Starlight Hotel is nestled on a corner in KL’s heritage nucleus on Jalan Hang Kasturi. The area on a whole is undergoing a revamp. Driving up the road towards it (and the photoshoot for this issue’s cover) I pass by Else Hotel along Jalan Tun H S Lee, whose interiors are filled with chic contemporary art curations and concept dining spaces. Mushrooming out the back lanes are a field of hipster chic cafes and speakeasies, catering to those of us who want a glossed up local experience. Sipping a cocktail under the coquettish gaze of 1920’s Chinese girls painted across Najib Bamadhaj’s Pride and Prejudice on Concubine’s first floor walls, for example, makes one feel like a well-heeled extra in a Southeast Asian film noir. Starlight Hotel, however, feels embalmed in the Modernist era of 1970’s KL. Picking my way up three flights of stairs, I notice streams of light flooding over the patterned carpeting of the hotel, and am hit by a wave of nostalgia. Notions of architecture and design as narrators of time and space come to me.
This concept that visual, olfactory, or auditory cues can concoct holistic stories was reinforced from my first meeting with Li Tim Koh a day earlier. PRESTIGE’s September cover star and part of the PRESTIGE 40 Under 40 Class of 2024, Li Tim stands at over six feet tall. He strides over to meet me with an outstretched hand and smile that merge shyly boyish with devastatingly debonair. Almost immediately, I exclaim over his tangerine shirt. Emblazoned with grooving grizzly bears, it at once became my favourite sartorial moment of that week. “Thanks! It’s from a New York label, ‘Band of Outsiders’. It’s really old, I usually wear it on Christmas. I guess they’re party bears?” He laughs appreciatively at the compliment.
Denne historien er fra September 2024-utgaven av Prestige Malaysia.
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Denne historien er fra September 2024-utgaven av Prestige Malaysia.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
FEELING NEAT
The Balvenie 30 combines traditional techniques with rich, layered flavours, offering a refined quaff for collectors and connoisseurs alike.
CROWNED AS KING
King Living brings home the gold with a double victory at the 2024 Australian Good Design Awards.
ART DECO DREAMS
Khoon Hooi and PRESTIGE hosted an exclusive afternoon tea unveiling the eponymous designer's Art Deco-inspired collection, where guests embraced couture in anticipation of the PRESTIGE KL Ball.
MYTH OF THE MAN
In dedication to his late mother, Myth: Evolution’ takes us through the personal and professional journey of Dato’ Sri Bernard Chandran through the vision of the dragon.
GREEN IS THE WARMEST COLOUR
From green initiatives to mythical beast-imbued writing instruments, our eclectic list of toys is sure to usher in the end-of-year cheer.
FOOD AWAKENING
From shopping sprees to setting off for Sabah and savouring some weekend hotel dining, it looks like food lovers are in for a busy month ahead.
AUTUMN JAUNTS
From deep waters off the coast of Singapore to the racetracks of Dubai, our travel recommendations for November ensures diversity in choice, and excitement in the experience.
REDEFININING URBAN LIVING
Sustainability, safety, and style come together in the innovative Swedish marque's latest all-electric compact SUV, designed for the modern city dweller.
PORT OF CALL
During the last week of September every year, the action in the Mediterranean’s glamorous enclave of Monte Carlo shifts to the famous Port Hercules for the annual Monaco Yacht Show, allowing visitors a glimpse of some of the finest yacht launches.
THE FIRST WAVES
From backstage interviews to KL cuisine under the Johor sun, the Ombak Festival's debut made its mark.