Lisa Ing Marinelli: Finding Momentum Through Fashion 放膽塑造真我：吳佩瑜

A corporate lawyer and fashion influencer who puts together looks showcased and sold on her own ShopLTK online boutique, Lisa Marinelli is a firm believer that women really can have it all. “So often women put themselves in a box, limiting themselves about what or how they can be,” she says, speaking from her home in London, England. “But I want to demonstrate that women can have a family and still make money and ascend through corporate structures. They can be multifaceted and express themselves in ways they want to be heard.” She’s living proof of that.

Personal StoriesFête ChinoiseMay 3, 2024fashion, Fashion, Digital Content CreatorComment

Margaret Chung: Highlighting the 'Mom' in Momentum 鍾麗淇：生命就是勇往直前

Most people know Margaret Chung as the Toronto-born actress who made her endearing debut in 1997 in the drama series Detective Investigation Files III as character 李思龍. At the time, she was a fresh face who won audiences over whenever she spoke Cantonese with her friendly Chinese-Canadian accent. So how did she then become the face of advocacy for families in Hong Kong with children with special needs?

Personal StoriesFête ChinoiseApril 26, 2024actor, chinese canadian, Chinese CanadianComment

Tiana Shern: Motivating Others Through Dance 沈頌祈: 舞出新節拍

Meet Tiana Shern, a TikTok dance sensation with over a million international followers — and counting. Born and raised in Markham, Ont., the 26-year-old Chinese Canadian started her dancing career relatively late in life. But her passion for and dedication to mixed-style hip-hop choreography have since taken her far. Based in Toronto, Shern frequently travels to Vancouver and Los Angeles to work with local dancers while honing her own dance skills through continuous training. For her, dance isn’t just a popular social trend. It’s a powerful form of interpersonal communication that brings people together, regardless of cultural background or body type.

Yoyo Sham: Unleashing the Inner Voice 岑寧兒：尋找音樂的形狀

A singer-songwriter whose passion for music is as infectious as her down-to-earth personality, Yoyo Sham is a talent on the move. When she sings the above lyric from Come What May, a Cantonese song written for her by manager Chan Wing Him, she’s not just performing. She’s giving soulful expression to her own reality as a culturally nomadic artist. As the jazz/pop/folk singer said herself in a conversation I had with her following her appearance at this past year’s Fête Chinoise Lunar New Year Gala in Toronto, she has been shaped by her constant travels around the world. Sham sings in Cantonese, English and Mandarin, languages reflecting her musical and life journey so far.

Samantha Tan: Racing to be Seen 宋心心：全速前進

When the green flag drops at the top of a race, Samantha Tan feels the adrenaline coursing through her veins. The 26-year-old motorsport professional knows the course like the back of her hand and at this point, any doubts she might have had about how to navigate it have vanished. Her focus becomes laser-sharp as she revs to the finish line.

Personal StoriesFête ChinoiseApril 5, 2024Asian representaton, Asian Representation, Sports, carComment

Derrick Fung: Grit and Glory 封德力：造「勢」者

What is the secret to being a young and successful entrepreneur? According to Derrick Fung, CEO and founder of the Drop digital loyalty platform and a past Forbes 30 Under 30, it’s all about grit and hustle — what he learned first-hand from his immigrant parents while growing up in Canada.

Personal StoriesFête ChinoiseMarch 29, 2024Asian representaton, Asian Representation, EntrepreneurComment

Alex Porat: Ready for Liftoff 用作品說話：陳愛麗

Alex Porat is on the cusp of greatness. Raised in both Toronto and Vancouver, the 26-year-old Canadian soft pop singer-songwriter began her musical journey recording covers of hit songs in her bedroom just over a decade ago, posting them on YouTube where her crystalline voice, tremulous vulnerability and alluring physical presence quickly attracted more than a million global subscribers. Today, Porat is the artist other artists are getting excited about.

Personal StoriesFête ChinoiseMarch 22, 2024singer, music, Music, Asian representaton, Asian RepresentationComment

Eva Chin: In a Shifting Culinary Landscape 錢樺溶：「味」力

Born into a family of mixed Asian heritage (her mother is Samoan-Hawaiian, and her father Singaporean-Chinese), Eva Chin was raised on her grandmother’s farm in Kahuku, Hawaii. Growing up, she learned how to harvest vegetables, fish and prepare seafood. She also became familiar with a variety of cuisines and cooking styles, from Thai to Portuguesae to Japanese. But becoming a chef wasn’t a given.

Serious About Comedy: Andrew Phung 認真演喜劇

“Going to do a stir-fry later with chicken!” says the fella who is one of the most pervasive comic celebrities in Canada. We are 40 minutes into a conversation about his life and his work — how he rose to prominence with his role on the hit Canadian sitcom Kim’s Convenience, and his new venture as master of his own CBC show, Run the Burbs — but his focus is now all on his dinner? He is a jokester after all.

Personal StoriesFête ChinoiseMarch 7, 2024Asian representaton, Asian Representation, actor, Actor, televisionComment

Stay Curious: Bernice Liu's Lifelong Journey of Wine and Beyond

We were honoured to host Bernice Liu at our Toronto Signature Event on February 3rd, 2024. Bernice, a beloved Canadian actor, has captivated audiences not only through her on-screen performances but also through her remarkable journey as a winemaker and cultural ambassador. Having previously graced the pages of Edition 7 of Fête Chinoise, it was a pleasure to catch up with Bernice once again and delve into her diverse career and profound insights.

Personal StoriesFête ChinoiseMarch 1, 2024chinese canadian, actor, chineseactor, Actor, hong kong, Hong KongComment

Remembering Ju Ming 朱銘, Sculptor and Artist

On April 22, 2023, the art world was saddened by the passing of sculptor Ju Ming 朱銘 who was aged 85. He was an internationally-renowned Taiwanese sculptural artist best known for his abstracted, blocky bronze and steel sculptures that masterfully depict human forms with unexpected sharp-edged shapes and a modern palette. A large number of his works are on permanent display in public areas around the world.

Personal Stories, Art and FashionFête ChinoiseMay 1, 2023Art, artists, sculptureComment

THE REINVENTION OF: CHEUK KWAN 關卓中：以生命影響生命

For 4 years, Cheuk crossed the globe, travelling to 13 countries, venturing behind kitchen doors to feature the journeys of 15 émigrés he found in each place. From Madagascar to Israel, from Brazil to South Africa, the real-life stories he uncovered along the way were more riveting than any work of fiction could ever be. Some were running from war, many from political oppression, a few from religious persecution; some were highly educated; some were farmers — yet all were forced to pick up a wok and a spatula — not because they loved Chinese food, but out of necessity.

Personal Stories, Design Dialogue, Film & Books, FilmFête ChinoiseApril 24, 2023Art, artistsComment