MILAN — Most of Italy’s fashion elite gathered under one roof Tuesday for Vogue’s annual fashion spectacle in the historic Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II shopping arcade, featuring performances by Alicia Keys and Italian ballet star Roberto Bolle. Part runway show, part cultural performance, this year’s Vogue World highlighted Italian craftsmanship and human creativity in the age of artificial intelligence. Donatella Versace sat alongside Gucci's Demna, Balenciaga's Pierpaolo Piccioli and Valentino's Alessandro Michele – the latter three having recently completed a game of fashion house musical chairs. Miuccia Prada, Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana were also on hand for the event that celebrated the kind of handcraftsmanship that has put Italy at the center of luxury fashion. About half of the world’s luxury apparel, footwear and leather goods are produced in Italy. Gigi Hadid opened the evening gliding through the arcade in a gold brocade gown celebrating the Italian Renaissance. Jennifer Lopez, arriving with designers Dolce and Gabbana, took a turn in a black evening dress. Supermodel Eva Herzegova led a tribute to the late Giorgio Armani, who died last September. Many designer wears were recognizable as they blazed across the marble gallery floor on models, Italian celebrities and athletes — including trailing Moncler puffers, Prada’s banana-print button down shirt, a safety pin-cinched Versace evening gown, a Pucci print and a Bottega Veneta fiberglass coat. Keys closed the evening performing in a beaded dress with a regal train under the Galleria's glass dome. Bolle, who performed with dancers from La Scala's academy, presented her with a rose. Milan was the last of the four major fashion capitals to host the event, which launched in New York in 2022, followed by editions in London, Paris and Los Angeles. This edition raised money for a cultural center fostering fashion, music and artistic talent at the Quarto Oggiaro Library in northwestern Milan.

Chinese first lady Peng Liyuan has long been a symbol of China’s fashion soft power at high-profile global summits as she accompanies President Xi Jinping. She has eschewed Western luxury labels and logos in favour of chic local brands and modern Chinese styles – a well-tailored qipao, say, or elegant scarves and coats in formal yet feminine colours. Case in point: the outfit she wore as she stepped off the plane for the much-anticipated Xi-Trump meeting in the US on Wednesday. Her grey dress,...

Comprising 100 performers, led by conductor Yan Huichang, “Thousand Reeds, One Universe” was both the beginning and the end. The concert on September 20 was the conclusion of the International Sheng and Reeds Festival 2026 and a successful commencement of the 2026/27 season of the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra (HKCO). Continuing the vision of the festival to forge a borderless world in harmony, the concert brought together a family of reed instruments from around China and the world, including the...

Circus performers Thanh Hoa and Hiển Phước of the HCM City Arts Centre won the Silver Award at the 4th Minsk International Festival of Circus Arts in Belarus.

The highlight is a fashion show featuring Vietnamese students in the traditional 'áo dài', attracting an enthusiastic response from visitors

Few celebrations illuminate Hong Kong quite like the Mid-Autumn Festival, a time to light up the streets with glowing lanterns, gaze at the moon and share mooncakes with loved ones. This weekend features many Mid-Autumn-themed activities to make it a little more fun. Here are five things to do in Hong Kong to elevate your celebrations. 1. An Evening of Lunar Resonance Visual art and music collide in this Mid-Autumn chamber music event happening on Saturday. “Design × Chinese Orchestra: An...

UNIS just released their final single as a group.

The Việt Nam Musicians’ Association plans to build a digital music museum to preserve the country’s musical heritage and make scores, recordings and archival materials more accessible.

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September is Philippine Film Industry Month. Here are 10 Filipino indie films to watch online for free.

MANILA, Philippines — The Michelin Guide will return to the Philippines to unveil its second restaurant selection for Manila and Environs and Cebu, coinciding with the global gastronomy community’s celebration of the Michelin Star’s 100th anniversary. The Michelin Guide Restaurant Ceremony will be held on Oct. 29 at the Manila Marriott Hotel at Newport World Resorts. The 2027 edition builds on the inaugural Philippine selection, continuing the guide’s recognition of the country’s culinary heritage, hospitality and emerging generation of culinary talent. The ceremony will also highlight the distinctions awarded by the guide, including One, Two and Three Michelin Stars, Bib Gourmand and Michelin Selected. The Michelin Star recognizes culinary excellence, with restaurants receiving one, two or three stars based on the level of achievement. Bib Gourmand recognizes establishments offering good-quality cooking at good value, while Michelin  Selected establishments meet the guide’s standards and are considered worthy of a visit. The 2027 ceremony carries added significance as the Michelin Star marks its 100th anniversary. The star rating system was introduced in 1926 and has since become one of the guide’s distinctions for recognizing restaurants that deliver outstanding dining experiences. Each restaurant included in the selection is independently assessed by anonymous Michelin Guide inspectors using five universal criteria: the quality of the ingredients, mastery of cooking techniques, harmony of flavors, personality of the cuisine, and consistency both over time and across the menu. The inspectors’ assessments are applied across the guide’s destinations, providing a consistent basis for evaluating restaurants regardless of location or culinary style. The Oct. 29 ceremony will also feature a curated food and beverage experience prepared by a selection of local and international chefs recognized by the Michelin Guide. The event is invitation-only but will be accessible to a wider audience through a livestream on the Michelin Guide Asia YouTube channel.

Taylor Swift is releasing a new version of her 2025 album "The Life of a Showgirl."

The provincial government of Batangas recently launched free rhinoplasty and blepharoplasty services for qualified residents.

We have selected seven Lifestyle stories from the past seven days that resonated with our readers. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. All about Hong Kong’s herbal teas and how Gen Z is reviving the health tradition Long before modern chain pharmacies and over-the-counter painkillers were readily available in Hong Kong, there were leung cha: intensely bitter herbal “cooling teas” brewed in massive brass cauldrons in traditional open-front shops. 2. How...

As many as 250 international and regional experts will attend to contribute Asia-Pacific experience and perspectives to the ongoing international reflection on authenticity within the World Heritage system.

A highlight of the Film Week is a programme featuring 15 films and six films selected from the Hiền tài hôm nay (Talents of Today) Short Film Contest.

Global theatre producer Crossroads Live UK has announced a worldwide recruitment drive for wigs, lighting and automation roles ahead of an upcoming multi-year world tour of the hit musical Hamilton. According to Crossroads Live’s website, the production “will visit a multitude of territories, starting in Asia in late 2026”, with salaries for the roles to be “discussed upon offer”. Meanwhile, recent social media posts appeared to show screenshots of a Hamilton website listing performance dates in...

Are Hongkongers starting to get bored of Shenzhen? Lately, when I ask friends and acquaintances if they have any weekend plans north of the border, there is a lot less enthusiasm in their replies. I see a lot of shrugs, or people saying they don’t know when they’re going next. I have no exact figures but anecdotally, the people around me are not doing as many day trips to our neighbouring city. I cannot say if there is an actual decline in traffic. In fact, the evidence might point to the...

Ben&Ben has released their first-ever anthology album, “Nine.”

The award recognises her creative contributions to preserving, practising and promoting folk music, helping to spread cultural heritage to communities and younger generations.

Duo Love has been performed at numerous international festivals and competitions, with the act continuously refined in terms of technique and artistic expression.

By weaving its four iconic bays into a seamless, world-class cruise itinerary, Khánh Hòa is moving away from isolated attractions to pioneer a connected coastal ecosystem – poised to capture the global high-spending tourist market.

The Michelin Guide is back for another year in the Philippines!

Capella Hanoi, Hotel de la Coupole – MGallery, and InterContinental Danang Sun Peninsula Resort, three luxury hospitality landmarks developed by Sun Group, have been officially honoured in the 2026 Michelin Key selection. Notably, Capella Hanoi continues to retain Three Michelin Keys, the highest tier within this prestigious global hotel rating system.

Vietnamese pianist Lưu Đức Anh will join the HCM City Ballet Symphony Orchestra and Opera (HBSO) to celebrate the music of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, one of the most iconic composers of the Romantic era, at a concert in the Saigon Opera House on September 26.

Taylor Lautner and his wife, Taylor, have welcomed their first child, a baby girl named Lennon Taylor.

Miss Universe Jamaica 2025 Gabrielle Henry has filed a lawsuit against the Miss Universe Organization (MUO) and two of its parent companies, JKN Legacy Inc. and Legacy Holding Group USA, over her onstage fall in Bangkok, Thailand, in November 2025.

Singaporean architect Chang Yong Ter and his client go back to their army days in the late 1980s, when both attended officer cadet school. They lost touch afterwards, reconnecting only decades later when Chang’s work appeared in a magazine, and his old friend recognised the name. By then, the client had already set his sights on a plot: a corner site in Bukit Timah, one of the island’s toniest neighbourhoods. “I thought the plot had potential,” the client says. “It was squarish and elevated with...

A short film depicting an unexpected friendship between a Pakistani tailor and a Hong Kong florist has scooped the top Hong Kong prize at this year’s Inspiring Asia Micro Film Festival. Between the Unsaid, produced by Kaneeta Arshad and directed by Qasim Khan, champions integration and how different communities in the city should work and learn together. “We see this very commonly in Hong Kong with our parents or someone who comes from outside Hong Kong,” Khan says. “There’s a communication...

Randy Santiago has undergone a second cataract surgery one year after his previous procedure.