Indholdsfortegnelse for January 2026 i Tatler Singapore

The most meaningful beginnings rarely announce themselves. They gather momentum quietly—and we’ve had a good head start. The team returns from what I hope was soul‑resetting rest at the close of 2025; our regional colleagues produced a cover feature two months ahead of time; and we’ve reflected on the strategies that helped us accomplish some incredible—read: impossible—things last year. With the Year of the Horse promising greater energy and speed, we are doing the inner work to do exactly that. This January issue is about that quieter strength: resilience that is earned, renewal that is felt, and purpose that deepens with time. Our cover star, tennis world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka, embodies this truth with visceral clarity. Known for her explosive power and unmistakable presence on court, Sabalenka’s story this…

Perfume has always travelled with us in spirit, but Henry Jacques has a talent for making that idea literal. The maison has spent decades refining the ways in which scent accompanies daily life, and its latest expansion of the HJ Voyage collection feels like a natural continuation of that thinking. These are objects designed for movement—small, finely made companions that turn fragrance into something instinctive and effortlessly woven into the rhythm of the day. Under the guidance of CEO Anne-Lise Cremona and artistic director Christophe Tollemer, Henry Jacques has, since 2012, shaped an Art-de-Vivre built around perfume. It is a philosophy that treats scent not as an add-on to personal style but as a way of tuning into oneself: a sensory language that evolves from morning to evening. The HJ…

What makes Dubai Watch Week special for Louis Moinet? The event has exceptional momentum and quality of organisation that I haven’t seen at other exhibitions worldwide. The Seddiqi family [owners of the conglomerate behind the event] and their team are incredibly responsive—if something doesn’t work, there’s always a solution immediately. Dubai’s location is geographically perfect, attracting an interesting mix of trade professionals from [East] Asia, Indonesia, India and America, alongside important collectors from around the world. You see people one-to-one, and collectors spend real time at each booth, getting to know the faces behind the brands. What did Louis Moinet present at the 2025 show? We brought two key pieces. First, the model 1816, which references our first chronograph in the world—it’s only been shown in Geneva at auction houses…

Trot on trend with jewellery that’s no one-trick pony ACE OF DIAMONDS An irregular pavé technique with stones of varying sizes set in seemingly random patterns has become something of a Pomellato signature. The maison pushes it further with the Sabbia collection, which introduces baguette cuts into the brilliant-cut mix. The rose gold lariat is clever: cascading plates connected by a baguette-set tail, adjustable so you can wear the pendant front or back; while the earring set gives you three pieces—one stud, two pendants—to style as you please. TASSELS OF LOVE We love it when jewellery refuses to be worn just one way. The Messika D-vibes Tassel necklace is a recent favourite example. It comes with an art deco-inspired tassel which detaches to become a brooch, while the 85cm chain…

Wim Hof is on a mission. The Dutch extreme athlete goes one further: “I’m a missionary,” he says, though, “not because I wanted to be.” He says it is because of a vow his mother made when she feared she might lose him at birth. “Oh God, let this child live. I will make him a missionary,” she prayed. “It’s that invocation coming through,” says Hof, who today heads not a church, but a global wellness movement. Hof ’s ascension has been decades in the making. He first made a name for himself through extreme physical stunts, most showcasing his unusual ability to withstand cold. The 66-year-old achieved his first Guinness World Record in 1999 for the longest swim under ice, 50m—the following year, he broke his own record with…

1 THE POCKET WATCH Parmigiani Fleurier’s La Ravenale houses a restored 1920s minute repeater in a hand-engraved white gold case. The dial reveals an opal-and-jade marquetry caseback with a white gold chain by chain-maker Laurent Jolliet. 2 THE BOOK Part of Louis Vuitton’s Fashion Eye series, which presents travel photography through a fashion lens, Rajasthan is a visual study by photographer Bharat Sikka that moves beyond folkloric clichés to explore India’s contrasts. Through large-format images and evocative collages, Sikka captures the region’s textures, realities and radiant energy with a grounded, contemporary gaze. 3 THE BAG In his reinterpretation of the iconic Lady Dior bag, Dior creative director Jonathan Anderson delivers a playful reflection on luck and personal mythology. The Mini Lady Dior Clover—available in green (pictured), black and rose soupir—is…

When an adult goes to prison, the punishment is seldom borne by that individual alone. Behind the inmate could be a child grappling with sudden absence; a caregiver holding the household together with scant support; a home life reordered by uncertainty. These stories seldom surface in conversations about rehabilitation, yet they sit at the heart of Yellow Ribbon Cares’ mission—fuelling the new charity’s holistic approach aimed at breaking intergenerational cycles of offending. Set to be fully operational this April, Yellow Ribbon Cares is formed from merging three kindred organisations: the Industrial & Services Co‑operative Society Limited (ISCOS), the Yellow Ribbon Fund and the NeuGen Fund. Each addressing different parts of the aftercare ecosystem, they respectively supported formerly incarcerated individuals’ reintegration into society; primarily offered financial and social assistance to them…

Last year’s viral moments have included Taylor Swift’s engagement ring, which threw emerging jewellery designer Kindred Lubeck into the global limelight overnight; Labubu soft toys, which continue to gain momentum in no small part due to Blackpink’s Lisa sharing hers on social media; and Anne Hathaway’s vintage Coach messenger bag, spotted in on-set photos, sparking trends months ahead of the release of The Devil Wears Prada 2. The pattern is clear: celebrity influence on social platforms is a surefire route to viral success—and, ultimately, commercial returns. By leveraging influencers to sell lifestyles—not just products—brands are tapping into a fundamental human reaction: “I want that too.” “Social media drives discovery; it’s where we spot new brands and generate excitement around products,” explains Tiffany Hsu, chief buying officer at online luxury boutique…

Known for its floral codes and couture mastery, Dior finds a different energy in Dior Addict—one tuned to a generation that embraces beauty as joyful and instant. In 2026, that instinct becomes a shared language: Peter Philips, creative and image director for Dior Makeup, and Francis Kurkdjian, perfume creation director, unite to create a collection where lip colour and fragrance speak to each other. The result is three new Dior Addict perfumes and a reformulated Lip Glow Oil. Philips and Kurkdjian share a brief: beauty that’s immediate, gourmand and emotionally resonant. Philips calls his Lip Glow Oil “an irresistible gourmand treat”—a glossy cushion with skincare efficacy. Kurkdjian explores that same “gourmand dimension” through his signature irrerevent lightness. Here, “glow” is both a look and a feeling: comforting texture meets intimate…

You’ve spent decades rooted in Notting Hill but carry influences from Hong Kong, where you were born, and beyond. How has that blend of east and west informed your aesthetic—not just visually, but philosophically? I am English and there are definitely classical western traditions in my designs; but I have been fascinated by Asian art and crafts all my life. Chinese symbolism, Japanese shibori, Indian carving, Thai and Sri Lankan religious architecture: all these decorative traditions deeply influence my shapes, colours and forms. The philosophy of monozukuri [“the making of things”] is extremely important to me. In Japan it has a name, but all across Asia there is generally a deep respect for artistry, tradition and making things with a high degree of skill, dedication and perfection. The power of…

In a sunlit Jaipur workshop, a master craftsman delicately wields a brush no wider than a hair, layering mineral pigments onto gold with near-microscopic precision. Hours later, this fragile artwork endures an 800-degree Celsius kiln—a crucible where the delicate alchemy between exactitude and chance decides whether colour blooms or fades. This interplay of control and chaos, science and artistry defines enamelling, an ancient technique with roots tracing back to the 13th century BC. Enamelling was born in Cyprus, where Mycenaean goldsmiths created enamel rings featuring cloisonné—a decorative technique where coloured materials such as enamel are held in place by metal strips. It journeyed along the Silk Road east to Persia, India and China, and west, through Phoenician traders, to Europe and North Africa. Byzantine artisans between the 6th and 12th…

When Banu Mushtaq was born, her father went to a fortune teller, who predicted that she would be a great writer admired by people around the world. Her father, a civil servant then based in the city of Hassan in the southern Indian state of Karnataka, was very pleased; he was a great proponent of education and wanted all six of his children to receive a good one—they all ended up with two degrees. He sent young Mushtaq to a school which taught in Urdu, a common language spoken in the city. “To his surprise and distress, I could not recognise even a single [letter] for two years,” Mushtaq recalls. But when her father was transferred elsewhere in the state for work, Mushtaq moved to a new school. It was…

The warmth of the fire embraces us as we enter Leroi Tonnellerie, the esteemed cooperage in the heart of Cognac in France, on a chilly October morning. This is where Maison Martell sources its oak barrels, which are essential to crafting cognac. “Only fine-grain wood from 180- to 200-year-old oak trees are used in making Martell’s barrels,” says production manager Marie Goussen, who adds that this meticulous selection ensures the spirit’s exceptional quality throughout its lengthy maturation. Inside the workshop, more than 20 artisans, both young and old, craft each barrel to the maison’s precise specifications. French oak is first cut into staves and then seasoned outdoors—washed by rain and dried by the sun—for two to three years before being carefully bent into shape and then assembled. Once put together,…

When I first heard about Utrecht … I assumed it would be a smaller Amsterdam. But once I arrived, the city changed my mind. Walking along the canals for the first time felt calming—people sitting at water level, sharing food and chatting, with music playing nearby. My preferred area to stay is … near Utrecht Central Station. Most people commute, and it’s easy to hop onto a bike and ride past windmills, quiet neighbourhoods and, depending on the season, tulip fields just outside the centre. Everything is accessible. For a mix of old-world charm and youthful energy … head to the canal-side cafés along the Oudegracht. It’s the best place to slow down and observe daily life. The energy feels youthful, though not necessarily in age. I also enjoy wandering…

Trained first and foremost as an exhibition-maker, John Z W Tung’s curatorial practice is grounded in how artworks sit alongside one another, how artists are brought into conversation, and how meaning emerges through structure rather than proclamation. “For me, it’s about storytelling. It’s about giving context and creating meaning simply by placing works next to each other such that they can communicate,” Tung says, describing a method shaped over more than a decade of museum work, biennials and independent projects across Singapore and the region. That sensibility anchors Sea Focus—the leading showcase of contemporary art from Southeast Asia, presented within the Art SG art fair for the first time this year, from January 23 to 25 (VIP preview and vernissage on January 22) at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre…

Green enveloped visitors when they stepped into the shophouse space. Light saturated the room, cloaking every surface in a full‑bleed glow. Along the walls were neon‑red tubes bent into the shape of hands, an emblem of Indigenous women’s protest, while stones carved with the Taíno water goddess Atabey suggested a terrain of consecration. Underfoot, raw soil was strewn with offerings and corn husks; elsewhere, a taxidermied dove perched on a branch. This was Indigenous Power (Ancestral Wisdom), the inaugural exhibition at Kim Association, a new project space started by the Yenn and Alan Lo Foundation on Kim Yam Road, just steps away from New Bahru. Curated by artistic director Christina Li, the exhibition, which ran from September 12 to December 7 last year, showcased the work of US‑based artist Jade…

REFRAMED REJUVENATION La Prairie’s Life Matrix Haute Rejuvenation Cream draws on longevity research developed with Clinique La Prairie to help recalibrate the skin’s internal communication pathways—an approach that can influence firmness, density and surface smoothness over time. Housed in a recyclable aluminium vessel, the formulation merges the brand’s Cellular Complex with natural extracts to support structural integrity and hydration, with clinical studies showing progressive improvements across multiple youth markers. GINSENG STRENGTH Six decades of ginseng expertise culminate in Sulwhasoo’s Concentrated Ginseng Rejuvenating Cream, a longevity-focused formula shaped by the brand’s proprietary Ginsenomics and Ginseng Peptides. These actives help maintain firmness, lift and density over time, reinforcing resilience in a way that develops steadily. Clinical studies show measurable improvements in elasticity, wrinkle depth and overall skin quality, affirming ginseng’s relevance in…

Eye of the tiger, thrill of the buy: pieces that will make you purr LOVEABLE FREAK Most brand collaborations amount to slapping two logos on an existing watch; the UR-Freak is emphatically not that. This is Ulysse Nardin’s Freak—the watch that rotates its entire movement to tell time—colliding with Urwerk’s signature wandering hours satellite display. More than 150 entirely new components were developed for the UN-241 calibre, which offers 90 hours of power reserve and fuses Urwerk’s three connected satellite hands with Ulysse Nardin’s silicon mastery and revolutionary Grinder automatic winding system. A 44mm sandblasted titanium case houses the mechanism, while time is indicated by domed discs that jump from hand to hand along a 60-minute track in Urwerk’s signature electric yellow Pantone 395 C against deep anthracite grey. There’s…

At Van Cleef & Arpels, diamonds have always been more than mere adornment. They are a way of capturing light, emotion and a certain quiet poetry that the luxury jewellery brand has become known for. Since 1906, the maison has shaped its identity around what it calls white jewellery—the marriage of diamonds with platinum or white gold—which rose to prominence during the Belle Époque and flourished through the Art Deco era. Today, this lineage continues across six Classic High Jewellery collections: Snowflake, Flowerlace, Folie des Prés, À Cheval, Palmyre and Olympia. Each one speaks to a different facet of the maison’s style, from its instinct for naturalism to its affinity with couture-inspired forms. The foundation of these creations is the maison’s gemmological expertise, honed over more than a century. Diamonds…

When Aryna Sabalenka won the final point she needed to defend her US Open title last September, she dropped her racket, fell to her knees and covered her face with her hands, trembling with tears and joy. It marked her fourth Grand Slam victory—a moment made all the more meaningful given she had fallen short at the season’s first three majors. “This US Open felt different because I had to fight through so many things—not only on the court but inside myself,” the tennis player, who is currently ranked world No 1 in women’s singles, tells Tatler. “There were moments when my confidence was low, I was tired, and it felt like everything was going wrong, but I kept pushing. Winning after all that made the title feel more emotional—like…