Now It’s Kaitlyn’s Turn On the Magazine Cover.
The Vogue Hong Kong editor shares which magazines she's reading and her favorite Vogue brand in another country.
NOW IT’S KAITLYN’S TURN ON THE MAGAZINE COVER.
Usually, Kaitlyn’s in charge of creating the magazine cover. In her work as Vogue Hong Kong’s English Editor, she’s profiled some of the biggest names in culture for the publication’s cover stories. To name a few, she’s interviewed and written about JISOO from Blackpink, Haerin from NewJeans, Olympic medalist Eileen Gu, and Brandon Flynn (who played Justin Foley in 13 Reasons Why)! Kaitlyn writes with a strong narrative voice, and I find that her sentences maintain the balance between depth and efficient word-use. When asked to describe her writing style, she says this: “You know that voice of a narrator you hear when you watch a play — I kind of want to be that.” With Vogue, she’s also travelled around Asia for press tours and organized some high-profile events in the city, including last month’s 5-year Vogue Hong Kong anniversary. With THE CHOW, it’s now her turn to be on the magazine cover. Here are her recommendations:
Read Vogue Philippines 🇵🇭
Vogue Philippines did a cover story on Maria Oggay, the famous indigenous tattoo artist who lives in the mountains. No other Vogue brand would be able to pull off such a legendary profile. I feel like the Philippines is one of the only places in the world where people are really proud of their culture and can put it in a magazine cover.
Here in Hong Kong and elsewhere in Asia, I noticed we’re so focused on getting big-name megawatt stars on our magazine covers. But Vogue Philippines is more focused on actually venturing into the depths of their country and writing about the people that make it what it is. If I spoke Tagalog, I’d want to work in Vogue Philippines.
Nasi Kuning 🇮🇩🍚
My grandma is Indonesian-Chinese, and I’d always request her to make a Nasi Kuning — it’s yellow rice with scrambled eggs and shredded chicken. Especially now in the winter it’s great to eat since the dish is heavy and oily.
Eat raw cucumbers 🥒
Another thing I eat with it on the side with Nasi Kuning: raw cucumber, whole. I like to just bite it.
Scrolling on social media 🤳
Because my work deals with so much pop culture, scrolling on Instagram does a lot for my research. Lots of magazines write about trends, and to actually do that, you can only do research by scrolling. You just have to have been there.
@diet_paratha on Instagram 🧥👜🥾
There’s an account called @diet_paratha that focuses on the South Asian fashion scene. I don’t think it’s being talking about enough. Vogue doesn’t have a big presence in South Asia, and @diet_paratha shares names of many up-and-coming designers in the region. So I learn a lot from seeing their designs, which I wouldn’t have been exposed to otherwise!
Street-side boutiques in Seoul 🛍️🏙️
I think most of my wardrobe is from one trip in Seoul. Mostly from street-side boutiques, with no name whatsoever. They sell a ton of clothes for very good prices. I have five pairs of the same trousers from these nameless Korean stores — they fit me so well and they were like 100 HKD.
i-D Magazine! 📖
When i-D writes profiles of celebrities, they take a more alternative perspectives — writing a lot about the weird quirks and hobbies they might have, showing what actually makes them special beyond what they’re famous for. Vogue tends to play it safe in terms of their writing, so reading a magazine that takes a few more risks can be refreshing!