Old Shanghai Splendour Fashion Show By Kenneth Hoong

In anticipation of Chinese New Year, I tried on a few cheongsam outfits last month but decided they’re not for me. They do look much better on tall, slender figures. Although they fit me, I felt thoroughly constrained when I sat down, as if the seams were about to burst so I have given up the idea of wearing one for this festive season.

Still, I do love looking at cheongsams as few outfits better reflect a woman’s femininity and last night, I was at Sungei Wang to watch the beautiful and elegant creations of Butterfly Studio owner, Kenneth Hoong who showcased 24 uniquely designed cheongsams and qi paos.

The fashion show was specially organized in conjunction with the Old Shanghai Springtime Splendour at the shopping mall. The designs were paired with interesting traditional headgear and accessories. I can imagine how gorgeous the well-heeled women of Shanghai must have looked back in the heydays of old Shanghai with their thick furs/shawls, hats, pearls, long gloves and embroidered cheongsams. Something like a Chinese version “Great Gatsby” perhaps?

Materials used to produce the apparels at the fashion show include Thai Silk, Cotton King, Embrodery, Sequins, Batik, Saree and Songket motifs. Kenneth incorporated local heritage and culture’s art graphics into his designs.

Kampar born Kenneth Hoong has 20 years of experience in the fashion industry. He owns the trademark and name of Butterfly Studio which creates classic and elegant traditional Chinese wear. This is Kenneth’s third local individual fashion show – his previous shows were held in 2005 and 2009 in Malaysia.

Quality of fabric and fine details of the apparels were part of Kenneth’s criteria when producing the cheongsams and qi paos. The whole idea was to produce a variety of oriental, elegant and multi-cultural wear yet at the same time maintain the high standard of Malaysian clothing focusing on comfort, easy to wear and multi-usage for any occasion.

“95% of the cheongsams are focused on flashy red and gold adorned with carefully sewn sequins, embroidery. Dragon & Phoenix are two popular designs on cheongsams as they symbolize love and togetherness. The Dragon represents the male while the Phoenix represents the female,” said Kenneth. he further added that this year’s show is themed to be retro dramatic and Old Shanghai to promote the golden era cosmopolitan period of Shanghai. Exaggerated hair-do and flashy make-up are among the highlights of the show. Kenneth co-operated with Sophia Ang of Mode Make-Up and Hair Academy for the make-up sponsorship and Kelvin Chong as the Image Consultant.