From a high-powered financier to a passionate humanitarian, Asia’s Most Stylish honouree Irene Chu has honed an idiosyncratic dress-sense grounded in sophistication
The shush of a smoke-toned satin gown, cinched at the waist. Shoulders illuminated by glittering earrings. An inky silhouette punctuated by a carmine lip. Jet-black hair swept back into an unadorned bun. A Chinese silk jacket cuffed by florals. The flash of a chunky ring. The soothing embrace of a pearlescent pashmina. Irene Chu dresses with all the grace of an empress—and inspires similar intrigue—yet adds a twist that is uniquely her own.
When society manages to steal a glimpse of this demure philanthropist, who built her career in finance before retiring to focus on the act of giving, it spies a woman whose style nous is exemplified by classic, flattering staples embellished with more daring touches, from playfully ostentatious baubles that swing from her earlobes to delightful sprays of feathers and gemstones.
“Style is a mirror—a reflection of one’s personality,” she tells Tatler. Black dresses and robes form the foundation of her wardrobe, and she names Yohji Yamamoto and Rick Owens, both famed for their inclination for all-black, utilitarian looks, as some of her favourite designers.
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During her time on Wall Street, her uniform was the assertive combination of a black suit, crisp white Brooks Brothers shirt and Ferragamo flats. Now, she cites practicality for her draw towards darker hues. “I cannot say I’m a colourful person. I love black because it doesn’t show dirt,” she says. “I’m so messy, that any other colour, I’d just have to throw it away after one wear.”
However, the clearest window to her personality is the offbeat adornments about her person: she says her eye is drawn to jewellery, “for its design, not its material value”, and loves the carefree whimsy of designs by Lulu Guinness. “She has the view of a child with a kind of playfulness, but is [serious] enough to have a permanent collection at the Victoria and Albert Museum.”
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