Latest news with #GoldHouseGala
Time of India
15-06-2025
- Lifestyle
- Time of India
My brand is respected in India because everyone panders to the rich; we do not: Sabyasachi
Just back from the Met Gala , where he dressed Shah Rukh Khan; attending luxury conferences in London and New York; picking up the Most Impactful Asian in Arts, Fashion and Lifestyle award at the Gold House Gala in Los Angeles and jetting off for speeches at Harvard and now Oxford, Sabyasachi , founder-director of the eponymous label, is having a busy 25th anniversary year. He spoke to Kanika Gahlaut at his new office in Kanak Building, Kolkata, about his journey so far and what it takes to build an Indian luxury brand. Edited excerpts: It's been 25 years of your label. At that time, fashion had a certain type of people. You were not typical. Fashion was very elitist then, and continues to be. Fashion in India was rich people making rich clothes for their rich friends. Today, wealth is more widespread geographically. Rich has varied meanings. Which is why new players have entered the market and these new customers don't have existing relationships with older designers. But the game is the same; to succeed you need to be friends with your customer. That is something I had resolved never to do from the beginning. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Live Comfortably: 60 m² Prefab Bungalow for Seniors in Hoa Loi Pre Fabricated Homes | Search Ads Search Now Undo Though you were an outsider, the industry accepted you. It gave you the right placings. I fought for it too. We didn't have much. My grandmother told us, 'Just because we are poor does not mean we cannot have standards.' The middle and the lower class were told, 'This was not your scene, you don't belong.' We heard this not just of the fashion industry, but of entrepreneurship in general. As kids, if we wanted to do something audacious, our parents asked, 'Who do you think you are? Tata, Birla?' Starting a business was seen as a gamble, not an opportunity; and we were never to gamble. I always defied classism inside my head. When I was growing up, I didn't feel poor. Now that I'm rich, I don't feel rich. You've gained a reputation for being reticent… Live Events Reticence is when you are not available to people emotionally. I'm just not available transactionally. I don't like to waste my time. If I don't meet interesting people, I'd rather keep to myself, be at home and watch Netflix. I'll demystify something for you. I'm not an intellectual. People say I am, but I make no pretence. Are you cerebral? I'm sensitive to things, people, influences. Okay, let me get to it another way. So you don't get affected by changing fortunes, there is a sense of being untouched. Then there's the reticent label. Then there's your signature style that is slightly melancholic, in the way you run shades of brown through colours, a soberness in joy. I am a loner, an idealist and, in many ways, a big romantic. I am also a massive drifter. I have no anchorage, no home. Having no sense of place or people allows me to absorb influences. When you are a drifter, you don't attach yourself to a particular identity, you gather them along the way. But what doesn't change is your core. I'm the designer who's done the most varied amount of work in this country: from fashion to anti-fashion; from glamour, bodycon, sex bomb to organic and tribal; from cosmopolitan to corporate dressing, from sophisticated to bohemian, from vintage elegance to travel chic. Let's talk about fabrics: khadi, brocade, wool, leather, acetate, plastic, paper, polyester, recycled nylon, rayon, neoprene—I've used it all. My colours vary from vintage to metallic, from earth tones to neon. Yet people call me repetitive and rightly so—I have an unshakeably strong core. I'm not limited by politics, boundaries, geographies. I define myself as a human first, Indian second and Calcuttan third. I'm not from a time when there were conversations on appropriation. Appropriation for me is a celebration. I can go anywhere in the world, and pick up something and appreciate its influence in my work. If I don't have the agency to speak the truth, I'd rather not speak at all. In trying to be politically correct, we say things we don't mean, or mean nothing at all. When you become successful because of your school of thought, everyone celebrates you; but when more becomes more, people will start to crucify you. Criticism has become such a spectator sport; everyone is now a professional critic. When you control a market, because of the scale to get there, you become vulnerable. There are so many mouths to feed that you have to keep the business churning. The market starts dictating what you should do. You lose your identity. But some of us wake up and see the bigger picture—that if I don't retain who I am, I'll disappear from the landscape. People have always paid me for my mind, not my hand. If I borrow their mind and use my hand, I'm no longer a brand; I'm just a karigar. That's why I stopped customising. The fundamental philosophy of an artist is to sell your mind, not your skill. The mind must be above the skill. Otherwise, you become a service provider, not a solution provider. Designers are not supposed to be service providers. The smartest thing I did in the last five years was to get off all social media. With all the noise in the world, there is no scope for original work if you don't protect your mind. I've learned to compete with only myself. My first relationship is with the people who work for my company, to ensure they get their salaries. My second relationship is with my customers, who help me earn my bread. Finally comes my interaction with the press. Many designers have built their relationships first with the press, second with customers and third with their backend—a recipe for an unsustainable business. The mind has to be fearless to do the best body of work. For many, fashion means a quick entry into fame; and that's where the cookie crumbles. Designers who are level-headed build lasting businesses, like Ralph Lauren . Their successes do not depend on the whims of the press or the tastes of the times. One must understand where art needs to end and commerce must begin, and recognise its equal importance in the reverse. In my fashion business, I will never let art take over commerce. But I have an art foundation, where I never let commerce overtake art. Fashion is a commodity business masquerading as art. You can't sell 10,000 pieces of a garment and call it art. The Mona Lisa is art; putting her on a T-shirt is a commodity. I understand that balance and I'm not anguished by walking the line. When catering to your global market and to the domestic one, do you have to change your moves? The culture, DNA and philosophy of the brand will never change. Within that realm, if I can create a product that talks to a particular audience in a particular geography, I'll create the product. For instance, in New York, I make clothes climate-appropriate, with solid colours or a lens of patterns attuned to a Western eye. What I will not compromise on is the way the clothes are made, how we source the fabrics and the amount of hand-work we have to do. My international business is small but growing because I am not pandering to the market. When I first went to New York, I did not succeed. The press and merchants all had their opinions: Oh, this is too Indian, that silhouette won't work, it's too heavy, the colour is too strong, get a Western pattern maker. But they didn't know my customer, she didn't exist yet. [Fashion editor] Suzy Menkes wisely told me to return to India, build a brand and then come back on my terms. Now I only give clothes on consignment. I said, you give me the space, I'll decide the assortment. Everything started selling out. If people don't understand your work, or if people don't accept your work, just chill, and realise that it may take you five years, it could take you 25 years, but stay the path. In the decades since I first showed in New York, the clothes haven't changed, attitudes have. Initially you faced opposition in domestic and international market. In those days, my clothes became successful in India because people were scared of not being perceived as intellectuals. That was the chink in their armour; they had a lot of money but yearned for respect. Because the press wrote about me as an intellectual, it became a self-fulfilling prophecy: if I wear his clothes, I'll look like an intellectual. My clothes were bought without understanding whether they liked them or not; by buying Sabyasachi, they were buying culture. Eventually, people understood the merit of the clothes and started buying for their true value. Post-liberalisation, people were trying to see how we would sell our culture and the press wrote on everyone. You are arguably the biggest critical and commercial success of that time. Some customers bought my clothes because they genuinely liked them; others because of the optics. It made me realise you cannot base your brand on people's opinion; most of them have none. Consequently, criticism has never, never bothered me. The only time I was flustered was the Vidya Balan debacle at Cannes. I had styled her in a sari at a time when India only wanted to see glamorous, fashion-forward and modern style, which at the time meant western gowns. Young actors had burst onto the scene giving Indians their first taste of what the international Indian star could look like. Vidya looked beautiful, she did not necessarily look fashionable. But India wanted fashion, superstardom; India wanted to win. Even Aishwarya Rai was in a sari and criticised at the time. Now she's adored for it. It's time that determines perception. We have moved to a sense of nationalism now. There was a time when India wanted to be perceived as global. Now we want to celebrate national strength. It flusters me because I have never changed, I will never stop doing the sari for the red carpet. Even today my mandate with actresses on the red carpet is simple. I will make you an outfit if you wear a sari, because I'm an Indian designer. What do you think about India's relationship with luxury and its evolvement in the post-liberalisation and now post-influencer age? India has a troubled relationship with the West because of the way we were ruled. We felt we were second-, third-class citizens. Today, we feel not just a sense of belonging, but ownership. It translates visually into clothes, and a bit of political assertiveness through clothing is not such a bad thing. What has changed in India is our blind awe of western luxury. You are talking about post-globalisation disillusionment. Now it's post-globalised cynicism. The Indian customer is very smart. There's a misnomer that Indians shop cheap. Indians shop value. If you give them something expensive, and they see value in it, they'll buy. If you sell the same product in every single duty-free around the world and try to pass it off as rarefied luxury, it's not logical. How can you push a logical person to become illogical? You mean like Shah Rukh Khan is the last of the stars? What are stars? They are distant and they sparkle. The most important part of stardom is being inaccessible. Earlier, stars in this country had a veil, a purdah—you never got to see them. The stars only came out at night. Now, all day long, you see them on Instagram; some only exist there. Scarcity creates demand. You can't be available in 10,000 stores and say you are exclusive. Today people do not want to buy some of the most coveted bags in the world. I don't want to spend a lot of money buying a bag that 50 of my friends already have. Does it make me feel exclusive? Absolutely not. How can billion-dollar brands with international distribution be exclusive? If every important neighbourhood has one of your stores, you can't claim rarity. In many ways, luxury does not exist, only the marketed notion of luxury. Some say we will go back to bespoke, custom-made. There will be a price correction. Brands will realise that to retain the halo of luxury, they need to scale back. What really defines luxury is wanting something you don't have. And it makes luxury so relative, actually. It is relative, for some people, luxury is just confidence. So if you buy a product that gives you confidence—social, political, anything—that's luxury. Luxury has to make you feel good from within. You build a luxury brand by creating a great product, but also by creating a great philosophy of business. A brand I truly admire is Hermès. They have created a business by creating a culture. In Hermès, they will take all the time in the world to create a good product. Aesthetically you might differ from the product, but you can't fault the integrity of its creation. When you build the right culture, you build the right respect. People buy your product because they respect your integrity, since most people don't have it. We gravitate towards what we are not. We surround ourselves with things that complete us. My brand is respected in India because everybody panders to the rich here; we do not. We don't customise. I pay 100% tax. If you haven't earned your customers' respect, you have not built a luxury brand. Integrity makes a product sell. What people don't understand is the deeper insight into why a customer shops. They want to buy something that reflects who they are, their values or aspirations. It's like going to a detox centre where you're buying something to heal you from inside. I didn't understand my stardom for a long time. Early in my career, everybody wanted to talk to me about Bollywood. At that point, I made the actors wear Sabyasachi and they all said, 'Oh, Aishwarya looks so good in Cannes', and this and that. Then came Band Baajaa Bride and the big celebrity weddings. Many women came to me and said, 'When my daughter gets married, I want her to wear a Sabya .' Now the narrative has completely changed, everyone I meet, from all over the world, shares one thing with me: 'You make us so proud.' Are you saying product, integrity and creativity are different things? You can have creativity, and you can have a great product, but the most important thing that binds them together is integrity. Integrity is the biggest luxury in the world today because it is so rare. Sabyasachi was built on 25 years of integrity. And to hold your integrity for 25 years and not falter is a very tough thing. During the pandemic we were the first to shut, the last to open. Not a single person in my company got a pink slip. What did you do in that time? Did you create? Stayed at home. Paid salaries. I loved to cook. We had 80 buses going every day to pick up people and bring them to work. I did not allow a single person to come in public transport. We hired a cook for a year and turned the entire terrace into a restaurant. All the food was sanitised. We had a quarantine centre—if anybody had to leave, upon return they had to stay in quarantine for three days. When they were declared Covid-free, they were allowed back to work. You've dressed a lot of women. What do you think about women? Have they changed? I was raised by women—my two grandmothers, my mother, my mother's sister. I learned that women took unflinching responsibility. That men didn't. I wanted to design clothing. There was resistance. How can a man do a profession that's meant for ladies? So my relationship with women is not one of love, but of empathy. I think I understand women because I've experienced similar challenges. I think women make better women's wear designers. A man can only imagine what it is to be in a woman's body. Because of that liability, I constantly surround myself with women to get their point of view. I was not born beautiful. I'm an ordinary man. I don't look a certain way. My body is not a certain way. I struggled with my body and selfesteem. I've struggled in a world where a lot of people have a quicker right of way if they look a certain way. So I had to compensate for my lack of being beautiful with my cerebral strength. I have learnt from my own body as a man to feel that a woman will not feel her best every day. When you approach the human body and your customer through empathy and sensitivity, you'll want to make clothes that empower them to look their best even if they are not feeling their best. I don't make clothes that are difficult for women to live in. The best compliment I get: men tell me they love to see their wife in a Sabya. Many Sabyasachi purchases are family affairs. A very successful female CEO asked me to keep a sari aside and said, 'I want to come back with my husband and show it to him.' We all thought: she's such a powerful woman, can't she buy a sari by herself? So I asked politely, and she said, 'I'm buying a Sabya. He wants to participate.' If you were a designer's oracle, do you see a different market, a different Indian designer in the future? My generation has seen the maximum change: from LP to iPod, from landline to Nokia to iPhone and now we have landed at AI. We have moved from the age of information to the age of influence and now the age of intelligence. The next frontier will be moving from intelligence to wisdom. The most valuable commodity in the age of wisdom will be humanity. Any business that encapsulates the spirit of human beings will find future success. AI will make everything very efficient; but AI will also make everything homogenous. Your differentiator will be your legacy, your story, your product and your craft. Those without the backend of human craft will be pushed out. With AI, the mediocre brands will die. Brands that hold on to integrity and humanity will be the biggest brands. They might not be big in economic scale; but they will be the most important in terms of influence. India has a lot of scope for this. Humanity is here, craft is here, human skills are here. The government is talking about skill development. I will put forward one thing: Skill preservation. We also need to pay attention to human connections. People are suffering because human connections have become poor. It's loneliness. There was a big socialite who came to buy jewellery at the Mumbai store. She came six times, every time getting dressed up to see the jewellery and decide if she wanted to buy it. I felt maybe she came to the store because people would talk to her, because she was lonely. Perhaps she uses the idea of coming to the store as an excuse to be in touch with humanity.
_2025_05_19_14_58_31.jpg&w=3840&q=100)
GMA Network
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- GMA Network
Fil-Ams dominate the Gold House Gala 2025
Fil-Ams were represented at the fourth annual Gold House Gala event that was held recently at the historic Music Center in downtown Los Angeles. Despite the nearly 100-degree hot weather, Fil-Ams arrived in their native or 'gold carpet' best and joined in the celebration of the top Asian Pacific and multicultural leaders where over 600 guests convened. James Beard awardee chef Lord Maynard Llera of the critically acclaimed Kuya Lord restaurant prepared the Filipino cuisine menu, which was presented by OpenTable. In our earlier exclusive interview with chef Llera, he described his menu: 'For the first course, I will have ensaladang talong – my take on the Italian panzanella. It has eggplant puree, tomatoes, and then I used our toasted pandesal for the bread. For the second course, I'm serving a smoked and braised bone and short ribs. Humba. But instead of the traditional pork pata, I used short ribs para maiba naman. I will serve it with Chinese long beans – sitaw with the humba sauce na nilagyan ko ng fermented black beans, shiitake mushroom and sweet adobo sauce. And for dessert, I did my version of calamansi cake pie. It's very simple and delicious.' Present during the star-studded event were singer-actress H.E.R., actress Liza Soberano, comedian JR De Guzman, California Attorney General Rob Bonta, actress Jenn Aguinaldo, model Kelsey Merritt, fashion designer Nava Rose and actress Shay Mitchell. Among the 100 most impactful changemakers who were honored included Fil-Am singer Bruno Mars, 'Maybe Happy Ending' actor-producer Tony awardee Darren Criss, and 'Sunset Blvd.' actress Tony awardee Nicole Scherzinger, and Olympic foil fencer Lee Kiefer. We were able to interview some of the celebrity guests who attended the high profile event and they shared why they thought the Gold House Gala was important and why representation in Hollywood matters. Attorney General Rob Bonta Rob Bonta is the Attorney General of California. Photo: Sthanlee B. Mirador Talk about AAPI representation in Hollywood. Is it improving? Yes. It's so important that we're here. We have to be deliberate and intentional, focused. Can't just wait for it to happen and hope for it to happen. You got to make it happen. That's what Gold House does. That's their mission to lift up our AAPI leaders. I was honored to be an A100 a couple of years ago [and I'm] proud to be here to cheer on the next group of honorees who are representing us and doing it at the highest level of excellence. It's important that we lift each other because AAPI history is American history, and we should be at every place in space where decisions are made. Art is created and we are represented. That's what Gold House is about. So, I'm proud to be here tonight. DEI is such a controversial topic these days. What are you doing to improve diversity, equity and inclusion in Hollywood? I know that DEI can be a buzzword at times. And you know, this presidential administration unfortunately has focused its sights right on DEI. But diversity, equity and inclusion look like a lot of things. It looks like the 13th, 14th and 15th amendment to our Constitution, which ended slavery and gave equal protection and voting rights to more people, to African Americans who were denied that right. It looks like the Americans with Disabilities Act; it looks like the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Our core civil rights protections and measures that made us more inclusive, that made our union more perfect, that brought more Americans into this incredible American democratic project. That's what he's attacking. And so, to say that tackling discrimination is discrimination is a wild and crazy proposal, an idea that he unfortunately advances. In California, we're holding the line. We are not doing anything. Of course, that's unlawful, and nor have we. We will, but we will continue to do lawful take lawful actions that end discrimination, which end harassment, which provide a more inclusive environment no matter what the Trump administration does with his culture wars. So, we're holding the line here in California and proud of it. There are a lot of Filipinos being honored tonight. Who are you looking forward to meeting? I'm excited about everyone here tonight. I'm always proud of our Filipino Americans, but I'm proud of the AAPI community as a whole, not a monolith, of course, and beautiful in our diversity and the breadth of our talent. So, I just like to take it all in. I've learned about new people. I celebrate the folks I've already been a fan of, but I'm just honored to be here tonight and ready to cheer on all the great AAPI leaders who are being focused on and celebrated on stage tonight. Your daughter, Reina Bonta, is also a filmmaker now. Yeah. Don't get me started. You have two hours to finish this interview. I'll talk about Reina Bonta all day and all night. She just finished her second film. It's a beautiful documentary about the Philippine women's national soccer team's pathway to the World Cup. Reina was on that team. Reina went to the World Cup. They were debutants for their first time in the World Cup; they had their first appearance. They had their first win. They beat New Zealand in New Zealand. I was in the stands cheering for Reina and she said that story. But she also connected it to the trip that she and her Lola, my mom and I took afterwards. We went to the Philippines right after and my mom brought us to her hometown. She grew up in Los Baños and she was in Luzon, and she showed us where they fled to the countryside. When the Japanese came in during World War II, the place that she lived that was burned to the ground. How her mom, my Lola, buried her dishes in the dirt beneath their homes so that they could get them. Later, after the soldiers left her, elementary school was turned into a torture chamber. During the war, she remembers opening a church door and seeing skulls that were piled up. So, she grew up to be a child of war, and she was able to share some of those thoughts. But we also went to Dumaguete, where she spent time. Her dad was a professor there. We saw her childhood home, and she talked about the fond memories of the kids in the neighborhood and for me as a dad and as a son. It was special to see Reina and my mom spend that time, and then for Reina to put it on film. The film is called 'It's Got to Be the Rain, or 'It Must Be the Rain.' It's a documentary screening tonight in San Francisco. It's screening in LA a couple of weeks ago, and we're just really proud of Reina. She's telling authentic, beautiful stories about the Filipino American community and her own personal stories about her own Lola. Are you planning to go back to the Philippines for a visit? I have gone once a year for some time. I've slowed down a little bit. Honestly, Duterte and Marcos, I'm interested to monitor and see what Marcos does, but we left the country when I was two months old because of the rise to power, Ferdinand Marcos and the dictatorship and the human rights abuses and the end of democracy, and we wanted democracy. My mom fought for it and fought for the People Power Revolution to return it in 1986. I love the Philippines. I love the country of my birth. But I'm also sad. They're still struggling with poverty, lack of infrastructure, and horrific natural disasters. But the people are strong, beautiful, powerful, and resilient. So, I'm sure I'll be going back soon. I don't have anything firm right now, though. There are talks that you're running for governor. There were talks and I was definitely thinking about it, but I've decided to run for re-election as attorney general. I'm super excited about this job. It's a role that's as important as ever. We are able to directly confront and stop the Trump administration when they break the law and violate the Constitution. So, we're on the front lines and one of the first and last lines of defense when it comes to protecting our democracy, the rule of law, the progress that we made in California, the funding that we deserve, the rights and freedoms that we enjoy. So, I'm going to stay in that fight. I think the people of California want and deserve someone who's fully committed, focused, giving all the gas in the tank, all the energy that I have, thinking about them and our future every day. And so that's what they're going to get. I'm going to keep fighting for them as attorney general. Elodie Yung of 'The Cleaning Lady' Photo: Sthanlee B. Mirador Tell us about your role in 'The Cleaning Lady' and the arc of your character. So, we just finished doing season four, and Thony is reclaiming her identity and her power this season, so she's going to be a surgeon. What she was doing in the Philippines, she was a doctor surgeon. So, she's making a deal with the head of the cartel to be able to do this, as well as being the cartel doctor. There are a lot of Filipino actors in the show including Martha Millan. Talk about her participation in the show. Martha Millan is just wonderful. She's one of the best actors I have had the chance to work with. She brings a lot of joy and fun to the part and a lot of heart as well. I feel like Fiona, her character, is the heart of the show. This whole Filipino family that we've recreated, it's just so prominent on our show. It's just something that we carry on portraying in 'The Cleaning Lady,' and I'm very proud of it. Working with Miranda Kwok, what does she bring to the show and how much joy do you enjoy working with her? It was wonderful to work with Miranda. This season, she's not running the show, but she's keeping an eye on the production side. Obviously, she created and developed the show. So, I'm very grateful to her. What do you look forward to in this year's Gold House gala? I've heard that they're celebrating my friend Jon M Chu, so I can't wait to congratulate him on this amazing body of work that he's done. He opened the way for most of us. I got the chance to work with him on 'G.I. Joe' a long time ago, and he's just so wonderful. So, I can't wait to see him and celebrate him. You also worked with director Marie Jamora. Talk about your experience working with her. Oh, yes. Marie is extraordinary. She's an amazing director and producer. She produced my short, 'Happy Ending' as well with her production company. She's extremely creative and supportive, and she pushes everything. She thinks forward especially this narrative for the Filipino community or the people you don't really portray in movies. What do you think about the AAPI representation in Hollywood? Is it improving? I guess so. Look at us. We are here again. It's always important that we carry on creating that type of event and that are creative like writing series and movies where we have different people portrayed in those shows. Like 'The Cleaning Lady' is again a good example because I don't think we've had so far, a lot of Southeast Asians in a lead position on broadcast TV. Definitely not Cambodian or of Cambodian descent. So, I think, across the board, we're getting stronger and more visible. We need to carry on. Bing Chen, Executive Chair, CEO Founder of Gold House Photo: Sthanlee B. Mirador What do you look forward to in today's gala? Oh, I'm excited for everyone to have something happy this year. Honestly, there's so much joy and so many surprises. So that's it. And having Kuya Lord prepare your dinner tonight. Yeah, what a huge honor. We had the best chef in California, no question. Have you heard what he's making? GMA wrote about it. Yeah. Two different interpretations of adobo. So, we're very excited about it. What do you think of the AAPI representation now in Hollywood? There have been so many incredible strides. There is always more to do, but I'm excited that everyone is fired up and no longer just focused on representation but focused on excellence. The biggest franchises, the best films, the best shows. So, I'm very proud of that. What makes this year's gala different from the others? Number one, it's truly global. Number two is truly cross-cultural. And number three, no one here apologizes. This is not about pain. This is now about new power. What do you think is the future of Gold House five years from now? You'll find out in the closing remarks. JR De Guzman, Comedian, Musician Photo: Sthanlee B. Mirador You said you were also introducing today. Yes. I'm introducing. I'm thanking the sponsors tonight. All the partners like Visa and Panda Express. I am giving them a shout out. What are you looking forward to at today's gala? I'm looking forward to seeing everybody, like, catching up with all the Asians in the industry, because I feel like everyone's busy and they're killing it, which is awesome. So, it's cool to catch up and hear how everyone's personal lives are going. Is this your first time at the Gold House Gala? Yeah, this is my first time at the gala. So, I'm really excited to be here. What do you think of the AAPI representation now in Hollywood? It's good. Always more and more. I think until we get to the point where you see Asian characters, but they're not just stereotypes. I think that will be the goal. What are you busy with these days? Right now, I'm on tour doing stand-up comedy and music stuff. So, after this, I will go to Detroit, Texas and Hawaii. So, I'll be traveling. Who are you wearing today? He's a modern stylist from San Francisco. I forgot his name. Nava Rose, fashion designer Fashion designer Nava Rose and her Skyflakes bag. Photo: Sthanlee B. Mirador You're recycling a Skyflakes bag? It's my mom's Skyflakes bag. She kept it. She's taught us to recycle and keep all our containers to reuse. And so, she let me have this and then I just bedazzled it. Very creative. And your dress, is that also recycled? No, this is by a designer, but it matches. Is this your first Gold House gala? It's my third one, actually. But this is my first one to host the gold carpet. So, I'm actually here with Metta, too. So, what do you look forward to seeing at tonight's gala? Oh, I always look forward to seeing all the guests here. Everyone is just so cool. It's like I am fangirl all the time for fashion. Who is your idol here at the Gold House Gala? I would love to see Prabal Gurung. Joel Kim Booster of 'Fire Island' Photo: Sthanlee B. Mirador Can you tell me more about 'Fire Island' and working with Conrad Ricamora? Conrad. Ricamora. Oh my gosh. I mean, the thing about Conrad Ricamora is, when we were auditioning that part, he was the only one who came in and did a chemistry read with me and made me forget my lines, like the lines that I had written in the script, because he is so charming. He has so much charisma. He is so handsome that it was so completely disarming that even I, who had written the script, was thrown completely off, and it was really easy to fall in love with him every day on set. I'll tell you that he made it very, very easy on me, and I love him to death and I'm so happy for all his success now. And if you get a chance to see him in Omaha, run. Don't walk. It is. I'm so proud of him. And he got a Tony nomination. Yes. Very well deserved. He's going to be an EGOT. I see it for him. So, talk about representation in Hollywood. What do you think? Is it improving for AAPI? Listen, I think that representation in Hollywood is always going to be a little bit of two steps forward, one step back situation. And I think we're seeing the one step back right now. Honestly I think there was a time when a lot of diverse programming was of interest to the powers that be, and I think that now they no longer see us as a marketable commodity, and it's getting more and more difficult to get our stories told. But that's why it's so important for events like these and for our community to come together and really rally behind the work that we need to support so that it continues to get made. And how significant is the Gold House gala tonight? The Gold House Gala is always so significant to me, because it is just so nice to be in community with these people, like other Asian Americans, because we've been so siloed, separated from one another in the industry. There's only one of us in the cast. There's only one of us on the writer in the writer's room. There's only one of us in the production team, you know? And so, it's nice to be not the only one, you know, and just be surrounded by family. And what's next for you? What's next for me? I am about to finish shooting this third season of loot. And then stay tuned. There's some big stuff coming that I can't talk about right now. Andrew Ahn, Director of 'The Wedding Banquet' and 'Fire Island' Photo: Sthanlee B. Mirador Congratulations on 'The Wedding Banquet' and your other projects. 'The Wedding Banquet' was a real labor of love. It was a reimagining of the 1993 Ang Lee film 'The Wedding Banquet,' which was the first gay film that I ever saw. And it's been really wonderful to reimagine it for today, for a queer Asian American people to see themselves on screen. How important is it for representation now in Hollywood? It's so important that people find the value of our stories that we're not just sidekicks, that we are the main characters and that together we can create really beautiful works that celebrate who we are, celebrate our drama, our comedy and hopefully inspire even more films to come out in the future. How was it working with Conrad Ricamora? Conrad is an incredibly talented actor. He just got nominated for a Tony Award because of Omari. Working with Conrad Ricamora on 'Fire Island' was such an honor. He was so committed, so brilliant, and also so hot. I'd love to work with him again. What are your future projects now? I'm still trying to figure out what's the next thing for me, but I think it'll be Asian American. I'd love to tell more Asian American stories. You will be reunited with Ang Lee tonight. So, what would you be telling him tonight? We're presenting an award to Ang. I'm very excited about that. I'll be talking about something besides 'The Wedding Banquet' and maybe another film of his that inspired me. Why do you look forward to going to the Gold House Gala? I think for me, it's about finding community with other Asian American creatives, getting to celebrate all that we've accomplished this past year and to be able to find that strength in each other so that we can go out there and keep making more films, more TV shows. Daniel Dae Kim, Actor Photo: Sthanlee B. Mirador What is the significance of the Gold House Gala for you? I'm always happy to celebrate our community and this is the best way to do it. With so many people who have achieved so many different things in different fields. And looking fabulous. What do you think about the AAPI representation in Hollywood? Has it improved? I think so. I think it has improved. I think there are still barriers to breaking, but I'm proud of the progress that we've made. What are your projects? I have a TV show on Amazon Prime that's about to come out in August called 'Butterfly.' And I'm shooting season three of 'Avatar The Last Airbender.' Janet Yang, Academy of Motion Pictures President Photo: Sthanlee B. Mirador What do you think of this Gold House gala tonight? Our community has grown so beautifully, so quickly. I couldn't be prouder. What are you looking forward to in this gala? I am looking forward to so many things. My life will change significantly after June 30th because it is when my term as Academy president ends. So, I have a lot of wonderful things I'm looking forward to, though it will be bittersweet because I've loved my job at the Academy too. Do you think the AAPI representation in Hollywood has improved? It definitely has improved and there's still work to be done, of course. Tayme Thapthimtong, Actor in 'The White Lotus' Photo: Sthanlee B. Mirador Talk about the success of 'The White Lotus.' Were you expecting that? And how was your journey in that series? The success of 'The White Lotus' has just been mind-blowing for me. I knew that it was a big show when I was in Thailand. I just didn't know it was this big. So, I got to the US and saw the reception of it. As the weeks went by, I just felt like people got more and more interested in my character. I have to give a lot of praise to Mike White for just writing me such a good character that I got to portray a character and show how Thai people are just the nicest, polite and respectful people. I know my character is an annoying security guard, but on just the human side of things. I'm glad I got to portray that through him. How was it working with Lisa Mook? It was amazing to say the least. She's a superstar. I learn a lot from her. She was so nice to me. We hung out a lot. We're still good friends now. I'm glad I got to go and see her do her thing at Coachella. That was very good. Your dancing entrance at a TV show went viral. So, talk about your dancing in the show. I've always loved singing, dancing and acting. It was just which one would give me the first opportunity to get up there? So, it was acting with this one. But, you know, now I'm actually doing music too. Like, I'm working with a few producers. I'm trying to get some music out, but I'm still very new to that industry. I'm new to all of this, but I just want to try it out, and I think we've got something. Do you think your next project is a musical? Maybe not like a musical on stage, but I'd like to make tracks like something in R&B, which I've always listened to, Usher and Chris Brown, growing up. I just want to make an original track of my own. I love dancing, so it's going to be a track that you can groove to for sure. You look amazing today. Can you describe who you're wearing? So today I actually wanted to incorporate US and Thailand as it signifies my first time really working in the US as a Thai man. This tuxedo is Brooks Brothers. I wanted to incorporate some Thai in it. So, I found a lady in Thai town who makes these lovely sashes, which is like a traditional sash that grooms would typically wear on their wedding day over their white suit. So, I thought this would be a nice incorporation of it. Sherry Cola, Actress and Comedienne Photo: Sthanlee B. Mirador Love your outfit. What was your inspiration for your outfit? Listen, the inspiration is Shanghai, my motherland. The city I was born in. This is Xiao and the designer is kind of winking at Shanghai in 1930. Paris of the East. Just representing in every way. Who are you looking forward to meeting here at the gala this year? I heard Megan Thee Stallion's here, so that's going to be a party. I'm lucky enough to already know a lot of these beautiful people and just to say hello and check in and kind of remind ourselves that we have a lot to celebrate, but a lot more to fight for as well. What do you think about the representation now in Hollywood for AAPI? Listen, we've made a lot of progress, but I feel like every single year we have to show that we're worthy. We have to keep reminding them that our stories deserve to be heard, and we deserve to be seen. So, it's just definitely a mountain to climb still. But we're in this together and it's really refreshing to just see you and be like, hey, you're killing it. Keep doing your thing. I'm rooting for you. We'll collaborate soon. You know what I mean? It's cool. What are your new projects this year? Look out for 'Bride Hard' in theaters on June 20th. It's me, Rebel Wilson, and a campy stellar cast - Gigi Zumbado, Da'Vine Joy Randolph. And then also, I'll be joining season three of the TV series 'Shrinking,' which I'm excited about. Jon Chu, Director of 'Wicked' and 'Wicked: For Good' Photo: Sthanlee B. Mirador So how are you handling this AAPI representation in Hollywood? When I was starting here 20 years ago, you did not have stuff like this. You didn't even have a community like this. Now I'm, like, awestruck by some of these people here. A lot of these people here. Look how good they look. Look at how our representation is in all media. We're dominating so many things. And this is just the beginning. There's a lot more work to be done. But we have to acknowledge the accomplishments. This is a lot of work from a lot of people who put their careers on the line and trained when they didn't know there were going to be jobs on the other side, honed their craft, and now they get to shine. That's a beautiful thing. Why do you think the Gold House Gala is very important to be held? Because I think it's important to celebrate. It's important to say acknowledge that this doesn't go unseen, that we ourselves can look at our own community and be proud of our people, our brothers and our sisters. To me, that means everything. What's next for you? Well, I'm finishing up 'Wicked Part Two' right now, 'Wicked: For Good'. So that's consuming my mind, and I have five children. That has taken up a lot of time. — LA, GMA Integrated News
Black America Web
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Black America Web
Red Carpet Gallery: Megan Thee Stallion Serves BAWDY In Quinne Li At The 2025 Gold Gala, See What Other Stars Wore
Source: Rodin Eckenroth / Getty When it's time for Megan Thee Stallion to step on a red carpet, we already know the Hot Girl is going to slay. Her fashion moments give style, attitude, and BAWDY – and her recent Gold House Gala appearance was no exception. Held on May 10 in Los Angeles, the fourth annual Gold Gala brought out Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) excellence and the stars who support these communities. At the event, Megan received the prestigious One House Honor for paying homage to Asian Pacific culture. More specifically, Gold House highlighted 'Mamushi,' her recent single featuring Yuki Chiba. The song's video, filmed in Japan, was a visual love letter to Japanese cinema and culture. Meg merged hip hop, pop culture, and Japanese style in a way that only she can. So, Megan showed up to the swanky soiree with gratitude for Gold House and AAPI culture while rocking an Asian fashion-forward slay that we are still swooning over. Megan Thee Stallion Serves BAWDY In Quinne Li At The Gold House Gala The Houston hot girl wore a jaw-dropping black gown from Quinne Li that demanded attention from every angle. The dramatic piece featured a sheer lace bodice with her curves on full display. Around the bodice was a 3-D, bold circular black sculptural padding gracing her bust and hips. Megan's Quinne Li gown also featured a high-neck mandarin collar to bring in sophisication, a satin embroidered skirt, and an ultra-high slit to show off her killer legs. But that wasn't the only part of Meg's figure she flexed – the entire dress gave BAWDY . Every detail of the fit was intentional and high-impact – just like she is. Source: Araya Doheny / Getty The 'HISS' rapper paired the statement gown with simple black heels, dangling statement earrings, and a smoldering beat that featured winged liner and a soft rose lip. Megan brought the Asian inspiration up a notch, styling her rich auburn-red hair into a funky ponytail with blunt ends. Her hair and beauty were giving anime villain, dominatrix couture, and soft glam all in one. Megan didn't just attend the Gold Gala—she slayed it. And in a space centered on cultural collaboration and representation, her presence was powerful and her fashion made the statement clear: she came with respect, beauty, and BAWDY! GALLERY: From Megan Thee Stallion To H.E.R., See All The Stars Who Slayed The 2025 Gold House Gala While we are still gagging over Meg's look, she wasn't the only star cameras spotted on the carpet. Scroll through our gallery below to see some of our other favorite stars. We're talking Jordan Chiles, H.E.R., Jhené Aiko, and more. Red Carpet Gallery: Megan Thee Stallion Serves BAWDY In Quinne Li At The 2025 Gold Gala, See What Other Stars Wore was originally published on Source:Getty H.E.R. embraced an ultra-feminine, yet sleek look for the Gold Gala. She wore a fitted strapless chocolate brown Kim Shui gown that hugged in all the right places. With double slits, layered gold accessories, and signature tinted shades, she gave rich auntie elegance with a side of cool. H.E.R.'s hair as always was big, voluminous, and a moment in itself. Source:Getty Jordan Chiles stepped onto the 2025 Gold House Gala carpet looking like a whole moment in this daring black cutout gown that gave body-ody-ody from every angle. The Olympian served athletic glam with a sculpted halter neckline, edgy chest and waist cutouts, and a curve-hugging silhouette that shimmered under the lights. She completed the look with soft glam makeup, and gold hoops. Source:Getty Jhené was one of the only stars in a bright color at the golden night – and it made the sultry singer and entrepreneur stand out! She arrived in a hot pink ruffled moment that gave drama, romance, and a little leg—all at once. The asymmetrical mini-to-maxi hemline floated effortlessly as she served goddess energy with soft waves and glowing skin. This was ethereal but make it sexy, and we're here for every tier of it. Source:Getty It was a model family affair as Aoki Lee Simmons, Kimora Lee Simmons, and Ming Lee Simmons hit the 2025 Gold Gala. From mama Kimora Lee's look to her daughters' Aoki Lee and Ming Lee's slay, each ensemble was elegant, elevated, and a glamorous take on red carpet slays. Source:Getty Jeannie Mai went bold in texture play with a fluffy taupe feathered top and a sculptural black leather-like ball skirt from Prabal Gurung. She topped it off with statement earrings and chunky gold cuffs, proving she's not afraid to go high fashion with an edge. 10 out of 10, Jeannie! Black America Web Featured Video CLOSE
Daily Mail
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Megan Thee Stallion and Jordan Chiles lead WORST dressed celebs on Gold House Gala red carpet 2025
Actors, filmmakers, musicians, activists and authors all graced the red carpet at the Gold House Gala in Los Angeles last night. The event - which is now in its fourth annual year - is held to honor Asian American and Pacific Islander leaders who have made changes in American culture. Mindy Kaling, John Legend and Chrissy Teigen were all among the stars who posed up a storm for the cameras ahead of the glitzy gathering. But many famous faces - including Megan Thee Stallion and Jordan Chiles -appeared to make a misstep with their sartorial choices this year. Here, FEMAIL has rounded up the worst dressed stars. Actor Daniel Dae Kim, 56, best known for his starring roles in Lost and Hawaii Five-0, donned a stark yellow jumpsuit embellished with black detailing before also bizarrely opting for sneakers to match - although an apparent nod to Bruce Lee, the look is probably best left in the past American comedian Sherry Cola, 35, (left) and Canadian YouTube star Lilly Singh, 36, (right) both looked to be at risk of overheating with a combination of head coverings, jackets and elbow length gloves Poorna Jagannathan, 52, best known for her role in HBO drama miniseries The Night Of, caused quite a stir on the red carpet thanks to the imposing additions to her dress that resembled the shape and form of a padded blanket Stand-up comedian Atsuko Okatsuka, 36, missed the mark by styling a black-and-white polka dot patterned dress with a pair of neon orange tights and chunky platform ankle boots which failed to bring the look together
News.com.au
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Megan Thee Stallion rocks see-through underboob dress on red carpet
Rapper Megan Thee Stallion frocked up in a daring look for a red carpet event in Los Angeles over the weekend. Megan wore an unusual sheer gown to the Gold House Gala in LA, an event held to honour Asian American and Pacific Islander leaders in the US. The beaded gown had a thigh-high split, and a sheer middle section showing off the underside of the rapper's cleavage. Inside the event, which has been dubbed the 'Asian Met Gala', Megan took to the stage to accept one of the night's biggest awards. She was given the 'One House' Honor, an award given each year to recognise a key 'cross-cultural ally'. A keen anime fan, Megan Thee Stallion has frequently tipped her hat to Asian cultures in her music and imagery, most recently in the viral collaboration with Japanese rapper Yuki Chiba, Mamushi. The red carpet outing comes after Megan Thee Stallion attended last week's Met Gala in New York – and promptly broke the exclusive event's one golden rule once she was inside. Guests must adhere to a very strict no phones rule once inside the venue. Vogue describes the rule like this: 'In short: It's a secret. For this reason, guests must abide by the no phone (and therefore, no social media) policy.' There are usually a few sneak rule-breakers, but perhaps none so brazen as Megan, who used her phone to record videos with a number of celebs once she was inside. 'We not supposed to have our phone,' Megan said in one clip, walking inside the venue with fellow rapper Doja Cat and actress Tracee Ellis Ross. 'Not at all – put your phone away,' Ross told her.
