Encompassing nearly 400 fashion artefacts worn by French royals, aristocrats and socialites across two centuries, the exhibit befits Mok’s royal status here in Hong Kong; even so, this latest venture voicing the exhibit’s trilingual audio guide marked yet another significant and deeply personal new milestone for the star.

“I love fashion – I quickly said yes when I got the invitation to do the audio guide,” she said ahead of the exhibition opening. “I haven’t done this before, and of course, [as] an invitation from the Palace Museum, it’s a huge honour. Being an artist, I am so glad to see important institutes providing a platform for the public to experience both Chinese and Western art under one roof.”

“I know [MAD Paris] by reputation as home to one of the best collections of fashion and jewellery in the world,” says Mok, who describes her visit to the museum as an impressive, “dazzling” experience. As a student of European culture – and ancestry – having studied in the UK and learned French, Italian and German along the way, it’s no surprise that the actress brings a wealth of knowledge to the “Adorned Body” exhibit, imbuing the audio guide with the personal experience and knowledge needed to translate the nuances of fashion history across three different languages.

Facilitating cultural exchange is nothing new to Mok, however, who has spent her three decades in show business shaping trends in both entertainment and fashion, pushing the boundaries of her craft with bold, energetic concerts and costumes to match, her outfits becoming a key highlight of her performances.

“Being interested in arts and culture allows me to embrace a career of multidisciplinary artistry,” the 54-year-old adds. “Also a great reminder for me to stay curious and open-minded in my own artistic pursuits.”

As an accomplished actress, Mok knows a thing or two about the transformative power of fashion, which is explored throughout the exhibit in the form of multimedia features and excerpts from films, a virtual dressing room and even a dress by the father of haute couture, Charles Frederick Worth.

When asked about an iconic fashion moment that sticks out in her own memory, Mok laughs. “Wearing a qipao today, I’m reminded of [an] incident when I was at university. My mum used to wear a lot of qipaos. She used to tailor-make qipaos for herself, and I inherited her beautiful figure, which basically means I can inherit all her qipaos.”

“[At] one of these university parties, I thought I had to look different and special. So I grabbed one of my mum’s qipaos – but hers were traditional and full-length. I thought, ‘nah, I gotta wear something funky’. So I just snipped it into a miniskirt. My mum was devastated. She couldn’t say anything! But it was really cool – I rocked a mini qipao with platform boots, and it was very grungy.”

Decades later, Mok has retained that rebellious, independent and confident spirit which continues to make her one of Asia’s most popular stars. “Every time I get the chance to do something for Hong Kong, I’m really thrilled,” the actress muses. “We have such a beautiful museum, so why not bring more exhibitions over? Let the world come to us. And we should also show the rest of the world our good stuff.”