Jewellery designer Yi Guo on Annie Leibovitz, Myanmar sunrises and Sri Lankan gems
From styling stars for magazine shoots to catching a sunrise in Myanmar, Shanghai-born designer Yi Guo tells Daniel Kong about the highlights of her life so far
"It's full of secrets, with new venues that pop up every day. That's what's great about it - the creative class build new things every day. My favourite [neighbourhood] has to be the Lower East Side, which has grunge and cultural elements mixed together."
"I travelled to Sri Lanka for my agent's wedding and stayed at a boutique hotel in a southern coastal town called Mirissa. The country is gorgeous - the ocean, the colonial villas, the gentle Buddhist culture and, of course, the gem shopping … I loved it all. It's home to some interesting stones. They have some of the world's best sapphires as well as an amazing gemstone called alexandrite, which changes colour depending on the light."
"I never would have guessed my life would take such a turn. Initially, I had culture shock. The working style is really different, but I've learned to go with the flow. Despite all the chaos, things get done, the traffic flows and the people keep moving."
"Myanmar was a very spiritual trip for me. It was like stepping into the past, with endless pagodas and the sweetest people. One special experience was taking a 5am donkey ride to a high pagoda to catch the sunrise. It was worth the effort; it came up in vivid crimsons, bright oranges and pinks."