Q&a / Marvel star Fala Chen at Milan Fashion Week: the Chinese-American actress on the Italian city, her love for Brunello Cucinelli and cashmere, her personal style – and not getting papped in Hong Kong
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Born in Chengdu, Chen moved to the US at age 14, but never lost her love and connection with China.
![Tony Leung and Fala Chen in Marvel Studios’ Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. Photo: Marvel Studios](https://cdn.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/d8/images/canvas/2023/09/27/f6c56d8e-856c-49ee-9cd1-704f2354eea7_c80960c4.jpg)
We caught up with her at Brunello Cucinelli’s show …
How do you like Milan’s fashion scene?
It’s another experience from my previous visits. I attended some fashion shows in the past, and the whole flow of the first-row seating is quite different. Here at Cucinelli, I feel like I’m part of a big family party, and I know how important heritage is for the brand. Brunello, his daughter Carolina and the whole team are so warm; it’s an entirely different story, and I like being here. Plus, the quality of the fabrics and the refinement of each garment are pleasing to one of my obsessions.
Which is?
I pay lots of attention to details. As an actor, I observe everything and cannot overlook when something’s not impeccable.
![Awkwafina, Meng’er Zhang, Simu Liu and Fala Chen arrive at a screening of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings at Regal Union Square in New York City, in August 2021. Photo: AP](https://cdn.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/d8/images/canvas/2023/09/27/17df3fe4-9a49-4b66-be3d-b1ad27379ab3_f60200c9.jpg)
Cucinelli is renowned for its superior cashmere. What’s your first memory of wearing such a unique fibre?
I was in middle or high school, and my mum gave me my first piece of cashmere. It was one of her cashmere jumpers, and I remember that feeling of softness that, unlike regular wool, was so soft I could wear it without any undershirt. Once you [wear] cashmere, you cannot go back.
What defines your personal style?
![Fala Chen attends the Brunello Cucinelli spring/summer 2024 women’s collection show during Milan Fashion Week in Milan, Italy, on September 20. Photo: Getty Images](https://cdn.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/d8/images/canvas/2023/09/27/e0270cd2-0de8-469a-bbf5-bf5fa467b57c_b5615028.jpg)
Have you got an everyday look?
I would say a simple blazer and a medium-length pencil or full skirt. Skirts are much more comfortable than pants to me. Of course, when you wear something for a special occasion, you feel empowered, walk and sit differently. You cannot just be in sweats every day.
What’s the best and the worst part of attending fashion weeks?
I’m a foodie, so I always make sure dinners are booked in my favourite restaurants in Milan, like Langosteria.
![Fala Chen posing at the premiere of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings at a cinema in west London, UK, in August 2021. Photo: AP](https://cdn.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/d8/images/canvas/2023/09/27/8bb36e2f-1f3d-48e5-9f58-0d38641357f5_b670b5e7.jpg)
Now you live in New York. Is Hong Kong still in your heart?
These two cities have many similarities: the skyscrapers, the bustle and the same kind of energy. In New York, I walk a lot, I take the subway, and it’s easier because fewer people recognise me. Things improved in Hong Kong too, since the paparazzi stopped hanging around excessively like they used to. So when I get back, I love meeting [up with] people again.
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- The Chinese-American actress, famous for starring in Marvel’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and HBO’s Irma Vep, chats with Style at Brunello Cucinelli’s Milan Fashion Week show
- Chen, who first made her name in Hong Kong, wore ‘quiet luxury’ before it was cool and voices her concerns over fashion’s sustainability issues – although she does love Milan’s food