2019-08-01_Hong_Kong_Tatler

NATURAL BEAUT Y

BEHIND THE SCENES

Cover starRonnaChaois pioneeringa waterless

textileupcyclingprocessthathasthepotentialto

revolutionise thefashionindustry

Glowing,radiantandmake-upfree,RonnaChaoarrivesatherfirst-ever

TatlercovershootfreshofftheplaneafteralongweekendinBali.“I’ve

nevertakenthismuchtimetogetready,”shelaughsasourmake-upartist

andhairstylistfussoverherbeforeweheadtothesettoshootfirstlooks.

Wecanhardlyblameher—Ronna’spersonalstyleembodiesanatural,

low-keyelegance:themodernpolishandhaloofHongKongcoupledwith

aneaseearnedfromnearly 20 formativeyearsspenttraversingtheUS,

fromNewEngland’sbestboardingschoolstothehallowedhallsoftheIvy

League,latertoGoldmanSachs,andthenwesttoStanford.She’sbeenbusy

savingtheworldeversince—thesedaysaschairmanofNovetexTextiles,

CEOofNovelInvestmentPartners,directorofNovelparkInvestmentsand

CEOoftheBaiXianAsiaInstitute,aneducationalorganisationcreatedand

guidedbyherfather,RonaldChao.

For this month’s issue, we met with Ronna to

talk about The Billie, Novetex’s new water-free

textile upcycling process. Ronna has long been

an outspoken advocate for environmentalism,

recycling and quality of life in her hometown.

We bring up a letter she wrote to the South

China Morning Post in 2006 detailing a

family summer boat trip to Stanley amid

“floating debris, mostly plastic and other non-

biodegradable rubbish,” at the beach. “It is high

time that Hong Kong had a mandatory recycling

programme,” she wrote

to the newspaper’s

editor. Ronna laughs at

the memory. “My most

famous letter to the

SCMP was about public

toilets,” she says. “It’s

hilarious. There was

one time, I remember,

at one point I was quite

active writing letters

to the SCMP, and my

brother wrote in—in

refutation to what I

wrote. I said, ‘Why did

you do that?’ But we’re

like that.”

Turn to p.88 to read the

cover story.

ON THE COVER

Photography by Vinci Ng. Styling by

Justine Lee. Hair by Gloomy Kwok.

Make-up by Jasmine Chan. Stylist’s

assistant Gennady Oreshkin. Jacket

by Chloé; top by Marella; trousers by

Theory; ring by Tiffany & Co

JACKET AND TROUSERS BY THEORY; TOP BY THE R COLLECTIVE; EARRINGS AND NECKLACES BY CARTIER

Ronna wears a dress

and belt by Brunello

Cucinelli, a ring and

cuff by Dior Joaillerie,

and bracelets by

Cartier and Van

Cleef & Arpels.

Inset: Upcycled balls

of yarn by Novotex

18 hong kong tatler. august 2019