When we came to Jakarta from the United States, we saw that both art and fashion were just beginning to emerge. We could feel that people had tons of creative energy – it seemed like a very interesting place to be.

What has changed since then is the audience. There's more appreciation for art, design and local fashion. People are becoming more educated about their interests. That fuels people in the creative industries to push themselves further.

At C&C Projects, we're quite loose in what we do. Our background is in art, design and fashion so we tend to move in that direction, working on different creative projects that appeal to us.

We started out doing graphic design projects and random things like window displays for stores. Mainly, we develop creative concepts for events and curate various exhibitions from art to fashion. We take on projects as they come and C&C Projects grows naturally. For us it's not a business; we do it out of passion and enjoy the process.

What do you get when you take a Chinese chef born in Malaysia, who has worked at restaurants there, as well as Singapore and Batam, Indonesia? The answer is a range of decidedly culinary surprises, as a visit to Mandarin Oriental's Xin Hwa Chinese restaurant will prove.

Foong Wai Loong, who has 17 years of culinary experience, was recently appointed head chef there. His signature approach strongly embraces the idea of fusion, in which ingredients and flavours come together unexpectedly.

His mango wasabi prawn and coffee chicken (both shown in photos) provide an explosion of flavours to delight the palate, and also complement each other well as a combination platter.

Foong, who has participated in cooking competitions in Singapore and Malaysia, has designed a range of five set menus to showcase his contemporary take on a culinary tradition that stretches back over many centuries.

The food may be nouvelle but the appetites it satisfies are timeless.

Fashion is all about attention to detail. The Men's Fall-Winter Collection from Louis Vuitton is defined by the line of tailored pieces – jackets made from blended cashmere and mink, matched with a pair of straight-legged trousers and some black leather riding boots. It is the accessories, though, that bring the collection to life.

Silver business card holders are embossed with the brand's distinctive logo and a key chain and money clip portray a similar style and look. Cufflinks bear a coloured stone printed with the brand monogram while others have graphics printed in pastel colours: a boat, train and an automobile.

Together, with the range of belts, sunglasses, bags and scarfs, men have plenty of ways to tailor their own individual look.