Lane Crawford Party For Beijing Store Opening - Final
Jennifer Woo, visionary leader of Lane Crawford.
If you don't believe me this is an article from Time magazines Style and Design
Jennifer Woo • Turnaround Queen
"In my family, I was always the kid most interested in fashion," says Jennifer Woo, 28, president of Hong Kong's swankest department store, Lane Crawford—and, it so happens, the daughter of Peter Woo, its parent company's chairman. But being Daddy's girl is hardly Woo's only qualification. In the 18 months since she assumed the helm, Woo has transformed a 154-year-old business from frumpy to fabulous, using a sharp eye for opportunity and that carefully honed fashion sense.
Opportunity came in the form of Hong Kong's new International Finance Center, a sparkling commercial and office complex credited with rejuvenating the city's business district. Woo selected it as the site for Lane Crawford's new 82,000-sq.-ft. flagship store and, audaciously, had it designed and built in less than a year. With its martini lounge, chill-out CD bar and exquisite Yabu Pushelberg interiors, it's unquestionably the most mod retail space in Asia. Ethereal art installations by the likes of Hirotoshi Sawada and Dennis Lin hang from the ceiling and trail along the floor. "It's been a great opportunity to have made a difference to an institution," says Woo, who was educated at a British private school and Wellesley College in the U.S. Lane Crawford has three locations in mainland China and plans to expand. Says Woo, surveying her ultrachic store: "This is the dna and design integrity we'll take to China."
— Liam Fitzpatrick
Maggie Cheung
If you don't believe me this is an article from Time magazines Style and Design
Jennifer Woo • Turnaround Queen
"In my family, I was always the kid most interested in fashion," says Jennifer Woo, 28, president of Hong Kong's swankest department store, Lane Crawford—and, it so happens, the daughter of Peter Woo, its parent company's chairman. But being Daddy's girl is hardly Woo's only qualification. In the 18 months since she assumed the helm, Woo has transformed a 154-year-old business from frumpy to fabulous, using a sharp eye for opportunity and that carefully honed fashion sense.
Opportunity came in the form of Hong Kong's new International Finance Center, a sparkling commercial and office complex credited with rejuvenating the city's business district. Woo selected it as the site for Lane Crawford's new 82,000-sq.-ft. flagship store and, audaciously, had it designed and built in less than a year. With its martini lounge, chill-out CD bar and exquisite Yabu Pushelberg interiors, it's unquestionably the most mod retail space in Asia. Ethereal art installations by the likes of Hirotoshi Sawada and Dennis Lin hang from the ceiling and trail along the floor. "It's been a great opportunity to have made a difference to an institution," says Woo, who was educated at a British private school and Wellesley College in the U.S. Lane Crawford has three locations in mainland China and plans to expand. Says Woo, surveying her ultrachic store: "This is the dna and design integrity we'll take to China."
— Liam Fitzpatrick
Maggie Cheung
Comments on "Lane Crawford Party For Beijing Store Opening - Final"
You got to meet the divine Maggie Cheung! I drool. I am happy. Thanks, Sart, for making my morning.
Just when I thought this blog couldn't get any better, I see Maggie Cheung on it. She was my first, for lack of a better term, "style icon." Flipping through one of my mom's HK celebrity rags almost 15 years ago, I saw a picture of her in heels, black trouser socks, and a blue pin-dot skirt. It was such a weird outfit, I fell in love. All these years later, she's still got it.
Jennifer Woo is adorable, isn't she?
how befitting that you had a shot of maggie cheung for your HK trip. she's always had the "je ne sais quoi" air about her.
The girl in the middle is magnificent! Love the simple but luxurious top, the elaborate skirt, and how the whole ensemble is tied together by the darkness of her tights-- all against the whiteness of her skin. Awesome, dramatic, beautiful!
maggie cheung is a goddess! Love her! she is one of the most stylish woman on earth!
Maggie Chung is gorgeous! Great photos Scott!
Maggie Chung is gorgeous! Grea pics Scott!
the photos in beijing have been fabulous! love maggie cheung's outfit, the mix of the jewelry.
is that du juan in the last photo? her red gloves are divine.
Your picture of Maggi Cheung and Jennifer Woo made me gasp out aloud! Very nice work, Mr. Sart!
i too was amazed by the style of the women in beijing, full of life and so eager to try the new.
and jennifer (though it's hard to tell from articles) was a doll! she hugged, she laughed, she was so. . . normal!
glad you had a good time there. and it was nice meeting you in person, finally.
-landis
i love maggie cheung. she is so chic & gorgeous!
Dear Sart,
Some of the girls you've posted recently have been alarmingly skinny.
As a naturally skinny man, I don't have a problem with skinniness per se, but when one sees a person and suspects them of having spent most of their recent life hungry, I do think it detracts from their beauty.
Thomas
all beautiful clothing and equally beautiful women. one question though - must everyone be thin to extremely thin? where are the women with the real women's figures?
i love maggie and i think she just gets more and more stylish each year!
I'm so happy you've come to Asia and that you've found some incredibly stylish women to showcase on the site!!
Thank you for this picture of Maggie. She is consistently elegant. If you haven't seen it already you should check out In the Mood for Love; the slow-motion scenes are very reminiscent of your photography.
Oh wow. I want those lovely gloves.
LOVE this look. Simple and beautiful.
Maggie Cheung is like wine, gets better with age...
Great. I like Jen's hair here. Is that Du Juan?
extra.
Mr. Sartorialist,
You got a picture of Maggie Chung! She looks fabulous, of course. Wow! You lucky guy.
Caught myself looking at the croc bag on the sofa on picture 3. Just curious.It looks nice.
maggie cheung! my favorite
i love maggie cheung...she looks fantastic!
maggie chung is always so gorgeous. and I'm relieved to see it wasn't all white people at this event, haha.
So beautiful.
So beautiful.
That photo of Maggie Cheung just brightened my day.
Are there 4 more gorgeous women on the face of the earth? I think not.
OMG, you met Maggie Cheung. She is like one of the most brilliant actresses in HK cinema today.
Photo #3 is Emma Pei and photo #4 is Du Juan -- both models from China.
the perfect pump.
I love the little red gloves holding a gin and tonic.
but, that second to last girl is so painfully thin.
I'd love to see some normal-sized people.
wow, maggie chung. i'm so jealous.
these pictures are so gorgeous. all of the women look so lovely.
It's interesting looking at these beautiful people in this beautiful store and then remembering that they live in a country with a repressive government that does away with people without due process & other human rights violations. I had friends who lived in Beijing for a long time and the contrast between their life of wealth and ease and the government was interesting. They had maids and cooks and beautiful homes, but when they went to church there were government agents watching (some known, some trying to be unknown) and they didn't go to church with one native Chinese person. They could travel freely, but certain emails would never reach the U.S & they mailed really mundane letters because they knew they would be read. There were many other like contrasts. It's just interesting to think about, not trying to put a damper on your blog!
All the ladies do look lovely but they are so ridiculously groomed, posed and immaculate that my impression is that they completely lack individuality. Being slightly imperfect makes us individual, different, well, human...
Scruff up ladies!
I wish she were standing so we could get a full view of that wonderful feathered skirt!
Elegant and beautiful.
/and not just the legs!
Sart: Great photos from HK and Beijing. I adore Maggie Cheung! Wish there were more Asian women represented in U.S. fashion magazines.
Sart, you misspelled Maggie's last name -- it's CHEUNG, not Chung.
day-um! maggie looks amazing - great air of self possession and a lived-in, well earned glamor that these younger girls just don't have (yet!)
Maggie Cheung
it's auntie maggie! what a babe. but her last name is spelled "cheung" not "chung".
i like the girl's red gloves. and the tights. score!
Wow! What lovely women and each in their own style
Of course these are welldressed crowd- they're all celebrities! Maggie Chung is a HUGE actress (like the old Julia Roberts of China) and I also spot Du Juan...
The shoes are all to die for!
Emma Pei looks absolutely adorable.
AMAZING absolutely AMAZING
it's awful to think that some people are allowing these actresses' natural thinness detract from their amazing sense of style. people always need something to complain about, and now that it's not the lack of white people in fashion, it's the thinness of these asian women, who by nature have a MUCH smaller frame than american women do.
Woo-hoo!!!!
She's lovely.
omg all of them equally beautiful! and maggie cheung! *jealous*
i spot du juan!
Gorgeous!
Just a note to some of the comments on this post - certainly, it's important to not condone overt-skinniness in fashion media. As a curvier girl myself, I'm all for it! But its also very true to say that most Asian girls (who live in Asia) are very skinny or petite, quite naturally. It has a lot to do with their diets and genetics - an Asian diet doesn't contain as much meat and dairy as a Western diet. I'm an Asian girl who was brought up in Australia, and can see the noticable difference in girls sizes whenever I visit Tokyo, Singapore, KL... the majority of girls are naturally slim... as was my mother and aunts before me.
Sart, I'm so glad you came round to this side of the globe - the big Asian cities have so much to offer, fashion-wise, and its fantastic to see it on your blog.
absolutely exciting to read about Jennifer Woo, such ability, already a retailing icon at 28, incredible.
:o and they say perfection does not exist!!
i feel a little bit ugly ;P..
anyway the colors and ligth of this set are just beautiful.
Gracias
I agree that they do look 'stylishly fabulous'. However it is all quite similar. Black black black against white skin.
Further I am definitely in agreement about so many women in particular being super thin. Some other blogs are worse: showing 'on the street fashion' which is actually just models outside fashion shows! Anyway, my point is (yes I have one), I look forward perhaps to some regualar sized people who simply show creativity and personality in their attire rather than style on a hungry beauty.
wow, ppl seem to be blown away by the fashionistas in these shots, maggie this, jennifer that. i think they are all so boring. sartorial maybe in their expensive outfits, but all very stagey and salon. maybe i like the street shots more, where interesting textures and shapes in the shots work to engage your eye with the body/clothing combos
I agree with you nic, I wish the model in photo # 3 would stand up, she looks very pretty and has a beautiful dress on
Lovely shoes
Even disregarding the style, Maggie Cheung is simply gorgeous. She looks amazing.
Maggie is so gorgeous and elegant!
anon 2:38 PM
The reason these ladies were so immaculately dressed was because they were there for a special event. They probably arrived in a limo straight from their hotel rooms.
Also it is not uncommon for celebrities and models (in China as well as the US) to be PAID to attend these functions. That's not say they were paid but I won't be surprised if they were. It gives the press something interesting to photograph and talk about.
Sart, am I right? Have you seen arrangements like these?
The girl in the middle looks like an Asian version of Gemma Ward... absolutely divine :)
What peculiar posture they all have.
I hope you had a chance to try the food in IFC while you were there. There's a small corner Italian pizza place that is absolutely delicious with the bessssttt selection of coffee.
Maggie Cheung is one stunning actress and of course a charming woman, I watched In The Mood For Love the other day, just loved how she did in it.
the girl in the second pic from the bottom is stunning!
she went to wellesley! rock on, chica! :-)
maggie cheung looks divine... while everyone else is wearing heeled oxfords with black tights, she goes against grain and wears them with bare legs. i love it.
oh my god, and the cherry-glowing-red gloves in the last pic.... WHERE CAN I GET THEM THEY ARE AWESOME!
To Thomas at 11:22 AM, although it is possible that the women in the pictures have been starving themselves to be thin, you should also keep in mind that many Asian women are just naturally thinner. There are of course exceptions to this (and I am one of them) but in general, most of my Asian friends eat a lot, eat healthily, and never have to worry about their weight.
Now you can appreciate the full beauty of the pictures!
Aahh! Hate those bloody 'they're so thin' comments! Maggie's thin, she looks fantastic! Can't we just enjoy the beautiful pics for what they are?!
Energie
maggie!
still so breath taking.
I'm always happy with your blog but today I was especially pleased with your Lane Crawford post. Besides the fact that Lane Crawford is a wonderful department store, I was glad to see more pictures of Asian people this time round. One of the great things about your post is that you aren't racially biased with your pictures. Keep up the good work!
wow, jennifer woo is quite the extraordinary young woman!
and ofcourse, i am going insane right now at the fact that you met maggie cheung. i idolise her <3
such talent, style and integrity is so rare in hk.
Maggie Cheung looks as divine as ever. When I need a hit of slow-style-elegance, In The Mood For Love does it for me every time.
She's 28? That's amazing. She looks great, kind of like how Amy Winehouse could be if she laid off all the drugs and stuff. Truly wonderful.
So many beautiful girls in beautiful outfits!
Absolutely stunning, all three! Of course they'd look good in just about anything...
Wow... so today I realize that I am only one of the millions who adore Maggie Cheung :)
I like that young girl's skirt and shoes... very lovely.
Uhhh! I love the picture of Maggie.. so sweet.
OK, correction, Jennifer Woo is 30..not 28. I read an article in TIME magazine 2 years ago saying she was 28. So that makes her 30 now. (yes, still young.) Anyway, to those who are complaining about how thin these women are...Asian women tend to be really slim (no hips, butts or breasts) and they do eat. I'm Asian, and am not considered slim/petite by Asian standards. At 5'5/120lbs, I am considered big-boned. I have been told that I have a "very European build", and a very "typical American body". A friend from HK actually thinks I'm fat/chubby/whatever. Go figure. Pun intended.
The shop looks marvelous- everyone seems to glow inside. The lighting seems carefully designed. I can't wait to see it in person!
I'm glad people have been coming to the defense of the Asian women in these pictures because yes - they DO tend to be naturally thinner and not necessarily starving themselves either. Call it lucky or what not, but that's just the way it is. Some people like to complain about anything - just enjoy the style!
Maggie Cheung has got this ethereal quality about her. Her face is so distinctive and everything she wears just adds to that ooomph that's already there. Beautiful pictures, great lighting.
Jennifer Woo - not your usual daddy's girl - she definitely put her own mark on the business. All the power to her and great style too. Great post Sart!
-N
Maggie Cheung!
wow, so there are some pretty chinese girls out there.
This is my favorite post!
I love the black outfits and the lighting is amazing! Just beacuse it's black does not mean it's boring and these women definitely bring something unique to the clothes they're wearing.
Thank you for featuring these lovely Asian women, as well as hilighting that pale skin can also be as beautiful as having a tan.
jennifer woo is fabulous!
Hi Scott! I have switched from referring to you as "Sart" to using your real name, now that I watched your abc video and feel like I know you even better. Anyway, I have really loved seeing your posts and pix from the Far East. As a Chinese-American female who has seen little representation of asian females (relative to other cultures) in the fashion & style industry, I feel more hope and rejuvenation that you are finding that cutting-edge style DOES exist amongst the chinese population! Please keep it up!
Oh yeah - one more thing - that's SO cool that Landis Smith read and commented on your blog too! I didn't know him before, but I just think it very cool to be reading and commenting right alongside CDs of retail and fashion.
well, get a life,Girl spy. u r so judgemental. stop judging other cultures by resorting soley to your own standard. deeply inside of me i believed that politics should definitely stay out of fashion. tks a lot for having you to point it out that bias is just everywhere and never dies
-----------------
Girl Spy says...
It's interesting looking at these beautiful people in this beautiful store and then remembering that they live in a country with a repressive government that does away with people without due process & other human rights violations. I had friends who lived in Beijing for a long time and the contrast between their life of wealth and ease and the government was interesting. They had maids and cooks and beautiful homes, but when they went to church there were government agents watching (some known, some trying to be unknown) and they didn't go to church with one native Chinese person. They could travel freely, but certain emails would never reach the U.S & they mailed really mundane letters because they knew they would be read. There were many other like contrasts. It's just interesting to think about, not trying to put a damper on your blog!
ooo this little chinese girls are so cute...so small, so well dressed.......i definitly want to be a chinese in my next life :-) GOOO GGIRLS
horay for cute asian girls!!!! maggie cheung -- always awesome. and the last girl - is that du juan? - i wanna date her.
oh please - it's ridiculous to think that this thinness is natural. asian countries collectively have THE highest rate of eating disorders in the world, with japan surpassing venezuela in the past few years as the worst, trumping all other countries as the place with the most anorexics. the same is happening in china and korea. the cultural norms that define gender in these countries are far behind the rapid modernization and as such, women are still viewed as little more than objects and thus judged only on appearances.
there is a difference between thinness and natural build. it is inexplicably frustrating to see that so many uninformed people assume that asian people are all naturally thin when in actuality, we are starving.
Maggi Cheung! Woo! Hot hot hot!
Ms. Woo may just be one of the most beautiful women I've seen.
Jennifer Woo is cute and she looks like a japanese model.
But Maggie is still that elegant and natural. She´s so part away from this world. Time seems to have no effect on her.
Simply chic and gorgeous
get over the bloody skinniness!!!! honestly you are RUINING it, it's terrible when people are so dissatisfied with their own lives that they complain about other peoples' weight
isn't that du juan in the last photo?
Get a life people!! Accept the fact that Asians generally have smaller bone structure than others!! And that's why they are thinner than you(people who keep commenting on people's weight)
I'm naturally skinny too. And I can eat more than any other Americans that I know. Some people just don't have to worry about their weight and can stay as skinny as they want! So, get over it!
Just enjoy the pictures for god's sake!!! Those girls just look absoultely gorgeous to me.... Love their styles.....
my goodness, you met Maggie Cheung in Beijing.
that's what I have been waiting for!
I love Jennifer Woo's shoes...the pink sole is such an amazing detail. It's neither a high hem nor naughty neckline that makes a woman magnificient. These shoes surprise admirers every time their wearer crosses her legs (an inherently feminine posture) and compels him to wonder what other secrets she may be hiding. Subtle sexy...love it!
n i c e xx
the gucci shoes! she has those gucci shoes!
they look so so so amazing and deserve museum space.
I cant get over the last girl in this post. she looks beautiful!
Besides films, Maggie Cheung also rocks in le monde of style.
She has her own fashion sense.
She is a style icon!
WOW... All the outfits are absolutely gorgeous!!! Emma Pei's definitely stands out, so simple and girly! My least favourite outfit would be Du Juan's but then again I would not be complainin if that outfit was on me so..
wow sart ... maggie cheung? lucky lucky you. im jealous.
du juan is really a stunner
I'm so envious of people who make top-to-toe black look so effortless instead of making it look strict. That's just pure skill, and I'm turning green.
how beautiful.
If you ask me, (and i know I always do) jennifer Woo, proves that less definetly is more!! a very Hepburn-in-breakfast-at-tiffanys-kinda-outfit in 2007! Ab fab!!
Maggie Cheung, oh, my goodness! U met the it lady.
Pls keep on doing it...
As I know she has settled in Beijing. But she still is a cosmopolitan, for Beijing is one of the cities she lives (aside from the old-new vivid Beijing, there are Paris, London and Hong Kong)
Is it too late for me to post?
oh my! the girl in the last picture with the red gloves has possibly the most beautiful face i have ever seen.
Maggie Cheung, she is an icon in terms of both film and fashion.
I'm in the mood for Maggie...
OMG!! Maggie Cheung! she is always stylish and individual since 80's and she never get old.