Youjin Lee
In Seoul, and many other Asian cities, the weather is simply perfect in May. Maybe that’s why we have Children’s Day and Parents’ Day and Teacher’s Day all in May, just to give ordinary people more of an excuse to go out and mingle. It’s also the most productive month in the office: no summer vacation to distract the team, no AC booming yet. Just that perfect after-lunch stroll around your office, boosting your afternoon morale.
So we need some wholesome inspiration this month, for your body and soul. To feel beautiful inside and out. For your people and the world.
Yep. Marvel’s Avengers couldn’t be bigger right now, and we’re weirdly proud of the Mantis character. In real life, the French actress Pom Klementieff is so hot (and cool), but there’s something lovely about the dorky character of Mantis, and I personally demand a sitcom about Mantis’ life—a kind, geeky girl’s daily adventures among alien friends around the universe.
The Met Gala is a blast this year. They picked the right theme: “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination”; and asked the attendees to dress in their Sunday Best. Priyanka delivered. The regal velvet makes your heart melt and the delicate but assertive gold is a tangible wow factor.
Speaking of the Met Gala, the world’s most famous human rights lawyer (certainly the most fashionable one), Amal Clooney, is the co-chair. Her pant/dress is the perfect presentation of her brainy fashionista status, but Vogue set the right tone with this photoshoot by Annie Leibovitz already.
Up until a couple of years ago, Impossible Foods was one of the typical dishes of Silicon Valley. The kind of idea rich San Francisco vegans might develop in a VC-backed lab to change the world they think they grasp. Now, this one really might, and its Impossible Burger is coming to Little Bao in HK (basically our neighborhood), run by the best Asian female chef of 2017, May Chow.
When American press invited the comedian Michelle Wolf for their White House Correspondents’ Dinner and complained about her not being nice, Tina Fey put our collective eye roll into words: you can’t ask a coyote to guard the henhouse. The woman did her job. Well. Her words are hers to own, but personally, I don’t want her to change a word.
Chriselle Lim of The Chriselle Factor seems to be the dream of every fashion blogger in the world. Her blog is better than a media powerhouse, with 1 million Instagram followers and more than 740k Youtube subscribers, she is a regular at fashion weeks, collaborates with Shopbop, and has a beautiful daughter. Everyone drinks their cup of tea and she must have her own share of stress, but seeing this fabulous couple clearly in love, it seems that she is a woman who has it all.
Every year, we wrack our brain to find a perfect gift for Mother’s Day. The trap is right there, in the word ‘mother’. Moms are moms every day, why don’t we treat her like a fellow woman on this special day? We know what women want, being women ourselves. How about a fancy brunch, in a restaurant or cafe with food too pretty to eat? Something pretty, less practical, something you feel reluctant to splurge on for yourself but enjoy to give.
I love Watanabe Naomi. When I first saw this Shu Uemura ad, I wanted to applaud their decision to embrace body positivity. Then I saw a video of this woman talking, and I fell in love. She’s known as the Beyoncé of Japan for her spot-on impersonation. You wouldn’t name someone after Queen Bey if it were just about copying the glitter. This woman radiates confidence as well. Yes, she’s a comedian and you cannot say she doesn’t use her body image, but nobody can laugh at her. When she uses self-deprecating humour in a way only a truly confident person can, you have to laugh along with her.
This is one of the best celebrity promotions I’ve seen in months. She invites us to discover FidoTV Channel, the only network EXCLUSIVELY DEDICATED TO DOGS. The channel is full of award-worthy shows like Puppy SOS and At the end of my leash. Thank you Olivia, I kinda liked your character in Newsroom. Hope to see you in your own show. How about as a producer or entrepreneur leading a puppy-centered TV network into global media empire (with a spin-off like Kitty Radio and a Bunny Show)?
I’m not ashamed to admit that I get fashion inspiration from Disney and Barbie. Considering the number of designers and artists dressing them up to date, it makes sense. Who am I kidding. I’ve loved them since childhood, they’ve been my idols from the day I learned those imported dolls were way out of our family budget. Following Barbie’s Instagram feed and wearing Mickey-inspired clothing, this is the reward for my inner child.
When a cloistered Catholic nun in Spain said, “Sister, I do believe you,” supporting the #MeToo movement, I felt a wave of love more powerful than a hymn. These are the moving words of Sister Patricia Noya of the Discalced Carmelites of Hondarribia, Spain:
“We live in a cloister, we wear a habit that goes almost to our ankles, we don’t go out at night (unless it’s for a [medical] emergency), we don’t go to parties, we don’t consume alcohol, and we’ve made a vow of chastity. [Ours] is an option that doesn’t make us better or worse than anyone, even if, paradoxically, it makes us freer and happier than most. And because it’s a FREE choice, we defend with all the means available to us (this is one of them) the right of all women to FREELY say no without being judged, raped, intimidated, murdered or humiliated for it. SISTER, I DO BELIEVE YOU.”
Then I saw the Sister-Servants of the Holy Spirit of Perpetual Adoration, a.k.a. the Pink Sisters, the only convent in the world to wear bold pink habits. Isn’t your heart filled with divine sisterly love already?
When we cheer for a weekend city getaway, it doesn’t have to be a city far-away. Visit a spa or a luxury hotel in your own city (saving on the cost of transportation will ease your guilt). See your city from a fresh perspective, like having a date night with your husband. Renewed love will boost your workdays in your home city.
Here’s another busy woman. From mega DC film Batman vs Superman to Japanese thriller Laplace’s Witch, to HBO’s Westworld, Tao Okamoto is climbing the ladder of fame diligently. We can feel the well earned relaxation in her pictures. Good job, California, for giving this slice of peace to her.
If you don’t know the Vietnamese actress Chi Pu yet, join her 2.4 million Instagram followers and see her versatile and equally fabulous images. She’s the first and only Vietnamese artist with a self-titled mobile game, the Vietnamese actress with the most social media followers, and a popular singer. Among her frame-able pictures, I love the retro vibe of this one.
All the beauties in the world, natural and human, may elevate your ideal or let you down with another side of reality. When in doubt, look at this and remind yourself that there’s perfection in the world.
Andrea Centeno
Vi Nguyen
April Editors