Hong Kong-based multi-hyphenate Alvin Goh is living the dream now, but the road to becoming every celebrity’s go-to fashion stylist/makeup artist is no overnight journey.
Born and raised in Singapore, Goh started out as a fashion stylist and makeup artist when he was 19. While most celebrities prefer to stick to their image, Goh aims to “bring out the hidden beauty” of his clients via his artistic, yet shapeshifting makeovers whether it’s on the red carpet or at magazine shoots.
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His unique take on creative direction led him to collaborate with artists such as Oscar winner Youn Yuh-jung, whom he dressed twice at the Oscars, as well as Carina Lau, whom he styled for the cover of a top Hong Kong society publication.
While the emphasis is on elevating the image of his clients, Goh seeks to stay true to the client’s DNA by letting their personalities shine through their outfits. The same gift that got him recognised by movie stars also got him hired as the style and beauty editor forthe aforementioned society title.
Though he has been surrounded by celebrities for more than a decade, Goh is still the same boy from Bedok whose uniform of shorts and a tank top reflect his humble character. Over e-mail, Goh catches up with Her World to spill the tea about his viral cover shoot with Carina Lau, his newest gig, why he packed his bags to Hong Kong and what it’s like to work with celebrities across the world.
Hong Kong is closer to home, so if anything doesn’t work out, I can always come back [to] Singapore. At that time, I wasn’t very familiar with how things worked in Hollywood so[,] I thought [that] I [should] play it safe.
I was very sick of the environment in Singapore, especially in the creative industry whereby [I felt that] there was a need to conform to the “veteran elders”. I never fit in, and I will never do. I am not interested to fight for power or fame. I just want to follow my passion and do what keeps me alive. I left Singapore almost 17 years ago — it is still the same now.
It was certainly painful for me to leave home but I needed to grow.
People always tell me I am too “up there” or I am too expensive. And these days, I don’t even want to entertain those people. If you do not see my worth, please knock on other doors.
This was something interesting that the Universe had planned for me. I told my boss I just wanted to push boundaries and showcase creativity. I feel that creativity is not so important anymore to most clients nowadays, so I just want to use my gifts to stimulate people to think differently about their respective ideas of “beauty”. And most importantly, having fun along the way.
I’ve known Carina for a while, almost a decade. She was the guest of honour at my exhibition. She said she wanted me to transform her since she was familiar with my makeover background. I asked her how different was she willing to go, and she said “very different”.
So I planned and strategised 12 looks with Singaporean photographer Reuben Foong to create magic for her. We ended up shooting 12 different looks for Carina within six hours. I acted as the creative director, stylist and make-up artist for this shoot.
I designed it to go viral and it certainly did! And the magazine was also very supportive of my ideas.
I told her to come with an open heart and to have fun. And we had so much fun doing it!
She is one fearless celeb when it comes to having fun. I can have 1001 ideas but if the client can’t let go of their own inhibitions and ideas of how they should “look like”, then I can’t create maximum magic.
The cover look was the hardest because the body armour was very heavy. She had to sit down and was not able to move much.
I worked with Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Korea, Japan, and Chinese celebrities in Asia. Japanese and Korean culture are pretty much the same [as] they are very protected of their own cultures, so it is really a blessing to gain their respect and trust working with the teams there. My industry is kind of complicated… haha, too many egos involved and drama too! But[,] my end goal is always the same, I am here to elevate my client’s beauty.
People talk so much in our industry, so much bragging (or we call it “blowing water” in Hong Kong), it never applies to me — I let my work speak for itself. Everyone has different aesthetics. Just like marriage, if it doesn’t work out well, then get a divorce. Everyone is entitled to their own ideas of beauty.
Late bloomers… hmmm, I don’t really believe in that term. I believe we all somehow know who we truly are, and what we want deep inside our core. It is the lies and deception that suffocated us through childhood and societal conditioning that make some of us feel “lost”. Just dive deep into your core, and you will have all the answers you are looking for.
In my industry, you do not really meet true friends out there. Seeing people exhibiting their nasty sides is also something I am used to. At the end of the day, there is only so long you can hide your authentic self. The tail also wiggles out somehow, somewhere haha.
I never consider myself a fashionista or a fashion person. Trust me, I am the least fashionable person you will meet. I love being in my torn tank tops, shorts and slippers. Hey, I am after all the boy from Bedok!!
Text: Michelle Varinata/HerWorld
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