Biography
Fashion PR guru and events planner Melvin Chua (Chai Wai Zhe) has helped to orchestrate a long list of celebrity appearances, shows, parties and exhibitions staged by brands like Giorgio Armani , Louis Vuitton and Burberry in the Chinese market.
The former advertising executive was born in the Philippines but has familial roots in the Fujian province of mainland China.
After earning a degree in finance and business at Wharton Business School, University of Pennsylvania, Chua moved to Hong Kong and then Shanghai, quickly climbing the ladder at advertising agency McCann Erickson to lead a team of 100.
In 2004, with his own savings, Chua launched Ink Pak Communications, an agency specialising in events planning, promotions, and celebrity collaborations.
Some of Chua’s early work includes placing Chinese actress Gong Li in a local clothing ad with James Bond star Pierce Brosnan and hosting the launch of Giorgio Armani’s new store in Shanghai, which included an appearance by the celebrated designer himself.
The energetic, fast-talking Chua also manages Shanghai-based supermodel Du Juan and actresses Shu Qi and Maggie Cheung. In recent years, he has also moved Ink Pak Communications from Shanghai to Beijing, in recognition of the capital’s importance and to join the major Chinese media companies already headquartered there. The company has since shifted its focus to work on longer-term projects with its clients in lieu of events as similar agencies from abroad penetrate further into the Chinese market.