Top from Topshop, trousers and slippers by Zara, and bag by Mansur Gavriel.It’s raining like a woman sobbing at a Japanese crying hotel today, but on Friday we were blessed with beautiful lighting when we shot at EAST Hotel Beijing. I stayed at the EAST in Hong Kong when I went in January, so it was interesting to compare these two sisters. The Beijing edition is younger, has more open space to work, read, and just rewind. Plus it’s smack next door to the 798 Art District which sets the tone for the classy-artsy types staying here. Tall ceilings and little working cubicles make this the perfect environment to catch up on emails and have some Cronuts.

Sidenote: am I the only one who did not know that Cronuts are a cross between donuts and a croissants. Because I totes thought they were a type of nut. Also, I saw Ai Wei Wei and his team working up on the second floor, but was mentally fangirling too hard to think of a functional way to say hi. Next time then.

Jacket courtesy of REISS, HM pants, Stefanel sweater, Doc Martens shoes

Hong Kong was a flash, a wink, yet a decade ago. I think I’ve grown up a lot during and since that trip back in January. I stayed at Lanson Place in Causeway bay, which provided a peaceful retreat from long adventurous days.

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Beijing holds a special place for me. While I never lived here until this September, it’s where my family is from and it’s where I feel more at home than anywhere else in the world. For this reason, I find discovering special places extremely gratifying. The Waldorf Astoria Hotel Beijing has been one of my favorite finds so far.

As an introverted art-lover and no-colour-wearer, I felt immediately at home. Upon entering, I felt removed from the bustling Wangfujing pedestrian shopping street nearby. The last time I felt like I was in a special place was back in Vienna.

Waldorf Astoria also offers a private Hutong Courtyard, linked to the main hotel building by an underground passage. This is a more luxurious and elegant option for travellers looking for a more personal and exclusive experience of Beijing.

The hotel features meticulously curated artwork by both Chinese and international contemporary artists, showcasing Beijing’s cultural identity, juxtaposed with contemporary gestures to its modern sophistication.

My favourite piece is ‘Palace Servant’ by Ling Jian, a large-scale oil painting 300cm in diameter.

The Waldorf Astoria Beijing is not Louis Vuitton – it’s Maison Martin Margiela. The space holds itself with calm grandeur and contemporary elegance that I hope transcends from its walls and into the rest of the city.

Lazy Oaf dress, Jump From Paper bag, Choies shoes, Zara jacket, and Maqaroon bracelet.

I’m really stoked to introduce a Taiwanese brand, Jump From Paper, who make these incredibly cute 2D-looking bags and accessories. One is a backpack that my laptop fits into perfectly, and the other one I’m holding on the couch (forgive the smoozy posing, I do that whenever I don’t know how to pose) hugs my iPad like a love-glove. The first time I saw their bags, I remember I was in art class in high school, and a friend was showing me this spread from a magazine. I was like ‘Damn, are you sure that’s not photoshopped on?’ Three years later, I can confirm that they’re not.