The man with the magic hands
A skiing accident almost two decades ago led him into physical therapy then down the footpath – literally. Since combining his latterly attained podiatry qualifications with his passion for quality and service, Bastien Gonzalez has left celebrities and civilians alike swooning over his tootsie-licious treatments. In Hong Kong to open his PEDI:MANI:CURE Studio by Bastien Gonzalez at the Landmark Mandarin Oriental Hotel, the metatarsal maestro sat down with LUXE to discuss his foot philosophies, heavenly Révérence de Bastien product range, and farming equipment.
The LUXElife Q&A
The chic and cheeky Sophie Labbé
Since 1993, Sophie Labbé has been creating stunning scents for the style set – she counts Givenchy Very Irresistible, Bulgari Jasmin Noir, and Yves Saint Laurent Parisienne among her many ultra-femme fragrances. We sat down with Sophie when she came to town to promote her latest, Signorina, for Salvatore Ferragamo. Boasting key notes of jasmine and panna cotta, with patchouli base and pink pepper top notes, Signorina was made for the young-hearted and what Sophie calls the “chic and cheeky”. We picked her brain for tips and tricks, what she loves in Paris and where she wants to go next.
The LUXE Life Q&A
Eric Standop, Face Reader
Wouldn’t it be great if you could learn to suss out that handsome Henry (or sexy Susie) that just invited you to dinner, simply by looking at his or her face? Well, according to face reading and nutrition guru Eric Standop, who’s been in the biz for over seven years and trained under one of the last masters of face reading, you can. That’s not all, Eric, also a trained nutritionist, can point to illness and nutritional deficiencies just from facial cues in the skin, lips and eyes too. Based in Germany, Eric is well versed in the ancient art of face reading, including the Chinese version siang mien, and Greek and Roman physiognomy techniques, and travels the world over for consultations. While in Hong Kong working with The Mandarin Spa at the Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong, Eric found time to divulge a few juicy tidbits about his unique skill.
The LUXElife Q&A
Mind if we ride with you, Ivanka?
Businesswoman, hotelier, jewellery, shoe and bag designer, daughter of The Donald and now mother to beautiful bub Arabella Rose, to say Ivanka Trump has a full plate would be like saying the Trump empire is a wee family business. We’re delighted Ivanka snuck us in for a Q&A, in which she names her fave facialist, tells us how she spices up a minimal travel wardrobe, and gives us tips for jetsetting mothers-to-be.
The LUXElife Q&A
Pucker up for Lulu
If there’s anybody who knows how to inject a bit of quirky fun into the serious world of fashion, it’s Lulu Guinness, OBE. Not only have those luscious Lip clutches garnered a cult following from celebs and mortals alike, her capricious arm candy has also scored permanent museum space, as The Florist Basket has done at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London. Here, she takes a moment to tell us the inspiration behind her whimsical handbags, and explains what makes London a real style capital.
The LUXElife Q&A
Monsieur Lehanneur - not just a pretty face
Who is Mathieu Lehanneur? He may not be a household name, yet, but as one of the world’s leading industrial designers, his socially-conscious pieces are already in New York’s MoMA, and earned him the Carte Blanche award from VIA and an invitation to speak at a TED conference. Grounded in science and in fields as varied as biology, astrophysics and pharmaceuticals, his products prove form and function can be natural bedmates. This month, his soporific slumber booth ‘Once Upon a Dream’, specially designed for the reopening of Veuve Clicquot‘s Hôtel du Marc, will be featured at the Hong Kong International Art Fair thanks to the poppets at Veuve, the event’s official champagne partner.
Here, Mathieu takes a break to talk travel, design and what inspires him.
The LUXElife Q&A
Martine, so chic!
Martine Sitbon, current and founding designer of fab fash house Rue du Mail in Paris, previously Creative Director at Chloé and mentor to Phoebe Philo and Isabel Marant, flies remarkably under the radar. Described by Karl Lagerfeld as one of the last remaining living French designers, Martine whips up sharply tailored romantic-eclectic, rock glam frocks loved by style stars such as Cate Blanchett and Tilda Swinton. Here, Martine puts down her thimble and lifts the veil on her personal style tips for what to pack and fave places to hang in the Ville Lumière. Vive, Martine!
The LUXElife Q&A
Show us your shoes, love
If the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, then the way to a woman’s is clearly via her feet, or specifically, shoes. And when it comes to shoes, there are few people who know better than Beatrix Ong, MBE, what women really want. The quiet high (heeled) achiever, who became Creative Director of Jimmy Choo at the tender age of 22, and now has her own label and a flagship store in London’s Chelsea, is loved by celebs and fash editors for her classic yet sexy, feminine with an edge footwear. We’re loving her new men’s and accessories collection too. Here, Beatrix puts her lalls up for a moment to talk travel and, what else…
The LUXElife Q&A
Here at LUXE we pride ourselves on getting the biggest names to dish what’s hot, what’s not and give us a sneak peek into their lives. This December, some strings were pulled and we managed to snatch a few minutes via satellite with Mrs. Claus herself. Read on as the feisty lady spills the beans on all things Christmas.
Chop Chop, no time to dawdle [Photo: Alaskan Command Public Affairs/Flickr]
The LUXElife Q&A
Tory Burch - Style Star
Adored by celebs and mortals alike for her vibrant, eclectic and easy-to-wear aesthetic, Tory Burch is a noughties fashion power house. Her Reva ballet flats with signature ‘double T’ insignia are spotted on everyone from it girls, soccer mums to social butterflies. The all-American gal and jetsetter gives us the lowdown on her favourite travel spots, secrets to flawless skin, her boutique openings and more…
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