Cover Asia's Most Stylish 2022 Hall of Fame honourees inlcude style icons and pioneers, (from left) Taiwan's Sophie Hong, Singapore's Shabnam Arashan, Malaysia's Bernard Chandran, the Philippines' Mandy de la Rama and Hong Kong's Joyce Ma.
Asia's Most Stylish 2022 Hall of Fame honourees inlcude style icons and pioneers, (from left) Taiwan's Sophie Hong, Singapore's Shabnam Arashan, Malaysia's Bernard Chandran, the Philippines' Mandy de la Rama and Hong Kong's Joyce Ma.
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Regardless of the season, these style icons on Asia’s Most Stylish list remain relevant
Regardless of prevailing trends or the passing of seasons, these style icons on the Asia’s Most Stylish list remain relevant. Their unerring style, whether classic or experimental, as well as their contribution to the fashion industry, as designers or pioneers, grant them a place in Asia’s Most Stylish’s Hall of Fame. Below, a few style lessons we can learn from the region’s eternally fashionable.
Also read: Everything You Need to Know About Asia’s Most Stylish 2022
Sophie Hong, Taiwan
Above Taiwan's Sophie Hong
Taiwan's Sophie Hong
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Taiwanese fashion designer Sophie Hong says, “…comprehend the environment around you, feel your heart, your eyes and your hands.” This advice mirrors the silk master’s exquisite textile work, which follows a 500-year-old dyeing process to create elemental fabrics. Hong then transforms these silks into tactile and structural pieces that feel alive—an A-line shirt in a deep coffee shade, a two-toned dress in the colours of the earth. Hong’s works have been shown in the fashion capitals of the world, from New York and Milan, and are available in Taiwan and her flagship boutique in Palais Royal in Paris.
Joyce Ma, Hong Kong
Above Hong Kong's Joyce Ma
Hong Kong's Joyce Ma
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Joyce Ma’s discerning eye has helped her become a retail pioneer, not just in Hong Kong, but throughout Asia. Ma is known for her unerring taste, with a predilection for beautifully made, updated classics. She prefers the very designers she has nurtured in Joyce—Giorgio Armani, Thierry Mugler, Issey Miyake and Donna Karan, fashion heavyweights who Ma introduced to the region after the boutique opened in 1970. Today, her stores continue to be a leading source for fashion lovers, and while the Joyce shop at the New World Tower has shut its doors recently, fans need only to head to its new flagship store at Pacific Place.
Bernard Chandran, Malaysia
Above Malaysia's Bernard Chandran
Malaysia's Bernard Chandran
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“It’s not about being influenced by others but creating your own new look,” says Bernard Chandran, the Malaysian fashion designer whose works have been worn by Rihanna and Lady Gaga. Chandran, who considers himself a creator more than a designer, learned this lesson early on, finding the confidence to present himself as he wanted. This spirit of experimentation is threaded in his three-decade career and continues today, with the designer reinterpreting traditional garments in his recent exhibit, Petang Raya 2006-2022.
Shabnam Arashan, Singapore
Above Singapore's Shabnam Arashan
Singapore's Shabnam Arashan
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“Know yourself,” says Shabnam Arashan, the fashion maverick who subscribes to the idea that clothes should reflect your life. In this post-pandemic reality, the assistant director of the Legal Aid Bureau has been exploring colour, noting how it makes her feel powerful. But what Arashan is really drawn to is the workmanship of couture and how its pieces, particularly from Lebanese designers such as Elie Saab and Zuhair Murad, are always unique.
Mandy de la Rama, Philippines
Above The Philippines' Mandy de la Rama
The Philippines' Mandy de la Rama
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When it comes to style, Mandy de la Rama has a clear direction: “no-fuss and functional”. That translates to looks that consider comfort and even eschew high heels. In the public eye for decades as a model and then a fashion designer, de la Rama’s straightforward outlook remains relevant and also reflects her supreme confidence.
