Joanne Peh and Qi Yuwu have just come out of hair and makeup and the studio is bustling with activity to prep for the photography session ahead. There’s a sense of anticipation in the air, with everyone having been told that the couple’s nine-year-old daughter and seven-year-old son will be joining us later in the afternoon for the family’s first-ever media shoot together. The parameters have also been clearly set: No photos of the children are to be taken and posted on social media at any time of the day. As for the shoot proper, their faces are to be partially obscured in every shot to maintain the anonymity that their parents have so fiercely protected for them all their lives.
Which begs the question of why Joanne and Yuwu have agreed to let a magazine photograph them with their children— and for a cover story, no less. After all, the celebrity couple’s need for privacy when it comes to their family is so well known that it’s public fact: Even on their own personal social media platforms, the children have their backs to the camera and their faces are never shown in their entirety; their names secreted away like in the fairytales of old, replaced with affectionate nicknames like Baby Qi (or, more recently, Mimi) and Qi Didi.
I’d very much like to claim credit for having convinced them to go ahead with today. To say that my words of assurance and promises to fully respect the family’s boundaries led them to trust ELLE Singapore with documenting this very special familyfirst occasion. But as I soon discovered during our surprisingly candid hour-and-a-half-hour interview, that is not at all the case. Their decision has less to do with my trustworthiness and salesmanship than the fact that Joanne and Yuwu—who are celebrating their 10th anniversary next month—have simply reached a stage in their relationship where they’re comfortable revealing certain private aspects of their lives.
Denne historien er fra August 2024-utgaven av ELLE Singapore.
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Denne historien er fra August 2024-utgaven av ELLE Singapore.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Saffron Sharpe, 28
Style muse, storyteller, and self-love champion.
A Slice of Haven
WITH ITS BLEND OF INDUSTRIAL COOL AND TROPICAL WARMTH, Public House OFFERS A COSY RESPITE IN THE HEART OF SUKHUMVIT.
Cand bold & unfiltered
With a growing global presence and a loyal following, ATIQA DAR is carving out a space for herself-and for others-where authenticity and representation lead the way.
Vibe Check: office edition
SET THE STAGE FOR YOUR BEST YEAR YETDISCOVER HOW feng shui CAN TRANSFORM YOUR OFFICE MOJO.
CLASSICALLY Kenya
From Nairobi to the Masai Mara, a three-stop itinerary highlights the East African nation's past, present and future.
A nose for reinventing classics
CHANEL's in-house perfumer, Olivier Polge, shares how he marries heritage with modernity in every bottle.
Pop Culture
Supplements for hair, skin, and general health have never been bigger business. But do the results match the promise? JENNIFER GEORGE swallows the truth.
A Storyteller's Craft
Head of Research and Development for Watchmaking at Van Cleef & Arpels, Rainer Bernard, takes CHARMAINE HO behind the velvet curtains for a peek at the French luxury brand's award-winning creations, and the techniques that go into their making.
KESHA frees Herself
With a new album, her own record label, and a 10-year plan to upend the music industry, the LIBERATED POP STAR says anyone with \"deep, dark secrets better run.\"
Joy, Luck & Sisterhood
Mortal enemies on-screen, best friends off-screen, TASHA LOW and CHANTALLE NG are proving that the future of Singapore's entertainment industry is as radiant as their chemistry.
