Randy Olson, Melissa Farlow Photography

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Yvonne, founder of Diva Life, in her closet trying to decide what to wear for the day—she rarely wears the same outfit twice. Her boutique spas in Shanghai offer 13 types of facials, plus $48 chocolate pedicures. Her father escaped China in 1949 with his family and two of his siblings died in the crossing (there were ten children, his father had multiple wives). Yvonne’s family is typical of the Chinese who were smart enough to get out when it was bad and smart enough to get back in when things were improving. Diva Life is set up for two types of clients—the ex-pat tai tai wives of diplomats and the wannabe Chinese who follow that crowd into Yvonne’s spa. Yvonne has the Diva life. She designs her own furniture, spa, clothes, etc. She spends the morning at the fabric market and meeting with her tailor, and then goes to her office. But the main reason she started the spa is so that she can have a couple hours of spa treatment any day she likes.

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RANDY OLSON
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6000x4000 / 137.4MB
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Contained in galleries
China's Bling Dynasty_National Geographic Magazine 5/2008
Yvonne, founder of Diva Life, in her closet trying to decide what to wear for the day—she rarely wears the same outfit twice. Her boutique spas in Shanghai offer 13 types of facials, plus $48 chocolate pedicures. Her father escaped China in 1949 with his family and two of his siblings died in the crossing (there were ten children, his father had multiple wives). Yvonne’s family is typical of the Chinese who were smart enough to get out when it was bad and smart enough to get back in when things were improving. Diva Life is set up for two types of clients—the ex-pat tai tai wives of diplomats and the wannabe Chinese who follow that crowd into Yvonne’s spa. Yvonne has the Diva life. She designs her own furniture, spa, clothes, etc. She spends the morning at the fabric market and meeting with her tailor, and then goes to her office. But the main reason she started the spa is so that she can have a couple hours of spa treatment any day she likes.