All eyes were on the beautiful ones who took to the black carpet at Capella Singapore, dressed to the nines in their best take on ‘Rebellion’. In the sea of black outfits, the surest way to stand out was to don a feathered accessory, as well as sport thigh-grazing slits and blinding jewellery. We approve. 

For our favourite looks, see who made it to our best-dressed list for the night.

(Related: How Our Society Friends Prepped For The Tatler Ball 2017)

While our guests enjoyed mouth-watering lobster tail and foie gras canapes during the cocktail session, there was also plenty to see and do. Friends gathered together at the Sulwhasoo, Tiffany & Co. and Bentley booths for keepsake snaps, while some opted for a temporary tattoo, courtesy of Hublot.

Not surprisingly, the Macallan open bar was a must-visit stop for many of our friends, and those craving a bit of respite from the bustling activity found it at the private space set aside for The Covette Clinic.

At 8pm sharp, the doors to the ballroom opened, revealing a beautiful wonderland dressed in black and gold that had some guests audibly gasping.

(Related: Singapore Tatler 35th Anniversary Ball: The Arrivals)

A rousing performance by Singaporean drum troupe, Drum F3ng, signaled the start of dinner, and the first course of sweet crab meat on a bed of avocado and dressed with squid ink tuille was soon served.

In her opening address, Corinne Ng, Managing Director of Edipresse Media Singapore, marvelled at how much Singapore Tatler had evolved since our first issue in 1982.

Special guest, Dr. Tony Tan Keng Yam, was also unveiled as our cover personality for the November 2017 issue.

This year, we chose to work with New Life Stories, a non-profit organisation that uses education as a means for incarcerated mothers and their children to break out of the poverty cycle. The result is a project named Words Without Walls, which takes the form of a children’s storybook which is launched at the Ball. But it's no ordinary storybook. The stories are written by women serving their sentences in prison. 

Volunteers from the editorial team, and society friends Sybil Lau, Vicky Hwang, Lam Tze Tze and Dimple Aswani came together to bring this project to life.

While speaking about the passion project, Corinne also thanked our society volunteers for funding the costs of the Words Without Walls book, thus enabling 100 per cent of the proceeds to go directly to the beneficiaries of New Life Stories. Each guest at the ball also received a copy of Words Without Walls. 

Over hearty laughter and dinner conversation, guests also enjoyed matcha soba served with blue lobster, Hokkaido scallop and caviar, and a choice of Australian beef short ribs or seared halibut topped with a light laksa foam.  

Singapore Tatler Group Editor Kissa Castañeda then took the stage with Editor Terence Lim to present accolades to our Tatler award recipients. This year’s awardees include Noor Quek, president of the Breast Cancer Foundation, for the Singapore Tatler Award for Community Service; George Quek, founder and chairman of BreadTalk Group for the Singapore Tatler Award for Business; Iqbal and Maniza Jumabhoy for Society Couple of the Year; Karen Ong-Tan for the Singapore Tatler Award for Style; and Lan Shui for the Singapore Tatler Award for Culture.

The prestigious Singapore Tatler Diamond Award 2017 was received by master architect and former Housing Development Board CEO, Liu Thai Ker, in recognition for his contribution to Singapore society.

(Related: Liu Thai Ker On Building A Lovable Singapore)

Love was certainly in the air, as all our awardees sincerely thanked their spouses and loved ones for sticking through thick and thin with them. Mr. Jumabhoy also jokingly shared his realisation that while it is expected that newlyweds would gain a new set of in-laws, he realised soon after marriage that his wife Maniza, was in fact, “the law”.

After a big toast with the Macallan Rare Cask, the cheese bar and special Singapore Tatler photobooth was revealed, to the delight of our guests. 

Close to midnight, our society friends hit the dance floor and shimmied their way through renditions of greatest hits (think: a medley of Michael Jackson’s most danceable hits and Mark Ronson's Uptown Funk) thanks to Liquid Blue—arguably the most-travelled band in the world—who got the crowd on their feet immediately, thanks to their impressive vocals, infectious energy and believe or not, choreographed dance moves. 

No Tatler Ball ends without our famous Teochew porridge bar—a longtime tradition for us and a somewhat wholesome end to an otherwise indulgent night of celebration and fun.