15 Best Dressed Influencers And Socialites At This Year’s ICON Ball
One of the glitziest events on the social calendar, the ICON Ball attracted the who’s who in society — and these were the ones who shined the brightest
It was a glamorous evening worthy of a scene in the film Crazy Rich Asians. The 14th ICON Ball saw luminaries decked out in their Sunday best, with shimmering dresses, dazzling ballgowns and vibrant sequin outfits taking centrestage. All accompanied by the finest jewellery from around the world, of course, in line with this year’s theme, Resplendent in Glitter.
The annual by-invite-only high society event, which draws Singapore’s most influential, powerful and prominent individuals, is a highly anticipated event. Last night’s shindig at the Island Ballroom at the Shangri-La Hotel drew big names such as socialites Jamie Chua, Kim Lim and Paige Parker, among others.
Besides taking stock of ICON’s achievements for the past year and to celebrate the revamp of the magazine, the night was also about the stunning showcase of some of the most beautiful evening gowns and ensembles ever seen for the year. Here are 15 of our favourite looks.
Photos courtesy of ICON Singapore.
Dressed in a magnificent pantsuit that is fully encrusted with crystal embellishments, socialite Susanna Kang definitely followed the night’s theme to a T. The ensemble was created by local couturier Alfie Leong and Susanna shared that it weighed a hefty 10kg. Known for her avid support of the arts, the stylish lady accessorised her glittery outfit with a Cartier clutch, Cartier ring and Cartier brooch that she used as a hairpin. She rounded up the look with a pair of shoes she had gotten while shopping in South Korea’s Dongdaemun Market. How’s that for high-low styling?
Sometimes, you don’t need a ballgown to steal the spotlight. Heng Shiqi, the daughter of socialite Jane Heng and a marketing executive at retail company Surrender, stood out from the crowd with this unique pairing of a glittery oversized blazer from Area NYC with a skirt from homegrown couturier Heng Nam Nam that showed off her slim gams. She jazzed up her look with hairpins from Ashley Williams and accessories from Flower Diamond. Completing her ensemble is a Kelly bag from Hermès and shoes from Vetements.
Author and gemologist Paige Parker looked absolutely resplendent in her silver Oscar de la Renta dress from e-tailer Net-a-Porter. To give the luminous gown her own spin, Paige got her seamstress to add more sequins to the cape to give it an extra dose of shine and drama. She then paired this feminine number — which shows off her shoulders beautifully — with a clutch from Judith Leiber, jewellery from Cartier, Tiffany & Co., Graff and DeFRED, and crystal embellished shoes from Gina.
Kim Lim’s shimmering blue-purple sequin bodycon gown from Ralph Lauren was certainly a head turner, but the real star of her ensemble is the brilliant Bulgari long chain necklace that is valued at a whopping S$1 million. She finished her look with a diamond watch from Patek Philippe and shoes from Giuseppe Zanotti. To keep Kim — who is Singapore billionaire Peter Lim’s daughter — and her accessories safe, she was accompanied by not one, but three bodyguards. Wowza.
Sabrina Ho looked like a million dollars in this magnificent Christian Dada pantsuit that sports glitter details. The fashionista wore a black cropped top underneath, which gave a hint of her toned mid-riff. Finishing the look with some Flower Diamond jewellery, which her mother Belinda Chua owns, she slipped into Christian Louboutin heels and paired the look with a Louis Vuitton box clutch.
A slinky studded Balmain dress was the garment of choice for Grace Chong-Tan, who’s the founder and managing director of Smile Inc. Dental Surgeons shone. We love the strong shoulders and v-neck cut, which made her a picture of sophistication. Extra points for her high ponytail, which gave us Amy Winehouse vibes. Grace carried a matching studded Alexander McQueen clutch and finished her outfit with Tiffany & Co. jewellery and Giuseppe Zanotti heels.
All that glitters is gold, and that is more than apparent in Golden Meditech Holdings’ founder Jin Lu’s bespoke Prada creation. The stunning brocade gown with dramatic train sports a bedazzled bodice that incorporated various coloured stones. We also liked how she kept in theme by pairing her dress with a necklace and earrings from Bulgari that sport a similar shade. Rounding off her outfit are Jimmy Choo shoes and a clutch.
Private banker Chermaine Pang brought drama and sass to the ballroom of Shangri-La Hotel with her grey feathered frock from Heng Nam Nam. She masterfully played on cool tones with jewellery pieces from Bulgari, Cartier and Miu Miu and finished with an Alexander McQueen minaudière and Jimmy Choo shoes.
Former SIA-stewardess Jamie Chua might be turning 46 but her body still looks amazing — and she isn’t afraid to show it off with this sexy Farah Angsana nude dress. Her style inspiration of the night was ’70s Cher dressed by Bob Mackie and featured strategically placed feathers and gems to protect her modesty. Jamie adorned herself with jewellery from The Canary Diamond and her own personal collection, together with a Chopard watch, before finishing with a Chanel clutch and Giuseppe Zanotti heels.
Wearing a beaded and frilled turtleneck piece that came complete with a blazer and mermaid skirt, public relations maven Lynn Yeow De-Vito looked absolutely strong and powerful in a get-up created by Indonesian designer Cynthia Fransisca, a finalist of the Harper’s BAZAAR Asia Next Generation Fashion Designer Award. The bedazzled fishnet gloves further complemented the bold silhouette of the outfit. We appreciated how the mother of four let the outfit shine by going minimal with her accessories — opting for a pair of studs from her own collection and shoes from Saint Laurent.
Dressed in a stunning off-shoulder sequinn number from Diana Couture by Diana Putri — which showed off her elegant collarbone, décolletage and slim legs — Calista Cuaca wasn’t going to let her mother Jamie Chua steal all the limelight. She paired her look with a sculptural Moynat box bag and went simple on the accessories with Yuli Jewellery pieces, Richard Mille watch and Vetements shoes.
If you’ve got it, flaunt it. And that’s what lawyer Shabnam Kumaresan did with her plunging V-neck dress from Isabel Sanchis that featured a modern take on polka dots. The A-line dress also gave the svelte Shabnam an hourglass figure that she let shine with pared down jewellery from Chanel, shoes from Gucci and a Bottega Veneta clutch.
Probably one of the most interesting designs of the night, Karen Ong’s outfit from Rosie Assoulin made full use of ruffles to add visual interest and dynamism to her outfit. Not only did the dress show off the former lawyer’s toned shoulders, its grey-silver colour further played up the futuristic vibe of the design. Finally, Karen finished her outrageous outfit with accessories from a private jeweller, an Edie Parker clutch and Valentino shoes.
Can’t decide what colour to wear? Then go with them all — just like what eye doctor Ho Ching Lin did with her sparkly Halpern jumpsuit that boasts two contrasting shades of sequins. The v-neck accentuated her sexy cleavage as well. She combined her look with Lynn Ban jewellery, Gucci shoes and a Judith Leiber clutch.
Looking like a princess heading to a ball, anaesthetist Low May-Han was resplendent in this glittering grey ballgown from Tadashi Shoji. A fan of hearts, she showed her love for the icon with a spectacular Bulgari pendant that directed attention to her chest. She complemented her outfit with jewels from Tiffany & Co., Bulgari, Louis Vuitton and a local jeweller, a monogrammed box clutch from Louis Vuitton and red-bottoms from Louboutin.