NEXT IN CHEONGSAM 2021 TOP 8 | SPARKLE COLLECTION

SF Look 1:
【WOMEN EMPOWERMENT】 by CHAN SIN YUK YUKI

Through the theme of kung-fu, designer tries to showcase not only women’s beauty, but also women’s power. Inspired by Chun-li, the first female character in Street Fighter and the only one wearing cheongsam, her martial art skills is a character for women empowerment.

SF Look 5:
【WATER & LIFE】 by LEUNG WING TUNG, KELLY
Water is an important source, as well as a major component of life. The fluidity of water symbolizes the subtle elegance of cheongsam, displaying class and tenacity with humbleness. The main colour tone of blue, with the help of tie-dyeing of prints through graphical software, creates a ripple-like effect in irregular waves, giving a mature, elegant outlook with a hint of sexiness.
SF Look 6:
【PORCELAIN】 by LEUNG YUK CHAI, HOPE
Inspired by traditional handcraft of porcelain and “ruyi” (如意), the blue and white porcelain vases and white ruyi embody the feminine gracefulness. The fusion of traditional art concept and modern technology in its presentation, plain denim and fancy crystals, oriental cutting with western girdle, perfectly balances different aspects of beauty, creating this piece of simplistic beauty with a splash of glam.
SF Look 7:
【LOTUS】 by LI TUNG YAN, NICOLE 
The old saying of “Lotus born out of fire” refers to people staying true to themselves despite going through variations temptations and people coming through very difficult situations unscathed. Here, designer tells the story of women entering the harsh society, facing and eventually conquering difficulties to be successful through the three stages of lotus: youthful boldness, early adult angst, maturity after baptism of fire.
SF Look 8:
【DRAGON】 by PANG WING KIU
Dragon, the most mythical magical creature in all of Chinese and Western histories. The Chinese dragon, in particular, symbolizes power and great fortune. Dragon is a well-depicted pattern in both Western and Chinese fashion design, and widely accepted as a crucial element representative of Asian culture.
Therefore, I incorporated the Chinese dragon into my design, with the fluidity of the Western-style ruffle skirt as the tail of the dragon. The Chinese corset design adds a touch of whimsy and sexiness, while denim brings about a young and casual vibe to the whole design concept.
SF Look 10:
【CHINESE ZODIAC】 by NG SUM YU, SAMANTHA
Zodiac is not an exclusively-western concept. In Chinese culture the zodiac is represented by twelve animals. Similarly, this cheongsam is not an exclusively-Chinese thing with the mermaid silhouette. The animal prints of Chinese zodiac give a flavour of folk fashion, bringing contemporariness and a Chinese vintage feel to the design.
SF Look 11:
【LUCKY CHARM】 by TSANG SZE CHING
The inspiration of my design comes from the goldfishes I had as pets when I was a child. I think the Koi is the most beautiful fish, their scales shimmering in the water while they swim happily and freely in lakes and streams. Koi is also a symbol of royalty, prosperity, and good luck, thus I used the koi as the theme for my cheongsam design, with a koi print in front, and koi-accentuated accessories like belt and tassels, with the hope that this piece will bring good luck to those who wear it.
SF Look 13:
【CHINESE PAINTING】 by YUEN PUI YAN, AMY
I incorporated Chinese cultural elements with unique Western cutting to create this piece. Using Chinese traditional painting’s “upper part tight, lower part loose” principle as guideline, I freestyled the jean jacket cutting and added in a ruffled look to break through the traditional cheongsam “tight” design, while also keeping the traditional cheongsam’s Mandarin collar and flower buttons. I used different colours of denim to create a patchwork design, highlighted with bright orange details for contrast, and added in crystals for a sparkling effect. The floral prints on the fabric are digitally printed, making the fabric much more eco-friendly.