As one embraces the Mid-Autumn Festival that comes around every year, the occasion always rekindles a sense of reunion—be it with loved ones, with treasured trinkets or with one’s ancestry and familial roots. General Manager of Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur, Olivier Lenoir, elaborates, “We are fortunate to join forces with Melinda Looi once again for the opportunity to present to the market a seasonal collection that is out of the box. The envisioned concept lives up to its name thanks to our partner’s imaginative take on coalescing fiction and function in her impeccable work, and the chemistry we have developed gives us more reason to see this through together. More often than not, the authenticity and uniqueness of Peranakan culture is something that the modern society tend to lose touch with over time, and thus it feels right to showcase its significance this Mid-Autumn for all of us to reminisce the timelessness of one of Malaysia’s oldest legacies. It has always intrigued me personally, as I have witnessed the beauty of Peranakan heritage when I resided in Singapore for a time and much to my delight, the cultural legacy lives on here too.”
This year, the hotel revels in another opportunity with its esteemed partner, Melinda Looi, and her ingenious notions in having a whimsically modern touch on a cultural legacy and festival that are both ancient. ‘The House of Shí Wǔ 十五之家’, unlike any other, is a Mid-Autumn advent calendar fused with the essence of journeying down the Peranakan-themed memory lane. Comprising a novel collection of four classic mooncakes along with numerous curated treasures of different kinds, ‘The House of Shí Wǔ 十五之家’ resembles an intricate wooden structure of a miniature house that moonlights as a multipurpose box, complemented by a grand and functional canvas bag. The term Shí Wǔ, or ‘fifteen’, represents the 15th day of the 8th month in the Chinese calendar where Mid-Autumn Festival is celebrated. It is also the number of curated items that are hidden within the house to which should each be unveiled, by unboxing one item per day, within the 15 days leading up to Mid-Autumn Festival for the best element of surprise.
The illustrious exterior of ‘The House of Shí Wǔ 十五之家’ is an accolade to the timeless architectures and motifs found in the artistry of iconic Peranakan homes throughout the Straits of Malaysia. As an enhancement to the overall concept, the design plays an important role in ensuring the items encased within the house have their thematic essence in check, and that includes purposefulness—respectively categorized into food, fun and flair. Food; the exquisite collection of edibles made from homemade recipes of Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur’s finest chefs, which includes mooncakes with flavours like Shanghainese Yam with Single Yolk, Pure Red Bean, Pure Pandan, and White Lotus with Double Yolk, as well as a series of premium traditional tea to go with a bite. Fun; the nostalgic childhood games that many Malaysians would hold close to heart during the festival such as colourful shuttlecock (毽子), mini lantern and mini mooncake mould keychain. Flair; the limited edition lifestyle items that would speak for themselves, such as designer scarf and scented candle, exclusively curated by Melinda Looi herself.
“The aspirations from our last collaboration were a game changer, and I am honoured to explore new horizons with Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur for another year. The idea of curating a bespoke advent calendar has always been in my wish list, thus I was over the moon when the concept and design received their best vote. As we aim to have a bold yet exquisite Mid-Autumn series that could resonate with Malaysians in general, the Peranakan heritage fits the bill given its very distinctive series of motifs, architectural beauty and fascinating history that could undoubtedly inspire anyone to capture the quintessence of it for a momentous effect. ‘The House of Shí Wǔ 十五’ is intended to ignite the sense of timelessness to its owners, hence the concept, content and outlook. It makes more than an exclusive gift since it can be repurposed as a refined ornament in one’s home, a little one’s traditional dollhouse or even a whimsical storage box for personal gems,” Fashion Designer, Melinda Looi, expresses.
The House of Shí Wǔ 十五之家
Food
1) Four (04) x 185± gram mooncakes
- Shanghainese Yam with Single Yolk
- Pure Red Bean
- Pure Pandan
- White Lotus with Double Yolk
3) Fortune Cookies
4) Candies
Fun
1) GHKLxML Mini Mooncake Mould Keychain
2) Paper Lantern
3) Colourful Shuttlecock 毽子
Flair
1) GHKLxML Designer Scarf
2) GHKLxML Scented Candle
‘The House of Shí Wǔ 十五’ is exclusively available for pre-orders on Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur Online Store from July 2022 onwards at a special Early Bird price of MYR 288 nett (Originally priced at MYR 328 nett). While stocks last.
Pre-order from July 2022 onwards and collection / delivery is available from August 15, 2022 onwards. To pre-order online, CLICK HERE or contact store.kuagh@hyatt.com for bulk purchase enquiries.
Watch my unboxing video here (or click this link to watch the IG reels version):
