COSMETICS queen Yue-Sai Kan has spent the past six years selling Asian-oriented make-up to the Chinese. Now she wants to tell the West what constitutes beauty in the East.
'I think many Westerners think of we Asians as being exotic, but not beautiful,' says Ms Kan, head of Yue-Sai Kan Cosmetics Ltd, one of the most successful make-up and perfume companies in Asia. 'In a lot of their advertisements, they make us look weird, not beautiful. I want to set a standard by telling them who we Asians consider as a beauty.' The American-Chinese Ms Kan plans to spread her ideas by publishing a book, Celebrating Asian Beauty.
Though the project is supposedly near completion, she says there is room for more input, from Hong Kong women in particular. So far, apart from socialite Bonnie Gokson, interested participants include ballerina-turned-fashion entrepreneur Flora Cheong-leen and former Miss Hong Kong and now mother of three Loletta Fok.
Ms Kan would also like to include the Malaysian-born, Hong Kong-based Michelle Yeoh and retired actress Cherie Chung. 'Ms Chung looks just so beautiful without any make-up on and Ms Yeoh represents a special kind of Asian beauty which is healthy,' she says.
Even without the Hong Kong contingent, the book will feature 80 Asian women, including Margarita (Ting Ting) Cojuangco, governor of the Philippine province of Tarlac and daughter-in-law of former president Corazon Aquino; Miss Korea Lee Hae-jung; Miss Universe Porntip Nakhirunkanok from Thailand; Japanese entrepreneur Midori Nishiura; Avantike Nehru, Indian fashion designer and grand niece of former prime minister Indira Gandhi; Hollywood actresses Joan Chen and Vivian Wu; Siti 'Tutut' Hardyanti Rukmana, the daughter of deposed Indonesian president Suharto, and 75-year-old mainland actress Qin Yi who, according to Ms Kan, still has the 'hands of a 20-year-old'.
The book is to be published in coffee-table format and includes profiles of the women, their opinions on Asian beauty and make-up tips. Aware that critics may slam the book as an exercise in self-promotion, she says: 'I don't see it as that. It will be good for all Asian women.' Yet the 48-year-old businesswoman is certainly not averse to tooting her own horn. Superlatives like 'wonderful', 'unbelievable' and 'incredible' trip off her tongue when she describes her work; her New York office is decorated with framed clippings from Chinese and American magazines in which she has appeared. And in case reporters do not realise who Yue-Sai Kan is, they are shown a video highlighting her achievements, by way of introduction.
