The Women’s Foundation (TWF) is celebrating its 20-year anniversary with a gender equality summit on September 13 at the Connect Hall in the Hong Kong Exchange. Under the theme of Evolution Through Exchange, the event will continue TWF’s mission to incubate the exchange of ideas, pose challenging questions and drive meaningful action necessary to co-create a thriving Hong Kong for all.

The summit will welcome attendees from grassroots organisations, non-profits, businesses, academic institutions and the public sector. The event will encourage the collaborative development of practical solutions to combat gender inequality, creating a platform for conversations that might otherwise remain unspoken.

TWF has organised a dynamic line-up of speakers, including many notable Tatler community members:

• Fiona Nott, CEO of The Women’s Foundation and a Tatler Front and Female Awards Hong Kong 2022 winner, who leads efforts to improve the lives of women and girls in Hong Kong
• Christine Loh, Chief development strategist at the Institute for the Environment at HKUST, and a former government official with extensive experience in public policy
• Bernard Chan: A prominent advocate for social and economic development, Chan is the chairman of the Hong Kong Council of Social Service and has an extensive background in public service
• Vera Lui: Lui is the founder of Sally Coco and a certified sexuality educator. Lui has been instrumental in changing attitudes towards sexual matters in Hong Kong, particularly in more conservative sectors where sex education is limited or non-existent.
• Shalini Mahtani; founder of The Zubin Foundation. A known champion for women’s rights and a Front and Female Awards Hong Kong 2023 winner, Mahtani combines her expertise in law with her passion for social change and has become a leading voice for women in Asia, and on diversity and inclusion
• Henry Tse: Gen.T honouree Tse is the founder and chair of Transgender Equality Hong Kong. Tse is best known for successfully overturning the Hong Kong policy requiring full sex reassignment surgery for changing one’s ID card gender marker, through two judicial review lawsuits from 2017 to 2024
• Bonnie Y Chan: Chan is the CEO of the HKEX. She is the first woman to serve as CEO of the city’s bourse operator
• Queenie Man: Man is the founder and CEO of The Project Futurus, transforming the future of elder care—and elevating the tone of the debate around ageing

More speakers are to be announced soon for what will surely be a thought-provoking day. Congratulations to The Women’s Foundation on 20 years of inspiration!

On the very first day of competition at the Paris Olympics 2024, Hong Kong’s Vivian Kong clinched gold in the women’s épée individual final. This remarkable achievement has not only brought immense pride to Hong Kong but has also inspired aspiring athletes all over Asia. Now back in Hong Kong, Kong made headlines once again to say that she is retiring from the sport. In a heartfelt post on Instagram on August 4, she said: “After competing in my third Olympics, I have decided to take a break from professional fencing. I want to learn, grow, and give back to Hong Kong to the best of my abilities. I look forward to starting a new career and working towards having my own charity to help kids find joy and playfulness back into sports.” 

The athlete wasted no time—on August 6, The Hong Kong Jockey Club revealed that Kong would be joining their team as an assistant external affairs manager in their corporate affairs department beginning on August 11. Her role will range from social welfare, youth affairs and sports development. Watch this space.

Hong Kong-born, London-based fashion designer Robert Wun hit the highest echelon of the couture world in 2023 when he became the first designer from Hong Kong ever to show at Haute Couture Week in Paris, as a guest member of The Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode.

On September 3, he will return to Hong Kong to stage a homecoming show at The Hong Kong Palace Museum, in celebration of his eponymous brand’s 10th anniversary. The show will be in association with Centrestage—an annual fashion showcase organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council.

The designer has dressed the who’s of who of Tinseltown including Lady Gaga, Beyoncé and Priyanka Chopra. We cannot wait to see what he has in store for his anniversary collection this year.

Alisan Fine Arts has a history as long as the contemporary art market in the city, becoming Hong Kong’s first professional gallery when it was launched in 1981 by Daphne King-Yao’s mother, Alice King.

The gallery has gone from strength to strength in recent years and has another win up its sleeve. Alisan Fine Arts will open its new space on August 22 in Aberdeen at the Hing Wai Centre (a move from its previous address in the same building). The new art space will have a gallery, an office, a library and study, and various entertainment spaces.

In celebration of the move, King-Yao will host a launch event which will also serve as the opening reception for Alisan’s third solo exhibition featuring the award-winning landscape photographer Stephen King, titled A Brush with Nature. The artworks will be on view until October 19 for the public to enjoy. 

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