From a comfort point of view, is a d-r-a-g.

Can you judge a book by its cover?
Somewhat.

What are your bad habits?
Eating in general. Snacking. Good cheese. A nice glass of wine… or a couple.

What’s your greatest extravagance?
I love to take first class trips. Experiences are my greatest extravagance. I also adore the ballet.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given?
My boss at L’Oreal Guy Peyrelongue once said to me when I asked him his opinion on two plans of action, “I hired you for just that, so don’t ask me what I think. You do what you think is right”. I have stuck by that mantra always. You make your own decisions and take responsibility for them. Own it and go for it.

What’s your favorite smell?
Something wonderful cooking on the stove, tuberose in a garden, a beautiful gardenia, to name just a few of my favorite smells.

What’s your idea of a great holiday?
Somewhere exotic and beautiful I’ve never been to, where my vision and senses and appetite for newness and adventure are engaged. Being in the lap of luxury, having everything I lay eyes on breathtakingly special. The beauty and color of India for example, just took my breath away.

What are you most proud of?
My children.

What is your pure bliss?
Being in my enormously comfortable bed, sleeping on my fabulous Matouk sheets, my silk pajamas and reading a juicy novel, with lovely music.

Who or what would you like to be reincarnated as in your next life?
This is so interesting. There are so many women I would like to be. On the political front – Margaret Thatcher, Aung San Suu Kyi or Indira Ghandi. On the acting front – Mary Martin or Cate Blanchett. To answer the question, I would like to reincarnate in the body of not too many, but the mind of many.

Yes or no to a nip and a tuck?
Well, of course. But it really has to be just a nip.

How would you like to be remembered?
She was a great mother, she did pretty well in business and she had great friends.
Read about Andrea’s book HERE

What’s in your make-up bag?
Tatcha Aburatorigami blotting paper, Innisfree concealer, Opcon-A eye drops, Philosophy: hope in a stick lip balm and my favorite lipstick…Nars Funny Face.

What do you wear on a fat day?
Fabulous jewelry.

What’s the most treasured item in your wardrobe?
A vintage, black, hand-embroidered Qipao that my mother-in-law wore at her own wedding.

You’re the fashion police for a day, what do you ban?
Nail art.

Have you ever worn anything you now regret?
Of course!

How high is too high a heel?
Anything you can’t walk in would be too high.

How old is too old for jeans?
Never too old.

If you could live in any other time for its fashion, when would you choose?
1940s…Dior please.

Can you judge a book by its cover?
No.

What are your bad habits?
Checking emails before I get out of bed.

What’s your greatest extravagance?
Family vacations.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given?
Never be complacent and always strive to learn more.

What’s your favorite smell?
Something baking in the oven.

What’s your idea of a great holiday?
Any place with my family.

What are you most proud of?
My three, very grounded kids.

What is your pure bliss?
Spending a weekend at our Sonoma vineyard with no plans.

Who or what would you like to be reincarnated as in your next life?
A skinnier version of myself.

If you could meet someone from history who would it be?
Coco Chanel.

Yes or no to a nip and a tuck?
Never say never.

Do you have a favorite KOTUR bag?
JB Renna Snakeskin minaudiere.

How would you like to be remembered?
I was able to balance having a wonderful family and a very rewarding career.

What’s in your make-up bag?

Lots! From reviving serums and rejuvenating masks, to eye liner pencils and lipsticks, I have it all!

Do you have a beauty secret?

I only believe in holistic naturopathic therapies and have been practicing this for many years. I also do blood irradiation therapies twice a year with my German doctor.

What would be your desert island essentials?

My moisturizing creams with sun block, lipstick & water.

What do you wear on a fat day?

Morgane Le Fay dresses from New York or Josie Natori shifts.

How would your female friends describe your style?

Glamour Puss….”Only you can get away with it”…..

What’s the most treasured item in your wardrobe?

Hmmmm….there are quite a few. Probably my many fine pashmina & silk scarves I’ve collected over the years.

Is there anything in your wardrobe you should get rid of but can’t?

Plenty….Couture gowns, gorgeous accessories that they don’t make anymore….

What do you never leave home without?

My phones.

Hot date night, what do you wear?

Depends with who…..something that shows off the figure, I suppose…

When home alone, what do you wear?

My stretch pants and comfy tees or my cotton kaftans.

What do you wear to bed?

Very fine cotton night gowns bought in Morocco.

You’re the fashion police for a day, what do you ban?

Items that are overly sloppy and bad taste stockings.

Have you ever worn anything you now regret?

Yes, and how!

How high is too high a heel?

6 inches up.

How old is too old for jeans?

It depends….If you can carry them off, I guess all the way to your 60s?!

If you could live in any other time for its fashion, when would you choose?

The Gatsby days or the 1980′s when clothes seemed to be more glam and sexy.

What is your most recent purchase?

Something beautiful for my home.

Can you judge a book by its cover?

Never.

What are your bad habits?

Sitting in my cosy bed, Downton Abbey style, enjoying my breakfast in bed and papers for hours….I know it’s bad for my back!

What’s your greatest extravagance?

Going into a fine jewellery store, within 5 mins of just walking by a window, picking up something très cher… Or my full length Russian Sable by Carlo Tivioli.

What are your guilty pleasures?

Cakes from Ms B’s Cakery.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given?

When life is being somewhat tough, we must understand that the universe just loves us too much to leave us alone. We are only being tested, it is only happening to give us an opportunity to grow more into our potential.

What’s your favorite smell?

Fresh sweet peas or fresh wild roses. Otherwise, scent(took out the s) wise, Grapefruit Cologne from Jo Malone.

What’s your idea of a great holiday?

Heading to either a culturally stimulating place with good company, good restaurants & interesting small finds OR getting lost in superb paradise where nature speaks louder than words, with beautiful lodging and good food…

What are you most proud of?

I’ve accomplished many things myself and never had to rely on anyone.

What are you least proud of?

My poor Mandarin….I should not have dropped Chinese for French when I was young.

What is your pure bliss?

To have hours of great massage whilst going through MAD MEN movie marathon.

Who or what would you like to be reincarnated as in your next life?

I wouldn’t know, but I hope I’ve earned enough good karma in this lifetime to be reincarnated into another blessed life.

What would you eat for your last supper?

Maybe a good soup if I had the appetite.

If you could meet someone from history who would it be?

Grace Kelly.

Yes or no to a nip and a tuck?

Never obsessively, but if you have to do it, why not?

Do you have a favorite purse or bag?

My Paloma Picasso for Tiffany’s kidney shaped bag in Japanese black lacquer.

Do you have a favorite KOTUR bag?

The Pearce Special Edition Miniaudiere black bag.

On a scale of one-to-ten, how good looking are you?

I’d say a little just over average

How would you like to be remembered?

Someone’s who’s warm, with a lot to give & whenever you think about her, it just puts a little smile on your face…

By Fiona Kotur

Today, Kristie, a mother to four year old Arabella, lives in Hong Kong and hosts CNN’s daily news program ‘News Stream’ as well as their monthly show ‘On China.’ A leading voice in reporting the rise of China, she is most known for her coverage of the business and tech worlds, bringing a no nonsense approach to her journalism that has garnered her a name for her thought provoking and direct style. She has interviewed everyone from Aung Sung Su Ki to Lady Gaga, Melinda Gates to Chinese artist Ai Wei Wei along the way, and she has done it all looking impeccably chic. Here, she answers Kotur’s questions.

What’s in your make-up bag?

Kristie Lu Stout: Tinted moisturizer, mascara and tubes of bright red and pink lipsticks

Do you have a beauty secret?

Kristie: Sleep and a smile

What would be your desert island essentials?

Kristie: Sunscreen, a hat, and plenty of buckets and spades to build a sandcastle with my daughter

What do you wear on a fat day?

Kristie: A kimono jacket

How would your female friends describe your style?

Kristie: Preppy and exotic

What’s the most treasured item in your wardrobe?

Kristie: My first Cheong Sam from my tailor in Kowloon (Hong-Kong)

Is there anything in your wardrobe you should get rid of but can’t?

Kristie: A pair of trashed Gucci heels I wore on the Great Wall

What do you never leave home without?

Kristie: A smartphone and a charger

Hot date night with your partner, what do you wear?

Kristie: Jumpsuit and matte red lipstick

When home alone, what do you wear?

Kristie: A black jersey tank dress

What do you wear to bed?

Kristie: That’s a state secret

You’re the fashion police for a day, what do you ban?

Kristie: Bluetooth headsets and (if and when they become ubiquitous) Google Glasses

Have you ever worn anything you now regret?

Kristie: The grunge wardrobe I sourced from the Wasteland in San Francisco back in the early 90s

How high is too high a heel?

Kristie: When it’s too high to run in

If you could live in any other time for its fashion, when would you choose?

Kristie: The 1970s

What is your most recent purchase?

Kristie: A Kenzo tiger print scarf and a dozen unicorn horns from Etsy

Can you judge a book by its cover?

Kristie: No, especially if it’s a Penguin Classic with the iconic orange and white cover

What are your bad habits?

Kristie: I’m a terrible music snob and I judge people based on their gadgetry and media diet

What’s your greatest extravagance?

Living in Hong Kong

What are your guilty pleasures?

Mint chocolate chip ice cream, Girl Scout cookies and zombie movies

What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given?

Kristie: To move from Silicon Valley to Beijing in 1997

What’s your favorite smell?

Kristie: The ocean

What’s your idea of a great holiday?

Kristie: Family, friends, a new bottle of wine, and loads of laughter

What are you most proud of?

Kristie: My family, my education, and the last 12 years working at CNN International

What are you least proud of?

Kristie: My lack of patience

What is your pure bliss?

Kristie: Writing that perfect last line to a column or script

Who or what would you like to be reincarnated as in your next life?

Kristie: A librarian

What would you eat for your last supper?

Kristie: A bowl of noodles cooked by my mother, salmon poached by my husband, and cookies baked by my daughter. My father and sister would mix the cocktail.

If you could meet someone from history who would it be?

Kristie: Julia Child – to talk about culinary school, the media, and her brief career as a spy

Yes or no to a nip and a tuck?

No, thank you

Do you have a favorite purse or bag?

A Marimekko carry-all tote

How would you like to be remembered?

A mother, wife, daughter, sister, friend… and journalist who always stayed curious

Today, that role involves being involved in everything from worldwide advertising campaigns to global public relations, strategic partnerships to personal shopping, visual merchandising to customer service, creative and editorial, as well as taking responsibility of buying, finance, operations, IT, mobile and publishing. Long a friend of Kotur, she is also highly amusing, extremely focused and – just as you would expect – always completely, impeccably dressed. Here she answers Kotur’s Muse questions.

Kotur Muse Questionnaire

KOTUR: What’s in your make-up bag?

Alison Loehnis: Le Metier De Beautè’s Precision Liquid Eyeliner because it has true staying power, Kevyn Aucoin’s The Eye Pencil Primatif, Chantecaille’s Faux Cils Longest Lash Mascara for super long, natural looking lashes and By Terry Touché Veloutee Highlighting Concealer Brush and By Terry Light-Expert Perfecting Foundation Brush (the ultimate concealer and foundation)

K: Do you have a favorite purse or bag?

A: My Kotur Breen matte and glossed-snake box clutch

K: Name your desert island essentials?

A: Family, good food, a great book and a great place to swim.

K: Do you have a beauty secret?

A: Not particularly. I am always open to trying new products as I love discovering new things. I always stick to the same scent though, Carnal Flower by Frederic Malle

K: How would your female friends describe your style?

A: A variation on several themes

K: What’s the most treasured item in your wardrobe?

A: A Saint Laurent biker jacket

K: Is there anything in your wardrobe you should get rid of but can’t?

A: I’m great at getting rid of things although I am sentimental so I will hang onto things that have meaning, or keep them for my daughter. They have to have a particular personal value attached to them, but I don’t become fetishistic about it.

K: What do you never leave home without?

A: Perfume and black eyeliner

K: Hot date night with your husband, what do you wear?

A: Depends on what we are doing – always in heels though

K: When home alone, what do you wear?

A: I always opt for comfort – so a great fleece, or cashmere sweater and leggings

K: What do you wear to bed?

A: Men’s pyjamas

K: You’re the fashion police for a day, what do you ban?

A: Shoes that women can’t walk in

K: How old is too old for a mini?

A: You’re never too old for a mini if you have great legs

K: Have you ever worn anything you are now embarrassed by?

A: I would like to fast forward through the 1980′s!

K: Have you ever worn anything you now regret?

A: Possibly some Levi’s I wore at university that had patch work all over them which at the time I thought was really cool. I also remember a sweatshirt with a with a detachable shoulder pad.

K: How high is too high a heel?

A: Anything you can’t walk in

K: How old is too old for jeans?

A: No such thing

K: If you could live in any other time for its fashion, what would you choose?

A: The 1920’s, I love a drop waist

K: What is your most recent purchase?

A: A pair of Valentino leather studded shoes with a sparkle

K: What quality do you most admire in a person?

A: Loyalty, honesty and kindness

K: Can you judge a book by its cover?

A: You shouldn’t but sometimes it’s tempting

K: What’s your greatest extravagance?

A: Clothes

K: What are your guilty pleasures?

A: I’m not telling you

K: Do you have a cheap thrill?

A: I love a good old mini-series

K: What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given?

A: Treat other as you would like to be treated yourself

K: What’s your idea of a great holiday?

A: Surrounded by the people I love, with lots of sunshine and limited physical activities

K: What are you most proud of?

A: My family

K: What’s your pure bliss?

A: Unfettered time

K: What would you eat for your last supper?

A: Sushi

K: If you could meet someone from history who would it be?

A: Cleopatra

K: Yes or no to a nip and a tuck?

A: Thoroughly subjective – will have to see

K: What part of your body would you like to change?

A: I’m pretty happy in my own skin

K: What would you like to achieve before you die?

A: As much happiness as possible

K: How would you like to be remembered?

A: Funny, kind and great company

Thank you Alison Loehnis!

Brilliantly, she is on hand this week to steer us through the must sees and dos of our imminent Hong Kong art fair. Here are her top picks of what to visit during Hong Kong Art Basel, 2013.

The Gallery: Para/Site, Hong Kong’s non profit Art Space presents their exhibition A Journal of the Plague Year: Fear, ghosts, rebels. SARS, Leslie and the Hong Kong story. Tracing Hong Kong history and events since 2003, it contains works by Ai Wei Wei, Firenze Lai and Ming Wong among others.  www.para-site.org

The Debate:  Intelligence Squared Asia’s debate, “The Market is the Best Judge of Art’s Quality,” will be at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, Friday 24 May, 6.30-8.00pm. www.intelligencesquaredasia.com

The Show:  Leung Chi Wo’s show Bright Light has Much the Same Effect as Ice is at the 2P Contemporary Gallery, 17 May – 11 June 2013, opening reception on Thursday, 23 May 2013 from 5pm – 8.30pm  www.2p-gallery.com

The Place: Hong Kong’s hottest new member’s club Duddell’s opens with the exhibition Face to Face, a show curated by Amelie von Wedel and Pernilla Holmes, exhibiting emerging and established artists from around the world that represents a rethinking of the traditional gentleman’s club friendly genre of portraiture. Duddell’s, 3F – 4F, 1 Duddell Street, Central, Hong Kong

The Party:  The Absolut Art Bar by Adrian Wong sees the Absolut Art Bureau collaborate with Hong Kong based artist Adrian to transform the basement of the Fringe Club in Central, Hong Kong into the place to go for your Art week cocktail pick me ups…      Absolut Art Bureau at Art Basel in Hong Kong Wun Dun: An Art Bar Installation by Adrian Wong 22–25 May

PIctures: Art Basel HK, Yana Peel, Intelligence Squared Asia, Ming Wong as part of Para/Site’s exhibition, Photo: Carlos Vasquez 2012, picture courtesy of the artist and the gallery, Leung Chi Wo as part of 2P Gallery’s show