Elite Schools
Elite schools are known for their extreme intransigence. We follow the daily lives of seven students. Will they be able to overcome academic pressure and graduate from these prestigious institutions?
Elite Schools
About the show:
Fearsome selection, rich and rigorous teaching, strict codes… Top universities are known for their intransigence. Their aim: to train tomorrow's elite. Students must excel in their field: good isn't good enough, they must be the best. But how can they keep pace in this race for success?
From India's private boarding school Mayo College to Montreal's National Circus School, via Paris' top military engineering university and wine school, this film pushes open the doors of some of the world's most prestigious establishments. Over the course of a year, we follow the daily lives of a handful of students driven by high hopes. Will they be able to resist the pressure and successfully carry out these top-class training programs?
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CNA
2 days ago
- CNA
As all-white soiree Diner en Blanc returns to Singapore, can a Gen Z host shake off its exclusive vibe?
Secrecy and inclusivity go together like white clothing and sambal chilli. But bringing together seemingly conflicting ideas is the lofty ambition of one Singaporean, who plans to make one of the world's most famous pop-up events a night to remember for 3,000 guests. And he's only 18. Chiang Yee has been appointed the youngest host in history for Le Diner en Blanc, more commonly called Diner en Blanc, which will return to Singapore on Sep 6 for its seventh edition here. With its presence in more than 85 cities since it began in Paris in 1988, the large-scale urban picnic is renowned for keeping its outdoor location secret – including from guests – until the event itself. Guests are also expected to adhere to the all-white dress code; and usually encouraged to bring along their own white furniture, utensils and table decor, although they can also request for tables and chairs to be provided. The goal is to create a sense of unity through purposeful uniformity. And while guests are encouraged to bring their own food, per picnic norms, there are also catered meals available for order on the Diner en Blanc online store pre-event. But what does someone from a generation often criticised for being glued to their screens understand about pulling off a massive get-together, in a world where the mere concept of community has fundamentally shifted post-pandemic? What does a teenager – who's just hit the legal drinking age in Singapore, hasn't yet done National Service and still isn't sure what he wants to study in university – know about navigating the complexities of hosting a decadent soiree against a backdrop of global unrest? What does he know about the public relations fiasco that happened during Diner en Blanc's inaugural edition in Singapore 13 years ago, which his father hosted? He was only five then. Enough to realise he's got his work cut out for him, but not enough to be deterred, as I learnt when I spoke with the clearheaded 18-year-old earlier in July. In 2012, a food blogger was 'uninvited' after he apparently refused to remove his blog post recommending white Singapore food items to bring, like tau huay (bean curd) and chicken rice. It led to heated debate about whether local fare was sophisticated enough to match Diner en Blanc's branding. The organisers eventually apologised for the miscommunication, stating that local food had always been embraced anywhere in the world Diner en Blanc was held. Subsequently, the 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017 and 2018 editions in Singapore went on with comparably muted fanfare. A LOVE FOR EVENTS Now at the helm, Chiang talks about his intention to bring together different communities as though he's an experienced event planner. To be fair, he kind of is. The Anglo-Chinese School (International) graduate was in the student council, where he planned events like student orientation, prom night and Valentine's Day. 'The events were all student-led; no teachers were involved. All of us had to form a team for marketing, finance, operations, the whole gist of it. And what really piqued my interest was the … logistics and marketing; talking to the students, inviting them. It's a long tedious process, but it's so fun,' he gushed. He also volunteered to organise the after-prom party with his friends at a chalet. Almost his entire cohort turned up, he added with a grin. 'After all the heart, sweat and tears I put in with my team … finally on the event day, I just can't wait to see all the smiles.' Colour me somewhat convinced. Not everyone has the ability to rally the most challenging demographic – angsty, uncooperative, judgemental teenagers. So when Chiang heard Diner en Blanc was looking for an Asian host with 'something new and fresh', he sent in his application to bring the event back to Singapore. 'I may be my father's son but I'm also my own man. I took time to go and talk to (Diner en Blanc's) HQ; it took about two to three months before I was finally approved as a host,' he said. 'Many things went through their mind. First of all, my age: I'm a young boy. What can I bring to the table? I proved to them I could, with fresh ideas and new perspectives.' HONOURING HERITAGE, REDEFINING LUXURY Not only did Chiang land his role, he ensured Singapore would be the first and only Asian city to host Diner en Blanc in 2025. He secured Moet & Chandon, one of the world's most prominent luxury champagne brands, as the event's main partner, marking their first Diner en Blanc partnership in Asia. Their red and white wines, as well as champagne, will be available on site. Guests are not allowed to bring their own booze. He also scored a partnership with five-star luxury hotel The Fullerton Hotel Singapore, which will offer exclusive staycation packages for guests wishing to extend their evening after the dinner. 'When (Diner en Blanc) went global, it was really about showcasing your city's heritage and tradition. I want to show the world what Singapore is like,' he said. Partnering with historic brands also ties in with Singapore's celebration of its own heritage in its 60th birthday year, he believes. Despite Chiang's desire to put his own spin on things, Diner en Blanc's standard guidelines still apply (along with common sense and social awareness), though he isn't fussed about specifics. Respect the all-white dress code and don't mistake casual for slipshod – no slippers, in other words. But with Singapore's humidity, guests are welcome to wear a T-shirt. One can't be expected to enjoy the after-party dancing while suffocating in a suit, he reasoned. As with previous editions, there are team leaders, each responsible for putting together a table. Among the approximately 100 leaders this time – including university students and working professionals from finance to production houses – some were previous Diner en Blanc leaders and guests, now back to relive their formerly once-in-a-lifetime moment. Others signed up after seeing social media callouts. All are volunteers who share his passion for bringing together various communities to make core memories, and he wants to highlight their unique perspectives and personalities. "Storytelling" is the one aspect he often finds missing from events that fall flat. "Each guest will be under different leadership. Some leaders want to bring lots of fairy lights, make the table very pretty. Others will want to do a Haidilao hot pot. All of them have their different stories, and I give them the ability to create their own narrative," he said. "It's about what you want the world to perceive your event to be. For me, it's really simple. I want it to be about my leaders. They're the ones that support me ... They are the gatekeepers of the tickets." Tickets will cost S$60, released in three phases starting Aug 1. The first phase is for previous guests; the second, from Aug 8, for those invited by team leaders; and the third phase, starting Aug 12, will be open to the waitlist which has ballooned to over 50,000 people. (That's at least 16 times the spots available.) Naturally, the final phase involves some quintessentially Singaporean competition to secure a ticket. Those keen to attend can try searching for and connecting with team leaders on social media or online forums in the meantime, where some may have started sharing about their role for the event. Chiang doesn't want Diner en Blanc's inherent elusiveness to be a deterrent, but pique people's curiosity and bring them together to "enjoy the secrecy" as a community trying to figure out the mystery location. And if he's able to create an experience that guests still remember fondly 10 years from now, like previous hosts have, he'll consider his job done. It's an admirable goal, in part because it feels personal. He was, after all, just becoming a teenager when the pandemic hit – an age where connection starts to shape identity and isolation hits harder. At the same time, it is hard to overlook Diner en Blanc's undercurrent of old-school luxury, typically associated with invite-only circles where access often depends on who you know. It feels to me at odds with Chiang's community-driven ethos. Or maybe that's my millennial cynicism showing. Where I see luxury through a lens of wealth and exclusion, and instinctively question any attempt to rebrand indulgence as something egalitarian, it's been said that Gen Z's idea of luxury lies in 'interestingness'. They may still admire standard markers of luxury, but exclusivity alone isn't enough. A thing becomes desirable when it tells a story, and when that story feels authentic and speaks to their identity and values. And by that measure, Diner en Blanc's concept fits the brief. It's what Chiang believes his generation would call "experiential luxury". 'It's not about carrying a physical item, but experiencing that once-in-a-lifetime moment. It's a core memory you make with your best friends and loved ones,' he said, hopeful that more young people will "get the idea" and attend the event. "It's about friends of friends – making new friends through your connections. I want to create a feeling that everybody will somehow get to know each other. If not, it will become a networking party, which I don't want." When we first started talking, Chiang described himself as "an ordinary boy with extraordinary dreams", and I found myself instantly sceptical. I'd been quick to see tone-deaf hedonism, instead of someone trying, in his own way, to carve out space for joy and connection. An evening of unity won't fix a "divided world", he knows that. But in a time when it's easier to give in to distrust and disillusionment, maybe such events do offer something simpler that we've long overlooked. A reminder that community, if only for a night, still matters.
AsiaOne
13-07-2025
- AsiaOne
Michael Jackson's daughter Paris 'concerned' about payments made by his estate, Entertainment News
Michael Jackson's daughter Paris Jackson is "concerned" about payments being made by her father's estate. The 27-year-old singer has objected to a request for court approval of the estate executors' "premium payments" to three law firms in her position as a beneficiary of Michael's estate. In documents filed on June 24 and obtained by People magazine, Paris expressed her concern over an alleged "practice of granting so-called 'premium payments' for unrecorded attorney time, much less paying 100 per cent of any such extraordinary amounts." The paperwork named a six-month period in 2018 when executors requested approval for US$625,000 (S$800,000) in payments for "uncaptured time" without explaining "as to why counsel was incapable of recording unbilled time, or why such a failure should not preclude payment." Two of the firms had received their prospective payments, in breach of the "Court's order allowing only partial payment of attorneys' fees until Court approval is obtained." The documents added: "Even worse, these payments appear, at least in part, to consist of lavish gratuities bestowed upon already well-compensated counsel. "[The payments] raise serious and substantial questions about Executors' ability to effectively supervise counsel, by, at minimum, requiring that counsel record their time in a manner susceptible to at least superficial review and oversight, namely by means of task-billed time entries, and refraining from wasteful, six-figure gift-giving to themselves and their colleagues." Paris is also said to be "concerned" about the executors' alleged "gross lack of diligence in seeking the required Court approval for extraordinary fees and costs" for the 2018 payments and lack of explanation about the delays. Paris' attorney, Craig Peters, claimed there was "no written agreement" authorising executors to seek approval for fees in six-month increments and requested a "schedule for all of the outstanding approvals, both the accountings and the legal fees." Lawyers for the estate insisted nothing untoward had happened. Jonathan Steinsapir told People: "The Executors' approval of payments to attorneys have been made with the same business judgment that has earned this Estate over US$3 billion. "We are confident that the objected-to payments are appropriate as, indeed, they are fully consistent with payments made in the decade prior, all of which have been approved by the Probate Court." Insiders explained the "premium payments" are connected to the sale of Michael's stake in EMI to Sony. A source said: "They are objecting to relatively minor bonuses to three firms for work on the EMI catalogue sale in 2018. "The estate, assisted by these lawyers and others, bought a 10 per cent stake in EMI for US$50,000 in 2012 due to a contractual right we had with Sony. "In 2018, the stake sold for almost US$300 million! Any business in this position would reward those who worked on that matter through the years. "They also claim that the estate had to withhold 30 per cent of all fees pending court approval. On that, they are simply mistaken and do not understand the court's orders. The estate has paid bonuses like this to attorneys for years and they've all been approved without any objections." At the time of his death in 2009, Michael - whose sons Prince and Bigi are also beneficiaries of his estate - was over US$500 million in debt to more than 65 creditors. A hearing regarding the matter is scheduled for July 16. [[nid:719140]]
CNA
09-07-2025
- CNA
Chanel marks 110 years with style — and stars — by supersizing its couture salon in a palace
Only Chanel would call its legendary Rue Cambon salon "too small" — then rebuild it, supersized, in a palace. On Tuesday (Jul 8), as the house marked 110 years of its haute couture — a century and more of Coco Chanel's revolution in how women dress — it blew up its atelier as a giant set inside the freshly restored Grand Palais, turning intimacy into spectacle for a nature-drenched show at Paris Couture Week. Chanel, whose founder banished corsets and reimagined luxury as liberation, showed just how far that legacy stretches — from the tiny salons of 1915 to its modern colossus. It was a flex only a handful of luxury giants could pull off — and perhaps, as one front-row guest suggested, a dazzling distraction as the fashion world counts down to the debut of Chanel's new designer Matthieu Blazy. Penelope Cruz, Keira Knightley, Naomi Campbell, Kirsten Dunst and the house's tightest VIP circle scaled gilded steps, sweating past marble and gold, to enter the reconstructed atelier. The set by Willo Perron was classic Chanel — intimate yet monumental, Old World yet futuristic. "It just felt special," Campbell said, "like stepping into a memory and something completely new. There's warmth, intimacy, nostalgia. Chanel can recreate anything, and it works." CHANEL GOES COUNTRY More drama unfolded on the runway. This was couture as nature fantasy, filtered through the Chanel prism. Menswear tailoring added swing to sculpted jackets and coatdresses, while mohair suits in deep greens and plums channelled autumn's hush. Boucle tweeds mimicked sheepskin; feathers and tweed created illusionary faux fur. Gold-sprayed wheat ears — the house symbol of abundance — were everywhere: Stitched into flounces, embroidered on necklines, set on every guest's seat. The theme may have been country, but make no mistake: This was as close as Chanel gets to "roughing it." Technique dazzled at every turn: Jewel-buttons, embroidered florals and a finale of lamé so luminous it mimicked sunlight on harvest fields. The studio team, holding the fort after Virginie Viard's abrupt and unceremonious exit last year, anchored the show in classic codes but played with wit and lightness. That obsessive handwork matters — not just for tradition, but for business. Chanel is fashion's juggernaut: Privately held, the brand reported US$18.7 billion in revenue for 2024, cementing its status as one of the world's most powerful luxury houses. Couture may be the crown, but its influence drives global sales in fragrance, bags and jewelry, making it the envy of rivals. NEW ERA FOR THE LUXURY GIANT Change is always looming at Chanel. For more than 30 years, Karl Lagerfeld transformed the brand from Parisian legend to pop phenomenon, staging ever-grander spectacles at the Grand Palais. After his death in 2019, Viard, his longtime deputy, guided Chanel into a softer, more discreet era. Now the industry is holding its breath for Blazy, a Belgian talent with stints at Margiela, Celine and most recently Bottega Veneta, where he won fans for his blend of innovation and reverence for craft. Campbell said of Blazy, whom she knows personally: "He's focused, open-minded — he'll bring something special." Tuesday's show unfolded inside the Grand Palais' newly restored Salon d'Honneur, its gold and stone revealed after a €600-million, multiyear restoration co-funded by Chanel. It's more than a venue; it's an advertisement of the house's power and commitment to Parisian heritage.
