Inside the homes of the real-life 'Crazy Rich Asians'
Daniel Coughlin
02 October 2018
The luxurious homes of the new rich kids on the block
Box office smash Crazy Rich Asians is all about the lavish lifestyles of Asia's mega-rich. It may have seemed OTT, but the hit rom-com is “150% reality” according to author Kevin Kwan, who wrote the book that inspired the movie. These real-life rich kids rock the latest designer threads, party at exclusive clubs and live in fabulous mansions and condos – sharing it all with their millions of social media followers. We take you on a tour around their uber-glam homes.
Heart Evangelista
Kevin Kwan has described actress, TV host and artist Heart Evangelista as “the darling of the Philippines” and a bona fide real-life 'Crazy Rich Asian'. The Filipino star, who even auditioned for a role in the blockbuster, was born into wealth – her father owns a chain of restaurants in the country.
Heart Evangelista
Evangelista has starred in hit movies, fronted TV shows, appeared on countless magazine covers and has a lucrative sideline handpainting Hermès Birkin Bags. She lives with her husband Senator Francis Escudero in a modern mansion in Quezon City's most upmarket neighbourhood.
Heart Evangelista
The 5,700-square-foot (530sqm) home is minimal with opulent touches: think clean white walls, drapey white curtains and crisp white sofas accented by statement pieces. Here, Evangelista is relaxing in the living room with her pampered dog Panpan, who sleeps on a Hermès blanket.
Heart Evangelista
Panpan is seen here relaxing under a stone table decorated with antique blue and white porcelain jars and vases, which Evangelista collects along with quirky plates by the high-end Italian design house Fornasetti.
Heart Evangelista
The attic contains Evangelista's swish walk-in wardrobe, her favourite room in the whole house. The marble-clad custom area has more than enough space to store the star's vast collection of designer clothing, shoes and accessories.
READ MORE: 31 dreamy walk-in wardrobes to inspire you
Heart Evangelista
Evangelista worked with Manila's Hurray Interior Design Group on the decor, and the simple yet luxurious theme extends to the exterior terrace dining area, which is equally stylish and understated.
Kane Lim
Singaporean It boy Kane Lim launched his own shoe brand at the age of 17 and was a millionaire by the time he hit 20. Now 28, the fashionista is an up-and-coming Instagram star to boot with a dedicated fanbase, who can't get enough of his flamboyant designer lifestyle.
Kane Lim
Before returning to Singapore, the designer and socialite had a stint in Los Angeles, where he studied fashion and shopped till he dropped. Lim is pictured here kicking back in his suitably blinged-out living room with a unique copper coffee tables and luxe furnishings on display.
Kane Lim
Lim's Singapore pad is contemporary and spacious, and provides the perfect backdrop for the snappy dresser to show off his fashion-forward looks, which certainly don't come cheap. No expense at all has been spared on the trendsetter's wardrobe, which is bursting with expensive labels.
Kane Lim
Thanks to his inimitable sense of style, Lim has attracted more than his fair share of big-name Instagram followers, including superstar Rihanna, and has featured in numerous magazine articles and fashion editorials.
Kane Lim
Lim's shoe collection alone is reported to be worth $365,000 (£280k). The epic collection of 200+ pairs of Gucci loafers, Louis Vuitton boots, Prada sneakers, and a lot more besides takes up an entire room.
Kane Lim
The well-heeled footwear designer's bedroom is dripping in designer labels, too. A Louis Vuitton blanket graces the bed, while a trunk by the French fashion house worth thousands takes pride of place in the centre of the room.
Jamie Chua
Singaporean socialite and entrepreneur Jamie Chua is a former flight attendant who was awarded vast sums of money when she divorced Indonesian billionaire Nurdian Cuaca in 2011. The couple had met 18 years earlier on a Singapore Airlines flight.
Jamie Chua
Chua has a skincare line, luxury goods resale chain and retail franchise business, and is a social media phenomenon, too. Singapore's 'Queen of Instagram', Chua has almost a million followers on the picture-sharing site. She lives with her teenage children in this slick mansion in the upscale Novena neighbourhood.
Jamie Chua
Recently remodelled by interior design agency One Stop Concept, the 10,000-square-foot (929sqm) property is finished to a ridiculously high spec, and boasts everything from black quartz ceilings and custom Italian furniture to a stunning swimming pool.
Jamie Chua
A special room is devoted to Chua's legendary collection of Hermès bags, which is said to be the largest in the world – the socialite and business tycoon has more than 200 Birkin and Kelly bags worth over $2 million (£1.5m).
Jamie Chua
Chua often posts photos of herself on Instagram chilling in the L-shaped pool and she has a killer collection of pool inflatables that she likes to show off, including a huge clam shell and the obligatory blow-up flamingo. Front and centre of her pictures you'll sometimes spot products that she's paid to promote to her 835,000 followers.
Jamie Chua
The social media star's bedroom is another favoured spot for selfies and other snaps. Needless to say, it's a designer-heavy space kitted out with high-end silk bedding, bespoke cabinetry and a geometric Givenchy carpet.
Dorothy Wang
Chinese-American heiress Dorothy Wang shot to fame in 2014 after appearing in the hit E! reality show Rich Kids of Beverly Hills. The reality star is the daughter of real estate magnate Roger Wang, who is worth a cool $3.7 billion (£2.8bn).
Dorothy Wang
Wang has a million followers on Instagram, making her a mega-influencer, and she famously coined the hashtag #fabuluxe. The former RKBH cast member, who celebrated her 30th birthday in January with A-listers like John Mayer, owns a chic condo in Los Angeles' Century skyscraper.
READ MORE: Perfect penthouses for living the high life
Dorothy Wang
Pictured at Christmas, the condo's interiors are designed by the Life.Style agency and feature minimal furnishings with opulent touches here and there such as Missoni and Hermès cushions, and Christian Dior throws.
Dorothy Wang
The dining area is decked out with a custom table and chairs and an Italian brass and crystal chandelier that is strategically placed so as not to obscure the incredible views. An antique telescope makes for a nice quirky touch.
Dorothy Wang
A talented cook, Wang likes nothing better than spending time in her open-plan kitchen, rustling up yummy meals for her celebrity friends. You can also make out the reality star's custom pink neon #fabuluxe sign in the photo.
Dorothy Wang
Wang has the requisite walk-in wardrobe, of course, which provides plenty of space for her collection of designer handbags, shoes and clothing. Note the Hermès bags and rows of Louboutin heels.
Wang Sicong
Another unimaginably rich heir, Wang Sicong is the son of Chinese business tycoon Wang Jianlin, one of Asia's wealthiest people. Like Dorothy Wang, the fun-loving playboy celebrated his 30th birthday in January, though it was a relatively low-key affair.
Wang Sicong
Wang's extravagant lifestyle has drawn criticism from China's state-run press, which frowns upon ostentatious displays of wealth. His 29th birthday bash, a five-day party on the Maldives costing $500,000 (£383k), was widely criticised, yet the heir's Beijing apartment is pretty subdued.
Wang Sicong
A big kid at heart, Wang loves expensive stuffed toys and spoiling his dog Coco rotten. Wang hit the headlines in 2016 when he treated the Alaskan Malamute to eight iPhones and two gold iWatches worth $20,000 (£15k).
READ MORE: Pet palaces for the most pampered pooches
Wang Sicong
Wang is big-time into sneakers and has amassed a formidable collection. Dubbed 'China's richest son' and 'the people's husband', the country's most eligible bachelor once spent $385,000 (£295k) in a karaoke bar in one night.
Wang Sicong
The spendthrift heir has also splashed $105 million (£80m) on a 10-bedroom mansion in London's Kensington Palace Gardens, $30,000 (£23k) at a nightclub celebrating Halloween and hundreds of thousands for a K-pop girl group to stage a private concert for him and his friends.
Wang Sicong
Wang isn't all about play however. Aside from collecting designer toys, splurging in clubs, playing table football and so on, the billionaire's son has his own eSports streaming channel and gaming team, a seven-star hotel in Shanghai, music management company and private equity firm.
Feiping Chang
Like Heart Evangelista, Hong Kong-based socialite and fashion blogger Feipang Chang has been described as a real-life Crazy Rich Asian by Kevin Kwan. According to Kwan, “Feiping epitomises a certain breed of international Asian that is a hybrid of East and West”.
Feiping Chang
Born in Taiwan and raised in Sydney and Singapore, the Hong Kong It girl's magical wedding to banker Lincoln Li on the island of Capri was one of last year's most hyped nuptials, at least in Hong Kong and China. The couple recently moved into this stylish Hong Kong apartment.
Feiping Chang
Palatial by Hong Kong standards – property in the semi-autonomous region is unimaginably expensive – Chang and her husband's triplex is a real gem, from the elegant mid-century modern accents to that inviting white sofa, the perfect spot to snuggle with the dog.
Feiping Chang
A rarefied luxury in space-deprived Hong Kong, Chang has a roomy walk-in wardrobe packed with high-end fashion. The socialite is particularly fond of haute couture, and went as far as commissioning several custom gowns for her wedding, before settling on a dress by Giambattista Valli.
Feiping Chang
Christmas gift-giving is a lavish affair in the Chang-Li household if those bags under the tree are anything to go by. Given her mega-influencer status, Chang no doubt scores plenty of designer freebies, too.
Feiping Chang
Chang's bedroom is her sanctuary and a refreshingly bling-free zone. The Hong Kong socialite, seen here promoting the pricey Crème de la Mer skincare range for a sponsored Instagram post, has kept things as simple as possible in the room, opting for a restrained white and cream colour scheme.
Pattharapol and Lee Puengboonpra
Known on Instagram as Peepy and Mother Lee, the Thai mother-and-son duo post jaw-dropping snaps of their crazy and insanely expensive outfits, and have attracted a cult following.
Pattharapol and Lee Puengboonpra
Peepy is a fashion editor and TV host, while his mother Lee is a lady of leisure – the family owns a booming paint manufacturing company, which is the source of its considerable wealth. Baroque on steroids, the clan's Bangkok mansion is as ornate and OTT as they come.
Pattharapol and Lee Puengboonpra
Posing in co-ordinated designer clothing and arm candy worth tens of thousands of dollars, the directional duo often use the highly decorative mansion's interiors as a backdrop for their photos.
Pattharapol and Lee Puengboonpra
In addition to their fondness for gilded furniture, gold decoration and showy chandeliers, the pair have a particular penchant for limited-edition designer Bearbrick toys, which sell for up to $10,000 (£7.7k) each.
Pattharapol and Lee Puengboonpra
Hanging out in their posh kitchen, which is of course illuminated by a fancy crystal chandelier, the duo are working an all-black street-inspired athleisure look here, which they've accessorised with black Hermès bags and rainbow Grateful Dead and Keith Haring Bearbrick toys.
Pattharapol and Lee Puengboonpra
The other rooms in the family's Bangkok mansion are just as glitzy. The hall area has bold red walls and the most exquisite hardwood staircase and gilded bannister, ideal for making the dramatic entrances the pair are famed for.
READ MORE: These outrageous homes of famous fashion designers need to be seen
Arissa Cheo
Last but not least is Singaporean socialite and fashion designer Arissa Cheo. The Instagram star, who has 363,000 followers, hit the headlines over the summer when her divorce from Taiwanese actor and singer Van Ness Wu was finalised.
Arissa Cheo
The couple actually lived separately for three years before they finally put an end to the marriage. Cheo resides in this sprawling contemporary mansion in Singapore, which boasts a lush tropical garden and gorgeous pool.
Arissa Cheo
The up-to-the-minute property, which is located in one of Singapore's most prestigious neighbourhoods, has stunning floor-to-ceiling windows and high-end marble and stone flooring throughout. Seen here is one of Cheo's beloved bulldogs.
Arissa Cheo
Cheo loves her creature comforts, and her chillout area is loaded with comfy sofas, cosy cushions and plush throws, as well as plenty of framed photos, cute ornaments and even cuter soft toys.
Arissa Cheo
As you might imagine, Cheo has a swanky walk-in wardrobe that houses her humongous collection of clothing, shoes and accessories. The socialite has her own fashion label and has shown at Singapore Fashion Week.
Arissa Cheo
Cheo's bulldogs lead a very privileged life indeed. The pampered pooches have their own mini leather Chesterfield sofas to relax on and a designer wardrobe of high-end doggie must-haves, and get to dine on gourmet food. Still hungry for more? It's window shopping only for these homewares only billionaires can afford.
Comments
Be the first to comment
Do you want to comment on this article? You need to be signed in for this feature