Tatler Weekend Hong Kong: 1880 CEO Jean Low on modernising social clubs
Editor’s note
The year 2019 marked two watershed moments for Asian creativity. Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite won the Best Picture award at the Oscars—a previously unthinkable feat. Additionally, the 26-episode Japanese anime series Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba became one of the highest-grossing media franchises of all time.
In the five years since, Asian culture has continued to make global strides. Michelle Yeoh’s Oscar win for Everything Everywhere All At Once, Min Jin Lee’s Pachinko ranking fifth on The New York Times’ 21st century best books list, and the worldwide popularity of K-pop bands like BTS and Blackpink all showcase Asia’s growing cultural influence.
Yet there are many inspiring, impactful stories that are less familiar. This is why we launched Tatler Weekend: to chronicle narratives of excellence and inspiration across Asia.
In this edition, you’ll find two stories that perfectly embody that spirit. Our Editor’s Pick explores how Indian fashion designer Anamika Khanna blends tradition with modernity showcasing Asian haute couture on the international stage. Khanna also contributed to a viral moment online during the widely watched Ambani wedding when she asked the bride, Radhika Merchant, “Everyone wears floral jewellery—but do you have the guts [to try something different]?”, leading to the creation of a floral dupatta that took the internet by storm.
In a different yet highly impactful demonstration of creativity, Rina Siew, a Starbucks employee in Malaysia, pioneered a groundbreaking sign language service for the deaf community at their stores. This innovation has since been adopted as a global best practice by the company.
Tatler Weekend is dedicated to showcasing Asia’s flourishing cultural landscape. Your journey through the vibrant tapestry of Asian excellence starts here!
Parminder Singh
Parminder Singh
Chief Operating Officer
Private members’ club 1880 boss Jean Low on how the establishment is anything but strict and stuffy
The CEO of social club 1880, which is launching in Hong Kong and Bali, after its first venue in Singapore, on mingling a culture of irreverence with intuitive hospitality
What do you think when you think of a private members’ club? For many, it evokes a sense of impermeable, intimidating exclusivity—one in which men in tailcoats and hushed voices act as gatekeepers.
Jean Low is determined to break that image. The CEO of private members’ club 1880, which opened in Singapore in 2017 and is launching in Hong Kong in autumn and Bali by the end of the year, wants the establishment to be the exact opposite of “traditional stuffy clubs [which are] full of rules and built to keep people out”. Instead, she wants it to be a space where conversations and connections can thrive over good food and drinks in a truly congenial space.
It sounds amazingly simple—but a lot of hard work and passion have gone into the making of this space. Here, Tatler sits down with Low to discuss her vision, mission and ambition for 1880.
From barista to trailblazer: Meet the visionary Malaysian woman behind Starbucks’s pioneering signing stores for the Deaf community
Starting as a Starbucks barista 18 years ago, the brand's head of sustainability and social impact Rina Siew shares why empowering people with disabilities is a win for us all
Helmed by members of the Deaf and hard of hearing community, the first ever Starbucks signing store opened in Kuala Lumpur’s Bangsar Village shopping mall in 2016. When it opened, the response from the local community was jubilant. Internationally, reactions were equally full of applause.
Read more: How Asia’s most beautiful Starbucks stores have been designed as places worth travelling to
“I wish there were Starbucks Signing Stores in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam!”
“Would be nice to come by when I visit Kuala Lumpur next week. I’m deaf and from Hong Kong.”
“We need one in Fresno, California. There is a huge Deaf community here!”
Even as Starbucks Malaysia celebrated the first anniversary of its signing store a year later in 2017, positive comments like these kept pouring in on social media.
A dive into caviar, the luxury ingredient taking Asia by storm
We speak to Benjamin Goh of Caviar Colony, Jason Cohen of Nomad Caviar, and Victoria Solyanik of Caviar d’Eden who share more about the black pearls
Caviar is a luxury ingredient synonymous with fine dining. Today, especially in Asia, it is rare to come across a tasting menu where the black pearls are not present, perched precariously atop delicate creations. The origins of the sturgeon roe date back to Russian and Persian royalty, but in more recent years, there has been a surge in its popularity in this part of the world due to economic growth, production in China, and changing global tastes.
“China now supplies caviar to more than 65 per cent of the world market, and the product is constantly rated as one of the best,” says Benjamin Goh, founder of the Singapore-based Caviar Colony. “Asia-Pacific’s rapid economic growth as well as an increase in caviar’s position as a status symbol also adds to its demand,” adds Victoria Solyanik, the founding partner of Caviar d’Eden.
Read more: 5 negroni variations to try
Designer Anamika Khanna on the Ambani wedding, Indian craftsmanship and her H&M collaboration
Anamika Khanna, a trailblazer in Indian fashion, has forged a unique path that marries tradition with contemporary style. Tatler spoke to her ahead of her collaboration with H&M about Indian craftsmanship, the Ambani wedding and why she’s finally in a state of peace
News of Anamika Khanna’s collaboration with high street brand H&M broke just hours before Tatler’s interview with the designer. After days of scheduling, having the opportunity to speak to Khanna shortly after the announcement felt like fate. Designers are often inundated with commitments following major news like this, and being able to access a creative mind at a pivotal moment in their career felt truly special. Khanna spoke from her serene atelier in Kolkata—a place that is widely regarded as the cultural capital of India, less frenetic than the fast-paced lifestyle of Mumbai—and away from the hustle and bustle of Bollywood.
Cool and composed, she reflected on how the East Coast city allows her the freedom to focus. “Kolkata gives me space to put my head down and work. I don’t feel the social pressure [of being in Mumbai] or having to get ready to go out,” she says.
You might also like: Ambani wedding jewellery: Decoding India’s richest family’s love affair with emeralds
Her air of calm not only shapes her creative process but is also reflected in the effortless elegance of her designs, which blend tradition with modernity and cultural heritage with innovation. Since the late 1990s, Khanna has established herself as a prominent figure in the global fashion landscape, becoming the first Indian woman to showcase her collection at Paris Fashion Week, in 2007. With a background as a classical dancer and painter, she brings a unique artistic perspective to her work, despite having no formal design training.