Tatler Hong Kong – February 2026

Summary

Sylvia Earle, 90, photographed off the Hong Kong coast in the OceanX submersible, anchors Tatler Hong Kong February 2026 with a 12-page marine-conservation package that includes the city's first large-scale coral restoration project in Hoi Ha Wan Marine Park. The 112-page issue also profiles fashion legend Bob Mackie and the Sydney Opera House's youngest trustee.

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Earle's feature ("Depths of Hope," p.78) documents Hong Kong's coral crisis—30 percent live coral cover remaining, down from 60 percent in 2010—and the newly launched "Hong Kong Reef Revival" project transplanting 5,000 coral fragments. The Bob Mackie retrospective ("Dramatic Entrance," p.40) spans his 60-year career dressing Cher, Diana Ross and Tina Turner. The Sydney Opera House profile ("In With the New," p.98) follows Dylan Goh, the 26-year-old venture capitalist appointed as its youngest trustee. Features also include a Chinese fine-dining chefs investigation (p.92), luxury phinisi voyages (p.102), and Chinese zodiac travel guide (p.108). The Scene (p.20-34) covers 5 events.

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Regular departments include Editor's Note (p.14), Contributors (p.16), and One Last Thing (p.112). Style runs 24 pages: Hidden Treasures bag collection (p.48), Watches Picks (p.52), Jewellery Picks (p.58), and Ancient Alchemy enamelling feature (p.64). The Louis Vuitton Virtuosity high jewellery collection (p.68) gets a 10-page standalone feature.

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Content Guide

▸ Cover Story

p.78 · Depths of Hope
Sylvia Earle, 90, has spent 7,000 hours underwater. Hong Kong's Hoi Ha Wan Marine Park has 30 percent live coral cover, down from 60 percent in 2010. The "Hong Kong Reef Revival" project, backed by the Swire Group and the University of Hong Kong, plants 5,000 coral fragments across 4 sites. Volunteers can adopt a coral for HKD 500.

▸ Features

p.40 · Dramatic Entrance
Bob Mackie, 86, designed 2,000 costumes for Cher alone over 40 years. His 2025 donation of 500 sketches and 80 costumes to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art is the largest single gift in the museum's costume collection. His sketch for Cher's 1986 Oscars look sold at auction for USD 60,000.

p.92 · Lost in Translation
3 Chinese fine-dining chefs in Hong Kong: Olivier Elzer (Louise, 2 Michelin stars), Li Chi-wai (Yan Toh Heen, 1 star), and Wong Chi-keung (Forum, 3 stars). Each reinterprets a classic dish—Elzer's Peking duck with caviar (HKD 1,280 whole), Li's abalone puffs (HKD 380 for 3), Wong's "Buddha Jumps Over the Wall" (HKD 2,800 for 2 persons).

p.98 · In With the New
Dylan Goh, 26, manages a AUD 15-million venture capital fund and now sits on the Sydney Opera House Trust. His focus: expanding the Opera House's digital programming. He proposes a 20 percent increase in streaming performances by 2027. His VC fund invests in creative-tech start-ups at seed stage.

p.102 · Sail of a Century
5 luxury phinisi operators for Indonesian archipelago charters: Silolona (from USD 8,500/person/week), Amanwana (from USD 6,500), Alila Purnama (from USD 6,000), Ayana Lako Di'a (from USD 4,500), and the new Nihi Rote (from USD 5,500). All include 3 meals daily, snorkelling and land excursions.

▸ Style

p.48 · Hidden Treasures
A new collection of 8 bags from Dior, Loewe and Bottega Veneta that embrace maximalism in the age of quiet luxury. Each bag is priced in HKD with the boutique location. The Loewe Puzzle Fold Tote is HKD 22,500.

p.64 · Ancient Alchemy
The art of enamelling: a 3,000-year history traced through Hong Kong artisan jeweller Wallace Chan. His plique-a-jour enamel technique creates translucent effects without visible metal backing. A Chan enamel brooch starts at USD 30,000.

▸ The Scene

p.20 · A Necessary Pivot
Art expert Sara Mao's Culture Atelier—a consulting collective serving 20 HNW families in Hong Kong. Her fee: HKD 50,000 per engagement for collection audits. She advises clients to allocate 5-10 percent of net worth to art.

p.28 · Hold Your Horses
Lunar New Year treats: 4 luxury hotels offering festive hampers—Mandarin Oriental (HKD 2,888), The Peninsula (HKD 3,288), Four Seasons (HKD 2,588), Island Shangri-La (HKD 1,888). Peninsula's hamper includes Abalone and Japanese Wagyu.

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Editor's Take

The Earle package is better localized for Hong Kong than the Philippines or Malaysia editions—the specific Hoi Ha Wan coral data (30 percent live cover, 5,000 fragments planted) and the Swire Group's involvement give it a clear Hong Kong stake. The Bob Mackie retrospective (p.40) is deservedly lavish: 60 years of costumes, 2,000 for Cher alone, and the LACMA donation is genuinely newsworthy. But the 10-page Louis Vuitton Virtuosity section (p.68) is an advertorial—produced by the brand, written by their copywriter, and the first hint readers get is a tiny "Promotion" label in the footer. The Chinese fine-dining chefs piece (p.92) is strong but the three chefs each have Michelin stars and the feature never talks about what makes Chinese fine dining specifically "lost in translation."

Strengths
• Hong Kong-specific Earle data—Hoi Ha Wan coral cover, 5,000 fragments, Swire backing
• Bob Mackie with 2,000 Cher costumes, LACMA donation size and sketch auction price
• Phinisi operators guide with 5 named charters and per-person pricing

Weaknesses
• Louis Vuitton Virtuosity is a 10-page advertorial labelled only as "Promotion"
• Chinese fine-dining feature never answers its own "Lost in Translation" thesis

Verdict: Recommended — Buy for the Earle package and the Mackie retrospective; the LV advertorial undermines the issue's editorial integrity.