Team Sassy gets dolled up… red carpet style!
Several weeks ago, Team Sassy received an invitation to attend the red carpet premiere of The Women’s Foundation’s documentary, She Objects held at the iconic main branch of HSBC in Central. We were ecstatic to be a part of such a meaningful campaign and support the messaging behind She Objects.
Read more: She Objects: We interview Hong Kong Documentary Maker Nicola Fan
Since none of us had ever attended a red carpet event before, we knew we needed some professional help in getting all of us ready! Thankfully, Yeechoo, Monica Vinader and airplay blow dry bar came to our rescue and got all of us sorted and feeling like a million bucks.
Kat:
Excited and honoured to be invited to watch the groundbreaking documentary, She Objects, I soon realised I didn’t have a red carpet dress to wear to this special occasion. #mumlife means I’m usually living in casual clothes around home and work, however, I’m definitely not one to turn down an opportunity to glam up a bit. Unfortunately, I didn’t have anything red carpet appropriate at home so I was pleased to try out Yeechoo’s dress rental services. Before my appointment at Yeechoo, I perused their site to see a selection of gorgeous designer dresses (ones that I will probably not buy on my own!). I tried on several different styles, but it wasn’t until our Assistant Editor, Lexi, suggested I try on this gorgeous Nicole Miller Black Maze Sequin number that I fell in love. It fit like a glove and I instantly felt very old Hollywood glamour-ish.
With my dress sorted, I needed jewellery to match. Here’s where Monica Vinader comes into the picture! Already a huge fan of her collections, I was eager to find some statement pieces to work with the already glittering gown. It was a no brainer when my eyes fell upon (and grew ten times larger!) the Stellar Cocktail Diamond earrings. I paired it with the Baja Diamond Ring and the Alma Ring. The look was completed with their signature Fiji Full Diamond Bracelet and the Esencia Diamond Bar Bracelet.
As if I wasn’t already feeling super pampered and glamorous already, I headed to airplay blow dry bar for my makeup and an up-do. They recently opened their new location at The Landmark which is super convenient. My makeup and hair stylist suggested a soft wave which swooped into a low chignon bun. For my makeup we went for a a bright red lip for a bright pop of colour.
Seeing the whole look altogether made me feel not only beautiful but confident as well. I share more about my thoughts on the documentary here.
Read more: That Girls: Abby and Shan Shan of YEECHOO
Lexi:
Admittedly, I’ve never been the girliest of girls and having tirelessly fought my mum over wearing dresses since I was little, having to get ready for a red carpet event has never been something that’s crossed my mind! Although my mind-set has changed over the years and I now love wearing a summer frock, knowing that we were going to attend a premiere and be given the chance to dress up was really special. With a closet full of Cotton On, the anxiety of finding a gown that was appropriate for such an event was eased by Yeechoo’s rental service. With such a huge range of dresses to choose from I finally settled on a light blue Greecian-style chiffon gown by Jill Stuart which was light, airy and perfect for the Hong Kong heat.
Monica Vinader made us all feel like kids in a candy store, giving us free reign over their gorgeous diamond-studded pieces and perfectly tying together our gowns with elegance and sophistication. Resisting the urge to wear the entire collection at once, I settled on a Riva Diamond Wave Cuff and matching Stacking Ring that complimented the draping waves of my dress perfectly. I paired these with a Skinny Double Band Ring, which I just couldn’t resist, and an Alma Pendant bursting with individual jewels.
Heading in to airplay, I had a pretty good idea of what I wanted. And having attempted (and failed) several times to follow various YouTube tutorials with the promise of a ‘cool and easy plait’, I jumped at the chance for a professional to bring my vision to life instead. Dutch braids and big, bold plaits were twisted to perfection, paired with a smokey eye, a subtle bronzed complexion and a nude lip, airplay transformed me from what I thought would be very ‘Mamma Mia’ to Daenerys Targaryen… and I loved it.
Surmayee:
Since red carpet events are definitely a rarity in my life, I was thrilled to get glammed up for the She Objects premiere (made even better by the incredible message behind the documentary)! The first step was finding the perfect dress and naturally Yeechoo’s awesome dress rental service came to mind.
After browsing the racks, I found the Barbarella Convertible Maxi Dress in Lilac, which was a beautiful and comfortable fit for my curves. They will be curating more dresses for different body shapes and heights which will make the experience even better!
I wasn’t sure what direction I wanted to take my jewellery in for this look, but the girls at Monica Vinader pointed me towards the perfect fit – the Blue Lace Agate Cocktail Earrings, Cocktail Ring and Odyssey Cuff from the elegant Siren collection. It wasn’t overly blingy, but it suited my silky dress to a tee, right down to the colour palette and the statement I was looking for.
Finally, in sticking with the classic theme for my look, I went for loose curls pinned to one side (gotta show off those earrings, ladies!) with a classic brown smokey eye and bright pink lip for my makeup, executed perfectly by the experts at airplay – they took my vision and brought it to life! I have never been quite so pampered before, and I left for the event feeling like such a princess!
Read more: airplaybar: We put Hong Kong’s First Blow Dry Bar to the Test
Jessica:
I must admit, I love any opportunity to get fancy and even better if it’s for a good cause! I was so excited and honoured to be invited to the premiere of She Objects and wanted to make sure I looked my best before stepping onto that red carpet. Since I do not have a closet full of red carpet gowns, Yeechoo was the perfect solution. They have a showroom full of beautiful dresses and I really was having a “Pretty Woman” moment! I choose a stunning gold dress with gold and silver beading by Nicole Miller.
Now that I was armed with a killer red carpet gown, it was time to add on the jewels! Monica Vinader’s jewellery selection was perfect because it provided a simple elegance that did not overpower the dress but complimented it. I went with gold and pave diamond earrings, bracelet and rings from the Riva Diamond Collection.
To complete the look, we went to airplay located in The Landmark for hair and makeup. My stylist did a wonderful job of listening to the look I was going for and offering her suggestions. I wanted a simple up-do to show off my gorgeous earrings so we deduced to a sleek ponytail. For my makeup, my stylists suggested a natural bronzy look to compliment the colour of my dress and skin tone. When all was said and done, I left airplay feeling super glamorous and ready for my red carpet debut!
Read more: Monica Vinader Boutique Opens in ifc
The idea of getting red–carpet-ready had us excited from the get-go. It was definitely a new experience for me, and having the chance to get decked up with the girls was an absolute blast, only made better because it was all for a very deserving cause! First up was picking an appropriate dress for the premiere, so naturally we turned to Yeechoo for the ideal selection. Initially torn between three gorgeous dresses, I ultimately decided on my first love: a lacy, full-length, navy-blue gown by Catherine Deane. I had had my eye on it when looking online, and after trying it on (in their super accommodating) showroom, I was 100% sold.
With our dream dresses sorted, we head over to one of our favourite jewellery brands, Monica Vinader, for their effortlessly chic collection of diamond pieces. As I’m not one to wear much jewellery on a daily basis (got a watch on? Check!), I was pleasantly surprised to find that I fell head-over-heels-in-lust with every item I wore. Clearly an amateur at picking out gems, the lovely sales assistants kindly helped me select my rose gold collection – including a statement cocktail ring that I never wanted to take off.
It’s safe to say we headed into airplay feeling very lucky. Happy to let the experts take the lead, I settled into my seat with tea and cookies, blissful in the knowledge that this was what “pampering” meant, in every sense of the word. They kept the general hairstyle close to my natural look, but added a volume I’ve never managed to achieve. When deciding on makeup, my dress colour and rose gold jewellery was taken into account, and we decided on nudes and natural golds. As someone who doesn’t own an eyeliner, the end result was a complete transformation!
A huge thank you to Yeechoo, Monica Vinader and airplay for sponsoring our looks for the evening!