Shu Qi heats up "Harpers"; Michelle Reis draws a crowd for a store opening

Two of our favorites popped up recently. Shu Qi remains effortlessly sensuous (although the shot of her sucking on a strawberry might be a bit over the top) while Michelle is as cool, elegant and beautiful as ever. Not much more to say about these two.

Shu Qi from Xinhua; Michelle Reis from Yahoo China.

Keeping up with Shu Qi

How, you may ask yourself, does Shu Qi keep busy and make sure the Yuan keeps rolling in when she isn't serving on the jury at the Cannes Film Festival, shooting a movie or appearing for hyper-glamorous fashion brands? Simple--she chooses among the lesser events that offer for her services and puts on a party dress. The amount of pizzazz and charisma the sponsors get from her may depend on how much they pay, what she thinks about the event or how she feels on a particular evening.

Illy Coffee definitely didn't get her A game.

A very half-hearted looking Champagne toast:

Just a bit of a come hither look:

The magic didn't last long:

Then there was a charity dinner sponsored by a luxury Swiss watch brand, the name of the charity known to the editors at Sina but not their readers since Sina blurred out identifying names or logos.

They got at least one full blast movie star look:

But the unimpressive and sloppy press contingent left Shu Qi looking unimpressed:

She seemed to enjoy her appearance for Jimmy Choo, the universally loved and expensive footwear and leather goods company and showed it:

Including a sexy girl next door look:

And even a bit of simmering smolder (or smoldering simmer):

An eyeglass company (the brand again obliterated by the heavy handed picture editors at Sina) was the lucky recipient of sexy sidelong glance:

Some words of wisdom winningly delivered:

A shot with another of the company's products:

And even a "You talking to me?" look although sans glasses:

Everything from a week or so of Sina Slides; 2; 3; 4

Shu Qi pitches Swarovski

Marketing types and higher-ups at firms who sell luxury goods (Armani) "accessible luxury" (Frederique Constant watches) and "affordable luxury" (an oxymoron) like to hire celebrities to promote their brands. Shu Qi fronts Armani and Frederique Constant as well as Swarovski, a company that falls in the the third category. She is famous in Asia, reasonably known in Europe and North America; she adds a shot of glamor to almost any product or event and can be depended upon to be on time and ready to sparkle. One doesn't move from crotch shots in Taiwanese stroke books to international movie star by not showing up.

She doesn't mind being upstaged by Hello Kitty made from Swarovski crystals and has the ruefully sexy look down perfectly at the costume jeweler's bash in Shanghai:

She will give the photographers and photo editors what they want by flashing a pout (or a duck face, depending on your point of view):

She will do her best to make the dorkiest vice-president (here Herman Winkler, VP of north Asia for Swarovski) look good, although it was too much of a stretch in this case:

And lights things up when a ruby necklace appears:

Sina; MSN Singapore

Cherie Chung, Kelly Lin and Shu Qi walk into a bar...

Or rather showed up at the opening a new flagship store by luxury Swiss watch brand Piaget (if you have to ask you can't afford it). It seems as if everyone got the memo--not always the case--so each of them arrived in a dress with a deep V cut neckline.

Shu Qi wore a beaded red number with a flesh colored insert to better show off the zillion dollars in diamonds she was wearing around her neck and to make sure we noticed that her dress was slit up to here.

Kelly Lin has been keeping a low profile in the months since her Maldives wedding; she still knows exactly how sexy an actress can be by looking straight into the camera. She might have been competing in the "gown with most frou-frou" competition being held later that evening

Cherie Chung was a knockout in gray--she seems always to look great no matter where she is or what she is wearing. Take a look, for example, at this photoshoot where she has a very different look and still is glamor personified.

Piaget; Xinhua

Shu Qi (and Hello Kitty) help raise money for Médecins Sans Frontières in Hong Kong

Shu Qi donned a Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders T-shirt to help publicize their Hong Kong action day on 7/7. The pitch from MSF asks interested individuals to support its worldwide humanitarian work by donating a day’s income. Hello Kitty, the Honorary Student Ambassador, didn't make an appearance at the event but those who made a one-off donation at Hong Kong 7-11 stores got a badge with the cute cat's image.

Citizens of Hong Kong have the same relationship with MSF as does most the First World: the organization recruits volunteer health care personnel--mainly doctors, nurses and logistics experts--and raises money from the SAR. MSF was active in Hong Kong before they set up a fundraising and recruitment office though: they ran medical facilities for Vietnamese refugees in camps in Sham Shui Po, Tuen Mun and Pillar Point from 1988 until everyone was resettled or repatriated ten years later. While the government of the PRC is sensitive about the presence of foreign medical workers in China, MSF has been able to provide services to those living with HIV/AIDS in Guangxi and Hubei in collaboration with Chinese public health authorities.

The delightfully named Kubrick Beijing, a coffee house dedicated to film director Stanley Kubrick, will be the venue for a photo exhibition, film showing and book launch highlighting the international humanitarian relief projects of MSF. It kicks off on July 13 and runs until August 5.

Shu Qi with an appropriately somber mien while contemplating the work she is supporting.

Sina; MSF press release; 2

Giorgio Armani doubles down on China, rounds up glam usual suspects

Giorgio Armani and his many Armani brands remains exuberantly successful throughout Asia and particularly in China where sales grew by 45% last year over 2010. His “One Night Only In Beijing”, a special fashion show with 15 Armani Privé pieces (ultra-luxury couture, if you have to ask you can't afford it), created especially for the event along with some highlights of the more downmarket (pieces cost thousands of Euros instead of zillions) collections from the Emporio Armani and Giorgio Armani labels. He pulled together a real murderer's row of Chinese movie stars: Fan Bingbing, Shu Qi, Kwai Lun Mei, Michelle Yeoh, all the Chinese top models in town and put on quite a show.

Giorgio accepts applause from his group of mannequins:

Niece Roberta Armani shares the spotlight with Fan Bingbing:



Shu Qi works her sneer:

But almost cracks a smile.


Kwai Lun Mei looked relaxed:


Michelle Yeoh was simply elegant:


Assuming the Chinese economy doesn't implode Armani should prosper. It has its mono-brand boutiques and selling points in 50 major cities across the PRC and adds selling space all the time. Like Willie Sutton or Woodward and Bernstein, he goes where the money is.

Chinese Films; China.org; Fashion Wired Daily

31st Hong Kong Film Awards red carpet--part 1

Everybody who was anybody was at the Hong Kong Cultural Center on Sunday looking good on the red carpet and giving each other statuettes. Unlike last year the torrential rains stayed away and a good time seemed to be had by most.

There was an unfortunate shortage of really awful gowns on display--no recycled prom bombs, nothing that looked like it had been stitched together from Aunt Zhu's living room drapes, no giant Glad bags. There were enough sequins, spangles and rhinestones to choke a brontosaurus and plenty of long skirts with long slits. Some of the men looked dressed for a night of bowling or a day at the track which is customary at gala events in Hong Kong.

The entertainment press ran as many images of Shu Qi than of any other five actress together. With no Bingbings to concentrate upon she was the default for glamor. Here she is with Anthony Wong. Her dress goes overboard with visible panty lines--looks like it needed an opaque lining:

Anthony Wong either offering his arm or showing off his manicure:

Backstage, both of them looking as if they had lost a bet and as a result had to wear ridiculous shoes to the big event:

Yang Mi, with Shawn Yue on her arm, led with her strength--her dynamite figure in a tight but not too tight white dress with dangly diamond earrings and a diamond bracelet. The jewelry could have been made from pop-top pulls, the sparkly bits overwhelmed by the simplicity of a beautiful woman in a perfect dress:

Coco Chaing Yi looked like the survivor of an explosion in a chiffon factory and vamped it up on the red carpet:

Cissy Wang and Donnie Yen looked perfect which is customary for them:

Donnie knows how to make an entrance to the birthday party of a fashionista (guess who) carrying a big Chanel shopping bag:

Sina; Xinhua; Go to Yahoo China if you really want to wallow in red carpet pics.

More to come.