The Inner Circle
t’s finally been unveiled— this year’s Singapore Tatler Fashion Hall of Fame inductees are the vibrant Rosalynn Tay, the statuesque Karen Ong-tan, and the sensuous Ho Ching Lin. Congratulations, you join the glamorous guild of men and women who are acknowledged and recognised by high society as some of Singapore’s best dressed. The announcement of every year’s inductees is the joyful end point to what is an annually intense and stressful month at Tatler Towers. Those who follow us know we revealed a small peek into this process on our Instagram account last year. Other than the Tatler Ball award selections, this is the only meeting in our office where rank and file hold no consequence and the kid gloves are off; everyone is on equal ground to propose, defend and promote their candidates. Other colleagues steer clear of our tight frowns and brisk steps as we carry armloads of magazines into our war room. The harried art team lets out nary a squeak of protest as they shuffle quietly between the printer and the war room, printing out the countless pictures we request to be pulled up for scrutiny. Every candidate and picture is hotly debated by the committee as we each attempt to take down the other’s suggestion while propelling our own candidate forward in the line-up. There are the qualifying questions, the devil’s advocate questions, the tiebreaker questions, the sustainability questions. What would she wear to the supermarket? Are her nails always perfect? Does he stand out for his outfits, or for his personal style? What have others said about their fashion sense? Are they stylish or fashionable—yes, there is a difference? It’s no wonder that by the end of the whole procedure, someone always threatens to tear up all the magazines and quit. Nevertheless, we end up with solid gold, and an unquestionable line-up. As we approach the 12th year of our Fashion Hall of Fame, we look back at the circle of over 30 men and women with quiet satisfaction as we lift the velvet rope to welcome Rosalynn, Karen and Ching Lin into the fold. Not only has this elite coterie continued to wow with their style, they have continued to raise the standards for each year’s new inductees by wearing their Fashion Hall of Fame title with pride. It’s apt, too, that we reveal the annual inductees in an issue that celebrates fashion. We bring you the season’s hottest trends from the catwalks (p.124), which were all about looking to the past and into the unknown. Forget fur—what are some of the most expensive new wools that money can buy? Fashion and beauty writer Jolene Khor brings you up to date on p.120. Enjoy this visually inspiring issue, and don’t forget to check Singaporetatler.com for the pictures and videos on our Fashion Hall of Fame event later this month!
— Jane Ngiam Editor-in-chief