Jessica Jung (정수연), the American-born Korean pop star, actress and fashion designer, has been named as Revlon’s new ambassador, fronting the company’s campaigns in Asia.
   The K-pop star will appear in Revlon’s global campaigns for Super Lustrous and ColorStay, and new lines such as Total Color permanent hair colour.
   Jung’s campaigns break in spring 2020 across all media platforms. The first released photo from Revlon (top) was shot by Mario Sorrenti.
   ‘Revlon has always represented the epitome of glamour for me,’ said Jung in a release. ‘As a young girl growing up in San Francisco, I couldn’t help but be dazzled by the bold imagery of iconic women wearing Revlon make-up! To now be part of these legendary Revlon ambassadors is a thrill and an honour.’
   Those she joins include Gal Gadot, Sofia Carson, Ashley Graham, Adwoa Aboah, and Eniola Abioro.
   ‘We were drawn to Jessica because she is a force of nature, channelling her positive energy and entrepreneurial mindset into achieving her goals and breaking boundaries all along the way,’ said Silvia Galfo, Revlon global brand president. ‘She loves to experiment with beauty and has an unapologetic spirit that helps her transcend convention, perfectly capturing our “Live Boldly” ethos. We’re thrilled to have her as part of the Revlon family.’
   Jung moved to Korea at 11 and was discovered at a South Korean shopping mall with her sister, Krystal. From there she was part of a girl group, Girls’ Generation, which propelled her to fame. She runs her own fashion line, Blanc & Eclare. Jung is multilingual speaking English, Korean and Mandarin.

Taiwanese singer Jeff Chang (張信哲/张信哲), known for his Mandarin pop ballads, has been named a brand ambassador for OB Entertainment (歐寶娛樂/欧宝娱乐), a China-based sports’ betting platform. Chang will collaborate with OB on numerous ventures, both on- and offline. It also expects to promote itself beyond China’s borders.
   While the deal was inked on February 20, Chang appeared at his first event in Beijing on March 20 to announce the agreement publicly, and to have a commemorative signing.
   Representing OB at the event was its PR head for Asia-Pacific, LeBron Marsdena.
   OB says that Chang’s evergreen image, along with his stability in the entertainment world, made him a perfect fit to convey the company’s values and strategy, and calls it the start of a new era.
   OB already has an agreement with Valencia CF in football.
   OB’s web presences are fluid—it often shifts addresses—although sports’ betting is legal in China, provided citizens use domestic bookmakers only.

Above: Promotional graphics have already been produced showing the brand ambassadorship.

My computer thinks I am a woman.
   I found out quite a long time ago, but it was mostly just a funny topic for small-talk between friends.
   How did I recognize this about my computer? Sometimes via the feminine form of address though Google Translate, sometimes by ‘Merci, Mademoiselle Dmitry Kostyukov d’avoir acheté votre TGV ticket,’ sometimes by automatic redirection to the women’s section at online shops and other small businesses. Did I do something specificially for this? No. It just happened somehow.
   One day, I got an email with proposing a collaboration. After a brief conversation, I realized that it was sent to me not as a photographer, but as a model for a women’s swimsuit brand. And yes, they produce swimming suits only for women, and are a company founded by women. Of course they are very progressive, from the north of Europe, and use diverse models.
   I never hid my identity, and I decided to say ‘Yes’ to see how the algorithm would work on me. On January 22, I became a Bright Ambassador with the nickname Bright_Woman. The algorithm recommended a Bora-Bora bikini or Scarlet Cora one-piece. I decided to start with Scarlet. I received a welcome email from the CEO (obviously automated), and the possibility to share a 15 per cent discount with my friends (let me know if you need one) and, of course, a package with a swimming suit: welcome to the intersection of the online and offline worlds. Indeed, I know this is the way that brands try to sell their products—we all know it—but there is also the way that the machine see us. So what might it see? I weigh 82 kg, which probably means a plus-size (for the average height) woman, who sometimes reads feminist texts, with 10,000 followers on Instagram. Apparently, I suit their advertising.
   Is it all true? I got the message during the winter. If my computer knows me at least a little bit, it should know I never ever go to the beach on vacation. I’ve probably gone on a holiday where you need a swimming suit and head to the beach a maximum of two times in my life. I’m not even sure if I have a togs or shorts. But the algorithm assumes I do.
   Using the brand’s Instagram and iconic Dutch beach portraits as references, I went to the nearest beach—at Den Haag in February, with the crazy wind, rain and a 7°C temperature (which felt like 0°C)—to connect the algorithm and a contemporary brand’s vision with my actual reality.—Dmitry Kostyukov

Dmitry Kostyukov

Word reaches us that the Oberoi chain is about to announce a long-overdue top-tier loyalty programme, something that’s been absent in the brand while competitors have refined the art over recent years.
   Following our stay at Oberoi’s Wildflower Hall property in Shimla last year, we acquired a rosy glow for the brand. The remarkable level of service and attention impressed us—every detail of our stay was picture-perfect. This under a wave of adverse conditions, not the least of which was a freak snowstorm that closed the mountaintop. We could go on at length about the beautiful repair of the property, its situation atop the venerable hill station, the high professionalism of staff, the richness of the welcome, and the component of over-the-top attention. Exceptionalism at every aspect. While our experience with Oberoi has been routinely excellent, the Shimla property put our opinion into the stratosphere.
   We are looking forward to learning more about Oberoi One, the brand’s guest recognition programme, which promises a spate of exclusive personalized benefits and privileges. While member-only rates on the website, happy hours at the bar, complimentary stays and upgrades sound alluring and in keeping with competitor brands, the advantage of flexible check-in and check-out timings has an enlightened aspect that can only sweeten the otherwise long-awaited offering for the frequent traveller.—Stanley Moss, Travel Editor

Jean-Baptiste Mondino

Actress Kristen Stewart fronts Chanel’s spring–summer 2020 ready-to-wear campaign, photographed by Jean-Baptiste Mondino.
   The collection, as shown in Lucire’s print editions, took place last September on a set that echoed the rooftops of Paris, and Mondino’s campaign photographs echo the theme.
   In some shots, Stewart appears “weightless”, something that the campaign aims to catch.
   She said, ‘The mood of the campaign felt sort of suspended like that moment when you jump into the air and you are weightless.
   ‘The clothes felt like they could move, and they could dance, and they could run, and breathe and I felt like it was a breath of fresh air, really modern and clearly from a female perspective as well. It seemed to me that these clothes have been made by somebody who might wear them herself. We really do need to feel light, we need to feel like we can run right now as women. And these clothes make that feel possible.’
   ‘For me, with this décor that was both minimalist and grandiose, there was a desire to breathe, in the absence of effects, the purity, the delicacy, the femininity, the lightness of the girls on the rooftops, the simplicity in the way they walked,’ said Mondino.
   Stewart has been a Chanel ambassador since 2015, and was the face of the house’s Métiers d’Art collection for 2013–14 (Paris–Dallas) and 2015–16 (Paris in Rome). She posed for Karl Lagerfeld in Chanel’s Gabrielle bag campaign in 2017, then the Gabrielle Chanel perfume campaign. Most recently, Stewart was the face of the autumn–winter 2019–20 make-up collection, Noir et blanc de Chanel.
   Chanel creative director Virginie Viard has repurposed the tweed of the classic jacket as a dress with a flared skirt, a navy blue, red and white strapless playsuit, and a multicoloured checked playsuit. Also in the campaign is a pink taffeta jacket and pleated skirt, a silk organza sequinned jacket and chiffon top, crêpe de Chine shorts, and a black and ecru playsuit. Chanel also sees the return of the 11.12 bag covered in sequins or in tweed. Ankle straps are in block colour or two-tone grosgrain. Jewellery is heavily layered: necklaces, cuff bracelets, and brooches.
   In an interview, Stewart expresses her admiration for Viard. ‘There is an originality and a sort of unique thing that she brings to a room she walks into and I feel like her clothes do the same thing. They feel like a gasping breath. There is a sort of radicality going into it, there is something kind of mad about them, but fun and also grounded in the history of Chanel. I am very proud of her and really humbled to wear them.’
   The collection hits stores on February 24.

Cacharel has launched Yes I Am Fabulous, the third fragrance in a range it has dubbed Yes I Am. Actress Shay Mitchell (Pretty Little Liars) fronts the campaign.
   Mitchell currently stars in Dollface on Hulu, and had been in the Netflix series You, produced by Greg Berlanti. Thanks to her appeal to teen audiences in Pretty Little Liars, Mitchell built up a substantial social media following, which she has built on with a YouTube channel and clothing and jewellery lines. She is behind a lifestyle and travel line called Béis. Through these media, she has four million YouTube subscribers and c. 26 million Instagram followers.
   Cacharel’s Yes I Am range comprises three fragrances, three scents and three colours, aimed at ‘today’s generation of empowered young women: diverse, outspoken and determined to get what they want and deserve, all the while happily obsessing over celebs or sharing the latest trends in make-up.’
   The new fragrance is described as unveiling a personality that is ‘bolder, more sensual, more glamorous and unexpected.’ There is a common base with the already launched Yes I Am fragrances: a signature called Spicy Cremoso, which contrasts a creamy accord with a spicy cardamom.
   The scent has top notes of blackberry and rhubarb, amplified with pink pepper, a heart of jasmin sambac, ginger flower, and purple heliotrope, and base notes of santal, vanilla and hazelnut milk.
   Its packaging mirrors lipstick, with smoky glass and a gold-toned collar.
   The promotional film directed by So Me features Mitchell, Mademoiselle Gloria, Rachel Tee-Tyler, Marta Lozano, and Cajsa Wessberg. The soundtrack features Norman’s ‘Feelin’ Good’.