The last 12 months have seen our esteemed socialites behaving rather badly at times. No names mentioned, of course…
January
Cutting Words
She may be one of the city’s chicest women, but the behaviour of one middle-aged socialite at a recent gala had many thinking her attitude needed a makeover. The glamazon in question spent the whole night bad-mouthing her acquaintances, much to the dismay of the guests on her table. Sadly, the incident was not alcohol-induced.
Royce Rage
It’s no wonder Hong Kong has more Rolls-Royces per capita than any other metropolis when you consider how many of the city’s children now drive these luxury machines. The son of a revered tycoon was seen behind the wheel of his own Rolls in Lyndhurst Terrace, pumping hip hop music with the windows down and his baseball cap on backwards.
February
New Year, New Face
Which young socialite came back from her “ski trip” in Japan with a luminous nipped and tucked visage? This vivacious beauty arrived back on Hong Kong’s party scene looking a little more wide-eyed than usual, and with lips so large they could suffocate many a beau.
March
Concert Cuddles
Which Hong Kong tycoon was spotted at the recent Michael Bublé concert with a mistress in tow? The couple fled the scene of the croon as soon as they realised they’d been recognised, missing the singer’s greatest hits. Perhaps not the best place to have a secret liaison.
Entrepren-ergh
It seems the word “entrepreneur” has become a trendy euphemism for “using my parents’ money to set up a nightclub so that I can lavishly entertain myself and my friends for free.” The latest offender has been seen sampling the city’s nightlife almost every night of the week, and acting suspicously exuberantly at hours most bodies would desperately need a good night’s sleep.
April
Tall Tales
The daughter of a local billionaire has reportedly been telling society bigwigs that Hong Kong Tatler is begging her to be its cover star. The mademoiselle in question is no stranger to headlines, but we can assure her that she won’t be making ours.
The Dreaded #TBT
Many of us relish the retrospective Instagram post known as the “throwback,” usually posted on Thursdays (hence the hashtag #TBT). But for those who have reinvented themselves and, specifically, their faces since their school days, the throwback causes extreme anguish. One young socialite was left red-faced when a friend posted a shot of her pre-surgery and almost unrecognisable.
May
Maid, Please!
A certain celebrity hotel heiress forgot her manners at a large charity ball in Hong Kong recently. After washing her hands in the restroom, the blonde bombshell couldn’t be bothered throwing the paper towels in the waste bin, finding the floor a more suitable option.
Fashionably Late?
How late can one be before one’s tardiness becomes tasteless? That was the question on everyone’s lips when a super chic socialite turned up two hours late for a recent charity dinner. Diners were already three courses into the five-course meal when the glamazon breezed in without making any excuse.
June
Fake it Til You…
The heir to one of Hong Kong’s largest fortunes was spotted in a bookshop in Central purchasing Business Skills for Dummies. We’re pretty sure he has an Ivy League education behind him, but the surreptitious purchase has us anxious about the future of his family’s empire.
Picture Perfect
One glamorous mother apparently wants her portrait painted. This may seem an ordinary enough request, but the lady in question has demanded that the artist paint her in the form of a Greek goddess, clad in a toga and perched on the crest of Mount Olympus. We’ve always known she lives a lavish life, but now we know she also has delusions of grandeur.
July
Walk-in Fraudrobe
One hoity-toity Hong Kong madam is always seen with a brand in hand, but Hong Kong Tatler hears her collection of It bags is not altogether authentic. A recent dinner guest says he lost his way trying to find the bathroom and found himself in a giant wardrobe full of fakes. He is still dealing with the trauma.
August
No Photos
A high-profile Hong Kong tai tai was left red-faced when a handsome Hollywood star rebuffed her request for a selfie. Despite being seated next to him at a dinner party with plenty of opportunity to converse, the woman was on her phone all night before demanding a photo. Cringe!
A Pound of Flesh
A well-known tycoon who likes a drink and the (not so) odd eight-course dinner has engaged a personal trainer to shed his extra kilos. Sadly, he was spotted at a burger joint in Central the night after his first training session.
September
Fattening Up
One slightly chubby Hong Kong socialite has a cunning trick to look less large; she has forbidden her boyfriend from going to the gym. Some friends estimate that her unlucky beau has gained 20 kilograms in the two years they’ve been dating.
Getting Shirty
A stylish man about town knocked a cup of coffee over himself but blamed the waiter. In a diva scene worthy of Madonna, the socialite demanded that the restaurant immediately pay for a replacement shirt—and was sure to tell everyone within earshot precisely how expensive it was.
In the Bag
Tatler Towers hears that one Hong Kong gentleman with a penchant for one-night stands keeps his bedside cabinet full of designer handbags, which he doles out as gifts to those who spend the night with him.
October
Ex Sandwich
A certain socialite paid the price of being fashionably late to dinner when she arrived to find the only remaining seat was between two exes. She dealt admirably with the situation by flirting outrageously with the man seated opposite her.
Daddy’s Diner
A certain forthright financier took a fairly offensive tone with his waitress when dining at one of his friend’s luxury hotels. Little did he realise, the person waiting on him was in fact the hotelier’s daughter, who was completing two weeks of practical training before taking up a management position.
November
Miss Malodorous
A rather unhygienic socialite often leaves her used gym gear festering in her bag for so long that she ends up being too embarrassed to let her helper wash it. Instead she resorts to purchasing brand new lycra outfits each time she hits the gym for a workout.
All Ears
One particularly amorous husband and wife thought their explicit sweet nothings, overheard at the Hong Kong Tatler Ball, would be unintelligible if they were spoken in French. Little did they realise that the member of the Tatler team standing next to them was quite the linguist.
December
Shattered Dreams
The son of a famed landowner got his career at an international bank off to a cracking start when, on day one, he marched through what he thought was the door to the boardroom. The door turned out to be a glass wall, which promptly fell to pieces, as did his esteemed colleagues laughing. Next time he may just stick to getting his foot in the door.
Bowled Over
A socialite out with a bevy of female companions talked up his bowling skills before taking his turn at the Hong Kong Club’s alley. But the braggart got his thumb stuck in the ball and landed face-down in a not-so-lucky strike that his lady friends—and a packed bar—observed with a palpable frisson of schadenfreude.