Whether modern or traditional, Chinese New Year dressing is all about bright colours and striking looks. Photo: Maglifestyle
Modernising Chinese New Year dressing to make it trendy isn’t always a straightforward process, but some brands have successfully done so.
Current festive collections balance traditional and contemporary designs a result of careful consideration and creativity.
Local label Maglifestyle utilises unconventional fabrics and silhouettes to appeal to the younger crowd.
“Elements like the frog buttons and high collar are there, but the cut is modern,” says co-founder Shirley Wong.
“We use tweed fabric for our cheongsam, an unusual choice given that brocade and silk chiffon are the common ones.”
Read more: Wearing a cheongsam for Chinese New Year? Here's why the garment is so timeless
Bright colours and important for Chinese New Year, red especially. Shown here is Kahoe Hon fronting a festive campaign. Photo: Levi'sWong says blending modern designs and traditional wear is important to meet local needs.
“We pair shorts with cheongsam-style blouses. The combination is especially designed for Malaysians, as it can get very warm here during Chinese New Year,” she explains.
Maglifestyle’s current collection also borrows elements from different cultures.
There is a scallop mandarin bolero and body-hugging cheongsam-shaped tube dress, for example.
Then there are versatile pieces with detachable mandarin collar that can be added on to different designs. Another trendy look is the sequinned bralette paired with high-slit skirt.
Wong says the preference for traditional or modern Chinese New Year clothes may be influenced by a person’s age.
“When I was younger, I seldom wore the cheongsam to celebrate,” she notes.
“Now, I feel like we really must preserve tradition, so I regularly put on a cheongsam for the celebration and make it part of my Chinese New Year collection.”
A family affair
Actor Kahoe Hon says dressing up for a festivity is important to all Malaysians, not just for Chinese New Year.
“I feel it’s a way for us to understand and embrace our culture even better. It will certainly bring about a different mood,” he points out.
“It is the only few times of the year that we get to dress up, so why not?”
Kahoe appears in the Levi’s festive campaign, where he is seen wearing appropriately bright colours.
Personally, he reveals that it is his mother who will decide on the family’s “theme” for the year.
“Sometimes we would go with traditional pieces and sometimes, we tend to dress up in a more modern way. But for me, I prefer traditional pieces,” Kahoe says.
“My fondest memory has to be the way my mum wanted us to dress up in a certain way. Usually we have sort of a family ‘uniform’ or thematic colour of sorts.”
Designer Melinda Looi jokes that her children never said no to her designs.
“They are pretty cool kids, and they know I will make them cool stuff to wear,” she relates with amusement.
The Melinda Looi Chinese New Year collection this year sees the inclusion of batik.
Designers like Melinda Looi have made good use of batik to create diversity for her collection. Photo: Melinda Looi
Crop top blouse that can be easily match for a comfortable festive look. Photo: Khoon Hooi
According to Looi, she always makes sure to infuse her collections with some local flavour.
“I like blending in all the elements into one to make it truly Malaysian. I feel this will also help remind the younger generation to love traditional craft and fashion,” she says.
It is the familial ties that inspire Looi. She comes from a creative family, some of whom are in the fashion business too.
“I also made sure that I am honouring my dad’s legacy with his pleats elements in the collection. This time, I played around with sunray pleats, which my brother Louie is good at.”
Read more: Malaysian designers redefine CNY fashion, from black clothes to red carpet gowns
Statement-making cheongsam featuring a cut-out at the waist, an elastic waistband and slanted patch pockets. Photo: Keith KeeVersatile and bold designs
Other Chinese New Year designs from local designers also play on bold colours and easy-to-wear cuts.
Khoon Hooi’s lineup is carefully curated to captivate different generations of customers. It is even introducing crop top – a first for the label in two decades.
The brand’s campaign narrates the story of a family matriarch awaiting the return of her three children.
Her eldest daughter has a penchant for traditional dressing but with a modern twist, while her son is a stickler for heritage when it comes to what he wears. Then, there is her youngest daughter who has just returned from studying in London, and has a cool, eclectic style.
Keith Kee’s collection also entices with both traditional and modern accents.
The designer included into his offering, younger looks like cheongsam-style short dresses. These come with pockets, as well as flared skirts, asymmetrical sheer panels and statement sleeves.
There is also the use of modern embellishments like fringes, feathers and large bows.
One thing is for sure – whether traditional or modern, there is no running away from eye-catching fashion and happy colours when it comes to celebrating Chinese New Year.
