Cover Kimono Mom and her daughter Sutan (Photo: Instagram / @kimono_mom)
Kimono Mom and her daughter Sutan (Photo: Instagram / @kimono_mom)
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Ahead of Mother’s Day 2025, we resurfaced some of our favourite interviews involving motherhood
Motherhood is a complex journey that often involves significant physical, mental and emotional challenges. Women worldwide not only experience the different ups and downs of becoming a parent, many also face stigma and challenges that come before, during and after pregnancy and birth. As Mother’s Day 2025 approaches, Tatler honours the trailblazing women—changemakers, trendsetters and icons—we have interviewed from around Asia who’ve made an impact while redefining what it means to be a mum.
From YouTuber Kimono Mom in Japan to director Oliver Chan in Hong Kong and entrepreneur Yvon Bock in Singapore, these unstoppable women show us through their interviews that motherhood, ambition and impact can go hand in hand.
You might also like: From ‘mum guilt’ to breastfeeding, women of the Tatler community get very honest about the realities of pregnancy and motherhood
Kimono Mom
Above Kimono Mom (Moe) and her daughter Sutan (Photo: courtesy of Kimono Mom)
Kimono Mom (Moe) and her daughter Sutan (Photo: courtesy of Kimono Mom)
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“I don’t want to teach my daughter how to be a good girl. I’m teaching her how to be happy, free and strong. That’s all that matters.”
Before she was Kimono Mom, Moe was a secondary school dropout. On two occasions, she talked to Tatler about everything she’s overcome to be here: her journey to becoming a geisha, her struggles through divorce and depression, being a working mum and using traditional culture to empower other women—including her daughter.
Tan Sri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil and Datuk Yvonne Chia
Above Tan Sri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil, Datuk Yvonne Chia and their daughters Izzana Salleh and Francesca Chia (Photo: Micky Wong)
Tan Sri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil, Datuk Yvonne Chia and their daughters Izzana Salleh and Francesca Chia (Photo: Micky Wong)
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“I unapologetically carried the tradition of my parents—but never at my daughter’s expense.”
Powerful women and devoted mothers—can one woman truly be both? Tan Sri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil, Datuk Yvonne Chia and their daughters Izzana Salleh and Francesca Chia share their honest takes.
Read their full story here.
Oliver Chan
Above Oliver Chan (Photo: Tatler Hong Kong/Zed Leets)
Oliver Chan (Photo: Tatler Hong Kong/Zed Leets)
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“Most of the directors who have made films involving mothers are men, or women who haven’t experienced motherhood. If I don’t tell these stories, who will?”
Following the box office success of Still Human, a film that sheds light on domestic workers in Hong Kong, director Oliver Chan came back with The Montages of a Modern Motherhood in early 2025. She sat down with Tatler to talk about what inspired her to make the movie, as well as the challenges of motherhood in Asia.
Read Oliver Chan‘s full story here.
Yvon Bock
Above Yvon Bock, founder and CEO of homegrown mother and babycare brand Hegen, wants to empower mothers in their breastfeeding and motherhood journey
Yvon Bock, founder and CEO of homegrown mother and babycare brand Hegen, wants to empower mothers in their breastfeeding and motherhood journey
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“The challenges [I faced] inspired me to create an ecosystem that champions breastfeeding and empowers mothers.”
For many mothers, breastfeeding is a journey fraught with challenges. Here’s how Hegen founder Yvon Bock has been transforming motherhood challenges into a Singaporean success story.
Read Yvon Bock’s full story here.
Fiona O
Above Fiona O, a Gen.T Leader of Tomorrow 2024, founded GloStudy (Photo: Zed Leets/Tatler Hong Kong)
Fiona O, a Gen.T Leader of Tomorrow 2024, founded GloStudy (Photo: Zed Leets/Tatler Hong Kong)
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“I now have an additional identity [as a mum], but that doesn’t mean I’ll lose myself.”
Inspired by fellow female entrepreneurs, edtech founder Fiona O realised she didn’t have to choose between motherhood and her career as she welcomed her first child.
Read Fiona O’s full story here.
Aida Zunaidi
Above Malaysian social enterprise, Ibupreneur, helps mothers to improve their home-ready skills while equipping them to become micro-entrepreneurs (Photo: Getty Images)
Malaysian social enterprise, Ibupreneur, helps mothers to improve their home-ready skills while equipping them to become micro-entrepreneurs (Photo: Getty Images)
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“I grew up with a mother who had to hold our family together and was the sole breadwinner. Having witnessed her drive, I wanted to follow in her footsteps.”
Aida Zunaidi of Ibupreneur discusses how she deftly manages parenting demands with the rigours of running a social enterprise that enables other mothers to pursue their dreams.
Read Aida Zunaidi’s full story here.
Kathryn Weaver
Above Employment lawyer Kathryn Weaver is driving conversation around adoption and the different ways to grow a family (Photo: Alex Macro)
Employment lawyer Kathryn Weaver is driving conversation around adoption and the different ways to grow a family (Photo: Alex Macro)
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“You can’t go into adoption half-hearted. You’ve got to be fully committed to it and to everything it brings.”
Lawyer Kathryn Weaver has navigated Hong Kong’s challenging adoption system twice; she discusses interracial adoption and the systemic barriers and challenges adoptive families face.
Read Kathryn Weaver’s full story here.
Topics
Salomé Grouard was Digital Editor and Front & Female Content Lead at Tatler Hong Kong. Primarily focused on managing Tatler Hong Kong’s digital platform and content, she also covers gender equality, the music scene and sports through interviews with industry leaders, experts and trendsetters.
Interview highlights include renowned conservationist Dr Jane Goodall, Korean actor Park Seo Jun, singer Jorja Smith, Chinese TV host Yue-Sai Kan, YouTuber Kimono Mom, Japanese rapper Awich, and Brazilian jiu-jitsu fighter Mikey Musumeci.
She has also produced stories on revolutionising sexual wellness in Asia, activism within the surfing community, Asian trans musicians reclaiming their narratives through music and looked at the toxicity of gym culture through the lens of the plus-size community. She also covers music festivals, such as Hong Kong’s Clockenflap and Bali’s Suara.
