Ivy Liu in Hong Kong: Rebellion, Truth, and Texture

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Hong Kong gave me a lot to take in at once.

Density.

Texture.

Motion.

History pressed into walls and streets.

It was my first time in Hong Kong, but I was not moving through it alone. Ivy Liu was central to how this collaboration came to life. She did not just step in front of the camera. She brought a deep understanding of the city that shaped the way I saw it, through her presence and the ease with which she connected to the spaces around us.

Hong Kong resists being simplified. Its walls carry age. Its streets hold tension. Its textures feel earned. When I photographed Ivy there, wearing a look by Sarangi, I did not want to make the city cleaner or make the story easier. I wanted to stay with that friction. Because Ivy herself is not simple either. That was clear almost immediately.

Ivy lives in multiple worlds at once. Many people in Hong Kong know her as a program presenter on TVB’s Scoop. At the same time, much of her life happens away from the camera, in back offices and strategy rooms, where she works as a chief marketing officer for automotive brands across Hong Kong and Zhuhai. She is also a trilingual writer, a master of ceremonies, and someone deeply aware of how image, language, and meaning shape the way people are understood. That depth shaped the shoot. You could feel it in the confidence, clarity, and intention she brought to every moment.

The Interview

How would you describe yourself to someone meeting you for the first time?

I am both a strategic brand marketer and a TV news personality. The general public would recognize me as a program presenter on TVB’s most popular show, Scoop. But in reality, most of the time, I work behind the scenes as the CMO of a few well known automotive brands across Hong Kong and Zhuhai.

How do different parts of your life shape one another?

They provide a necessary reality check for each other. My business ventures have cultivated the skill of delivering complex messages under pressure, while my work hosting on TV gives me first hand insight into topics that affect people. My work on Scoop is not just about being on camera. It is about information, which is exactly what a CMO has to manage every day.

Which role felt most natural to you, and which challenged you the most?

I have always had a knack for identifying the crux of a complex issue. That is why brand marketing felt natural to me, reducing consumer problems to their essence and then marketing the solution. Facing the camera, on the other hand, has always challenged me, because that environment often cares about crafting surface level perception, which did not come naturally to me. Even something as simple as learning how to dress or do makeup was a cultivated skill.

As a news personality, how has being in front of the camera influenced the way you approach modeling?

In both, the camera is the observer. Being on TV taught me the art of creating presence, how to own the space and look like I have something to say. When I model, I am not just posing. I am trying to project an intention, the same intention I use when delivering a script.

How has brand marketing changed the way you think about personal image and storytelling?

The number one rule in brand marketing is that your values must align with your visuals. Once you achieve that, your target audience, whose values match your brand, will naturally gravitate toward you. The same thing applies in personal branding.

When you step in front of the camera, what are you hoping to express beyond just the clothes?

I am looking for the struggle or the contrast. These elements create tension that builds a story through imagery. I want the image to feel lived in. I am trying to express a sense of place and a sense of presence through movement or facial expression.

What makes an image feel powerful or memorable to you?

Texture and truth. I am drawn to images where the color grading feels intentional, like a deep, lush burgundy that suggests rebellion is not an afterthought. A powerful image is one where you can see the person’s internal dialogue, not just their face.

What kind of stories or ideas are you most drawn to helping bring to life?

I am drawn to stories about independence, particularly women’s economic and social rights. But I am also drawn to economic trends, especially the evolution of how we move between Hong Kong and the Mainland. I like stories that bridge gaps, whether those gaps are cultural, political, or personal.

What are some misconceptions about your industries you would love to correct?

That modeling is empty, or that news work is just reading. In both, if you are not thinking, it shows. In marketing, the biggest misconception is that it is all about making things look pretty. Good marketing is actually about solving problems and managing expectations, sometimes in very blunt and unglamorous ways.

How do you stay grounded?

By staying close to the real work. Cooking a multi course meal for my family or staying on top of my finances, those are the things that actually matter. In industries built on perception, you stay grounded by having a life that does not require a camera to feel valid.

What skills from one part of your career have unexpectedly helped in another?

My Food & Beverage experience. Working in food service teaches you how to handle people and crises in real time. That service mentality, knowing how to read a room and pivot, is exactly what I use when an interview goes off script on TV or when a marketing campaign hits a technical snag.

What feels most important to you creatively and professionally right now?

Cohesion. I want the different facets of my life, the TV host, the CMO, the writer, to feel like one person. To make things more complicated, it is not limited to my identities. It is also a linguistic problem. Professionally, it is about building my business ventures into a brand that people actually trust. Linguistically, it is about reconciling the discursive clash between Cantonese and English. Creatively, it is about telling stories that connect, even when they are being told through a lens or through a TV screen.