The one where Italian style meets dry bulk shipping in the party room
To the stock exchange to share the joy at the listing ceremony for luxury brand Prada. But although the occasion was enlivened by the sounds of Italian being spoken and alluring attire and accessories, it lacked the glitz and the glamour we normally associate with Prada, which had to share the spotlight with the distinctly unglamorous Courage Marine, a Singaporean dry bulk shipping company. At least it didn't clash with Xiangyu Dredging Holdings which had listed a few days earlier. The Courage Marine executives seemed pleased with the press turnout even though they weren't the star attraction.
The party room was filled with two sets of executives and their advisers - like two wedding parties that had become entangled. Prada's gift to the stock exchange went down well - a cute little red bag, framed. And chief executive Patrizio Bertelli handed over a HK$1 million cheque to the Community Chest.
As the Prada executives left the stock exchange they were jeered by demonstrators yelling 'Shame on Prada.' The authorities left nothing to chance and the 17 demonstrators were carefully watched by 12 police officers and a handful of security guards supervised by men in dark suits with a wire in one ear.
The motivation for the protest stemmed from the case of Rina Bovrisse, a former Prada manager in Japan who is suing the firm for unfair dismissal after being told she was too 'ugly' and didn't have the 'Prada look'. Rina was present, demurely decked out in white with a garland of white flowers in her hair, and a very high-heeled pair of silver Miu Miu shoes - the brand created by Prada boss Miuccia Prada in 1993. 'I am standing on Prada,' Rina told Lai See defiantly.
An odd silence from Rob Grool