In 2023 Michelle Yeoh, Ke Huy Quan, and the rest of the Everything Everywhere All at Once team made Asia proud with its seven Academy Awards. The film, while produced in the US, highlighted the American dream, the dynamics of a Chinese family, and what it means to live meaningfully. While Yeoh and Quan were lauded for breaking barriers and championing Asian representation in Hollywood, they’ve simply taken the latest steps in a long, arduous road for more Asian recognition in the global film industry.

Also read: Bing Chen, Prabal Gurung and Kevin Lin discuss how their non-profit, Gold House, is changing the future of the Asian diaspora

Here's a list of amazing Asians who have climbed the mountain, allowing many others to walk to the other side.

A resource for women to be their best selves, Front & Female celebrates trailblazers, breaks taboos and tackles timely issues in Asia. This year in Malaysia, we’ve had the privilege of meeting incredible women from all walks of life whose stories and achievements inspire readers. 2023 was also the year we launched our first Front & Female Awards in Malaysia, honouring the men and women championing women’s progress in the nation.

From interviews with inspiring corporate leaders, activists and artists to intimate events celebrating incredible women and their achievements, we look back at a few outstanding stories from Tatler’s Front & Female platform this year.

Read also: Why these female leaders are future-proofing the next generation

In 1927, the late Elsa Schiaparelli founded her eponymous Italian fashion label, bringing surrealism and imaginative fashion to the mainstream. Pushing the boundaries of style, Schiaparelli challenged the norms of fashion. From her first handknit sweater with a trompe l’oeil bow motif to her collaboration with the Russian French writer Elsa Triolet to create the Aspirin Necklace, which used porcelain beads reminiscent of the pain-relieving tablets, the brand wittily merged art and fashion. And who could forget the 1937 Lobster Dress, created with artist Salvador Dalí, which melded bold colours, striking silhouettes and theatricality?

Today, Catherine Ku is leading the brand’s expansion across Asia as Schiaparelli’s new regional brand manager. After graduating from the Cesar Ritz Colleges Switzerland hospitality school in 1996, Ku shifted gears to work in advertising, creating ad campaigns for brands like Smartone that featured stars like Tony Leung, Chow Yun-fat and Jackie Cheung. Ku also worked with film directors David Tsui and Louis Ng and production designer William Chang. “I was very lucky,” she says. “I learnt how to create great production designs for TV commercials and how to create moods and convey key messages. The experience shaped my aesthetic.”

In case you missed it: Red carpet moments from the Tatler Ball at The Londoner Macao 2023