Category: Culture

Perfect Chinese New Year gifts for your loved ones

If you’re looking for more than the usual red packets to gift your nearest and dearest to celebrate the upcoming Year of the Rat, we at Gafencu have curated a special collection of Chinese New Year gifts that are sure to add a special touch to your lunar festivities. 

Blancpain’s Métiers d’Art Collection

Chinese New Year gifts

As the Rat supercedes its porcine predecessor this Chinese New Year, luxury brand Blancpain is launching its very first watch with a porcelain dial designed and manufactured in its Métiers d’Art workshops – The Métiers d’Art Porcelaine special edition. Each unique timepiece features an enamel painting of three rats on a white gold case that is encircled with diamonds. Besides, the eight-piece collection is powered by a Calibre 1154 automatic movement, blending beautiful form with undeniable functionality in true style.

Johnnie Walker Blue Label: Year of the Rat Limited Edition

Chinese New Year gifts

In celebration for this Chinese New Year, Johnnie Walker, the master of fine whiskies is launching its new Johnnie Walker Blue Label: Year of the Rat Limited Edition. The special cask is decorated with a rat on golden ingots, and comes with the rightly flavoured Johnnie Walker Blue Label whisky ‒ crafted by a group of expert blenders including Jim Beveridge who was named the Master Blender of the Year twice. Without a doubt, this should rank high on your Chinese New Year gifts list.

 

Piaget Altiplano with two rats

Chinese New Year gifts

Honouring the zodiac animal of the upcoming Chinese New Year, the Swiss horology brand Piaget has altered the dial of its emblematic Piaget Altiplano to feature two white rats on a Grand Feu cloisonné enamel dial. The white gold case is further emphasised with dazzling diamonds to give it the perfect finishing touch. In addition, the luxury fashion maison is also launching the Possession collection for this festive season, offering a wide selection of Chinese New Year gifts for the watch lover in your life. 

Vins d’Alsace food and wine pairing guide

Chinese New Year gifts

Savouring authentic delicacies is an undeniable Chinese New Year tradition. The French wine-making region of Alsace is taking it up a notch by introducing a guide revealing which wine would be perfect for which dish. For instance, the Pinot Noir will go well with the traditional Hong Kong style dish of Poon Choi. It is indeed a very practical gift that will make this Chinese New Year dinner an unforgettable one for the taste buds. 

Brunello Cucinelli’s Valentine’s Day and Chinese New Year Special

Chinese New Year gifts

Keeping up with the notion that the Lunar New Year is best celebrated with your loved ones, Italian fashion company Brunello Cucinelli is showcasing a specially curated collection. This ensemble is complete with useful gifts such as bags, scarves and sneakers for both men and women. With the colour red being its central motif, each product offers a vintage yet contemporary appeal. 

 

Golden Double Serum

Chinese New Year gifts

Inspired by the auspicious colours of the Chinese tradition ‒ red and gold – the French skincare manufacturer Clarins has revamped its Double Serum bottle for the Year of the Rat. With 21 strong anti-aging ingredients, the serum is an answer to a very radiant and youthful looking skin. Besides, the serum also optimises the five important skin functions ‒ regeneration, nutrition, hydration, oxygenation and protection to achieve flawless skin. At HK$900, the limited-edition serum is available online. 

 

Autavia CNY 2020 Year of the Rat Special Edition

Chinese New Year gifts

Luxury watchmaker TAG Heuer is introducing its exclusive collection Autavia CNY 2020 Year of the Rat Special Edition that pays tribute to Chinese culture. With a caseback that showcases a rat holding a steering wheel, the timepiece combines the brand’s roots in motor racing with the zodiac animal, making it a great gift for the rat year. Moreover, its red dial that has the 1 o’clock mark replaced by the Chinese character “鼠”  is one of the stand out features of this product. Besides, the watch’s COSC-certified chronometer technology makes it a great present without any further doubts. 

Rouge Unlimited

Chinese New Year gifts

Described as the perfect gift for anyone who loves make-up, the Japanese cosmetic and skincare brand Shu Uemura launched its New Year collection. This #flamingreds series consists of six shades of limited edition matte lipsticks, three shades of lip amplifiers, a cleansing oil, eyebrow pencils and a foundation brush. With the colour red being the main colour of this collection, the Rouge Unlimited collection is sure to bring luck as a gift for the rat year. 

Fabergé’s Rat Surprise

Chinese New Year gifts

With over a hundred-year history of crafting beautiful ornaments for every occasion, Russian jeweller Fabergé, known for its egg-shaped pendants, continues this legacy with its latest series of Palais Tsarskoye Selo Red Lockets. Among the collection, the locket with the rat surprise is a perfect gift for the rat year. A 18K gold pendant enhanced with red guilloché enamel work and studded with diamonds opens to reveal a golden rat studded with shimmering diamonds. At HK$81,510, the Rat surprise jewelry is available for pre-order at Fabergé.com and at select Fabergé stockists.

Vacheron Constantin Metiers d’Art The Legend of Chinese Zodiac – Year of the Rat

Chinese New Year gifts

In time for the upcoming Chinese New Year, another renowned Swiss watchmaker Vacheron Constantin is unveiling two versions of its new Vacheron Constantin Metiers d’Art The Legend of Chinese Zodiac – Year of the Rat. With only 12 pieces available for each version, one is rose gold / brown and the other is platinum / blue. The watch comes fitted with a Caliber 2460 G4 movement and is visually enhanced with the intricate crafting on its dial featuring a rat mounted on the centre. 

Artistic Vision: Contemporary Chinese artist Wang Xiaobo on his stunning creative success

We spoke with famed contemporary Chinese artist Wang Xiaobo, whose works are currently on display at The Repulse Bay residences as part of its first-ever art exhibition, on the secrets behind his success.

Wang Xiaobo posing with his art pieces, currently on display at The Repulse Bay Residence
Wang Xiaobo posing with his art pieces, currently on display at The Repulse Bay Residence

Why did you choose to become an artist, and what inspires you to continue creating art?
My parents are both academics, and my brother was similarly educationally gifted. I, however, was not so lucky in that respect, and never did well in school examinations. Luckily, I discovered my love of painting early on, and my father was particularly encouraging of my talents and urged me to pursue my passion. My art is my means of connecting with life, of interpreting my experiences and interactions with other people.

Artwork by Wang Xiaobo at The Repulse Bay Residence
Artwork by Wang Xiaobo at The Repulse Bay Residence

What are the inspirations for your artworks?
My works are a kind of self-reflection of my own personal experiences. Everything I’ve created is based on a particular phase of my life. For example, when I first got married, I was enamoured with exploring the various facets of love. Then, when I had my two sons, I found inspiration in their constant curiosity, their constant need to ask: “Why?”. In fact, my Looking for Future series was inspired by their youthful inquisitiveness.

Wang Xiaobo new exhibition at The Repulse Bay Residence

Your works have sold for millions of dollars, why do you think your creations are so popular with collectors?
I’m not sure if “popular” is a good or bad thing for an artist. I think, at its core, art is like philosophy, it’s a pure expression of an artist’s feelings. However, commercial art – those pieces dedicated to pleasing buyers – is how one earns a living. Having said that, I think I’ve been lucky to strike just the right balance between these two aspects, which is why my works have resonated with a wide range of people.

Artwork in the lobby of The Repulse Bay Residence

Your artworks are currently being displayed at The Repulse Bay residences. How do you feel viewing art can stimulate residents / guests in the art of living well?
Art is a wonderful medium of expression, it is a fantastic platform for inspiring the imaginations of anyone, no matter what their age and where their interests lie. No two people experience art the same way, it’s a unique, personal affair. Ultimately, I believe that exposure to art stimulates the mind and expands a person’s horizons, and that is what I hope residents and visitors to The Repulse Bay will feel when they view my creations.

Hong Kong Culture Festival 2019 kicks off with Hong Kong Ink Art Walk 2019

As the city’s arts and culture aficionados are already aware, the annual Hong Kong Cultural Festival aims to preserve and revitalise intangible cultural heritage by promoting public awareness and engagement. Organised by the Intangible Cultural Heritage Earthpulse Society, its fifth iteration opened with two superlative exhibitions under the title of “Sino Group Presents: Hong Kong Ink Art Walk 2019”.

Ink Art Walk 2019

A focal component of the festival, the Hong Kong Ink Art Walk 2019 this year aims to introduce stunning ink artworks from over 10 of the city’s leading art galleries to the public, all in the hopes of highlighting the Fragrant Harbour’s rich cultural diversity and to foster greater dialogue amongst artistic talents across the region.

(From Left) Mr Hing Chao, Mr Zhao Zhijun, Mr Wucius Wong and Ms Juliana Lam
(From Left) Officiating guests Mr Hing Chao, Mr Zhao Zhijun, Mr Wucius Wong and Ms Juliana Lam

The opening ceremony saw many of luminaries of the cultural world in attendance, with its officiating guests including such notable names as Mr Hing Chao, Chairman of Intangible Cultural Heritage Earthpulse Society, Mr Chan Shing Wai, Assistant Director at the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, Ms Nikki Ng Mien Hua, GM of Sino Group, Ms Juliana Lam, Managing Director of Julius Group.

Mr Wucius Wong introduces Hong Kong Waters Korean Mountains exhibition
Mr Wucius Wong introduces Hong Kong Waters Korean Mountains exhibition

The two exhibitions, titled Hong Kong Waters Korean Mountains: Hong Kong and Korea Exchange Art Exhibition and Cacophony of Colours between the Fragrant Harbour and the Steppe: Hong Kong and Inner Mongolia Water Colour Exhibition, are set to run from 19-29 September at Hong Kong Central Library’s Exhibition Gallery.

Mr Zhao Zhijun introduces Cacophony of Colours artworks
Mr Zhao Zhijun introduces Cacophony of Colours artworks

The first, curated by ink artist Wucius Wong, comprises artworks created during a cultural trip undertaken by Wong and others to the South Korean island of Jeju. The latter, curated by artist Zhao Zhijun, presents an arresting array of watercolours created by regional artists to portray life in Inner Mongolia and Hong Kong. To find out more about the impetus behind these works, check out our exclusive video coverage of Hong Kong Ink Art Walk 2019 below.

           

For more details, please visit http://www.hkculturefestival.com

Gafencu wishes you a happy Mid-Autumn Festival

Where to Find this Year’s Most Marvellous Mooncakes

As the Mid Autumn festival approaches, it’s easy to understand why our tummies are already growling. Lanterns are for sale in every supermarket and mooncakes are lining up the racks of every bakery, restaurant and cafe. Be it a traditional affair in red bean or lotus seed paste or a more modern avatar infused with dark chocolate and sichon, mooncakes are undoubtedly to be found everywhere in Hong Kong at this time. Here are our top picks of the most marvellous mooncakes being offered this year.

An evening of celebration for the LGBTQI+ community at the luxurious St. Regis

This Wednesday, 7 August, within the luxurious St. Regis, Hong Kong Marriage Equality – a campaign led by businesswoman, philanthropist and activist Gigi Chao – announced its new community outreach programs and activities for Hong Kong.

Leading the cause for legalising same-sex marriage in the city, the organisation was founded earlier this year in May and consists of LGBTQI+ activists and allies. As a community-focused initiative, HKME strives to be a non-partisan social movement that focusses on equality.

Among those present were celebrity guests such as former chairman of Tung Wah Group of Hospitals Vinci Wong, William Tang and singer Joyce Cheng who delighted the crowd with her beautiful singing of the song Black Rainbow which was written in support of the LGBTQI+ community.

Those who wish to learn more about Hong Kong Marriage Equality and its campaign can visit their website here.

Text: Bailey Atkinson

Maid in Hollywood: TV darling Elisabeth Moss head to the big screen

It’s the TV series that, whether by luck or by design, has seemed most zeitgeisty in the #MeToo world, a post-apocalyptic, satirical, shot-from-thehip, righteous screech of anger at never-shouldhave- been male domination. Or, as the TV guides preferred to bill it, The Handmaid’s Tale. Based on the 1985 dystopian novel of the same name by Margaret Atwood, the multi-award winning Canadian writer, the programme – already in its third season – caught the imagination of a generation, embodying and taking to the extreme the eternal battle of the sexes, leaving women angry and emboldened, and any male with a tad of self-awareness shamefaced and contrite.

Although the timeliness of its debut – its first episode was broadcast shortly before the downfall of Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein sent the #MeToo movement global – undoubtedly played a huge role in its success, its enduring popularity is also down to the stunning performance of Elisabeth Moss, the Los Angeles-born actress who brought to life the pivotal role of Offred, the eponymous handmaid whose tale is told.

Elisabeth Moss
Born in July 1982 to two musicians, it’s safe to say a love of performing has always flowed through her veins. Although, at the age o f just eight, she moved New York City to train as a ballerina, her acting abilities soon eclipsed her fancy footwork and saw the young actress cast in Lucky Chances, a 1990 NBC miniseries. Her big break, though, didn’t come for another nine years when she was ultimately cast as Zoey Bartlet, the fictional daughter of Martin Sheen’s equally-fictional US president in the critically-acclaimed The West Wing. It was a character she was to play for the next seven years, while also finding time for guest appearances in a number of other high-profile TV shows of the time, most notably Grey’s Anatomy and Medium.

Elisabeth Moss
Elisabeth Moss as Peggy Olson in AMC series Mad Men

Then, in 2007, she was cast in a role that would ensure she would be far more than a one-hit wonder. This was the role of Peggy Olson, a frumpy and overly eager secretary in Mad Men – a sustained riff on the glories and grotesqueries of the US advertising industry in the ’60s – which arguably allowed her a wider pallet than her West Wing days. As her role evolved, Moss went on to be recognised with both Emmy and Golden Globe nominations.

Despite this acclaim and Mad Men’s demanding schedule, she still found time for a number of other high-profile roles, most notably as Robin Griffin in Top of the Lake, a gritty Sundance / BBC drama – a role that took her some 12,000km away from Tinseltown to the far-distant city of Queenstown in New Zealand. Playing a detective specialising in sexual assault cases assigned to investigate the disappearance of a pregnant 12-year old girl, it was the performance that saw Moss win her first Golden Globe for ‘Best Performance by an Actress in a Limited Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television’.

Elisabeth Moss
Playing her Golden Globe and Emmy-winning performance as Offred in The Handmaid’s Tale

While she couldn’t put a foot wrong on stage or screen, away from the greasepaint and critical adoration, things were a little less steady. Her marriage to actor and former star of Saturday Night Live, Fred Armisen, lasted just eight months. It was a disaster somewhat mitigated by Armisen publicly confessing the couple’s subsequent divorce had been largely down to him. Not one to duck to such a PR gift, Moss then went on record saying: “One of the greatest things I heard someone say about Fred is: ‘He’s so great at doing impersonations’. The greatest impersonation he does, though, is that of being a normal person”.

Moss herself, however, has not been immune to accusations of not being normal, with many such jibes centring around her lifelong commitment to Scientology, a cult-like religion that has had frequent run-ins with various US authorities over many, many years. Indeed, perhaps because her career has been quite so scandal-free, it’s the Scientology issue that the more dogged / less imaginative journos have returned to time and again, with many suggesting that her allegedly misanthropic religion is wholly at odds with her feminist credentials.

Eventually driven to try and end these seemingly interminable intimations, Moss ultimately took to her Instagram account to state: “Religious freedom and tolerance and understanding the truth and equal rights for every race, religion and creed are extremely important to me” – a declaration that, almost certainly, did absolutely nothing to stem such accusations.

Elisabeth Moss
Elisabeth Moss with Melissa McCarthy and Tiffany Hadish in the upcoming film The Kitchen

A more robust defence of her feminist allegiances, of course, has come courtesy of her role in The Handmaid’s Tale, arguably her most high-profile and heartfelt performance to date. For three seasons now, she has wowed viewers as the series’ heroine, a woman constrained by the dictates of a society more male dominated than even ’60s Madison Avenue. With reviews of the series having remained more or less positive throughout, Moss proved a popular winner of the 2017 Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series. The series also saw her win her second Golden Globe, this time as Best Actress in a Television Series Drama.

The Kitchen will see Elisabeth Moss share top billing with two other actresses who have graduated from the small to the big screen – Melissa McCarthy and Tiffany Hadish. Whether her own role – as an Irish mobster’s wife who, herself, ultimately embraces the dark side – marks her formal ascension to movie stardom or proves just another intriguing digression in her TV-centric career will rather depend on just how much kerching she brings to the box office.

Text: Bailey Atkinson
Photo: AFP

Matrimoney: Revisiting the most expensive weddings in recent memory

Weddings are simple affairs, humble ceremonies to mark the union of a man and a woman (or a woman and a woman, a man and a man or even a human and a favoured electrical appliance, depending on which postcode district you reside in). They are about soul reaching out to soul and two becoming one, with no need for ostentation or overly-indulgent fripperies, right? Wrong.

Luxury weddings

It’s all about putting on the most extravagant, self-consciously expensive cavalcade of vaguely nuptial-related narcissism it’s possible to imagine. Sceptical? A quick canter through the Special Days of a couple of past masters and mistresses of the art of wanton wedding-day mega-displays will provide apt testimony…

Most expensive weddings - Nick Jonas and Priyanka Chopra

Nick Jonas and Priyanka Chopra

The disparate worlds of Bollywood and Hollywood collided in spectacular fashion when Nick Jonas, the much-loved US singer, married Priyanka Chopra, one of India’s most popular actresses, at the tail end of last year. As befitting such a union of countries and cultures, the three-day celebrations proved just the perfect blend of East-meets-West.

Charitably, the couple flew out hundreds of their nearest and dearest to the five-star Taj Umaid Bhawan Palace in Jodhpur in northwestern India for the festivities, which included a mass mehendi (a traditional ceremony where female relatives and friends on both sides gather as the bride has her hands and feet hennaed), a sangeet (an all-singing and all-dancing musical extravaganza), a traditional Indian marriage ceremony and a more conventional Western wedding ceremony.

While the Quantico actress donned several gowns throughout the course of the weekend, the most stunning was undoubtedly the custom Ralph Lauren creation she wore for the Western ceremony. This gorgeous hand-beaded and hand-embroidered ensemble took a staggering 1,826 hours to complete, with the column dress beneath the embroidered layer boasting some 2.38 million mother-of-pearl sequins. Custom Jimmy Choo shoes and a 75ft veil – which required the support of six aides as she strode down the aisle – completed this most memorable of looks.

Most expensive weddings - Angelababy and Huang Xiaoming

Angelababy and Huang Xiaoming

When the outrageously famous Chinese actress-singer Angela Yeung – known to her fans as Angelababy – wed fellow thesp Huang Xiaoming a few years back, the elaborate affair snared headlines the world over, not least because of its phenomenal price tag – a cool US$31 million.

Reinforcing the notion that bigger is always better, Angelababy’s ring – the Joséphine Aigrette Impériale by Chaumet, featuring a massive five-carat pear-shaped diamond – cost US$1.5 million on its own. Her bespoke Dior wedding gown, meanwhile, was crafted from 165ft of tulle and 115ft of ivory satin organza and required five months of painstaking craftsmanship to complete.

The ceremony itself – which was streamed live online – was no less extravagant, with tens of thousands of roses adorning the extensive venue. In all, more than 2,000 guests, including many of the country’s mega-celebs, descended upon the Shanghai Exhibition Centre for the occasion, with the event further enhanced by a holographically-projected castle, climaxing with the ceremonial slicing of a 10ft multi-tiered carousel-esque wedding cake.

Most expensive weddings - Isha Ambani and Anand Piramal

Isha Ambani and Anand Piramal

When your father is Mukesh Ambani, India’s richest man – with a fortune conservatively estimated to be well over the US$56 billion mark – it’s pretty much taken as read that your wedding day is going to the stuff of legend. So, when Isha Ambani, Mukesh’s only daughter, wed Anand Piramal – the son of a rival Indian billionaire – back in December 2018, it was no surprise that it aspired to be the wedding of not just the decade, but pretty much every decade. From the off, the much-coveted invitations set the tone. Rumoured to be valued at US$4,000 each, this particular save-the-day came in a two-tier floral box stuffed to the gunwales with jewellery and precious stones.

The week-long festivities then commenced with guests being flown via one of a fleet of 40 chartered jets to the 18th-century Udaipur City Palace for a pre-wedding ceremony, which included special performance from the ultimate R&B diva, Beyoncé, as well as special dance numbers from some of Bollywood’s biggest names. Hillary Clinton, former US Secretary of State, John Kerry and former Indian president Pranab Mukherjee were among those who got to see such  moves up close and personal.

The actual wedding ceremony – held on 12 December – proved a more intimate affair. Hosted at the family’s sumptuous 27-storey Mumbai home, the guest list was pruned to just 600 attendees. The final estimated cost of the entire elaborate affair? An international poverty-alleviating US$100 million, a sum that ensures that it still rejoices in the title of The Craziest Rich Asian Wedding.

Most expensive weddings - Prince Harry and Meghan Markle

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle

When Prince Harry, grandson of Queen Elizabeth II, announced his impending nuptials to Meghan Markle, an American actress, it predictably sent the monarchy-mad around the world into royal wedding fever overdrive. Ultimately the Duke and Duchess of Sussex-to-be did their ‘I do’s at St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle in front of some 600 specially-invited guests, including the obligatory members of the British Royal Family, and sundry international A-listers like Oprah Winfrey, George and Amal Clooney and Priyanka Chopra.

In keeping with tradition, the focus was very much on the bride, who opted for a stunning US$508,000 Claire Waight Keller for Givenchy gown as a more-than-suitable attire for ascension to the aristocracy. Her 16 ft veil , meanwhile, came embroidered with flowers from each of the 53 Commonwealth countries, all held in place courtesy of a diamond bandeau tiara once owned by Queen Mary, Prince Harry’s great-grandmother.

In all, the final bill was said to be in the region of £32 million (US$41.85 million) – a whopping £8 million more than even the wedding of Prince William, Harry’s elder brother and Kate Middleton back in 2011 – making this fairy tale-esque affair truly the Royal Wedding of the Decade.

Text: Tenzing Thondup
Photos: AFP, ImagineChina

Hong Kong LGBT+ Inclusion Awards celebrates a night of diversity

Leading non-profit organisation Community Business hosted the Hong Kong LGBT+ Inclusion Awards’ third gala dinner last week at the luxurious Hotel ICON in Tsim Sha Tsui. 

Founded in 2015, the Hong Kong LGBT+ Inclusion Index arranges a gala night each year and the Inclusion Index Awards every two to act as a key influencer to encourage businesses to lead the way towards creating corporate policies and practices that encompass an inclusive workplace for their LGBT+ employees.

Over 60 organisations participated in the index this year, representing some 110,000 employees across Hong Kong. A diverse group of industries were in attendance including representatives from the financial services, hospitality, technology, legal, media, and properties and construction.

Hong Kong LGBT+ Inclusion Awards
Su Ling Voon, Sudesh Thevasenabaty and Fern Ngai
Hong Kong LGBT+ Inclusion Awards
Community Business assigned Gold, Silver and Bronze Standards to participating organisations, which acknowledge their level of performance in the Index.

 

 

          

 

Fashion Icon: Five interesting facts you never knew about Karl Lagerfeld

The death of Karl Lagerfeld, the German fashion industry icon who crafted some of the world’s most iconic catwalk creations, plunged the entire world into mourning. The enigmatic designer, whose love of all things avant-garde was the stuff of legend, almost single-handedly drove fashion houses like Chanel, Fendi and his own eponymous brand to the very pinnacle of success with his amazing artistic vision and creativity. To celebrate the fascinating life of this fashion guru, here are five interesting facts you never knew about Karl Lagerfeld.

Karl Lagerfeld Facts - he drank up to 10 cans of Diet Coke a day

Diet? Coke.

Karl Lagerfeld had a passion for Diet Coke. In fact, he was so enamoured with the fizzy beverage that he reportedly consumed up to 10 cans per day. When asked it, he famously responded: “I drink Diet Coke from the minute I get up to the minute I go to bed. I can even drink it in the middle of the night, and I can sleep. I don’t drink coffee, I don’t drink tea, I drink nothing else.”

The late Karl Lagerfeld with Anna Wintour

How many iPods is too many?

Books weren’t the only thing that the iconic German designer collected. He was also the proud owner of not one, not two but 300 Apple iPods, each pre-loaded with a different category of music. Where did he store this surfeit of devices, you ask? Why, in a custom-built, limited-edition Louis Vuitton trunk of course.

Karl Lagerfeld Facts - he owned 300,000 books

Books, books and more books

An avid book lover, Karl Lagerfeld not only owned a small art and architecture bookstore in Paris, he also boasted an immense personal collection of over 300,000 books. In a typically out-of-the-box organisational move, every item in the Lagerfeld Library is stacked on its side so that he wouldn’t have to turn his head to read their titles.

Karl Lagerfeld Facts - his hair isn't really white

Dye job

While his iconic white locks are pretty much synonymous with the designer, many might be surprised to learn that it actually wasn’t his actual hair colour. In fact, if it weren’t for a rigid regimen of Klorane dry shampoo, he even admitted that his hair was actually “kind of grayish”.

Karl Lagerfeld Facts - his cat could inherit his fortune

The cat has it

The luxurious lifestyle of Choupette, the designer’s famously pampered pet cat, is already a matter of public knowledge, being well-documented in her popular Instagram account (which has 215,000 followers). Now, though, she may have a million more reasons to purr – several millions, in fact – because if the latest news reports are to believed, she stands to inherit a significant chunk of Karl Lagerfeld’s US$195 million estate.