My Journey

I began my career in journalism at a time when mobile phones were rare and Google was still in its infancy. That early pursuit of stories — from politics and policy to arts and culture — taught me that curiosity, precision, and context matter above all. Today, that same instinct drives CoutureNotebook, reaching over one million luxury enthusiasts across social media, from Instagram to Facebook and YouTube.

I've spent over three decades covering stories that matter—from central bank policy shifts and the 2004 Tsunami devastation in Aceh, to the worlds of fashion and art. My beat has taken me everywhere from economic lobbies to Yayoi Kusama's studio, film sets with Donnie Yen, and backstage at Paris couture shows, and I’ve been fortunate to write regularly for reputed international publications like Newsweek, the International Herald Tribune/New York Times and the South China Morning Post, to name a few.

In 2012, a Singapore-based couture magazine sent me to Paris to cover couture week. I became Editor-in-Chief of Couture by Designaré, gaining access to ateliers, backstage moments, and conversations with couturiers themselves. That experience changed everything—I discovered haute couture was experiencing a renaissance, driven by new wealth in emerging markets and a generation of designers committed to exceptional craftsmanship.