Eight glamorous women jetted off to the Park Hyatt Beijing for a weekend of photo shoots for our annual Asia’s Most Stylish feature.
Chic was the word on everyone’s lips when these eight elegant women gathered in Beijing for our annual style extravaganza – Asia's Most Stylish. Chosen by the Tatler editors in each region, they represent the pinnacle of taste and refinement – and are renowned for their extensive wardrobes.
Unsurprisingly, the women arrived on set clutching trunks packed to the brim with designer dresses, vertiginous heels and glittering jewels. With beautiful women in couture as our focus and the five-star Park Hyatt Beijing and its views of the city as our backdrop, the shoot was guaranteed to be a memorable one.
(Gown: Erdem; Earrings and ring: Lotus Arts de Vivre)
Meera Sen, Malaysia
Meera Sen learned an important fashion lesson when she left Malaysia for England. “My first job was in London where I worked at an accounting firm,” she says.
“Unfortunately for my bank balance, but fortunately for my sense of style, the firm was located right behind Selfridges. Anyway, you can imagine what my lunch breaks involved—a lot of shopping and not much eating. But it was there that I realised the importance of dressing well and showing off your best self. It can transform your career and your life.”
Today Sen lives in Kuala Lumpur and works for her husband John Chua’s company, Kim Hin Industry, in the marketing department. However, she still adheres to the lessons she learned in London.
(Gown: Maison Rabih Kayrouz; Brooch and earrings: Tiffany & Co)
Olivia Lee-Davies, Hong Kong
“Style is a way to say who you are without having to speak,” says Olivia Lee-Davies with an engaging smile. “It’s a quote by Rachel Zoe that I’ve always loved because you have nothing to lose and everything to gain from being brave and showing your personality.”
This lighthearted approach to life and fashion is not what one expects from Lee-Davies, one of Hong Kong’s most prominent socialites and a leading figure in a number of fields. But she got to where she is today by thinking outside the box.
In 2006, after a successful career in advertising, interior design and fashion, Lee-Davies was approached by Barrie C Goodridge, the chairman and CEO of Edipresse Media Asia, who asked her to join the Hong Kong Tatler team as social editor.
(Gown: Rosie Assouline; Ring: Chopard)
Felicia Atienza, Philippines
“I have three kids and a lot of animals jumping on me – so I need to have a minimalist sense of style if I want my clothes to survive,” Felicia Atienza says with a laugh.
Very little could distract from Atienza’s career, which has been remarkably successful in a number of fields. She started her working life as a stockbroker working for JP Morgan in New York, followed by a stint at Merrill Lynch in London. It was there that Atienza decided to raise the capital to buy the Philippines branch of Merrill Lynch and create a private bank in Manila.
She was a director there for a number of years before selling it to Bank of America. With the proceeds, she opened the Chinese International School Manila, an internationally acclaimed school that teaches children Mandarin from a young age.
(Gown: Givenchy by Ricardo Tisci; Earrings and bracelet: Harry Winston)
Jiang Zaozao, China
Kate Moss isn’t short of fans, but Jiang Zaozao must be one of the model’s most prominent admirers. Like her idol, Jiang is a fixture in the front rows of the shows at Paris, Milan and New York Fashion Weeks, and a trendsetter in her own right.
“Kate Moss is definitely a style icon for me,” she says. “I learned not to wear one brand from head to toe from her; instead, I always try to mix high and low fashion. For example, I’ll wear a Zara skirt with a Chanel jacket—that’s so much more chic than top-to-bottom designer dressing, which can look really unoriginal.”
Like her love for art, Jiang’s passion for fashion runs deep. “I was always interested in style when I was growing up,” the entrepreneur says.
(Photography by Joel Lim; Styling by Justine Lee)
Click here to read the part 2 of the Asia's Most Stylish feature.
Click here for exclusive behind-the-scenes from the Asia's Most Stylish shoot.
To read the full story and more features, get a copy of Malaysia Tatler's Society magazine 2015, available on newsstands now.
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