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Kate Whitehead

My grandfather had four siblings. They were close-knit and lived in a four-storey house on Forfar Road, in Kowloon City, Hong Kong, near the family’s factory.
The family business is in metal manufacturing among other things and is more than 100 years old. They did well and when they got too many for the house, the brothers moved.
My grandfather bought a house on Kadoorie Avenue, in Mong Kok.
I never knew my uncle and aunts’ names, I knew them by numbers. Officially, we have 26 uncles and 18 aunts. My grand-uncle had four wives including a concubine and two more unofficially. Most of the kids came from his side.
Full house
I was born in 1966 in Hong Kong, the second of four kids – all boys aside from our sister, who is the youngest. We lived in the two-storey house on Kadoorie Avenue.

My grandparents were on one side of the first floor and the kids and my uncle were on the other side, and my parents were on the ground floor.
Our cousins lived across the street and [Chanel’s style adviser] Claudia Shaw lived further down the road. Diocesan Boys’ School was so close that I could climb over the fence and be home in eight minutes.

Making mum happy
When the whole family got together, there would be a couple of hundred of us and we’d take over two restaurants in Tsim Sha Tsui. Everyone would dress up.
You’d start mahjong at 4pm, have dinner at 7pm, the kids would leave mid-banquet and we’d fight over the longevity buns.

Growing up, my mum always looked very stylish and trendy. In the 1970s, she wore Biba-style outfits and neon-pink ping-pong balls for earrings. She threw the best birthday parties for us.
I always wanted to do fashion because I loved how my mum’s composure and mood changed when she dressed up – she’d be happy. I am a designer because I wanted her to be happy.
School daze
In 1980, I went Appleby College, a boys’ boarding school in Ontario (in Canada). We were by the lake. The kids were crazy. My dorm room was next to the fire exit, so I was the gatekeeper, letting the girls in from the school next door.
After two years of living it up in Appleby, I went to Grenville Christian College, which was a culture shock. It was dramatically different – it was coed, we had to do dishes and chores and it was a little monastic.

The headmaster was a priest and our newspaper was censored – they actually cut out articles deemed not suitable for high-school students.
I was the only Chinese guy who didn’t excel at maths. The art teacher loved me because I could draw. I did the sets for the school’s Gilbert and Sullivan musicals.
Varying degrees
My dad was wary about 1997. He bought a house in Vancouver and was one of the first “astronauts”, flying back and forth between Hong Kong and Canada. Later, they moved to Toronto.
He didn’t want me to be in fashion. He said fashion was so micro and I should be thinking on a large scale – if I went into architecture, I could change a skyline.

My mum brought all her amazing dresses from Hong Kong to Canada, but she discovered chocolate and went from a size six to a size 12 and wasn’t fashionable any more. I would pick apart her dresses and see how they were made and then try to put them back together.
I got a scholarship to the University of Waterloo School of Architecture. It was a seven-year programme, which was a long time to do something I wasn’t really interested in.
I did it for a year – with a lot of partying – and then switched to do an English course and a business course.
I designed dresses for Deng Xiaoping’s daughters and his grandchildren, and got to see this rarefied world of the super-powerful and super-rich
Barney Cheng
Then I did a BA in fine arts (also at the University of Waterloo) though I didn’t go to my graduation ceremony as I was in Paris already.
By design
An uncle in Toronto was importing Japanese fashion and my dad suggested I intern with him. I went with my aunt to buying sessions, which was fun, but I wasn’t designing.
I started working full time in his company and continued doing that for almost three years, until I moved back to Hong Kong. But I did design a couple of dresses for them.

Fashion diva
One of the first movie stars I dressed was Veronica Yip. She was singing in clubs and needed outfit changes – long gowns with Velcro closures that could be stripped off.
She said I was good and encouraged me to do my own thing. So, a year later, in 1993, I applied to be in the Hong Kong Young Fashion Designers’ Contest. I submitted eight outfits and called it Diva Bride.

Why does evening wear always have to be Western? I wanted a Chinese-style hybrid, the best of both worlds. I used the Cantonese wedding qun kwa as inspiration. All the embroidery was on the inside, it was very gay and glam, quite drag queen-ish.
I wanted to show people how fabulous I was, so I went to London and got Manolo Blahnik to design shoes for me. I won the award for best non-knitwear.
My grandfather came to the competition and said I’d brought recognition to the Cheng name. With my grandfather’s blessing, my father allowed me to start my business and he bought me a top-floor studio on Wyndham Street [in Central district].
New revelations
My first client was my sister-in-law, I designed her wedding gown and dancing dress. My aunts saw it and liked it and then I designed one for Christine Liao, the wife of Donald Liao, the secretary for housing in Hong Kong.

Christine knew all the society people and it took off from there. I designed dresses for Deng Xiaoping’s daughters and his grandchildren, and got to see this rarefied world of the super-powerful and super-rich.
(Art dealer) Pearl Lam introduced me to Michelle Yeoh, who had recently been picked as a Bond girl, and she suggested I get in touch with her and dress her.
I designed Lavender Patten’s outfit for the handover event. In the 1990s, every Tatler magazine would feature someone wearing a Barney Cheng dress.

I was partying and sometimes partying harder than working. I thought, “I’m a fashion designer, I’m gay, I’m supposed to live this promiscuous life.” I was totally OTT on parties and boyfriends and everything.
In my late 20s, we did a family therapy session. I think my brother suggested it because I was everywhere. I think they wanted to make sure I didn’t die while being a designer. For four days, we were holed up in the Jockey Club. We hated it, but we ended up learning how to communicate.
The therapist said that of our personalities, there was one which was completely different – it was me. Everyone else was a type A personality – a go-getter and aggressive – and I was the one who wanted peace, calm, cohesion and unity.

Humble brag
My family is religious, and it was only later that I realised my parents had prayer groups praying for me. About 10 years ago, I did find God.
I never thought there was anything wrong with my lifestyle, but as I went to church more it slowly changed. A lot of people tell me I’m a much better person since I found God.
Before I was self-centred and abrasive. Now I’m much humbler – I’m not as needy or as pushy as I used to be.
I’m grateful and thankful that I’m able to make women feel good about themselves, feel better, that’s my gift
Barney Cheng
I don’t have many clients, but my clients have become my friends. I still have loyal customers who come to me and order extravagant clothing. They invite me to their chalet for skiing. It’s a great place to see how the rich and powerful live.
I have staunch supporters. They like me, I’m actually quite likeable. A lot of my clients you don’t see in the limelight because they hide from it, yet they are powerful and influential. I’m not the politest or most PC person, but my work speaks for itself.
In five years’ time, I likely won’t be in Hong Kong. I’d like to be in either Shanghai or Dubai. It will be good for me to try something new.
I’m grateful and thankful that I’m able to make women feel good about themselves, feel better, that’s my gift. I want them to come back and say, “I’ve never been given so many compliments in my life; I feel so pretty and special when I wear your dress.”


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Profile

He dressed Michelle Yeoh and Deng Xiaoping’s daughters: Barney Cheng on the super-rich, family, and finding God

Hong Kong fashion designer Barnie Cheng with Michelle Yeoh at the 2019 AMFAR Gala. Yeoh is wearing a gown he created especially for her. Photo: Barney Cheng

Fashion designer Barney Cheng at his studio in Hong Kong’s Central district.  Photo: Jonathan Wong

Cheng was born in 1966 in Hong Kong. Photo: Barney Cheng

Cheng as a child. Photo: Barney Cheng

Cheng enjoys a moment of leisure as a child. Photo: Barney Cheng

Cheng building fortresses at Akakura Kanko Ski resort in Japan. Photo: Barney Cheng

Cheng during a summer in the south of France. Photo: Barney Cheng

Cheng in his studio. Photo: Barney Cheng

Cheng, one of the winners in the 1993 Hong Kong Young Fashion Designers’ Contest, was given his own showcase (pictured), which was an afternoon tea show at the Marriott Hotel. Photo: SCMP

Cheng with Michelle Yeoh, dressed in one of his creations, at the 2019 AMFAR Gala. Photo: Barney Cheng

(From left) Britain’s Prince Charles, Hong Kong’s last governor Chris Patten, then British prime minister Tony Blair, and Lavender Patten attend a farewell ceremony in Hong Kong for the British military on June 30, 1997. Cheng designed Lavender Patten’s outfit for the handover event. Photo: AFP

Cheng with actress and singer Celina Jade at his studio. Photo: Barney Cheng

Goodbye, Hong Kong: Kim Robinson, ‘God-level’ celebrity hairstylist, is ready to close up shop

Kim Robinson at his home in Clear Water Bay in Hong Kong. With his Chater House salon having fallen victim to redevelopment, the celebrity hairstylist has decided the universe is hinting he should quit while he’s ahead. Photo: Jonathan Wong

Hairdresser Kim Robinson and singer Rita Ora. Photo: Kim Robinson

Robinson (centre) with (from left) Leslie Cheung Kwok-wing, Anita Mui Yim-fong, Maggie Cheung Man-yuk, Kenny Bee Chung Chen-tou, and Sandy Lam Yik-lin for the opening of Le Salon Orient in Causeway Bay. Photo: SCMP

Robinson trimming a customer’s hair at Le Salon. Photo: SCMP

Robinson after he was served an injunction at Le Salon Orient. Photo: SCMP

Robinson at Salon Esprit in Mong Kok. At the time, all haircuts cost HK$400. Photo: SCMP

Robinson when he was younger. Photo: Kim Robinson

Robinson with Leslie Cheung. Photo: Kim Robinson

Robinson with Anita Mui. Photo: Kim Robinson

Robinson and his father. Photo: Kim Robinson

Robinson and Carina Lau. Photo: Kim Robinson

An advertisement for La Coupe in the 1980s. Robinson is in leather and Andros Panayiotou is on the right, both standing in front of the car.

Andros Panayiotou, who set up La Coupe together with Robinson, with Margaret Thatcher. Photo: Andros Panayiotou

Robinson and Lydia Dunn. Photo: Kim Robinson

Robinson at his home in Clear Water Bay. Photo: Jonathan Wong

How Hong Kong actress Carina Lau rose to stardom from her ‘mainland girl’ roots, overcame topless photos scandal and wed Tony Leung Chiu-wai

Carina Lau Ka-ling. Photo: Instagram/@carinalau1208

Hong Kong actress Carina Lau Ka-ling, pictured in 1993 soon after her career breakthrough in a Wong Kar-wai film. Married since 2008 to fellow actor Tony Leung Chiu-wai, she is known for her style and class, and some iconic roles. Photo: SCMP

Cheung Siu-fai and Lau promoting TVB series “The Turbulent Decade” in 1986. Photo: SCMP

(Clockwise from top right) Leslie Cheung Kwok-wing, Lau, Maggie Cheung Man-yuk and Tony Leung Chiu-wai on the set of Wong Kar-wai’s movie “Days of Being Wild” in 1990. Photo: SCMP

Carina Lau in a still from “Ashes of Time” (1994).

Carina Lau and Nicholas Tse celebrate with their trophies after winning the best actor and best actress awards at the 30th Hong Kong Film Awards in 2011. Photo: SCMP

Carina Lau and Tony Leung at the opening night of hit musical “Les Miserables” at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre, in 1996. Photo: SCMP

Carina Lau in a still from “In Your Dreams” (2018).

Lau and Leung at the 16th Asian Film Awards in March 2023. Photo: Dickson Lee

Fast & Furious actor Sung Kang on opportunities for Asians in Hollywood and why his directorial debut, a horror comedy, is more funny than scary

Sung Kang is best known for his role in the Fast & Furious series. The Korean-American actor opens up about discrimination in Hollywood, and making his directorial debut, a horror comedy inspired by Evil Dead. Photo: Instagram/@sungkangsta

Sung Kang is best known for his role in the Fast & Furious series. The Korean-American actor opens up about discrimination in Hollywood, and making his directorial debut, a horror comedy inspired by Evil Dead. Photo: Getty Images

(From left) Sung Kang, Jason Tobin and Parry Shen in a still from “Better Luck Tomorrow”. Photo: AP Photo/MTV Films

Kang and Nathalie Emmanuel in a still from the 2023 film “Fast X”.

A still from “Shaky Shivers”.

Kang (left) on the set of “Shaky Shivers”.

Brooke Markham (left) and VyVy Nguyen in a still from “Shaky Shivers”.

Kang (left) and Vin Diesel in a still from “Fast & Furious 9”.

She overcame civil war and dad’s early death to lead a charity pushing human rights for domestic workers

Human rights lawyer and HELP executive director Manisha Wijesinghe, in Sheung Wan, Hong Kong. Raised by a single mother amid Sri Lanka’s civil war, she decided aged 14 she would work in a human rights capacity. Photo: Jonathan Wong

Manisha Wijesinghe with her parents. An accident when she was 9 months old led to her father’s death.

Wijesinghe with her mother in 2019.

Wijesinghe with her former boss Kamalini De Silva (seated) and some of her Ministry of Justice colleagues. 

Wijesinghe in Sheung Wan, Hong Kong. In 2014, she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, and her mental health nosedived when she first arrived in the city, she said, because of guilt about leaving her mum. Photo: Jonathan Wong

In 2019, Wijesinghe switched to HELP for Domestic Workers (above) as the head of case management. 

Wijesinghe conducting a HELPing Hands Education programme for domestic workers in Hong Kong. 

Wijesinghe with Lily Layug, one of the HELP community leaders. 

Health, nutrition, wellness – she wants to help people ‘make better choices’ in all three

Japanese raw food and fermented food chef and founder of Foodcraft, Shima Shimizu in Kennedy Town, Hong Kong. She tells Kate Whitehead how teaching people to eat better can improve society as a whole. Photo: Xiaomei Chen

Shimizu photographed in Kennedy Town. She did a degree in Osaka, Japan, in international relations with English and Mandarin. Photo: Xiaomei Chen

Shimizu in a photo taken around 2012 during a pop-up cooking class. Photo: Shima Shimizu

Shimizu established Sesame Kitchen in 2010. Photo: Xiaomei Chen

Shimizu with two Thai chefs at Rasayana Retreat. Photo: Shima Shimizu

Shimizu around 2014 during a pop-up kombucha class. Photo: Shima Shimizu

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Hong Kong fashion designer Barney Cheng grew up in a huge family, was inspired by his mother’s love of clothes and has rubbed shoulders with the fabulously rich


Hong Kong fashion designer Barney Cheng tells Kate Whitehead about growing up in a huge family, getting culture shock in a Canadian Christian school, and rubbing shoulders with the fabulously rich.
