Innholdsfortegnelse for January 2023 i Tatler Hong Kong

TATLER HONG KONG Mention skipping to most people, and they’re more likely to imagine a school playground than a strapping athlete whose moves the members of BTS would be jealous of. But Cheung Pakhung, one of the fastest rope skippers in the world, wants to challenge that preconception, and show that his sport builds strength, agility—and interpersonal skills. TATLER INDONESIA Greysia Polii is an Indonesian athlete and entrepreneur. She currently ranks 13th in badminton globally, and she’s also on Tatler Indonesia’s Gen.T list for 2022. Greysia founded her own fashion brand, Fine Counsel, which makes a line of athletic wear for women. In this issue, she shares her ups and downs as an athlete and entrepreneur. TATLER MALAYSIA Through her start-up Cell Biopeutics, research scientist Dr Jezamine Lim Iskander has…

Over the past year, HSBC has emerged as one of Hong Kong’s most dedicated supporters of the arts—and in particular the artistic media of the future. Formalised under the Open to Art initiative, the bank’s commitment to culture has taken several forms, from becoming the lead partner of M+ to launching its very own gallery in the metaverse. According to Maggie Ng, HSBC’s head of wealth and personal banking, it’s a natural continuation of a long history. “HSBC goes back a long way with the arts,” she says. “Look at our iconic Main Building, created by Sir Norman Foster, and the designs of our banknotes. HSBC and the arts really go hand in hand, but not many people know that.” The growing popularity of art in Hong Kong, she adds,…

People matter just as much as profit and growing a brand is just as important as business growth at All-Star Agency, a recruitment firm founded by Jack Leung. Leung believes in building a strong brand image to pave the way for business success, both to attract new clients and to be seen as an employer that talented individuals would want to work for. “Personal branding is something that I believe is immensely important to the success of a company. When you build a business, you need to understand your core identity in order to set yourself apart from the rest,” says Leung. “We aren’t just known for recruitment. We have to ask ourselves what makes us unique and unlike anyone else.” All-Star uses social media to recruit talent throughout Hong…

What were you doing before starting Big JJ Seafood Hotpot? I ran a little food stall serving local street food including rice rolls and fishballs in Sheung Wan, opposite the Western Market. Before this, I was a struggling bank employee. What led you open Big JJ Seafood Hotpot? It was 2020, everyone was working from home, and our food stall business [was struggling] to survive. We did not want to fire anyone, but there was not enough work for them. So I asked my staff if they wanted to work an extra shift in a new location and see if we could make it through. They said yes, and we got lucky. “Noisy, rude and overrated” is the tagline of your restaurant. What inspired this? I did not plan to…

NEW OBSESSION Italian maison Valentino debuted its official monogram, Toile Iconographe, at the spring-summer 2023 Unboxing Valentino show. Pierpaolo Piccioli is using the striking graphic on everything from prints on pret-à-porter and accessories to models’ make-up, a bold reminder of the continuining appeal of logomania. WELLNESS RESTORED The theme of Issey Miyake’s autumn-winter 2022 collection is Sow It and Let It Grow, and we’re carrying that energy with us for the new year. The irregular silhouettes and bold, bright colourways of the Rhizome knitwear collection are inspired by the beauty of plants. The lightweight woollen pieces are designed to be layered and worn in a variety of ways, reflecting the freedom and wildness of nature. WAXING LYRICAL Barbour waxed jackets are beloved by the British royal family and owners of…

Every year, Asian communities around the world celebrate the Lunar New Year, accompanied by unique ceremonies and beliefs. But one thing remains constant across borders, clans, generations and traditions—the colour red. The vibrant colour holds a significant place in Chinese culture particularly, as it represents good luck, vitality and prosperity. “Legend has it that a beast known as a nian would emerge on Chinese New Year’s Eve to devour villagers, livestock and crops,” says Stewart Young, director of jewellery and head of jewellery Asia at Bonhams. “[Certain] villagers heard that the nian were scared of children dressed in red; since then, we [Chinese communities] have hung red lanterns and scrolls with couplets to keep the mythical monster away for another year. The nian dance, or lion dance, is performed every…

Growing up was confusing for Mia Kang. Born and raised in Hong Kong, the half Korean, half British model recalls her days at Discovery Bay International School, where she would be “bullied for having Asian food in my lunch box at primary school by the white kids. How crazy is that, to be bullied for being Asian in Asia?” says Kang, who is now based in New York. She was also picked on for being overweight. Tired of the merciless teasing, at 13 years old, Kang hung a poster of Tyra Banks’ 1997 Sports Illustrated cover in her bedroom, halved her weight, and was swiftly scouted by a modelling agency. It was the acceptance she had always hoped for; or so she thought—because even though she had transformed her appearance,…

Happy New Year! It’s January—that time of year when many of us are overcome with a sudden and aggressive need to undo 31 days of mince pies and boozing. Whether this takes the form of Dry January, a new gym membership or a juice fast (which, speaking from experience, is a terrible idea in the middle of winter), it’s usually some sort of drastic physical reset that we do to mark the beginning of a wellness journey that ends abruptly and unceremoniously at Chinese New Year. Might I suggest something slightly different this year? The theme for our January issue is Well-being, and while predictable, we’d be fools not to address something that so many are so fervently wishing for at this time of year. While we do have content…

Since opening its first establishment a decade ago, Black Sheep Restaurants has become an influential force in the Hong Kong dining scene. To celebrate the group’s tenth anniversary, its founder Syed Asim Hussain threw a glitzy dinner for 100 guests on November 18. The black-tie affair was held at The Magistracy, Black Sheep’s latest opening, which is located inside Tai Kwun and occupies one of the oldest surviving court buildings in Hong Kong. Designed by architect Joyce Wang, it draws inspiration from the stately interiors of some of London’s oldest restaurants, while also paying homage to historic details inside the space. Chefs and creatives working across establishments at the restaurant group pulled out all the stops for the evening and delighted guests with their offerings. At Botanical Garden, which forms…

Tatler hosted its inaugural Front & Female Awards on December 2 at the Island Shangri-La, Hong Kong’s Atrium and Library. Since 2020, Tatler’s Front & Female platform has been dedicated to celebrating trailblazing women and tackling timely and provocative topics through inspiring content and events. Hosted by Rachel Duffell, regional content director of Front & Female, the awards ceremony saw 85 inspiring women file into the venue for an afternoon of camaraderie. The guests included 20 women nominated for the awards for their work in championing the progress of women in Hong Kong. The event was sponsored by the Bank of Singapore, which has been steadfast in its initiatives driving diversity and inclusion in the workplace, and in growing its pool of women in leadership positions globally. Before the awards…

MELINDA ZEMAN Founder, Boochier jewellery label “I moved from the UK to Hong Kong at the age of six and lived with my [Chinese] grandmother, who didn’t speak a word of English. As a young child, who didn’t speak a word of Cantonese at the time, I remember bonding with my grandmother over cooking and eating. One particular memory that sticks out was our annual CNY family gathering at the Jumbo Seafood Restaurant. The [recent] closing of this restaurant was especially sad for me, as it was a place that held so many of my best childhood memories. Almost every year, my family would gather at Jumbo—there were more than 100 of us—not just to celebrate each other, but also to celebrate how far we had come since my great-grandfather…

Wesley Ng is the founder and CEO of Casetify, the much-loved tech accessories brand. How does your business make a difference? We make a difference in our users’ daily lives; we impact the livelihoods of many artists; and our work impacts the environment too. Casetify thinks about phone cases as blank canvases. A phone case is where a person can show their individuality, their passion and personality. To achieve that, we partner with creative people around the world to find designs that connect with our users. Casetify supports more than 300 designers on our platform by sharing profits with them each time a user buys a case with their design. Apart from self-expression, most of our phone cases are made with up to 90 per cent upcycled plastic that we…

Sat on the ground, legs straight in front of him, Cheung Pak-hung flicks a rope behind his head, jumps to his feet, flips the rope under one ankle before throwing himself into a handstand, showing off some hip-hop moves, and whipping the rope over his head again. These are not your playground skipping games. In November, Cheung, the founder of Hong Kong Institute of Rope Skipping, took part in Instagram’s Creator Week, an invite-only professional development programme for content creators. While in person, the 28-year-old is quiet, with a shy smile, put a rope in his hand and he immediately comes out of his shell and transforms into a charismatic, energetic athlete. It’s little wonder he has 116,000 followers on his personal Instagram. But he’s not just an influencer with…

You’ll often find Queenie Man as her alter ego, Captain Softmeal, a superhero clad in green with a white wig, whose goal is to promote better-quality food for people with swallowing difficulties. This is just one of the creative ways that Man and her social enterprise, The Project Futurus, are shifting perceptions of and policy around ageing. Here, she explains how her organisation is taking on ageism and elderly care in Hong Kong. The Project Futurus promotes the future of ageing across three pillars. First, we promote what we call ageing innovation: age-friendly policies. Then, there is “dignity dining”, cooking workshops for caregivers. The last area is community service. We launched “sensory restaurant on wheels”, where we bring dim sum into elderly homes and centres. My colleagues and I recreate…

POWER OF PINK Chopard has proved to be a red-carpet favourite for decades. Julia Roberts looked pretty in pink at the Los Angeles premiere of her latest movie Ticket to Paradise, choosing a pair of earrings from the maison’s Temptations collection. They feature 38.53 carats of kunzites and 34.64 carats of rhodolites outlined with white diamonds, all set in 18-karat white gold. DIAMOND DAZE Emerald-cut diamonds and multi-row chains create silhouettes that elevate Messika’s D-Vibes collection to the realm of high jewellery. A sliding mechanism allows the wearer to adjust the length of the gem-studded pieces from choker to sternum-grazer.…

WORLD IN HAND This 43mm Montblanc novelty displays an in-house world time complication that is an example of sophistication. It features a black and grey dial with rose gold-coated continents. It is run by the MB 29.20 automatic calibre and boasts a power reserve of 42 hours. The day-and-night indicator is operated by a disk that rotates from light grey to dark grey, following the movement of the Earth around the sun. A chapter ring marks the hours on the dial and is accentuated by luminescent dots appearing every five minutes. The hands are coated with Super-LumiNova, making them easier to see in the dark. The watch is water-resistant down to 50m and completed with a dark grey alligator strap. ONWARD AND UPWARD The latest addition to Blancpain’s Air Command…

CONNIE BERG Connie Berg is a New York-based fashion stylist with more than a decade of experience. Her work has been featured in Harper’s Bazaar, Vogue and L’Officiel, among others. For Tatler, Berg styled Mia Kang for the cover story. (p.128) OLIVIER YOAN French photographer Olivier Yoan has worked with brands such as Calvin Klein, Jimmy Choo and Roger Vivier. He is also the creative director of online platform The Ené, a directory of eco-conscious businesses and retailers around Europe. For this issue, Yoan photographed the fashion shoot in London. (p.76) LARA JADE Lara Jade is a New York-based fashion and beauty photographer, whose work has appeared in luxury fashion publications worldwide and whose clients include Monique Lhuillier, Estée Lauder and Graff. She photographed model Mia Kang for this month’s…

On December 2, 2022, we announced the six winners of the first Front & Female Awards, which celebrated the individuals who are supporting and driving the progress of women in Hong Kong. Chosen with the help of our expert voting committee comprising some of the most influential female leaders in Hong Kong, these six women were selected from a shortlist of 20 impressive nominees. Here, they share inspiration, advice and their ideas of success in their own words. BOWIE LAM Explain what you do in one sentence I founded Teen’s Key shortly after graduating from university and through the organisation I aim to help girls and young women who are trapped in the sex trade, and more broadly promote gender equality in Hong Kong. What is the greatest challenge you…

Still reeling from her runway debut at the inaugural South Asian New York Fashion Week, which took place in autumn 2022, Shili Patel could never have imagined her designs taking her to an international stage. “It was an experience I will never forget,” says the Hong Kong-based designer, who is behind the contemporary fashion label JinaShili. “I was a ball of nerves throughout the whole process. It was my first show and something I’ve only ever dreamt about.” The event on September 11 last year was a coup not just for Patel, but for the South Asian design community. Falling smack in the middle of New York Fashion Week’s buzzing schedule, it gave 15 designers a platform to showcase their heritage and craftsmanship on a world stage. Patel, whose designs…

Are new year’s resolutions effective? KAYE DONG YES “I absolutely love new year’s resolutions. I create a vision board for myself. My process involves three steps: I do an honest audit of every aspect of my life: career, family, relationships, social responsibility, health, personal development, hobbies and finances—and see where I’m at currently. And the second—this is the fun part—I visualise where I want to be in the next five years. This is where I get crystal clear on my goals and articulate them all with as much detail as possible. Thirdly, I plan [the second part] by week, month and quarter. I find that breaking the goal down into a series of smaller goals sets me up for success. New year’s resolutions are only pointless if there is a…

At the House of Krug, music and champagne are acknowledged as universal languages that appeal to our senses. Enjoying the two together can trigger new sensations and reveal unexpected characteristics of the beloved bubbles. For this reason, the brand invited multi-award-winning Japanese composer, musician and long-time Krug enthusiast Ryuichi Sakamoto to compose a symphony that reflects his perceptions of three Krug champagnes, each crafted around the harvest of 2008—an exceptional year for the wine. Sakamoto, who has created some of the most powerfully evocative soundtracks for movies including The Last Emperor (1987) and The Revenant (2015), explains how this journey began: “It all started in New York City in 2019. I was invited to experience an immersive music pairing with a glass of Krug Grande Cuvée. To be honest, I…

Hong Kong jewellery designer Austy Lee is renowned for the bright colours and optimistic mood of his creations. Drawing influences from such diverse sources as punk rock, the Nordic gods, ancient Japan and the exotic blooms of the natural world, Lee is perhaps most deeply affected by the 1960s counterculture movement. He says he intends his jewellery to serve not merely as beautiful objects, but talismans that deliver “psychedelic healing”. Famed for combining fine gemstones and precious metals with more obscure, artisanal or decorative materials, Lee recently executed one of his most remarkable concoctions yet. By mixing traditional yellow gold and diamonds with more esoteric embellishments, he has brought to life two entrancing examples of his Maki-e no Gokurakujoudo Ring—highlights of the Ancient Fetus Collection. Developed mainly during the Heian…

What sets your soul on fire? For Malaysian make-up artist Mei Pang, it’s the thrill of outdoing herself—whether that’s finding a new technique to create a beauty look, completing another yoga class or committing to one more day of sobriety. “Sobriety saved my career,” Toronto-based Pang says. Her shaved head, praying mantises on each temple (plus a further plethora of matching tattoos) and razor-sharp eyeliner might lead one to assume she’s hardcore; a rebel. They’d be partly correct—she’s hardcore, but these days only about establishing her sense of self, fostering positivity online and maintaining her health to share and celebrate with others. “I wake up at five in the morning, I do my make-up and I feel incredibly productive. And I do it with a clear head,” she says. “Professionally,…

What areas do you plan on developing under your leadership? One of my plans is to enhance our client experience. I want to bring in my 20 years of experience in the luxury industry to enchant our clients, going above and beyond to make their experience with Van Cleef & Arpels one-of-a-kind. Secondly, we will continue to strengthen our position as a stand-out example of a high jewellery maison, bringing our unique high jewellery creations from our Mains d’Or, or Golden Hands [a name given to Van Cleef & Arpels’ craftsmen], in the Paris workshop to our audiences through an annual high jewellery event and other campaigns. If you could name only one piece from the archives as a favourite, what would it be? I have always been in love…

ENAMELLED TO PERFECTION While the Marine Torpilleur Tourbillon in black Grand Feu enamel was limited to 175 pieces in 2021, the watchmaker has added the Marine Torpilleur Tourbillon in white Grand Feu enamel to its permanent collection. This steel model has a fluted bezel and is polished and satin-finished. The power reserve is displayed at 12 o’clock on a white Grand Feu enamel dial by Donzé Cadrans, the acclaimed dial manufacture acquired by Ulysse Nardin in 2012. The UN-128 self-winding manufacture calibre powers the flying tourbillon with constant escapement, which is outfitted with a flying anchor made of silicium, an award-winning system patented by the brand. WRIST CANDY Harry Winston’s 32.2mm high jewellery watch is made with a variety of vibrant gemstones, drawing inspiration from the brand’s candy cocktail rings.…

SHIRR THING If our Instagram reels are anything to go by, ruching is in. From Bottega Veneta to Victoria Beckham, drawstrings and shirring add interest to bodycon dressing, and put an end to worries about wrinkles. EASTERN PHILOSOPHY Lunar New Year style is for life, not just the holidays. Classic Asian touches are being updated in a variety of ways for the modern wardrobe, from gold embroidery and jade accessories to Loewe’s Chinese Monochrome collection, which explores the historical and cultural impact of ancient ceramics. WHAT A CARRY-ON Whether or not you have your 2023 travel mapped out, it’s always wise to have your essentials ready. A must-pack list for a winter getaway? Lightweight luggage, a pair of sneakers that goes with everything and colourful, mood-boosting knits. COMFORT PLUS We…

For the past few years, Korean Canadian artist Zadie Xa has been exploring the afterlife through her art. “I think the main reason for this is because of the Covid [situation] we’re currently living in,” says Xa upon reflection. “We haven’t had a chance to fully acknowledge what’s happened or mourn properly.” Death, grief and remembrance have been occupying her mind and consequently materialising in her work. Shrines, shamans and characters adapted from Korean folklore find themselves centre stage at Xa’s exhibition House Gods, Animal Guides and Five Ways 2 Forgiveness at Whitechapel Gallery in London, a show that reflects on the loss and upheaval experienced during the pandemic. It opened to the public on September 20, a day after Queen Elizabeth II’s historic funeral, an outcome that isn’t lost…

The Year of the Rabbit is nigh. Tatler asks feng shui and interior design experts around the world for their tips on creating the most auspicious atmosphere in the home The Year of the Rabbit begins on January 22. Take tips from the pros on what the new lunar year will bring—and the best upgrades you can make to your living spaces to maximise good energy and avoid misfortune. Meet our feng shui and interior design maestros: Priya Subberwal, Hong Kong-based feng shui consultant, interior designer and founder of Disha Consulting David Tong, Singapore-based founder and principal consultant of Chinese Metaphysics Global Consulting Nina Kati, Ireland-based feng shui interior design consultant, founder of Nina Kati Feng Shui Interior Design Anjie Cho, New York-based feng shui consultant, architect and founder of…