Whether she’s attending a charity committee meeting or heading out for a night on the town, KILIAN Paris is the fragrance brand that gets Antonia Li through her day

Creative and entrepreneurial, Antonia Li is no stranger to wearing many different hats. The daughter of Edmund Li and Sandra Wong, the scion of the Bank of East Asia dynasty struck out on her own when she decided to pursue a MBA—focusing on entrepreneurship and marketing—from the Chinese University of Hong Kong and start digital creative and branding agency INDICUBE. She is also an avid wakesurfer, boxer and runner— and has worked with fashion brands in social media campaigns and is involved in charitable organisations such as the Changing Young Lives Foundation and the Hong Kong Ballet Guild. While Antonia might not have followed in her family’s footsteps, her driven, independent outlook is thanks in part to them. 

Tatler Asia
Above Antonia Li with Le Rouge Parfum lipstick by KILIAN Paris, wearing dress and bag by Ralph Lauren; ring by Juvil and heels by Rene Caovilla (Photo: Jensen Hoi/Hong Kong Tatler)

“I find inspiration from the quotidian to the exceptional,” she explains. “While it is easy to be wowed by the phenomenal and unique, if one keeps an open mind and looks at things with a fresh eye, one will be amazed by how something seemingly mundane can be reinterpreted in new and exciting ways.”

Fragrance brand KILIAN Paris is the perfect companion through Antonia’s hectic days, both as a shield and as a way to boost her confidence, as her days are filled with business meetings, gym sessions and drinks with friends, whether at Caprice at the Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong for fine wine or at innovative cocktail bar The Old Man. With a similar background to Antonia, KILIAN Paris founder Kilian Hennessy, an heir to the fine cognac empire, decided to strike out on his own when he decided to write a thesis on the semantics of scent, in search of a ‘language’ common to gods and mortals. Remembering the "angels’ share" as part of his heritage, he was led into the world of perfumery. Much like Antonia, Hennessy thinks out of the box when he is creating his fragrances and gets inspiration from various sources—including art, travel, fine liquor and human emotions.

Antonia swears by the Le Rouge Parfum scented lipstick in Intoxicating Rouge Matte and the Rolling in Love fragrance— which Hennessy describes as a “white” scent, layering notes of ambrette seeds, almond milk, iris, freesia, and musk to capture the sensation of feeling so high on love that it seems to almost “get under the skin”.

“Each and every fragrance wears differently on an individual,” says Antonia. “It is a highly personal choice. Rolling in Love is a bold and sensual scent that makes me feel empowered and sexy. The confident air that KILIAN Paris gives me makes me ready to take on whatever is ahead of me.” And when you lead a busy life like Antonia, confidence is key.

Above Video: Kevin Cheung/Hong Kong Tatler

KILIAN Paris collection is available at Lane Crawford. Follow @kilianparis on Instagram and discover more at bykilian.com

Credits

Videography  

Kevin Cheung

Photography  

Jensen Hoi

Make-Up  

Kineta Cheung @Wendy's Workshop

Styling  

Spencer Leung

Location  

J.Boroski

Location  

Four Seasons

Topics