Slay The Season Of Love This December With Eileen Gu And Apo Nattawin Wattanagitiphat

It’s a rare moment in an editor’s life when you feel completely satisfied with an issue. And this is one of those moments—when an issue has everything you wanted in it. After a two-year hiatus, we were finally able to stage a runway show for our annual Harper’s BAZAAR Asia NewGen Fashion Award. Six talented young designers went through a gruelling, seven month-long programme where they were mentored by industry greats and the team at Chanel. Into its ninth year, NewGen is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that has offered so many young designers their first real glimpse of having their designs presented on a global fashion stage. The grand prize of a master’s degree programme at Istituto Marangoni is another truly life-changing opportunity for the winner. See the many celebrities who came to lend their star wattage on page 68. Our special guest star of the evening, Apo Nattawin Wattanagitiphat, the hottest Thai celebrity of KinnPorsche: The Series fame, flew in specially to attend our event and to shoot our BAZAAR Man cover. His presence garnered a bevy of devoted fans who waited outside the venue and made #BAZAARSGXAPO the number one trending hashtag on Twitter (with two million tweets) across all of Asia. Get to know this Boy Wonder on page 115. 

The NewGen event also brought into attendance some of the chicest style cognoscenti to grace our annual Most Stylish Women feature. This year’s alumni include Maggie Chen, a luxury marketer and consultant, who hopes to pass down her collection of Miu Miu LBDs to her daughter. Then, there’s Singapore’s 1990s supermodel, Jessie Leong (back again on our shores after spending decades in Hong Kong) who shares about her newfound love of high-waisted, wide-legged jeans. Flip to page 56 to read about these women (one of them is even virtual) and their unique style philosophies.

This issue also celebrates the best of couture. Our comprehensive haute couture report highlights the masterful balance that the creative directors of top fashion houses have managed to attain this season—looking back while always moving forward. Balenciaga has taken Cristobal’s fascination with shape into a whole new direction. Meanwhile, Schiaparelli dove into the history of its founder and the designers who have been inspired by her. I personally had the pleasure to witness Valentino in all its couture glory in Rome, and chatted to Pierpaolo Piccioli about his homage to the founder, his joyfully inclusive collection, and what makes him love fashion so much. Read what he has to say on page 52.

And before I sign off on this issue, I would like to thank my Executive Editor, Charmaine Ho, who has been with me since the day I took on the editorship at this beautiful title. She’s taking a well-deserved break from publishing and we wish her all the very best in her future endeavours. Like everything in fashion, things change and never stay constant. May this season be one of hope, happiness, love, light and luck always. Season’s greetings dear readers and happy holidays! 

—Kenneth Goh, Editor-in-Chief 

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Photographed by Stef Galea
Creative direction by Windy Aulia
Styled by Christopher Maul
Fashion: Louis Vuitton
Jewellery: Tiffany & Co.
Makeup: Martina Lattanzi
Hair: Tommy Taylor / Stella Creative Artists
Manicure: Nickie Rhodes-Hill / David Artists
Photographer’s assistants: Guillaume Mercier; Millie Noble; Adam Richardson
Stylist’s assistant: Lauren Heaver

Special thanks to The Savoy, London