Innholdsfortegnelse for May 2025 i Tatler Hong Kong

TATLER HONG KONG We caught up with world-renowned tenor Jonas Kaufman ahead of his Hong Kong debut to chat programming an operatic performance and the future of this traditional artform. TATLER INDONESIA Sabrina Joseph, the founder of pre-loved luxury marketplace Huntstreet, explained how important transparency, trust and authenticity are to her brand and how her dreams of communicating the importance of sustainability in fashion are coming true. TATLER KAZAKHSTAN Last month, former politician, coach and businesswoman Irina Khakamada turned 70. We take a look back at some of her greatest achievements. TATLER MALAYSIA Sharmeen Looi, co-founder of e-commerce site iMotorbike, shared the hurdles she’s faced as a rare woman in a male-dominated industry. TATLER PHILIPPINES Gen.T honouree Mark Gervasa founded bamboo product brand Bambuhay to fight poverty, promote sustainability and…

Hong Kong’s gourmands descended upon Club Bâtard on March 27 for DBS and Tatler’s ARTable, a one-of-a-kind soirée that blurred the lines between gastronomy and art. Held during the city’s buzzing Art Week, the event was a culinary and artistic odyssey, meticulously crafted by DBS Bank Hong Kong and Tatler Asia. It was the inaugural signature event under “DBS Culinary Delights”, a new customer engagement initiative by the bank celebrating the art of gastronomy by introducing the best dining experiences in the city to its clientele. If you weren’t there, well, you missed out on an unforgettable evening where food, art and creativity collided in the most tantalising fashion. The night began with cocktails and canapés, but this was no ordinary pre-dinner nibble. Guests were treated to the culinary magic…

When the call came that Kathryn Weaver and her husband, Alex Macro, had been matched with a child for adoption, she was fortunate to be in a position where she could take the necessary time off work to facilitate the process. As managing partner of the Hong Kong office of a British law firm at that time, she gave herself adoption leave in line with what was offered by her firm in the UK, given Hong Kong lacks any provision for it. It’s one of the things that Weaver, who has adopted two children in Hong Kong, wants to change, in particular through her advocacy with the government. “The only people that are adopting are those with a decent income and who have understanding workplaces or have a spouse that’s…

Macau is one of just three places in Asia where you’ve established outposts of your restaurant empire. What attracted you to this city and why was City of Dreams the perfect setting for your vision? With a hotel designed by Zaha Hadid [Architects] and a restaurant crafted by [Studio] Jouin Manku, we are situated in an extraordinary setting, where we present contemporary French cuisine. This venue holds great significance for us, especially given that we are catering to a discerning clientele. The combination of cuisine and location is designed to create an unforgettable experience for our guests. City of Dreams was a natural choice, as its vision for excellence and the exceptional aligns with my own. You’ve travelled extensively around the world. What makes Macau particularly significant to you? Macau…

Everything Everywhere All at Once Japanese actor, model and singer-songwriter Dean Fujioka talks about his return to Hong Kong and what keeps him motivated in playing different roles Over the course of Dean Fujioka’s decades-long career, he has forged a reputation as one of Asia’s most dynamic actors. Thrillers, crime, mystery, action-adventure, sci-fi and romance: the 44-year-old Japanese actor has done it all, and also worked as a producer, director, model and singer-songwriter. He attended the Asian Film Awards in March as the event’s ambassador. He told Tatler he was “truly grateful to return to my starting point”—he spent time in the city in his 20s, where he appeared in a music video for local singers Edison Chen and Denise Ho’s 2005 Canto-pop song Lao Si, Lai Si and made…

Hong Kong artist-designer Didi Ng Wing Yin doesn’t just work with wood—he strives to bring the natural properties of the material back to life. Based in Helsinki, the industrial designer turned craftsman creates sculptural objects that blur the lines between the organic and the manmade. Take his Wood Feathers collection as an example: the range of wall art and sculptures features intricate, feather-like carvings to remind us that the wood was once a living thing. In another display of experimental surface treatments, his Wood Pleats series uses planks of processed firewood to recreate the original grooved textures of a tree trunk. Ng explains that he tries not to control or alter the natural material too much. “The ideal situation is that the finished piece is 50 per cent done by…

You may be surprised to learn that Louis Vuitton, a brand sported by A-list celebrities and fashionistas everywhere from the red carpet to wedding receptions, only entered the ready-to-wear space in 1998. For the previous century or so, before former artistic director Marc Jacobs changed the course of history, it was the humble trunk that first put the French fashion house and its creator on the map. It was no ordinary trunk. The year was 1856 and, thanks to the advent of trains, interest in travel had hit a new high. At the time, many luxury trunks had rounded tops to ensure rain would run off them. But Louis Vuitton, who was a malletier, or trunk-maker, used Trianon canvas to make his luggage, resulting in a lighter, more durable and,…

Jean-Claude Biver is an iconic figure in Swiss watchmaking. He has worked for some of the biggest watch brands in the world: Audemars Piguet, Omega, Blancpain and, perhaps most famously, Hublot, where he was responsible for creating the brand’s legendary Big Bang in 2005. In 2023, he resigned from his role as LVMH’s head of watches and jewellery division and founded his own brand, Biver. The latest chapter in his saga unfurled in Hong Kong, at The Upper House. Here, he unveiled the Biver Lounge, an intimate, appointment-only boutique space, that seemed more like the meeting place for a secret society for the horologically savvy. In a conversation with Tatler, Biver shares insights into his business, the concept of invisible luxury and the evolving landscape of the watch industry. You…

ON TARGET John Hardy’s Spear collection strikes a delicate balance between tradition and modernity. The 14-karat gold and silver bangle, adorned with diamond pavé, features a gender-fluid design and a flexible titanium core, allowing for an ergonomic fit on any wrist. The piece was created using a traditional Balinese weaving technique to spin the gold and silver together and create a beautiful texture. BEE GOOD Chaumet’s Bee de Chaumet collection takes flight once again, this time with a dazzling array of new pieces that are creating quite the buzz. The star of the show? A cuff with a honeycomb pattern crafted in pink gold and brilliant-cut pavé diamonds. The piece isn’t restrained by gender norms—it challenges them. CLASSIC TWIST On Hollywood’s biggest night, Margaret Qualley’s Oscars appearance was a study…

SHADES AT SUNSET The colours of sunset are hot this season—think rich ambers, burnt oranges and deep corals that mirror golden-hour skies. A flowing Magda Butrym dress sets the tone for seaside dinners, while bold Alexander McQueen sneakers add a flash of fire to city strolls. This summer, it’s all about colours that catch the light and linger long after dusk. BARE MINIMUM Gentlemen, this spring is all about comfort with a dash of attitude—May is calling on you to lose the sleeves. At Dolce & Gabbana, sleek, brown, sleeveless shirts offer a sharp update for warmer workdays, while Jil Sander turns up the heat with bold printed tanks—best paired with breezy Bermuda shorts. BACK TO COOL It’s a big year for Fendi—it’s marking 100 years of style while making…

As the pace of production across media continues to accelerate without limit—we’re in an era where AI can generate years’ worth of hand-drawn animation in seconds—it seems anachronistic for someone to spend a decade crafting a three-hour film. Yet this is what Juno Mak, our May cover star, has just done. What began as a career in music took a cinematic turn, Mak’s raw passion driving him to create otherworldly moving images that transport viewers into unexplored emotional territory. His directorial debut Rigor Mortis (2013) garnered international acclaim, fuelling his determination to again challenge convention—this time, with Sons of the Neon Night. It was a decade-long endeavour that required four years of scriptwriting and six years to bring to life. This extended timeline, Mak tells us, was not intentional—the pandemic…

It may be 2025, but gender equality is still far from the norm, and so we continue to need reminders to work together to create a brighter, more equitable future. Supported by Chanel, Olympic swimmer Siobhán Haughey met with Joanna Hotung, founder of KG Group Education and director of the Hotung Mills Education Foundation, for an intimate sharing session about the importance of empowering young girls to find their voice and embrace self-confidence—a mission that has been embraced by Chanel for years through a series of initiatives. The importance of this topic for both women was obvious. Hotung has dedicated much of her adult life to education and the arts and has passionately championed young women in Hong Kong and beyond for decades. Mentoring girls—whether through entrepreneurship lessons or drama…

It’s just meat and potatoes—but sometimes, that’s enough to move you. It’s not a chicken hurriedly crisped in an air fryer, nor a perfectly sliced sliver of Wagyu on a tasting menu plate. This is meat left to blister, basted in its own juices, then rested. Potatoes burnished and bronzed by duck fat and heat. A Yorkshire pudding risen from batter, against the odds. In a city that dines fast and forgets faster, the roast can feel out of place. There are faster ways to eat, smarter, more creative menus to chase. And yet the roast is reappearing—slowly and steadily—not as a trend but as an answer. Perhaps we are exhausted by all the novelty, by food that performs more than it feeds. The roast asks nothing of us but…

On her desk in her 4,000-square-foot studio in North Point, Cally Chan, the creative director of the Hong Kong design firm Coltex Furnishing, keeps a small canvas ready for her thoughts when inspiration strikes. She often finds ideas in the transient beauty of nature, capturing moments with her phone while she travels around or outside the city. Whether it’s a stunning landscape, the shadows cast at sunset or the scenery around her, such views fuel her creativity. Chan’s company specialises in high-end interior soft furnishings, primarily serving clients in the hospitality industry, including establishments such as The St Regis Hong Kong, Four Seasons Hotel Macao and Marina Bay Sands in Singapore. Since 2015, she and her team have created hundreds of patterns, bringing them to life through textiles to be…

Haute couture represents the apex of fashion creation. Its creators operate under strict regulations set by the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode. Since it was established in 1868, the governing body’s core mandate has been to preserve centuries of French dressmaking expertise. Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel made her haute couture debut in 1915, making Chanel the oldest couture house still in operation today. She established her first atelier in the southwestern French town of Biarritz and staffed it with 300 workers, who produced her debut haute couture collection. Each piece had to be made completely by hand and required at least 130 hours of work, and reflected Chanel’s particular definition of modern luxury: the freedom of movement. During the presentation of the collection in Hong Kong, Chanel…

Stainless steel to steal hearts this season…

At first glance, guilloché might seem like just another fancy word tossed around in the world of luxury watches. But dig a little deeper and you’ll find it’s far more than a decorative flourish—it’s a centuries-old craft that combines artistry with precision, all wrapped up in mesmerising, intricate, engraved patterns of interlacing lines and spirals that seem to dance across metal surfaces. Though widely celebrated today as a hallmark of haute horlogerie, guilloché’s story is one of evolution—a journey from artisanal beginnings towards becoming a defining feature of luxury watchmaking. Tatler recently sat down with Finnish master watchmaker Kari Voutilainen, who is known for his mastery of ornate engraving techniques. As well as his work on timepieces, he has also collaborated with Sauvereign, a Hong Kong-based luxury brand. He recently…

How did you first become interested in jewellery design? It was a combination of small decisions and accidents that led me to jewellery. I always had a very visual relationship with the world and a natural talent for drawing, but I didn’t have references for creative careers around me growing up. I initially studied engineering, then logistics, before realising I needed to pursue something more creative. When I started studying product design, I got an internship at a Brazilian jewellery workshop doing technical drawings. That experience blew my mind—I was working with the most beautiful materials in nature, creating objects that held deep emotional meaning. I fell in love with jewellery and realised this was what I wanted to do. Your designs have a distinctly fluid aesthetic. Where does that…

Hermès has long set the standard for elegance. Since 1837, the maison has not only defined luxury but also empowered its fans by ensuring impeccable style. In 2020, it extended this legacy to beauty with Rouge Hermès, a collection of lipsticks and lip care products. This year, the brand has added Rouge Brilliant Silky to the lineup—a range of high-shine, intensely moisturising lip colours available in 14 shades, including three limited editions. The lipstick is inspired by Hermès’s famous Twilly silk scarves, and translates the soft touch of that fabric into a luminous, buildable lip colour. Infused with raspberry leaf, sesame seed and Abyssinian oil, the formula is intended to nourish as it enhances. As Gregoris Pyrpylis, Hermès Beauty’s creative director, puts it: “It reveals without ever imposing a line.…

There’s a moment just before the lights dim at a gala, when the silhouettes sharpen, glasses clink gently and a flicker of light dances on someone’s lapel. It’s not the watch. It’s not the cufflinks. It’s the brooch—making a quiet, confident return. Once seen as old-fashioned, the brooch has reclaimed its spotlight, worn by men and women alike, not as ornament but as punctuation. And no one deploys that punctuation quite like Austy Lee, whose latest offering, Mirror, Flower, Water & Moon, sees boundary-pushing design meets centuries-old symbolism. Part of his Kymatismos collection, the brooch draws its name—and spirit—from the Mahayana Buddhist metaphor of reflection. Just like the moon seen in water or a flower caught in a mirror, this brooch explores the beauty of form without substance, presence without…

Atsuko Okatsuka’s life story reads like a film treatment for a particularly emotional movie fraught with complicated family relationships and identity crises. She was born in Tokyo in 1988 to a Taiwanese mother and Japanese father, who divorced not long after her birth. She was placed in the custody of her father, who lived with her in Chiba, near Tokyo; her mother, who has schizophrenia, and her grandmother moved back to their home in Taiwan. When Okatsuka was eight, her grandmother took her to Los Angeles for “a two-month vacation”, or so her grandmother claimed, and never returned her to her father. “I’ve always thought maybe my grandma had sort of kidnapped me,” she says. She remained undocumented for seven years, until she finally got a green card—and so legal…

With a stunning new gilded façade and interiors by André Fu Studio, the reopening of Dusit Thani Bangkok last September marked the return of an icon. Rebuilt from the ground up over five years, the hotel has been reimagined to usher in a new era while paying tribute to the original, which opened in 1970 and went on to define luxury hospitality in Thailand. There are plenty of nods to the past. The familiar golden spire—a signature feature of the original building—was retained and incorporated into the new structure, acting as a visual symbol of continuity. And the new-meets-nostalgia approach is especially prevalent in the lobby. Inspired by the artistry of traditional Thai pavilions, the triple-height space recreates the grand arrival experience of the original property, elevating it with a…

If you could travel back in time, which filmmaker would you choose to have a conversation with? Stanley Kubrick, as I grew up watching his movies. If you weren’t in film or music, what would you have been? A farmer. Growing, cooking or anything to do with food all deeply interests me. What is one ritual that you must follow during your creative process? I love brewing coffee on set. I always bring my own coffee-making equipment and it’s my daily ritual before I start a shoot. Are you more comfortable in front or behind the camera? There is a stark contrast between who I am in front of and behind the camera. Behind the camera, I am more of a curator. Yet because of my work behind the camera,…

ALEXANDER YEUNG Hong Kong-based photographer Alexander Yeung specialises in fashion, art and commercial photography. Notable projects include the 2022 Chow Tai Fook campaign and Centrestage campaign for 2023-24, while his work has appeared in magazines including Harper’s Bazaar and Wonderland. Yeung, who “aims to create visually compelling narratives that capture the essence of my subjects”, photographed our cover star Juno Mak. (p.144) AYU OGA Stylist Ayu Oga has always had a deep passion for art and fashion. After studying fashion at Kyoto University of the Arts, she began her career as a stylist’s assistant in Tokyo in 2022. Currently, she works with both Japanese and international publications, including Vogue and L’Officiel. She was particularly excited to work on this month’s fashion shoot for Tatler, which took place in her hometown…

The close connection between art and motorsport is celebrated in the BMW Art Car Collection. The very first BMW Art Car, designed by legendary sculptor Alexander Calder in 1975, made its dynamic debut at the Circuit de la Sarthe in Le Mans. Now, five decades later, the tradition continues with the 20th BMW Art Car, by abstract painter Julie Mehretu. Her striking design, inspired by her monumental painting Everywhen (2021-23), transforms a high-performance race car into a moving canvas. The vehicle competed at Le Mans in June 2024, with Mehretu also designing the racing suits. This rich legacy visited Art Basel Hong Kong, where the BMW Art Car Collection’s tradition of merging artistic expression with automotive innovation took centre stage. Honouring BMW’s long-standing connection with the arts, the exclusive preview…

Haute couture is designed to go with haute joaillerie. This concept, while seemingly obvious, was left uncharted until Chopard co-president and artistic director Caroline Scheufele unveiled Caroline’s Couture at the Cannes Film Festival in 2023. And this sudden leap into the upper echelons of fashion was not the only trick up her sleeve. In March, Chopard unveiled the first pieces from its Insofu collection, a chapter of high jewellery centred around a 1.22kg, 6,225-carat emerald that was originally extracted in Zambia. At the heart of the collection is an elephant-shaped pendant set with 50 carats of the Insofu emerald and two carats of diamonds. Scheufele also announced an accompanying capsule collection by Caroline’s Couture in which she paid tribute to the precious stone’s original rough state. Consisting of five gowns,…

CAPTURING MOMENTS Leica’s ZM 12 proves that camera-makers can even capture time with style. This 39mm marvel shrinks the ZM 11’s essence into a more wrist-friendly package, without losing an ounce of charm. With its Chronode-collaborated LA-3002 calibre, it gives you a 60-hour power reserve that ensures it won’t quit before you do. Four models offer a palette of personalities, from the bold Steel Blue Orange to the understated Titanium Chocolate Black, while interchangeable straps let you dress it up or down faster than you can say “cheese”. AQUA VITA The Blancpain Fifty Fathoms, unveiled in 1953, didn’t just dip its toes in the water—it plunged in, setting the bar as a pioneering dive watch and leaving a significant wake in the horological world. It’s a legacy the Tech BOC…

Don’t wait for lady luck—be her, with these lucky charms…

New jewellery brand Pen Mané, founded by Hong Kong style savants Calvin Wang and Vincent Raffin, specialises in rings, earrings, necklaces and bangles that honour tradition while embracing contemporary sensibilities. Pen Mané is named after a property belonging to Raffin’s family, perched on a cliff in Brittany, on France’s northwest coast, but there is a deeper significance. He explains, “Pen Mané is not just the name of a family home; it symbolises a haven deeply rooted in personal and cultural history.” The name itself, derived from the Breton dialect of northern France, means “overlooking the horizon”—a fitting moniker for a brand that aims to forge new paths in a well-established industry. The brand’s inaugural collection, The Wild Coast, which is available at outlets including craft-focused boutique 52 Gage in Central…

In a world obsessed with immediacy, Gabrielle Chanel saw beauty as something deeper—woven through movement, confidence and quiet self-expression. To her, fashion and beauty weren’t just about trends or products; they were a way to empower women and cultivate their allure. Chanel embraced a philosophy based on “integrative beauty”—a way of celebrating harmony between body, mind and environment. Chanel Sublimage embodies that vision in its most refined form, built on decades of research, rare botanical cultivation and a science-led approach to skincare. At the heart of its formula is vanilla planifolia, a species of vanilla orchid, which has been polyfractioned: carefully extracted to preserve its most valuable elements. It’s combined with solidago extract, which supports the skin’s structure. The collection revolves around two key formulations: Sublimage Le Sérum, a near-weightless…

While they may be sisters, singer-songwriters Olivia Marsh, 24, and Danielle June Marsh, 19, have very different personalities and tastes in music. The younger sister is a member of NJZ, the hugely popular K-pop group formerly known as NewJeans. The older Marsh is a solo artist and performs English songs across musical genres, including pop, contemporary R&B and funk. And while she may only have released her first digital single, 42, in October last year, the older Marsh is in no rush to catch up. She’s enjoying exploring different cultures and genres as she develops her own voice and style. “I’m still looking for it and I haven’t settled on what that is yet,” she says. She was in Hong Kong to perform at West Kowloon on March 19 as…

Lorenzo Antinori isn’t just a whizz when it comes to cocktails—he also has a knack for creating atmosphere. The founder of Hong Kong’s Bar Leone has brought into his own living space the same warmth, inviting vibe and attention to detail from his award-winning cocktail bar, which takes inspiration from his native Rome and offers Italian drinks and bites. Located in Sheung Wan, Antinori’s home, which he moved into earlier this year, is a 1,200 sq ft open-plan apartment that feels more like a cinematic set than typical Hong Kong digs. With its rich, bold colours and retro aesthetic, the space is like a stylish time capsule. The neighbourhood played a big role in Antinori’s decision to settle here. It was the area where he put down roots when he…

Gone are the days of cookie-cutter hotel rooms; of hotel design that’s so generic and void of personality that you could wake up and be anywhere. As more travellers seek authentic experiences to feel truly immersed in a destination, they’re also seeking hotels that facilitate this. Tatler has found some properties that certainly fit that bill: from a colourful property housed in a 16th-century palazzo, transformed by a film director in Rome and filled with incredible custom pieces by Italian artisans, to a soothing coastal hideaway inspired by surf culture in the sleepy Australian surf town of Crescent Head that prioritises sustainable design and promotes slowing down. These whispers of authenticity in spaces that create a genuine sense of place are what make hotels like these so great—hotels that invoke…