Seeing STARS

As editor-in-chief Desmond Lim steps into the whirlwind of the Cannes Film Festival for the first time, he comes away with a newfound appreciation for Chopard’s role as a patron of the arts.

- Desmond Lim

As my plane descended gently onto a landing strip by the French Riviera after a 13-hour flight from Singapore to Nice, the charming houses lining the coast came into view. Painted in shades of ivory and topped with terracotta roofs, the quaint sight set the mood for what was to come later that evening.

Soon enough, my car was stopping outside the hotel, the entrance to which was thronged by a horde of celebrity spotters and paparazzi. As I weaved among them and stepped inside, I was met with yet another crowd in the lobby. Some paced up and down while speaking into their phones, while others stood around silently, wonder written all over their faces. Either way, the excitement was palpable.

“Welcome to Hotel Martinez!” greeted a receptionist from behind the counter. “This is where all the celebrities are staying,” she said knowingly, as if she had somehow heard my inner thoughts. In that moment, I realised that the intensity filling the room was emanating from a horde of anxious creatives (fashion stylists, make-up and hair artists, brand representatives and photographers) waiting to be let into their rooms. As I surveyed their anxious faces, it dawned upon me that the clock was ticking—and it was nearly showtime.

An hour later, I was back in the lobby, all suited up. The room was no quieter, but this time, the air smelt like a mish-mash of Angel from Mugler and Oud from Tom Ford. Alton Mason, the first black male model to have walked for Chanel, brushed past me hurriedly—clad in full Balenciaga—as we jostled our way through the mob and into our respective cars.