What we expected from Ong Shumugam’s Cheongsam 2017 collection: Beautifully constructed, wholly modern takes on the traditional Chinese garment. What we didn’t expect: The boyish looks (complete with customised Vans sneakers); the poufy, oversized sleeves applied in surprising ways; and the clever mish-mash of prints that managed to look coherent, rather than haphazard.
Here’s what stood out as we caught all the runway action up close:
Tops came with rounded, exaggerated shoulders, while culottes were rendered in batik and lace, a refreshing change from the designer’s usual offering of ladylike, form-fitting dresses.
While traditional touches like the mandarin collar remained, looks displayed a creative interpretation of femininity – whether it was in mixing floral brocade patterns or in introducing dual-toned peplum skirts.
The updated cheongsam, according to Ong Shunmugam, comes with irregular ruffled hems or billowy, puffy sleeves. The primary colours of red, blue and yellow formed the crux of the collection, with the show notes describing the designer’s investigation into why the RGB model of seeing colour was an arbitrary one.
The sheer lace panels on the front, complete with a floral-printed bustier and the waist-cinching silhouette, made this number a stand-out on the runway – and probably one we’ll be seeing a lot for Chinese New Year 2017.
We couldn’t help but admire the azure-blue floral hoop earrings models wore as they strode down the runway. Fun fact: Every piece was handmade by Ong Shunmugam’s team. Now that’s dedication.
Like this? Watch our video interview with Yoyo Cao backstage before her Exhibit show, and see what went down at Aijek’s show and at Max Tan’s show.