All that glitters

BLING EMPIRE IS A HIT FOR NETFLIX – not just because it portrays some real-life Crazy Rich Asians in lavish settings, but also because these CRAs turned out to have very relatable issues such as unrequited love, marital frustrations, surrogacy, parental death and toxic friendships.

Between their shopping sprees in Vegas and private jet flights to Paris, almost all of them demonstrate a deep respect for Asian cultures and values. Concepts such as saving face, respect for elders and reincarnation frequently surface, saving the show from simply being a parade of wealth.

Yes, they spend millions on designer dresses without batting a heavily made-up eyelid. Yes, the only "affordable" item on the show is their bubble tea drink – consumed while walking in Louboutins, no less. But the show also delves into their complex interior lives, lifting each episode from what might have been a gauzy fantasy.

Among the most beloved characters are Cherie Chan, a wealthy heiress and entrepreneur who can't persuade the man who fathered their two children to marry her; and Kevin Kreider, a male model struggling to overturn the widespread perception in the US that Asian men are "less desirable" than Latino, black and white men.

Kreider says: "What you get on the show is just a snippet of who I am. I've worked for a long time to try and elevate the Asian-American community, counter racism towards Asians and other minority communities, and spread the message that Asian men can be as attractive as men of other ethnic groups… But when you see me on the show, you might not see very many of these causes I'm fighting for."

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Kevin Kreider. (left) PHOTO: JADE YOUNG @JADEYPHOTO (right) PHOTO: NICOLETTE LAMBRIGHT @PHOTOBYNICOLETTE

Kevin Kreider. (left) PHOTO: JADE YOUNG @JADEYPHOTO (right) PHOTO: NICOLETTE LAMBRIGHT @PHOTOBYNICOLETTE

[scald=245497:article_inline_image] Kevin Kreider. (left) PHOTO: JADE YOUNG @JADEYPHOTO (right) PHOTO: NICOLETTE LAMBRIGHT @PHOTOBYNICOLETTE

Kreider is ethnically Korean but adopted at a young age by a white middle-class American family. As the only non-CRA in the cast, he is frequently shown gawking at the baubles, banquets and palatial estates of the 1 per cent. In one memorably comic scene, he becomes animated with disbelief when Chan's boyfriend, Jessey, goes shopping for her postpartum soup ingredients which include dried sea cucumbers that cost US$239 per pound and dried fish maw at US$15,000 per pound.

REAL, ECLECTIC PEOPLE

But Kreider insists that these scenes do not tell the whole story of their lives: "When I got to meet the other characters for the first time, I was surprised by the fact that they all have personalities. I was half-expecting to be bored by their conversations – but I was wrong. They're eclectic and interesting people."

Chan agrees: "What the show doesn't show, for instance, is how hard we work. Jessey is constantly working – and so was I before I had two babies. Jessey runs several companies and is always on the phone, and we have a couple of restaurants in the works too. We're really passionate about working in order to sustain our lifestyle. But people don't see that side of us on the show."

Surrounded by catty characters such as Christine Chiu and Kim Lee, Chan offers a vision of a Crazy Rich But Uncrazy Asian. She is Bling Empire's unexpected weeping heart, a sincere and vulnerable woman raising two children while mourning the recent loss of her mother.

To top it off, Jessey won't put a ring on it despite years of living with her.

The producers clearly anticipated Chan's likeable factor. Season 1 ends with her proposing to her Jessey – instead of waiting for him to propose – at an extravagant banquet with dozens of guests dripping with haute joaillerie. He replies with neither a "yes" nor a "no", creating as heartbreaking a cliffhanger as any you could find in reality TV.

The 10-karat question that every viewer wants to ask is: Do they get married in Season 2 that's currently being shot? Chan says: "I can't answer that directly. But we are engaged and trying to plan a wedding. I've always dreamt of having a destination wedding somewhere in Europe or Asia. I imagine something ethereal and white. Lots of chandeliers. Open air. The ocean... But with the pandemic, it's hard to plan. Before this, I thought I would like a Lake Como wedding. But I'm not sure we are all able to travel there safely."

Turning protective of Jessey, Chan says: "To be fair to Jessey, he was going to propose to me a few times already. But the first time, my Mum got sick; the second time, my Mum passed away. And then the third time, we're supposed to travel somewhere so he could propose, but the pandemic hit… It's like the universe doesn't want us to get married."

IT'S NOT ALL ABOUT MONEY

Like a Ken doll dropped into a gender-reversed Cinderella fantasy, Kreider says Bling Empire has opened his eyes in many ways: "It's made me aware of the possibilities of money – not so much what money can buy, but what money can do to help you live your best life.

"To be honest, I'm disappointed that the success of the show hasn't translated into more modeling opportunities or sponsorship deals. But I've started to create my own business opportunities, such as the Performance Matcha (a sports supplement) that I'm launching with Kane Lim. (Lim is Kreider's best friend from a wealthy Singaporean family linked to the property, oil and shipping industries.) I'm also looking into creating a non-alcoholic spirit and a skincare line, as well as a comic book IP and a memoir."

As for Chan, the show hasn't changed her outlook as much. Born into a prosperous family that runs an undisclosed denim empire, she has long struck a healthy balance between her luxurious lifestyle and her personal relationships.

Asked how she remains drama-free amid the catfights between other characters, she says: "My late Mum taught me to be kind and I want to honour that. If there's anything the world needs more of right now, it's kindness… Also, I have no energy to be mean. It takes a lot to be a mean person. All my energy is going into raising my two kids."

Motherhood has changed her shopping habits, though: "Don't get me wrong – I still love Chanel, Louis Vuitton and other labels. I collect a lot of Manolo Blahnik and Roger Vivier shoes. But these days when I shop, I'm thinking about Jadore and Jevon too. I recently got Jadore a mini Dior handbag. And I'm on the waitlist for Louis Vuitton's Vivienne stuffed doll for them. Have you seen those Vivienne dolls? They're so cute!"

With the Vivienne Doudou priced at S$1,750, her replies underscore her head-spinning wealth. But they also remind viewers of her love for her children and late mother, an indestructible chain of devotion that illustrate that intricate relationship between Asian parents and their children. Yes, these Crazy Rich Asians have gilded lifestyles. But some have hearts made out of that same stuff too.

Bling Empire Season 1 is available on Netflix. The date for Season 2's release has not been announced.