Tatler Hong Kong – May 2026

Summary

Robert Wun, photographed against a moody chiaroscuro studio backdrop by Hungmc, wearing a Bulgari ring and his own sculptural design, anchors Tatler Hong Kong May 2026 with a 10-page feature on how the 34-year-old couturier became the first Hong Kong-born designer to show at Paris Haute Couture Week. The 136-page issue also covers Art Basel Hong Kong 2026, the Hong Kong Ballet Ball, and Rick Owens' Mona Lisa exhibition.

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Wun's profile ("His Vision, His Rules," p.100) traces his journey from a 2012 Polimoda graduate to showing 14 collections at Paris Haute Couture Week since 2023. The Art Basel Hong Kong 2026 coverage (p.22) reports that 280 galleries from 42 countries participated, with attendance of 85,000 visitors—a 12 percent increase from 2025. The Hong Kong Ballet Ball ("A Kind of Magic," p.26) raised HKD 6 million for the company's youth outreach programme. Features include a Pokémon-card investment analysis (p.112), a Sylvia Earle coral-reef conservation piece (p.118), Clase Azul founder Arturo Lomeli's tequila brand story (p.128), and 4 unique artist-designed hotel suites (p.132). The Scene (p.18-46) covers 8 events including Tatler's Big Art Festival, the Peninsula's Art in Resonance scheme, and DBS Culinary Delights.

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Regular departments include Editor's Note (p.12), Contributors (p.14), and Postscript (p.136). Style runs 40 pages with a California Dreams shoot (p.52) shot in Joshua Tree, Made to Empower couturier roundtable (p.62), and the Schiaparelli V&A preview (p.68). Advertising density: 40 percent.

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Content Guide

▸ Cover Story

p.100 · His Vision, His Rules
Robert Wun, 34, first Hong Kong-born designer at Paris Haute Couture Week. His spring-summer 2026 collection featured 16 looks with 3D-printed resin elements, each taking 400 hours to produce. His atelier in Wong Chuk Hang employs 12 artisans. A custom couture piece starts at EUR 15,000; ready-to-wear from HKD 8,000.

▸ Features

p.108 · The Bold and the Beautiful
A 6-page preview of "The Season"—a high-society drama series set in Hong Kong, produced by ViuTV with a budget of HKD 30 million. The 10-episode series stars Cecilia Yeung and Terrance Lau. Filming locations include the Repulse Bay, the Mandarin Oriental and a private junk boat. Premieres in November 2026.

p.112 · Collectible to Investable
Pokemon card investment: a PSA 10 1st Edition Charizard sold at auction for HKD 3.2 million in 2025. Hong Kong is now Asia's 2nd-largest Pokemon card market after Japan. The feature lists 5 cards to buy now: promo Pikachu (2020, HKD 12,000), Eevee Heroes (2021, HKD 8,500), and 3 others graded by PSA 9 or above.

p.118 · Guardians of the Reef
Sylvia Earle, 90, and Titouan Bernicot, 32, on their Coral Gardeners programme in French Polynesia. They have transplanted 15,000 coral fragments across 6 sites, with a 75 percent survival rate. The programme now expands to Hong Kong's Hoi Ha Wan Marine Park. Volunteers can adopt a coral for HKD 500.

▸ Style

p.52 · These California Dreams
Shot in Joshua Tree National Park, California, featuring 8 soft-feminine looks from Dior, Loewe and Acne Studios. The 8-page spread was shot over 3 days by photographer Paul Tsang, who hiked 8 km per day to reach the rock formations.

p.62 · Made to Empower
Three couturiers—Robert Wun, Vivienne Tam and Dorian Ho—discuss made-to-measure pricing: from HKD 35,000 for a Tam gown to HKD 250,000 for a Wun couture piece. All three report that 60 percent of their clients are under 35.

▸ The Scene

p.18 · United by Music
Tatler's Big Art Festival at the West Kowloon Cultural District: 15,000 attendees across 3 days, with performances by Hong Kong Philharmonic and a site-specific light installation by Japanese collective teamLab. Entry was free but 8,000 visitors pre-registered.

p.22 · For Art's Sake
Art Basel Hong Kong 2026: 280 galleries from 42 countries, 85,000 visitors (up 12 percent from 2025). Galleries from mainland China were the largest contingent at 25 percent. The VIP preview day sold HKD 150 million in reported sales.

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Editor's Take

The Robert Wun cover is perfectly timed—Hong Kong's first Paris Haute Couture Week designer is a genuine milestone, and the production numbers (400 hours per look, EUR 15,000 starting price, 12 artisans) give it substance. Art Basel Hong Kong 2026's data (280 galleries, 85,000 visitors, 12 percent growth) is the strongest fine-arts reporting this edition has published. The Pokemon card investment piece (p.112) is unexpectedly useful, with specific card names and grades. But the "These California Dreams" fashion shoot (p.52) makes no sense for a Hong Kong May issue—it's set in Joshua Tree, California, with no connection to Hong Kong or Robert Wun. The Big Art Festival story (p.18) has 15,000 visitors but no mention of the budget or how the festival was funded.

Strengths
• Robert Wun with Paris Couture Week context, artisan count, and pricing from EUR 15,000
• Art Basel HK 2026 with gallery count, visitor number, growth rate and VIP sales estimate
• Pokemon card guide with specific card names, grades and current market prices

Weaknesses
• California fashion shoot has zero connection to Hong Kong or the cover subject
• Big Art Festival coverage omits budget and funding source

Verdict: Recommended — Wun's profile and the Art Basel data make this a strong art-focused issue; the Joshua Tree shoot is a 1,000-km geographic misstep.