Blazing Trails
his month sees the publication of the inaugural issue of Hong Kong Tatler’s Generation T magazine, which profiles the city’s 100 brightest young connectors, innovators and disruptive talents. To celebrate the occasion, photographer Jason Capobianco was tasked with shooting four separate covers for this edition of Hong Kong Tatler. We knew it was going to be difficult to narrow down the 100 to a manageable cast of 14 for the shoot. But, thankfully, travel schedules and availability ultimately made the choice for us as to who ended up being photographed—and those who made it to the shoot represented a wide variety of sectors, from philanthropy and finance to e-commerce, and food and beverage.
Jason, together with the Tatler team, decided to forgo an imposed theme or multiple locations and let inspiration come from the cover subjects themselves, who were dressed to slay, each in his or her own innate style. For you can light a scene, choose the clothes and plan tableaux for a shoot, but then the subjects come in and things have to be altered for them. Our only rule was that they had to move. And move they did, throwing shapes, kung fu kicks and dropping some slick dance moves (yes, I’m talking about you Tianyo Mayao, Adrian Cheung, Natasha Kaye Whiffin and Kevin Poon) to create a fresh take on the classic group cover.
Hong Kong Tatler’s position may be a curiosity to some, but it defines the spirit of this city in a way that sets it apart from other titles in the market. Insider access to the most interesting parties, people and happenings in town means our readers continue to span all generations, and while we are embracing the new guard, it is not at the expense of the old. So for those who pose the question, “Is Hong Kong Tatler, like so many other media, simply surrendering to the cult of youth that is driving contemporary society?”, the answer is no. For Tatler, it all comes down to merit. The new generation, Gen T, wouldn’t be able to do what they do without the established leading the way. So while we have singled out 100 impressive young talents, that’s not the end of the story. Every issue, we will continue to profile exceptional individuals in a variety of fields.
Also inside this month, Emilie Yabut-razon interviews the powerhouse Michelle Ong about the work being done to support and promote education and creativity in the arts, design and music by her First Initiative Foundation (p.156). Charmaine Mok profiles Yenn Wong and PTT Family’s latest addition to the city’s dining scene, Potato Head—the Bali sensation known for its multicultural blend of gastronomy, libations and entertainment reimagined for Hong Kong in a Sou Fujimoto-designed space (p.132).
So perhaps there is no such thing as too old or too young, or old guard versus new guard. Where talent is concerned, age and being established is simply not an issue. If one shoe is leading the fashion pack right now it’s Gucci’s Princetown slipper. It works for both on and off duty wardrobes, is the perfect juxtaposition between masculine sleekness and feminine style, and comes in a myriad of fabrications.