Looking beyond the surface: architect Betty Ng on exploring the true meaning of beauty with Chanel Sublimage
The story of Gabrielle Chanel, who founded Chanel, has long stood as a testament to resilience, innovation and a woman’s power to define her own path. Inspired by her revolutionary spirit, the house continues to champion female empowerment, encouraging women to defy conventional standards of ambition, style and beauty.
Chanel’s integrative approach to beauty is grounded in five principles: a holistic vision that sees beauty as comfort, confidence and ease, the union of science and craftsmanship across its global network of researchers and artisans, a commitment to sustainably cultivated natural ingredients, the belief that self-care is an act of empowerment and the idea that beauty rituals can strengthen mental resilience from within.
To deepen understanding of this philosophy, Chanel crafted an immersive experience at The Peninsula Hong Kong that invited guests to step away from the unrelenting pace of Hong Kong and into a space of stillness—one designed to explore its rejuvenating skincare line, Sublimage, and inspire reflection on how beauty can be redefined.
The afternoon unfolded through nourishing rituals, from the resonant vibrations of singing bowls to warm hand massages with a serene harbour view. This sensorial journey culminated in an intimate fireside chat with architectBetty Ng, a leader in her field who embodies the spirit of female empowerment and creative confidence that the house has long supported.
As an architect, Ng designs with three elements in mind: function, clarity and beauty (Photo: Tatler Hong Kong)
Ng was drawn to the name Sublimage for its connection to the sublime in art—beauty that inspires awe, wonder and reflection (Photo: Tatler Hong Kong)
As a woman leading an architecture practice in a male-dominated field, Ng is determined to change perceptions. “If I’m good at what I do, people will see that any gender can be equally capable,” she said.
Still, she acknowledges the challenges women face in reaching senior roles while balancing family and career demands. Now in her mid-40s, Ng is consciously child-free, instead focusing on her firm. “I may not experience the joy of motherhood,” she reflected, “but I’ve gained another kind of joy through my work. What I’ve gained and lost are equal—it all makes sense.”
Ng champions female empowerment by walking the walk, proving women are just as capable through her work (Photo: Tatler Hong Kong)
Ng believes true beauty begins with the mind and heart, echoing Chanel founder Gabrielle Chanel’s philosophy that it starts from within (Photo: Tatler Hong Kong)
What first inspired Ng’s concept of beauty wasn’t a building—but a charcoal portrait by German Renaissance artist Albrecht Dürer of his mother. Unlike other portraits from the same period that idealised women with smooth, fair skin, Dürer’s work captured every wrinkle and blemish—details often regarded as imperfections. “Yet the piece is truly stunning and beautiful,” Ng said.
Seeing that portrait during her first year studying architecture in New York left a profound mark. This taught her that design should stem from one’s own thoughts and reflections, and not blindly follow conventions. “Beauty isn’t just smooth or sparkling on the surface,” she said. “When we say something is beautiful, is it because we’ve always been told that way? Familiarity makes us agree to the same beauty.”
Beauty is the result of clarity and function
By - Betty Ng
This belief shapes her practice at her own architecture firm, which she founded in 2015. Under her leadership, the studio has developed a diverse portfolio of architectural, interior and exhibition projects, including an award-winning podium connecting twin commercial office towers in Hong Kong.
Rather than adhering to a fixed style, Ng and her team let beauty emerge from function and clarity, ensuring ideas are understood as simply as possible and free from conformity. “You don’t need 100,000 materials or methods to make people understand your idea when there is conceptual clarity.” This approach echoes Chanel’s innovative spirit and scientific rigour in creating beauty products that are elegant, unique and truly effective.
Sublimage L’Extrait is a serum that regenerates, repairs and revitalises the skin by targeting various signs of ageing (Photo: Chanel)
Sublimage L’Extrait de Nuit is an overnight serum formulated to rejuvenate the look of the skin overnight (Photo: Chanel)
As part of Chanel Sublimage’s immersive exploration of beauty, Ng was drawn to the product’s very name. In the art world, “sublime” describes something so extraordinary that it evokes awe and wonder, portraying greatness, vastness or forces beyond human comprehension. She said that this sense of wonder is also captured in German painter Caspar David Friedrich‘s Wanderer above the Sea of Fog, where a lone figure gazes out over a misty landscape, inviting the viewer to reflect on their own smallness against the vastness of nature.
Reflecting on her own journey, Ng admitted that moments of insecurity are inevitable—like when she realises she cannot fit into certain clothes due to her height. “But at the end of the day,” she said, “what makes someone truly beautiful is their brain and their heart,” echoing Chanel’s belief that beauty should “begin in the heart and soul”. These qualities may not be recognised at first glance, but they become understood over time, like architecture, which reveals its true beauty only to those who are willing to pause and look closer.
Explore the La Fascia De Chanel. An exceptional rejuvenating and repairing treatment that acts on the look of all the skin’s youth parameters, enhanced by the signature La Fascia De Chanel massage. Contact a CHANEL Client Care Advisor to book an appointment by phone: +852 3622 5281, for more information: https://www.chanel.com/hk-en/skincare/les-soins-fascia-de-chanel/