The brains behind Labubu

We meet Kasing Lung in a place formative to his success story: How2work, a design production house in Hong Kong’s Kwun Tong district. Surrounded by display cabinets filled to the brim with figurines of a rabbit-eared monster with serrated teeth—one cosplaying as Batman, another furry to the touch, a version decorated with scribbles—the Hong Kong-born artist requests a song by English rock band Oasis before sitting down to reminisce upon the fruits of his creativity.

While you may not recognise Lung’s name, it’s almost certain you know his beloved Nordic elf, which boasts more than 300 iterations, with more in the pipeline: Labubu.

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After a rigorous nomination, vetting and selection process that spanned seven months, the Tatler Gen.T Leaders of Tomorrow 2025 have been unveiled. The annual recognition highlights Asia’s most promising leaders, who are not only influencing their industries but also actively creating a positive impact. 

This year marks a significant milestone for Tatler Gen.T: the 10th edition of the flagship list. Launched across nine Asian territories, the 2025 list sees the debut of Vietnam and Indonesia’s return after a year’s hiatus.

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This month’s new openings reflect a city hungry for more than the familiar. 

A Chengdu brand brings its deeply fermented broths to the hotpot faithful, while a new Sichuan restaurant challenges the dominance of mala with a deeper, more nuanced palate. Korean comfort food gets a maximalist twist with bubbling tteokbokki pots and retro street snacks, and a dessert café goes all-in on pistachio. 

On the drinks front, a minimalist cocktail bar distils memory into flavour, while a vinyl-led venue blurs the line between sound, culture and late-night comfort. 

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Remember the days of disk belts and low-rise jeans? Apparently, they’re back in fashion now. Along with them, neon prints, cargo pants, platform sneakers, and many other such millennial trends are making a comeback. But this isn’t just a simple copy-paste situation. Gen Z is adopting their older counterparts’ Y2K style but blending it with a fresh spin, such as pairing them with custom hoodies, Labubu accessories and more.

Fashion trends typically follow a 20-year cycle, but the current revival of early 2000s styles is happening faster than industry experts predicted. Gen Z consumers are driving significant demand for Y2K-era fashion items that defined millennial trends between 2000 and 2010.

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When interior designer Jian Hao Liew, founder of One Letter J Studio, decided to renovate his childhood home in Kota Damansara, Petaling Jaya, the project presented both practical and personal challenges. The two-storey corner terrace house, originally built for a family of 12, had developed structural issues over time. What began as necessary repairs evolved into a comprehensive transformation guided by the concept of craft connection.

“As family members moved out and issues like roof leaks and old piping emerged, it felt like the right time for a full renovation,” Liew says. He now lives in the house with his parents.

The house is approximately 1,500 square feet per floor. Liew reduced the number of rooms and created a double-volume void near the entrance to bring natural light into the interior. 

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