Local designers are putting a contemporary spin on the traditional cheongsam
The high slits and body-hugging fit of traditional cheongsam were a no-go for Ms Jennica Khew, 42, who used to avoid wearing the one- piece Chinese dress except during Chinese New Year.
Her job as a property agent requires her to be constantly on the move.
"Cheongsam used to be made mainly of silk and lace, with an inner polyester lining that was not breathable - it would stick to my body when I perspired, making me feel very warm," says Ms Khew, a married mother of three.
"Also, traditional cheongsam have high slits, which I feel are inappropriate when meeting clients."
But with a new wave of homegrown designers offering cheongsam in quirky prints and comfortable silhouettes, she now has no qualms wearing one to work.
Her favourite is a $189 red cheongsam made of embroidered cotton, from home-grown cheongsam label Qiqing Qipao.
It has a zipper at its collar, in place of the traditional frog-button closure. And the cheongsam has no slits.
"If I am meeting clients, I can zip up my dress to look more formal. For evening drinks, I can lower the zip for a more relaxed look," says Ms Khew, who owns five other cheongsam from other brands.
She is among a growing pool of women who are turning to the modern cheongsam.
Unlike the tight-fitting traditional floral versions, popular in 1920s Shanghai and worn by Hong Kong actress Maggie Cheung's character in Hong Kong director Wong Kar Wai's movie, In The Mood For Love (2000), the modern ones come in looser cuts, such as with an A-line skirt or straight-cut silhouettes.
They are also made of fabrics such as linen, tweed and cotton, and come in quirky prints.
For example, home-grown modern cheongsam label Lark & Peony has a qipao design using cheetah-print fabric, giving the dress a fresh spin.
Home-grown cheongsam-makers and stores such as Mama & Misse, Golden Scissor Cheongsam and Fuchsia Lane say they have seen a jump in sales for their modern designs.
Mama & Misse, which opened in 1992 and has two stores, at People's Park and International Plaza, as well as a by-appointment-only office in Sin Ming Lane, specialises in cheongsam and evening wear.
Its modern-style cheongsam with prints such as batik and red-and- white polka dots are more popular than its silk brocade designs. The modern range accounts for the majority of designs offered.
Newer modern cheongsam labels such as Qiqing Qipao, which launched last November, and Lark & Peony, which is in its fifth year, say response is good. Sales at Lark & Peony, for instance, are up 25 per cent year on year.
At Tangs at Tang Plaza, a spokesman says the department store's pop-up cheongsam section this year, which is selling a mix of modern and traditional-style cheongsam, has so far chalked up double the expected revenue.
Fashion designer and stylist Keith Png thinks the qipao's popularity has received a boost from Chinese designers such as haute couturier Guo Pei, who catapulted into mainstream fashion consciousness after United States- based singer-songwriter Rihanna wore a yellow gown of her creation to the Met Gala in 2015.
Fashion-forward cheongsam designs by home-grown designers Peter Kor and Priscilla Shunmugam of womenswear label Ong Shunmugam have also revived the dress' appeal.
Png adds: "More women should embrace the cheongsam beyond Chinese New Year and weddings.
"A beautifully tailored cheongsam brings out the curve of a woman and is classy and timeless."
