From being a doctorate at The University of Hong Kong to being a breakout star in Hong Kong’s music scene, Serrini has had quite a journey so far. The independent artist, whose real name is Leung Ka-yan, started her music career performing at small gigs and open mic sessions in Hong Kong and Taiwan. She soon carved out a name for herself for her unconventional, poetic lyrics—which stem from her love for poems, her blend of folk, indie and pop music, and her sartorial uniqueness.
Serrini’s album, Rage in Peace, which was released in May explored themes of identity, belonging and rebellion, a theme that she continued in her new single, The One, which came out last week. These tropes make their presence felt in her fashion choices, too, and for that, she is on Tatler Asia’s Most Stylish list for 2024.
In a candid and humorous conversation with Tatler, Serrini breaks down her style evolution over the years, her commitment to using her music to inspire change, and why philanthropy is her new passion.
Read more: Mirror’s Edan Lui on his new film, dreams of playing a Marvel hero and helping Canto-pop go global
Serrini wears Moschino coat and necklace; Messika earring and ring; Roger Vivier hat (Photo: Tatler Hong Kong/Tyler Yeung)
How has your style evolved over the years? And what are some of the key influences?It is separate between private and public life. Privately, I’m more like a Lululemon, a yoga Pilates kind of person. But publicly, I feel like I want to strive for a most stage presence. I started more like a drag queen. It’s something for a new style of performance I’ve embraced, but it’s not necessarily representing myself. And recently, I feel like my style is toning down from less of a made-up doll to more [of] a woman that I’m becoming.
I’m working with Charles Wong, a stylist who always styles boys. And I’m one of his boys. Every year, we have this conversation about what I want [to be] this year. Last year, I wanted to be more of a woodland fairy. And this year, I just want to be a mermaid which (led us to have] so many ocean-themed outfits. We just work on styles that we find fun for us.Can you share some of the creative process behind it?He (my stylist) knows my character as a person and he works along the style that suits me. He knows that I might not want too many layers because a lot of those styles might look kind of extra on me because he thinks I’m already a big personality person. Every time, we just have [outfits] specially tailored to suit me because I’m very bossy and have a huge ass (praise to the Lord) and then we have a lot of stitchings, we changed zippers to ribbons—all detail-oriented. And he knows that I don’t need that much accessory. And explore new materials, such as 3D-printed jewellery and so on. Every appearance is a game for us.
Serrini wears Solace London dress; Dolce & Gabbana heels; Pomellato necklace and earrings (Photo: Tatler Hong Kong/Tyler Yeung)
Speaking of your music career as well as personal style, would you see yourself as a rebel?I wouldn’t call myself rebellious because I would be affirming a certain kind of convention that I have to rebel against. I’m more like a trailblazer, I want to blaze my trail. And I just do what I feel like doing and I surround myself with the best people. So it’s just a work of joy.
Tell us more about your new album Rage in Peace and what message it holds for women.It hits all women, when they slowly enter their 30s, that they need to let go of past trauma or past practices and enter a new era. You are no longer a 20-something-year-old, who needs validation from people, you start to look inside. And that’s when people will start to meditate, do yoga and Pilates—but what every woman really needs to do is look inside her heart to find peace. And the journey towards peace is to recognise that you have a lot of unprocessed grief in your life—either it’s sexism or expectations of society or glass ceilings. Women also teach themselves a lot of expectations and I feel like when you’re 30, 40 or 50, it’s a journey of self-realisation, to bring you back to peace and be in touch with your soul.
How are you delivering this message of self-realisation to your fans?It can be delivered through both fashion and music. Like, it’s just the way I dress myself. Clothing is one thing and music, it’s just I find ways to express myself, I found ways to materialise how I feel, from abstract shapes to concrete words. And that’s quite important for me because as soon as I can name how I feel, I feel like the healing or communication begins.
What’s the significance of being an independent singer-songwriter in the music industry today?I can’t imagine being dependent. So the answer can be very simple: I can’t imagine otherwise. And I can’t imagine being forced or required to do something that I don’t like. Maybe I’m just very blessed as someone who isn’t signed to a major label.
What advice would you give to aspiring musicians in Hong Kong who are trying to break into the industry?Just to be yourself and not [rely] on external validation for your art. Go for everything that you want. I always love to see people making their art. It’s just beautiful, to see them create.
Serrini wears a Buerlangma coat, Messika necklace (Photo: Tatler Hong Kong/Tyler Yeung)
How have you engaged with your fan base through a strong connection?I’m a Cantonese-speaking artist who has grown in popularity across Cantonese-speaking and Mandarin-speaking communities around the world. I communicate my thoughts in my songs as if I were just a writer. I wouldn’t say I have the responsibility to just teach you anything. I just have the responsibility to be beautiful. Be happy (with) myself. And that’s my end goal—having fun while looking fabulous. Not having to worry about what other people feel means I don’t have to dumb myself down. I don’t have to dress in a simple way because others don’t want to see frills, I wear ruffles because I want ruffles.I strive to embody the strong female character, recognising that true strength includes the courage to be vulnerable. I consciously seek to express my thoughts rather than be a celebrity whose appeal is primarily visual. When I was younger, I often wished for a role model who could articulate the philosophies I was still developing at the age of 14. If I had someone like that in my life back then, I might have felt less self-conscious about my body and my intellect, allowing me to embrace my true self more fully. I believe that simply living authentically is a gift to the world, rather than a heavy responsibility.
You’ve also just added “shop owner” to your resume, please tell us more about this exciting project.I have a new shop called Syu (meaning tree shop in Cantonese). I just want to build a temple-like structure with a garden for me and my friends to hang out with and for fans to visit. [They can] buy my merch, they don’t even have to buy it, a lot of things are free actually. [It’s] for kids to just play with claw machines. I just want to have fun. [The name came from] a lot of songs that I’ve been creating based on the tree theme. I’ve been soul-searching these past few years. [Like trees], you have to draw nutrients before you can offer.
You’re involved in a lot of charitable initiatives. Can you tell us more about the causes you care about and why they’re important to you?I always fantasise about myself being a rich woman with so much time. Then what do you do? Basically, it’s philanthropy. As a graduate student in cultural studies, I’m very conscious about what philanthropy is like. I have to be very careful. It’s not just about giving money, it might be just extending poverty or extending the problem without helping the causes. For now, I have set up two scholarships. And I gave another scholarship to the Arts Foundation this year to sponsor an arts camp [with] 50 artists. I first joined this camp five years ago, and I was one of the lucky ones to pay just a tiny sum of money and I spent a whole week having fun and making art. So I wanted to give back.
Besides giving money, I also lend support to causes by actively going to talks, giving seminars in schools or attending school concerts.
And lastly, Serrini, what are some goals that you’d like to accomplish next?I’ve been focusing on my creative pursuits, including writing lyrical pieces for other artists while actively working on my next album. I enjoy the process of creating and managing my shop as well. Recently, I’ve been sourcing affordable art pieces from around the world, including charming ceramic items, which I’m excited to share with my fans.
NOW READ:
From Taeyang to 2NE1: K-pop concerts coming to Hong Kong and Macau this year