It has been described as Mardi Gras meets haute couture at a Peter Gabriel concert directed by Salvador Dali – welcome to the World of WearableArt

In a leaky tent in rural New Zealand 23 years ago, the World of WearableArt (WOW) was unleashed to an unsuspecting public. It now attracts 35,000 a year to a limited season of 10 shows in Wellington and is making the upcoming Hong Kong Arts Festival its first international foray.
 
Whilst World of WearableArt has performed a number of international one-off mini shows for private performances in the past, this is the first public show that World of WearableArt has performed outside of New Zealand.
“We are delighted to be performing in Hong Kong’s 40th anniversary festival,” says WOW Founder Suzie Moncrieff.   

The WOW Show being held at the Hong Kong Arts Festival (January 29 to February 5) promises to be an inspiring, high-energy stage show that showcases the most extraordinary art-inspired costumes from all over the world. Dancers and performers create multi-layered theatre by telling stories through costume, choreography and opera – amplified by special sound and lighting effects.

Executive Head Chef at LVMH’s Château de Bagnolet, David Fransoret, pushes the culinary boundaries pairing French and Asian cuisine with icy cold cognac

On the banks of the Charente River in the heart of Cognac, lies the majestic Château de Bagnolet, an elegantly designed guesthouse owned by legendary Cognac producer, Hennessy. Playing host to the rich and famous, the Château has been the glamorous backdrop for lavish parties and innovative culinary fare for years.

During a brief visit to Hong Kong, the eighth generation of the Hennessy family, Maurice-Richard Hennessy and Executive Head Chef at Château de Bagnolet, David Fransoret tell The PEAK, friends of the LVMH-owned label are invited to savour the fine eaux-de-vie while dining on gastronomic masterpieces and reveling in the splendor of the French countryside.

The gourmet feast, prepared alongside Executive Chef of Hullett House, Chef Philippe Orrico, for a mere 60 guests, featured a starter of blue lobster soup with spheres of crispy Chinese style vegetables; a main of ginger candied and fried beef with spices and pan-fried shitake mushrooms; and, a dessert of pineapple, mango and kiwi ravioli in a passion fruit and lemongrass stock.

For those who do not want to know the forecast for the Year of the Dragon, look away now

The occurrence of a lunar eclipse this year will bring chaos to the world, causing political instability, serious diseases, natural hazards and a weak economy, predicts Feng Shui master James Lee Shing-chak, who is descended from three generations of practitioners.

With the annual ‘flying star’ located at the East sector, Lee predicted the Year of the Dragon would be a catastrophic year for countries in the East.

“The Five Yellow Star and the position of Jupiter will be in the South Eastern sector and therefore affecting South East Asia, including Hong Kong and Guangzhou, meaning that significant competition within the publishing industry will occur, causing marathon lawsuits. Also, a lot of water-related problems might arise, such as serious water pollution, poisoned crops, infectious diseases and even tsunami,” Lee forecasts.

Political turmoil will continue to haunt 2012, and bring about an extraordinary transformation in the political scene. Lee worries that this political instability will inhibit economic growth.