Tatler Weekend Malaysia: Simu Liu digs into his past, deep dives into the present, and is invested in the future
Editor’s note
When cultures and heritages merge, remarkable things unfold. Our four stories in this Tatler Weekend exemplify this. An Asian-Canadian actor breaking stereotypes of Marvel superheroes; a Singaporean duo collaborating with global artisans for sustainable fashion; Asia’s best female chef redefining culinary boundaries with her Thai-Chinese cuisine; and a ‘manifestation queen’ of Iraqi descent, born in Saudi Arabia and raised in the UK.
Human ingenuity flourishes through this interplay of cultural elements, producing vibrant art, tantalising cuisine, and groundbreaking advances in science and technology.
Speaking of science, the Nobel Prize for Physics has just been co-awarded to ‘the Godfather of Artificial Intelligence’, Prof Geoffrey Hinton, who has been quoted as saying that “AI is going to exceed our intellectual capabilities.”
Will it surpass human ingenuity? Perhaps not. Or perhaps it will—with some manifestation!
Enjoy Tatler Weekend!
Parminder Singh
Parminder Singh
Chief Operating Officer
Simu Liu talks new projects, his new venture capital fund, and his mission to advocate for Asian representation
Behind the Marvel superhero and Hollywood star is a man driven by a deep sense of purpose: to uplift Asian voices both on and off the screen. Simu Liu talks to Tatler Singapore about his journey from immigrant roots to fame, his commitment to authentic representation and more
There’s an undercurrent of excitement as the Tatler Singapore team prepares to meet Simu Liu. He is, after all, the actor who brought Shang-Chi, Marvel Cinematic Universe’s (MCU) first Asian superhero, to life, and a protagonist in Kim’s Convenience, a Canadian sitcom that continues to be the comfort show for many, long after it ended its final season in 2021.
Yet, meeting Liu in person—without an entourage, lingering fans, or the pressure of prying eyes—reveals the man beneath the Hollywood veneer. Any lingering nerves fade when he greets us in his suite, barefoot and in a bathrobe. “Hey guys, sorry about the mess,” he says, with a disarming smile.
There’s a quiet depth to him; off-camera, he speaks in measured tones that put us at ease. His humility surprises us as he apologises for requesting repeat takes of his portraits—“I’m sorry, I’m not feeling my hair”—and as he rummages through his luggage to show our art director his outfits.
When the cameras start rolling, Liu effortlessly transitions into his signature charisma, delivering introspective and eloquent responses. It’s clear: Liu gives a good interview.
In case you missed it: Meet The Cast Of ‘Shang-Chi And The Legend of The Ten Rings’
How Our Barehands is redefining ethical fashion through artisan empowerment
The fashion brand’s co-founders Germaine Lye and Chanel Go share how Our Barehands is transforming the fashion landscape through sustainable practices and community empowerment
As the popular saying goes, opportunities come when you least expect them—and for co-founders Germaine Lye, Chanel Goh and Mitchell Hong, this led them to start their lifestyle label, Our Barehands.
Their journey to create their label began with a coffee project in Myanmar. In 2019, the friends-turned-co-founders worked on a sustainable coffee farming project, connecting local youth to a network of resources while providing them with training and employment. During this time, they discovered that many farmers’ mothers and sisters were skilled craft artisans. This inspired them to reach out and uplift the community by combining agriculture with artisanal craftsmanship.
In case you missed it: Out of step: Why sneakers and sportswear still lag on sustainability
Embrace and elevate: Chef Pam’s quest to honour her Thai-Chinese roots with Restaurant Potong
Thai celebrity chef-entrepreneur Pam Soontornyanakij discusses the significance of honouring her roots, redefining culinary boundaries, and her exciting plans for female empowerment in the culinary world
When trailblazing chef Alice Waters first came forth with Chez Panisse in the 1970s, it paved the way for New American cuisine. It is one where French culinary techniques are used in parlay to bring out the best of local produce and terroir. A legion of chefs, including Wolfgang Puck, could not resist jumping on the trend during the 1980s, tapping into ethnic flavours that helped make up the Los Angeles dining scene that it is today.
A rather mirroring phenomenon has happened in Asia over the past decade, where flocks of young Asian chefs, are returning to the nest after masticating in the West. Once again, French culinary technique falls into the equation in these attempts to reconnect and honour their roots. Modern Asian cuisine as we are all familiar with now, is, therefore, born. And Pichaya “Pam” Soontornyanakij, and her progressive Thai-Chinese cuisine at acclaimed Potong in Bangkok, are perhaps the most exciting. After earning her first Michelin star in 2023, she shot to culinary superstardom when she was crowned Asia’s Best Female Chef in 2024.
Read more: Chef Pam of Potong in Bangkok is Asia’s Best Female Chef 2024
‘The queen of manifesting’ Roxie Nafousi on how to create the life of your dreams
Ahead of her appearance at the Dragonfly H.E.A.L Summit in Bangkok later this month, Sunday Times bestselling author Roxie Nafousi discusses ‘the real gold dust’ to manifesting, how it helps you create your best life—and what to do when your dreams don’t manifest
You might know Roxie Nafousi as “the queen of manifesting”. The renowned self-development coach and inspirational speaker has written five books; her first, Manifest: 7 Steps to Living Your Best Life, is a Sunday Times bestseller, as is the second, Manifest: Dive Deeper.
Manifestation—defined as making something happen simply by imagination—has emerged as a hot topic on social media in recent times. The UK-raised Nafousi, who was born in Saudi Arabia to parents of Iraqi descent, discovered manifestation in 2018. “I was at rock bottom. I’d been in a battle with addiction for ten years, and had really never known what it was like to be happy. I was suffering depression from as young as 11, 12 [years old].”
A friend advised her to listen to a podcast on manifesting. “When I did, I realised that manifestation was all about self-worth—and I had no self worth. So I was perhaps manifesting, but in the wrong direction.”
In November 2019, Nafousi began hosting workshops and speaking to her followers on social media on self-love. In January 2020, at the encouragement of her Instagram followers, she started speaking about manifestation. In 2022, Manifest: 7 Steps to Living Your Best Life was published. The seven steps in the book are: be clear in your vision; remove fear and doubt; align your behaviour; overcome tests from the universe; embrace gratitude without caveats; turn envy into inspiration; and trust in the universe.
Ahead of her appearance at the Dragonfly H.E.A.L Summit in Bangkok, Nafousi tells Tatler about her journey discovering manifestation, how she transformed her life with the practice—and how you, too, could do the same.
In case you missed it: Author Kyla Zhao on writing her first children’s book, sexism in competitive chess and Asian representation in modern literature
