Kicking off my Hong Kong series with Maggie Stadelmann. This series is close to my heart as I am a born and bred Hong Konger. After four years of being abroad I dig back into the lifestyle I grew up with – finding the trendsetters making a mark, changing the pace in the concrete jungle.
Interview and photography by Lauren Engel
You seem to be a person of the world – break it down for us, talk us through your life!
I grew up in Hong Kong and then went to the UK where I studied arts and design. After college I decided to come back to Hong Kong and started an education that didn´t really fit me so I discontinued. It was not so easy to fit back into Hong Kong after living in the UK. I also still have family in Switzerland; my grandma and my dad´s side is all there.
Did your parents always support your creative endeavours?
Nope (laughs). My dad does, but my mom always wanted me to have a double degree. Nevertheless I tried hard and got accepted at the University of Arts in London for Fashion and Textiles and when she saw that she allowed me to go for it.
Where did your artistic background come from?
Since I was small I used to like Sailor Moon (laughs). I had a lot of friends when I was young as I went to three different schools because we kept moving. Every friend I had had different interests and I was interested in trying out their interests. So basically from a very early age I figured out that I really I like drawing and since I liked watching anime so much as well I initially thought I was going to be an anime artist.
“At a younger age I really liked meeting people and going to parties. Now that I am older and closer to the age of 30, I realize I don’t really like going to parties anymore and socializing not as much as before. Now I feel like I have more of a Chinese personality.”
What was it like to have mixed parents?
My dad is Swiss and he is really open. He thinks if I want to do something I can do it. ‘Whatever you choose we will support you’. My mom is very traditional, she thinks that you must study and study well.
Tell us about your opinion growing up Eurasian. Â Did you ever have problems with your identity?
It wasn’t difficult going to local school and growing up Eurasian because there were a few other Eurasians at my school. I think my personality makes it easy for me to get close to people so it wasn’t really a problem. However when I was in the UK I felt I was not so open anymore. Maybe it was an age issue. At a younger age I really liked meeting people and going to parties to have fun. Now that I am older and closer to the age of 30, I realize I don’t really like going to parties anymore and I am socializing not as much as before. Now I feel like I’m having more of a Chinese personality. Even when it comes to topics such as money: Normally Europeans don’t focus as much on money. Now that I am back to Hong Kong, the concept of money is mort apparent to me. I’m so Chinese now (laughs)
What got you into fashion blogging?
Actually I don’t know if I consider myself as a fashion blogger.  I do some styling, modeling and sometimes work with fashion magazines who ask me to model and style. I started modelling when Wing Sha, a well known videographer’s assistant, reached out to me and asked if I wanted to model for him. I looked at his pictures and realized he was really talented so I agreed to model. Those pictures were for a Marjiala exhibition. After that a lot of people started to know me and asked me to model for editorials, magazines or commercials. After two years I signed with an agency called Portamento.
What are your future goals?
I want to start a family and be a housewife and soon I will launch an accessories brand so I hope to do work from home and take care of my kids.
What is the inspiration for how you look?
Actually five years ago I had bright red hair. I wasn’t really into being in front of the camera back then and I just wanted to change my hair colour for fun. When I changed my colour to white I got discovered to model and at that time there was almost no one with white hair as people were still into coloured hair. Now a lot of people have white or silver-blue hair as well, so I want to have a change again. I´ll just have to wait a bit since I created an image through my agency.
Were your parents shocked when they saw your silver hair?
Oh, they’re used to it. Since I was small I have been dyeing my hair.
Tell me about your tattoos
I got my first tattoo when I was 18 and it is behind my ear and shows my last name. After that I started going crazy about getting tattoos an now I have 10.
What does true love mean to you?
Once you meet someone you really like and that person likes you a lot as well. People always say find someone who loves you more than you love them. Before I found my boyfriend I thought like that. After meeting him I realized that it’s equal. Our relationship is equal.
Choker: Quiet Lingerie, Swimsuit: Mara Hoffman from iShine365
Jacket: Nasty Gal, Swimsuit: MINIMALE ANIMALE from iShine365
Choker: Poppy Lissiman, Swimwear: INDAH, Shoes: Converse, Jacket: Petals and Peacocks
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