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Don’t treat cheongsams as merely CNY costumes
Instead of reserving the garment for Chinese New Year and weddings, honour how it embodies culture and identity – and wear it as living heritage.
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Ms Hu Ruixian, a designer who founded Studio HHFZ, with her collection of cheongsams for everyday wear, on Jan 16.
ST PHOTO: GIN TAY
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This coming Year of the Dragon, I have decided to pay homage to my cultural roots and don my cheongsams again.
After dressing down for Chinese New Year during the Covid-19 pandemic, and a subsequent year of celebrating the occasion overseas, I will be making a cultural fashion statement this time around by embracing the cheongsam – which means “long dress” in Cantonese – or qipao in Mandarin. For it is a connection with my ancestry, a tribute to my roots and a statement of reverence for tradition.
