Tatler Hong Kong – August 2026

Summary

Carina Lau, photographed by Wontae Go in a Chanel Haute Couture ensemble at the Tai Kwun heritage complex, anchors Tatler Hong Kong August 2026 with a 12-page feature timed to her role in the new high-society drama "The Season" and her debut jewellery collection with maison Chaumet. The 144-page issue also features Sir Gordon Wu's Asia Society Game Changer Award and a 32-page Travel Special.

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Lau's cover story ("Follow the Signs," p.118) traces her 40-year career from Hong Kong's golden cinema era through her production company's first original series and her Chaumet collaboration—a 12-piece high jewellery line inspired by Cantonese opera headpieces. Sir Gordon Wu ("The King of Highways," p.18) received the Asia Society Hong Kong Game Changer Award for his role in building Hong Kong's Route 3 highway and his Hopewell Centre headquarters. The Travel Special (p.78-106) covers 7 destinations: hotels paying tribute to historical buildings (p.78), foodie cities off the beaten path (p.82), hotel-merch collaborations (p.86), Bill Bensley's design philosophy (p.90), the Amalfi Coast beyond Aperol (p.98), Nihi Rote's new property in Indonesia (p.102), and Greece's Peloponnese region (p.106).

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Regular departments include Editor's Note (p.12), Contributors (p.14), and One Last Thing (p.144). The Scene (p.18-34) covers 5 events: the Beyond Expo, Chow Tai Fook's high jewellery launch, Villa Haw Par's reopening, and Charlotte Travel's founders story. Style runs 34 pages: The Beauty of Decay with Greg Lauren (p.40), The Wish List (p.44), Watches Picks (p.50), and the Oyster Perpetual 100th-anniversary feature (p.56). Advertising density: 38 percent.

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Content Guide

▸ Cover Story

p.118 · Follow the Signs
Carina Lau, 60, has acted in 80 films across 40 years. Her Chaumet jewellery line—12 pieces inspired by Cantonese opera—launches in September 2026 at Chaumet's Landmark boutique. Prices from HKD 80,000 for a jade-and-diamond ear cuff to HKD 1.2 million for the centrepiece "Phoenix" necklace. She appears in ViuTV's "The Season" as a matriarch—her first TV role since 1999.

p.126 · A Force for Nature
Jennifer Morris, CEO of The Nature Conservancy, explains why the organisation has opened a Hong Kong office. TNC has planted 2 billion trees globally and protected 128 million acres of land. The Hong Kong office focuses on marine conservation in the Pearl River Delta.

▸ Features

p.18 · The King of Highways
Sir Gordon Wu, 92, received the 2026 Asia Society Game Changer Award. His Hopewell Group built Hong Kong's Route 3 highway (HKD 7 billion, 1998), the Hopewell Centre (216 meters, Hong Kong's tallest building 1980-1990), and power plants in the Philippines and China. He still goes to the office daily.

p.22 · Future Proof
Beyond Expo 2026 at the HKCEC: 400 exhibitors, 15,000 attendees focused on Asian start-ups in AI, fintech and biotech. The Hong Kong government announced a HKD 2-billion DeepTech Fund for early-stage companies. 12 start-ups pitched on the main stage, with the winner receiving HKD 5 million.

p.130 · Uncharted Waters
Artist Frank Bowling, 92, discusses his first Hong Kong exhibition at Gagosian. The 20-painting show includes "Who's Afraid of Red, Yellow and Blue III" (1967)—the only one of his works owned by a Hong Kong collector. Bowling still paints 4 hours daily in his London studio.

▸ Travel Special

p.102 · Making Waves
Nihi Rote, the new property from the Nihi Sumba team, opens August 2026 on Rote Island, East Nusa Tenggara. 12 villas, starting at USD 1,200 per night. The island has 12 world-class surfing breaks, including T-Land, a 3-kilometer left-hand reef break. Direct flights from Bali on Garuda Indonesia (1.5 hours, USD 180 return).

p.98 · Peace, Goodness and a New Perspective
The Amalfi Coast beyond the cliches: the Path of the Gods hiking trail (8 km, 4 hours), the ceramic workshops of Vietri sul Mare, and the lemon groves of Ravello. Follow the trail at 7am to avoid the 30-degree heat and the tour groups.

▸ Style

p.40 · The Beauty of Decay
Greg Lauren, 52, explains his "reclaimed fashion" method—using deadstock military tents and vintage denim to create one-of-a-kind pieces. Each jacket takes 2 weeks to assemble. Prices from USD 2,500 at Joyce Hong Kong.

p.56 · The World is Your Oyster
Rolex celebrates the Oyster Perpetual's 100th anniversary in 2026. The 1926 Oyster was the first waterproof wristwatch—tested to 100 meters. The 2026 anniversary edition uses the Calibre 3230 with 70-hour power reserve. Price: HKD 58,000 for the 41mm ref. 124300.

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Editor's Take

Carina Lau's cover delivers on multiple levels: her 80-film career, her first TV role in 27 years, and a Chaumet jewellery line with specific pricing—that's more product than most celebrity covers produce in a year. Sir Gordon Wu at 92 still going to the office daily is a genuine Hong Kong character portrait. The Travel Special (p.78-106) is 32 pages of bookable content—hotel names, room rates, hiking trail timing, flight costs. The Greg Lauren fashion feature (p.40) is conceptually strong—reclaimed military materials, specific assembly time, Joyce store pricing. But the Beyond Expo coverage (p.22) is too brief for a HKD 2-billion government fund announcement—that's a news story, not a 2-page Scene piece. The Nihi Rote property feature (p.102) is strong but buried at the back of the Travel Special.

Strengths
• Carina Lau with film count, TV-role gap and Chaumet jewellery pricing from HKD 80,000
• Sir Gordon Wu at 92 with Route 3 cost, Hopewell Centre height and daily office habit
• Travel Special with 7 destination-specific booking instructions and flight costs

Weaknesses
• HKD 2-billion DeepTech Fund announcement gets only 2 pages in The Scene
• Nihi Rote's opening is a significant luxury-travel story but buried in the back half

Verdict: Recommended — Lau's triple-career cover and the Travel Special earn the cover price; the Beyond Expo deserves more space than it gets.