Hong Kong’s hospitality scene has a lot to thank Alan Lo, Paulo Pong and Yenn Wong for. The creative minds behind Classified, The Pawn, Altaya Wines and 208 amongst others will be unveiling their latest project this month. Duddell’s, an 8,000 square foot, Ilse Crawford-designed venue, will have a world-class art programme with guest curators, international modern and contemporary art – much on loan from private collectors. There’ll be a floor dedicated to Chinese modern and 20th century brush and ink paintings from the Hong Kong based MK Lau Collection, co-curated by Catherine Maudsley. Combine that with an in-house Michelin-starred Cantonese chef, a gorgeous 2,000 square foot outdoor terrace, a salon with artisanal cocktails and vintage champagne and we know where Sassy Mama will be choosing to hang out during Art Basel HK. 1 Duddell Street, Central, Hong Kong.
Sassy recognises a kindred spirit when we see one. And actress Zoey Dechanel’s entertainment website HelloGiggles is super fun yet gossip-free. With musings on everything under the sun, from beauty, sex and relationships to DIY, to a history of teen slang, HelloGiggles is cheeky, colourful and quirky much like Deschanel herself.
Tig Notaro Live is 30 minutes of stand-up comedy that has already become seminal. Raw, heart-warming and really sad, yet still laugh-out-loud funny, Notaro, who rocks a hoodie better than most sixteen year old boys, is the future of female comedy. Available on iTunes.
Danny Boyle’s new film Trance takes Britain’s director darling back to his pre-Oscar fare of kinetic thrillers. Starring James McAvoy as an art auctioneer who steals a Goya painting, and the devilishly handsome Vincent Cassel as the gangster who wants it, boundaries between desire, reality and hypnotic suggestion begin to blur and the stakes rise fast. Out May 1st in Hong Kong.
TOURIST – British artist Melanie Comber’s first solo show in Hong Kong – opens next week with only 12 paintings featured. Comber’s signature skill for applying paint and pigment to canvas, creating ethereal and bold renderings of abstracted landscapes is simply breathtaking. Showing at the The Cat Street Gallery, Sheung Wan from 18 April until 12 May.
Gwyneth Paltrow and Julia Turshen’s latest cookbook It’s All Good: Delicious, Easy Recipes That Will Make You Look Good and Feel Great may have been slammed for Paltrow’s views on food intolerance and elimination diets, but I love that she goes out of her way to come up with healthy versions of hoisin sauce, fish fingers and falafel – I mean, really who of us has the time?? Available from Bookazine.
Put those tweezers down, mama! Bold brows – as rocked by model of the moment Cara Delevigne – are the beauty trend this year. Bushy brows were all over the catwalk at recent fashion weeks, with models sporting super-defined and expertly drawn in brows. Sassy Mama tip: powders are easier to handle, and create a more natural look than eighties-style brow pencils, but remember to coat the hairs not the skin underneath. Check out MAC’s new The Stylish Brow collection, which include a whole range of products to fill, define and shape brows – including fab Brow Duo powders that blend perfectly to match your hair colour ($250), soft Veluxe Brow Liners ($160) and creamy Fluidline Brow Gelcremes ($150) in a variety of shades.
Slink Jewellery designers Kiran Bharwani and Lakshmi Gulab are no strangers to red carpet dressing, as their designs have become a must-wear staple for Sienna Miller and stylist Rachel Zoe’s clients including Nicole Richie. Hong Kong fashionistas have a chance to get in on the action this month when Slink showcases their lines and launches the new Revival collection at a shopping event to benefit FilmAid Asia. Monday, May 20th, 3-7pm KEE, 6/F, 32 Wellington Street, Central, Hong Kong.
The A/W ’13 runway trend Sassy Mamas are loving ahead of the cooler weather has to be the single statement earring, as seen at Christian Dior. Already seen rocking the trend? Intelligence Squared CEO and Head of the British Fashion Council HK Fashion Trust, Yana Peel sported Givenchy’s bold tusk at a recent White Cube party.