Innholdsfortegnelse for June 2021 i Tatler Hong Kong

TATLER HONG KONG Hong Kong artist Stephen Wong Chunhei captures the city’s dramatic mountains and coastlines in his landscape paintings, which are in demand among local and international collectors, as well as museums—one of his pieces is now in the collection of the Hong Kong Museum of Art. His next solo exhibition opens at Gallery Exit this month. tatlerhongkong.com TATLER INDONESIA Entrepreneur Mario Suntanu is helping revive the local hospitality industry through his catering companies YummyCorp and YummyKitchen. With US$12 million raised in Series B funding and an uptick in transactions last year, he now plans to expand outside Jakarta. tatlerindonesia.com TATLER MALAYSIA Award-winning actor Bront Palarae talks to Tatler Malaysia about his showbiz journey and his new movie, Edge of the World, which chronicles the ascent of Sir James…

Arthur Bray, programme director at FM Belowground and founder of the music collective Yeti Out, had a great idea. He suggested it would be fun to throw a party where he and other music heads “pass the aux cord” to play songs and discuss their significance. And so, Tatler obliged with Pass the Aux, bringing together members of Hong Kong’s old guard with the new, including three generations of the city’s most influential nightlife figures to discuss the history and future of club culture in Hong Kong on April 16. The guest of honour was Andrew Bull, better known as DJ El Toro, who was a resident DJ at iconic local venues including Taipan Club and Disco Disco in the 1970s, and founded Canton Disco in 1985. Other guests at…

How did you get your start in the industry? My family owns and runs a number of Italian pizzerias called Pizza House across Italy, so I grew up in a pizzeria and bakery. My father offered me a job so that I would learn how to take care of our family business. I decided to give it a chance and worked my way up the ranks. I had been on the company’s payroll for only a few months when I applied to [the international school of Italian cuisine] Alma by chef Gualtiero Marchesi in Parma because my curiosity was growing so quickly. I wanted to grow and modernise my family business by taking pizza to the next level. What were you doing before creating Holy Cannoli? I’m from a small…

MIMI HOANG I was invited to advise the team in terms of concepts, approach and pricing. Initially we focused on a pop-up installation that transformed a dumpster into a mini-park. Upon the heels of the success of the installation, the team shifted focus onto a permanent public plaza. CHRISTOPHER CHOI I took care of most of the planting areas—we actually kept trees and planters wherever we could. We looked at the regulations as well, which is the reason why the play areas in the middle look like two islands with an S-shaped pathway in between. The pathway is an emergency vehicular access for fire trucks. STEPHEN IP Throughout workshops we held on the site, we were able to understand the needs of different users, as well as to create a…

“It’s too hot” You can get virtually anywhere in Central under covered, air-conditioned walkways. Where else in the world can you do that? On the contrary, with the AC levels in Hong Kong, Hong Kong is arguably the coldest place on earth ... indoors. “It’s too humid: my hair goes crazy” The humidity is our fountain of youth, so our faces don’t dry up and prematurely age. As for hair, get a proper wash and blow-dry more often. One thing in Hong Kong we do not have any shortage of is hairdressers. I have friends who literally do not ever wash or blow-dry their own hair. “There are no big events” We still have to be careful at this time, so of course not right now. But during normal summers,…

ROYAL FLUSH Chanel’s triumphant Metiers d’Arts collection, which was shown at Château de Chenonceau in France—a castle designed by and lived in by women, including Catherine de’ Medici—finally hits stores this month. The line-up strikes a beautiful balance between Virginie Viard’s casual silhouettes and a rock ‘n’ roll aesthetic, with the maison’s haute couture legacy. Besides pearl-lined biker jackets and glittering leotards, the highlights are the accessories, such as bejewelled flap bags and a netted tote with a detachable coin purse. UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN Nothing marks the arrival of summer like Christian Dior’s Dioriviera collection—the annual capsule dedicated to travelling in style. This season, the French maison not only revealed its iconic Toile de Jouy pattern in high-octane new colours like chartreuse and raspberry, it also partnered with Vespa,…

Eyes have long been described as windows to the soul, often revealing our emotions and sometimes even our thoughts. But with face masks concealing the rest of our features over the last many months, eyes have now become the sole identifier of a person. Hence, beauty today is all about the eyes. Make-up tutorials have proliferated, showcasing the best ways to accentuate brows and lashes, while red lips have been traded in for classic cat-eyes and Eighties-inspired eyeshadows. But with our eyes increasingly fatigued by excessive screen time and a chronic lack of sleep, their well-being deserves more attention than ever. More than half of the muscles linked to facial expression are concentrated in the eye area, and with so many of us drawn to peoples’ eyes, Dior’s commitment to…

Tell us about the Flora & Fauna collection. It’s my latest collection, for which geometric, floral designs are made to feel modern. The shapes are very colourful and unique. What inspires you? Gemstones. Jewellery ideas form when I play with them and compare their different shapes, colours and proportions. What’s your first memory of jewellery? My mother gave me an amethyst- and diamond-set pendant and matching ring when I was 13 years old. I remember the set so clearly: it featured a beautiful swirl design. Yellow or white gold? Yellow gold. Sapphires or emeralds? Emeralds. What trends should we look out for? Heart-shaped jewellery is going to become increasingly popular. Who would you love to design for? Charlize Theron. Which celebrity are you most proud of having worn your jewellery?…

Since establishing my own high jewellery brand, Nuò by Cindy Yeung, one request has always stayed with me. As chairwoman and CEO of Emperor Watch and Jewellery, one of Hong Kong’s most prestigious retailers, founded by my grandfather in 1942, I’ve been able to get up close and personal with some of the world’s most extraordinary gemstones and jewellery designs. But when a well-dressed French lady came to see me at my Central boutique about sourcing three beautiful pieces of fei cui jade eight years ago, I was especially moved by the reasons behind her commission. We Chinese call jade the “stone of heaven” and for very good reason. The Chinese word for jade also means “precious stone” and it’s a jewel that has been worn by the region’s nobility…

There’s more to ultra-thin watches than you might expect, and Piaget’s Polo Skeleton is a perfect example. This 42 mm sports watch has very much revolutionised movement architecture, making it extra slim at just 6.5 mm thick. Thirty per cent thinner than the watchmaker’s other Polo watches, this stainless-steel model is powered by a 189-part automatic skeleton 1200S1 calibre and comes in Piaget-blue or slate grey.…

One of the world’s top tennis players, Naomi Osaka has paired up with Swiss luxury watch brand Tag Heuer. “It’s a partnership and friendship that exemplifies our shared mindset and values,” the 23-year-old said about the collaboration. Born in Osaka to a Japanese mother and a Haitian father, Osaka was the first Asian woman to hold the No 1 position in singles, and the first Japanese player ever to win a Grand Slam event: the US Open in 2018. Frédéric Arnault, CEO of Tag Heuer, commented: “We are excited to support Naomi as she kicks off her 2021 season and prepares for her Olympic debut.”…

Get vaccinated. For your protection and for others, please get vaccinated. Peace of mind is essential to having a great time. Beach workouts. Don’t be the last person holding onto those Covid-19 pounds. Start shedding stat and have fun while doing so. Do your normal exercises outdoors and try some new ones like surfing or roller-skating. Don’t forget your SPF! Rent a classic car, RV or Airstream caravan and go coastal. The best itinerary is having no itinerary. I love driving up and down the coast of California, stopping in quaint towns, having breakfast on the cliffside, picking fruit from farms, visiting museums and more. Beauty up. Invest in yourself with the latest and greatest in aesthetic medicine, whether it’s an advanced facial with medical-grade products and technology, or non-surgical…

For as long as he can remember, Arthur de Villepin has lived with paintings by the artist Myonghi Kang. “Her art was always hanging in my family’s homes,” says Arthur, who last year opened a gallery in Hong Kong with his father, former French prime minister Dominique de Villepin. “And in 2010, when I was leaving home to move to Hong Kong, my parents said to me, ‘What do you want to take?’ I chose three African masks and a small Myonghi drawing. It has some gold in it—in certain light it sparkles.” Arthur still owns that drawing, which he now keeps in his bedroom next to another painting by Kang. Downstairs, a large canvas dominated by vivid splashes of green hangs above his dining table. Every morning, he admires…

KISAWA SANCTUARY Benguerra Island, Mozambique Spanning 300 hectares of virgin territory in Mozambique, Kisawa Sanctuary on Benguerra Island is the first hotel established by entrepreneur and philanthropist Nina Flohr. The stylish royal—her official title is Princess Nina of Greece and Denmark—is best known for her work as creative director of her family’s private aviation company, VistaJet, and she brings her knowledge of luxury to this landmark project, which is currently in its soft-opening phase. Kisawa has 12 bungalows from one to three bedrooms. Each has an open-air deck, private pool, outdoor kitchen and its very own stretch of beach, providing guests with plenty of room to immerse themselves in nature. Each bungalow is decorated differently, but all of them showcase traditional craftsmanship, with local weaving, carpentry and textiles featured inside.…

US$71,200,000 Most expensive diamond: CTF Pink Star In 2017 Chow Tai Fook purchased the Pink Star, an oval, 59.60-carat, fancy vivid pink diamond which Sotheby’s said was “a new record for any work ever sold in Asia”. It was renamed CTF Pink Star to honour the CTF chairman’s late father. US$36,000,000 Most expensive antique jewel: Marie Antoinette’s 18th-century pearl and diamond pendant When the Bourbon-Parma family auctioned their royal collection in 2018, Marie Antoinette’s pendant sparked a bidding war at Sotheby’s. The last queen of France smuggled jewellery abroad during the French Revolution; the pendant made it out safely, though the ill-fated queen didn’t. US$12.76 MILLION Most expensive tiara: the Henckel von Donnersmarck Tiara  An anonymous buyer snapped up this 500-carat diamond and emerald tiara at Sotheby’s Geneva in 2011.…

When collectors talk about grail watches, they’re normally referring to prohibitively expensive, extremely rare or sought-after timepieces. Frequently, the object of their desire will be a watch that possesses all three qualities. London-based entrepreneur Ahmed “Shary” Rahman is the curator and guardian of one of the world’s most enviable watch collections. “I think the term ‘grail’ when it is applied to a watch is difficult to define, because it means very different things to different enthusiasts or collectors,” he says. “For me, a grail watch would usually be a watch of high horological excellence, or something that is unique, perhaps even made bespoke just for me.” He cites the Patek Philippe 5970G Salmon Dial Perpetual Calendar Chronograph he acquired several years ago as a personal grail. “The grail watch is…

Gold and platinum might be far more expensive, but some of the costliest watches ever sold have been cased in standard stainless steel. Steel watches from Patek Philippe set the pace. A one-off steel-cased Grandmaster Chime became the most expensive timepiece ever auctioned when it fetched US$31 million in 2019. A 1950s stainless steel Patek Perpetual Calendar chronograph reaped US$11 million in 2016, and a steel 1949 Perpetual Calendar went under the hammer for a few dollars shy of US$4 million in 2008. This year, Patek announced that it would no longer produce the endlessly popular Nautilus ref 5711 in steel. This watch, with a waiting list of more than eight years, retails for about US$30,000 but is often bought for twice that sum or more on the secondary market…

Richard Mille has launched a new version of the RM 07-01 timepiece. The white gold Snow Setting watch features an artfully arranged collection of diamonds adorning the timepiece from dial to bezel. Though it may appear random, the meticulous arrangement recreates the delicate scattering of freshly fallen snowflakes. Owing to the irregular shape and size of the stones, each watch, blanketed in a unique array of diamonds, is one of a kind.…

As a kid who moved from Hong Kong to Canada at a young age, I practically lived for my summer breaks back home. The heat, the sun, the humidity—Hongkongers complain so much about summer but I’ve always just loved the vibe. Join me with a glass of something icy by the pool as I gaze back at my best summer memories and what is coming up this year. I am so excited for my favourite season in Hong Kong. THE HOTEL KID The Hong Kong Hilton was my home during my teenage summer holidays. It was the most glamorous hotel in Hong Kong and, as I roamed the hotel all on my own, I’d feel like Eloise, the classic children’s book character who lived on the top floor of a…

As a child, Mikyung Kim devoured any kind of filmed media. “Even commercials,” she says. “I was fascinated by the stories. I always knew I was really passionate about film and that it was more than a hobby.” Born in Seoul and raised in Hong Kong, Kim founded a film club at her school and organised a film festival for all secondary school students in the city. “I figured out that I loved organising things and enabling people to do something creative,” she says. Fresh from studying film in Boston, Kim went to work in Hollywood before her path led her to marketing. Kim became the youngest head of television at Ogilvy Hong Kong, then decided to strike out on her own. Here, she explains how she went from freelancing…

How did you first realise you wanted to work in fashion? My background is in political science, but right after my graduation from the Paris Institute of Political Studies, I was at a point in my life when I was asking myself what I wanted to do and discovered that fashion was what made me happy. It’s the best feeling to be able to create products that people love, and I enjoy the whole process, from the challenges and struggles to the successes. What was the first roadblock you had to overcome? Definitely finding the right partners to bring my creations to life and at the quality I required. During my first collection, we didn’t have the quantities to make it worthwhile for the factories to produce our products, so…

Poppy Delevingne calls me from her home in London. “How is everyone in Hong Kong?” she asks with heartfelt concern. “Oh! To think that there’s a world beyond the four walls of my living room. Just knowing that you’re there gives me butterflies.” Delevingne has visited Hong Kong twice, but hasn’t travelled internationally since last July, which is an unprecedented stretch for the 35 year old, who comes from one of London’s most well-connected high-society families. Her maternal grandmother served as a lady-in-waiting to Princess Margaret, while her mother, Pandora, was one of the glamorous trendsetters of the 1980s. Delevingne, similarly, knows how to make a statement. She was a top model before younger sister Cara, 28, ever walked a runway, and has since become an outspoken advocate for causes…

PLAY THE GAME The new Chronomaster Sport is the first regular production Zenith to be powered by the watchmaker’s Caliber 3600, which has already been used in a few of the brand’s limited-edition timepieces. The chronograph’s overlapping sub-dials and colour scheme take their cues from the 1969 El Primero A386, while a 41 mm case and sleek steel bracelet bring this wristwatch well and truly into the 21st century. PUSH AND PULL This year marks the 220th anniversary of the tourbillon, which was first created by master watchmaker Abraham-Louis Breguet in the summer of 1801. A mechanism that constantly rotates a watch’s balance wheel, balance spring and escapement while the movement is running, a tourbillon counters the effect of gravity and increases the timepiece’s accuracy. The pictured 18-karat gold pocket…

VINTAGE STYLE Omega’s Seamaster 300 made its debut in 1957 and has remained a sought-after timepiece for divers ever since. For 2021, new novelties have been fitted with sleeker sapphire glass, making these watches thinner than their predecessors. For the first time, a 41 mm model crafted from Omega’s patent-pending Bronze Gold alloy has also been unveiled by the brand. Used for its corrosion resistance and strength, bronze develops a patina, which is the result of copper oxidising from exposure to the air. This natural process takes on different patterns depending on how and where it is worn, meaning this watch has a case that, over time, will become unique to its owner. MADE TO ORDER Bremont has had a slew of new releases over the past year, including the…

Derek Tsang was lying on his sofa at home after a long day on March 15 when his phone started lighting up with messages from friends who were congratulating him, just at the moment it was announced he had become the first native Hong Kong director to be nominated for best international feature at the Academy Awards. “I knew it was going to be that day, but I didn’t know there was a live broadcast,” Tsang says, and although he was hopeful for a nod for his teenage film noir Better Days, which handily swept the Hong Kong Film Awards and received multiple international prizes, he was not watching the news very closely. “That’s when it hit me that we were in the final five, and I just became elated,…

As a child, Stephen Wong Chun-hei had a vision of the kind of artist he wanted to be. He pictured himself standing at the foot of a mountain, sketchbook in hand, painting the towering peak before him and the fluffy clouds floating overhead. But when he got to university, that fantasy was almost squashed. “At art school, nobody was talking about landscape painting or even painting outdoors, painting real places,” he says. “It was seen as a very old style. No one dared to do it.” Until Wong, that is. Soon after graduation, he stopped working on the conceptual art he had been taught and returned to his childhood dream. He began exploring Hong Kong’s hiking trails and thinking about how to capture the city’s tropical forests and craggy peaks,…

What does “regenerative travel” mean, and how is it different to sustainable travel? Simply put, being sustainable and eco-friendly means not doing harm or reaching net-zero carbon emissions, while regeneration is looking to restore and replenish the environment and fix the damage that has occurred. Regenerative travel is about creating better conditions for the environment and for the community. Bill Reed, principal at Regenesis Group, who worked with my co-founder on the vision for his resort Playa Viva, explains it well. He says, “You’re not going to make a sustainable planet with 100 million certified LEED Platinum buildings or 100 million living buildings. They don’t make a green planet. They make buildings that are less damaging to the planet. But it doesn’t heal the damage that’s already been done or…

RICK LO Rick Lo is a Hong Kong-based illustrator, designer and lecturer for the University of Hong Kong and Middlesex University London. His illustrations and prints inspired by Hong Kong are sold around the world. For Tatler, Lo drew the latest instalment of Alphabet City (p.200) KAREN YIU Make-up artist Karen Yiu is the founder and creative director of HK Makeup Artist. Her editorial and commercial work has been featured in publications including Vogue, i-D and Marie Claire. In this month’s issue, Yiu worked on the jewellery shoot (p.126) GREG KAHN Greg Kahn is an American documentary and fine art photographer whose work concentrates on issues that shape personal and cultural identity. His images have been exhibited around the world and he was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in…

No designer and Hong Kong hotel are more closely associated than André Fu and The Upper House. In March, the architect launched the André Fu Suite on the hotel’s 48th floor, creating a new, intimate place for guests to relax and socialise, while celebrating an 11-year creative partnership. Fu employed a calming blue, ivory and mink colour palette to transform the 1,960 sq ft, formerly two-bedroom penthouse, imparting a sense of comfort, privacy and relaxed luxury evoking a home more than a hotel. Alongside The Upper House’s sumptuous signature amenities, the suite also includes features exclusive to Fu’s design. The second bedroom and guest bathroom were turned into a dining room to seat 18. There is also a dedicated spa with dual massage beds and a pantry with cooking facilities.…

Key faces from the Hong Kong art world flooded the Asia Society Hong Kong (ASHK) Center on April 26 to preview Extended Figure: The Art and Inspiration of Lalan before it opened to the public. The new exhibition features the work of the pioneering Chinese artist Xie Jing-lan, known as Lalan, and goes on show in a year that marks both 100 years since the artist’s birth and the 30th anniversary of the society. Open until September 19, this first major Hong Kong retrospective of the artist, who died in 1995, is part of the society’s series on 20th-century female Chinese artists. In the Lippo Amphitheatre, the ASHK’s chairman Ronnie Chan gave an upbeat talk about the non-profit organisation’s work over the last year to a room of familiar faces,…

On a bright spring morning in Tsuen Wan, Marisa Yiu was examining the finishing touches on her newly finished living room, designed in a pleasingly elementary palette of pool blue, marigold and maize terrazzo. Only this was not technically her living room, but everyone’s. Yiu, a co-founder and the executive director of Design Trust, was realising a vision three years in the making, the first of four micro-parks designed in Hong Kong to revitalise public spaces. This one, called The Communal Living Room in Yi Pei Square Playground, transformed a space not long ago marred by violence during the 2019 protests into one that would bring together local communities in positive ways, with vibrant slides and accessible equipment for children, and sitting-out areas for adults that stand in contrast to…

DOUBLE DASH TATLER DINING KITCHEN Shane Osborn and Michael Smith of The Arcane Collective—a newly formed restaurant group that includes Arcane and Cornerstone—have taken up residency at our Central venue, serving a contemporary menu for three weeks only this month. Expect a line-up of mainly plant-oriented dishes that highlight Hong Kong’s summer vegetables. Make your bookings now at sevenrooms.com/reservations/ tatlerdiningkitchen A BITE OF CHINA MIÁN The Murray welcomes chef Ronald Shao, who takes over this newly launched restaurant showcasing the diversity of China’s eight great cuisines—including that of Shao’s native Sichuan. An extensive menu traverses culinary traditions from dim sum to Shunde-style fish broth, with dishes that capture the contrast and scale of Chinese cuisine. facebook.com/mianhongkong TAKE FLIGHT WING Chef Vicky Cheng has unveiled his second high-end restaurant, this time…

NIGHT FEVER As nightlife slowly re-emerges from its slumber, make sure you’ve got a killer look ready for the dance floor. Saint Laurent outfit, Prada earrings, Chanel bag. Opposite page: Giuseppe Zanotti Agata heels SUN, SAND, STYLE The ultimate beach checklist should include at least one of these summery staples. Hermès swimsuit, Louis Vuitton Capucines bag, outfit, Loewe basket bag. Opposite page: Hunza G bikini, Fendi sunglasses LOOSE ENDS Unwind through your accessories, starting with these knotty leather goods. Bally outfit, Neous Saturn bag HEAR HER ROAR The pièce de résistance from Christian Dior’s pre-fall 2021 collection is the Bar Jacket wrapped in leopard print, a nod to Mizza Bricard, one of Monsieur Dior’s greatest muses. Christian Dior outfit PRINTS CHARMING No longer confined to the scarf, the bandana print…

WHY KNOT? Graff is known for its diamonds. The London-based jewellery house cuts, polishes and sets its gemstones in-house into striking structures that are reminiscent of starry night skies, architectural designs and swirling galaxies. The jeweller’s newest collection, Tilda’s Bow, focuses on white diamonds, which are mounted into three-dimensional bows that are extraordinarily lifelike. Choose from a variety of necklaces, earrings, bracelets and rings. Earring, necklace, ring and bracelet in white gold and platinum set with diamonds, all from the Tilda’s Bow collection by Graff BIOGRAPHY OF A CITY The Escale à Venise 70-piece high jewellery collection takes inspiration from Gabrielle Chanel’s trips to the Floating City, which occurred more than 100 years ago. Divided into four chapters, this latest line was designed by Patrice Leguéreau, director of the Chanel…

When did you first meet Karl Lagerfeld? I first met Karl in 2001 when he came to visit my shop in Paris. A friend I know through work referred him to me because he knew Karl loved jewellery. What would you talk about? We talked about my jewellery, of course, as well as my background as a specialist for the influential 20th-century designer Suzanne Belperron. What’s your most memorable moment with Karl? When he became one of my jewellery customers in 2006. Do you wear his fashion designs? Yes, I own pieces from the very first collection he ever designed for Chanel. Tell us something we don’t know about Karl. I think that, in order to protect himself from others, he created this persona that was very different from who…

Bulgari is largely inspired by its Italian roots. In what ways has this impacted this year’s novelties? We are an Italian brand but, more important than that, we come from Rome. We’re a unique brand in the world of luxury that comes from the Eternal City. This inspiration is particularly present in our Divas’ Dream collection, for which we showcase great savoir-faire. Tell us more about this year’s Divas’ Dream watches. This collection is about the very best in métiers d’art. This year, we have an amazing dial that’s decorated with peacock feathers. We also have tourbillon and skeletonised versions, which are similarly adorned with feathers and diamonds. Which is your favourite Divas’ Dream watch from this year’s releases? The Divas’ Dream Peacock Dischi has a dial that’s just absolutely…

The hotel industry is waking up to the needs of some particularly special family members—our pets. Luxury hotels around the world are now offering five-star stays tailored to our furry friends, featuring everything from massage therapists for dogs to pet perfumes. At the Beverly Hills Hotel in California, dogs are welcomed with personalised homemade cookies—with their names written on them in icing—and dog walkers are on call 24 hours a day. Pet-friendly packages are also available at Belmond’s Hotel Splendido in Portofino, Italy, which reopened in May. The 16th-century monastery-turned-hotel now has a dedicated pet concierge who can arrange a trip to Portofino’s luxury shops, where you can buy bespoke bowls, pet perfumes or a pampering grooming session for your dog. The glamorous hotel, which was a favourite of Richard…

It’s said that Cleopatra once won a bet against Mark Antony by dissolving her pearl earring in a glass of wine as an aperitif, proving she had hosted the most expensive dinner. While natural pearls were once regarded as the most sacred of gems and were highly sought after by the upper echelons of society, the shimmering orbs have since become more accessible thanks to developments in pearl culturing. Over millennia, they’ve transformed from grand imperial symbols to must-have TikTok accessories, in a fascinating tale of human innovation. Pearls have long captivated civilisations all over the world, but one of their earliest recorded mentions comes from China. In the third millennium BC, a Chinese historian disparaged a royal who gifted the emperor a “string of pearls not quite round” in…