2019-10-01 Singapore Tatler

BEHIND THE SCENES

THE GIFT OF HISTORY

Where better to talk to Elaine Kim, Ginny Wiluan

and Lam Tze Tze about the meaning of legacy

than at the storied Raffles Singapore?

You don’t get to 132 years old without accumulating some great stories,

and that patina of history is exactly what makes Raffles Singapore special.

The iconic tales that are part of this grande dame’s legacy range from the

tiger that was discovered taking a nap in the Bar & Billiard Room in 1902,

to Japanese soldiers walking in at the start of the Japanese Occupation in

1942 and finding guests dancing a last waltz in the ballroom.

Lesser-known, but no less meaningful, are the vignettes of personal

histories that guests associate with the hotel. Two of this month’s cover

personalities, for example, have spent some very special moments of their

lives at Raffles Singapore. When she was 16, Ginny Wiluan acted in a play

at the now defunct Jubilee Hall. She shared the stage with four of her

closest friends, all of whom are still part of her life all these years later.

“Entering the grand foyer of Raffles Singapore for the first time, the regal

red seats of Jubilee Hall, the freezing air conditioning, the tingle we felt as

the spotlights came on and curtains went up, all remain fresh in my mind

and close to my heart,” she reminisces fondly.

Elaine Kim had one of her first dates with now-husband John Kim at

the hotel, and it was also where he proposed to her. “He also threw me

a surprise birthday party at the hotel pool when I turned 30, and we’ve

celebrated our anniversaries here, including a staycation in August for our

wedding anniversary when the hotel just reopened.”

LIFE.EXTRAORDINARY

ElaineandLamKim,TzeGinnyTzebuildWiluanon

theirachievefamilygreaterlegaciesheightsto

MADE

TO LAST

October 2019

ON THE COVER

Photography by Darren Gabriel Leow,

assisted by Eric Tan. Styling by Desmond Lim,

assisted by Joey Tan. Hair: Ann Li and

Elly Jiang. Make-Up: Dollei Seah and Zhou Aiyi/

Makeup Entourage, both using Dior Makeup.

Jewellery: Cartier. Outfits: Etro and Louis Vuitton

WORDS AND IMAGES: HONG XINYI

From left: Fashion director Desmond Lim

finesses each outfit carefully before our

cover girls strike a pose; photographer

Darren Gabriel Leow strives for the

perfect angle while perched carefully

on a writing desk

Indeed, its recent refurbishment has

thrown Raffles Singapore into the global

spotlight once again, and we were honoured

to be able to stage this cover shoot in one

of the beautiful Presidential Suites at this

national monument. With its tastefully

calibrated blend of old-world charm with

modern sophistication, the suite embodies

Raffles’ legacy wonderfully, and our cover

girls had a ball posing in this luxe setting.

38 singapore tatler. october 2019