this is a reference that singaporeans will have no excuses to not know. it is from our pledge... reciting it on a daily basis when we are in school. the pledge shall form the backdrop of today's fashion talk. when the discussion of race arises in singapore, one will just think of the different races we have; predominantly chinese, malays and indians... however with the influx of migrants, as a singaporean chinese, i often feel that i am of a different race from a fellow chinese from malaysia, china or taiwan.
yet, we cannot deny our common chinese heritage. when it comes to fashion (especially chinese new year), all walls are demolished and we often go with the reds, pinks, oranges and gold... not to mentioned the cheongsam. the cheongsam was briefly mentioned in my tribute to asian legends... but this will be a more extensive discussion about how i feel towards the cheongsam.
i have a love-hate relationship with the cheongsam. the very reasons that i embrace it are the same reason that i dislike it. when one (with reference to the ladies) dons the cheongsam, every curve is accented... the movements are restricted and kept minimal. one has to watch the way she sits, stands and even the amount she eats. i guess beauty has a price.
ultimately as chinese, the cheongsam becomes a common factor regardless of our country of origin. we look up to it as a beacon of chinese beauty, grace and elegance. it is a dress that every lady puts on to feel, fully, woman. it is the dress that puts us ahead of modern fashion because it pulls us back to traditions.
so are we still modern if we hold traditions steadfast? fash'on... BAM!
while thinking and planning for the posts this week, i spent a fair bit of time thinking about my life. using it as a backdrop... the various cultural, national and racial influences... two things formed critical pillars in my life... death and the stage...
mum left us when i was eleven. i remembered that day vividly because it was a day before teachers' day and i was to host the teachers' day event in school... well, now that i am much older, i've learnt that people come and people go but the memories that are jointly created lasts forever...
two asian icons have done just that... not just in their music but in their style and demeanor... they are teresa teng (邓丽君) and leslie cheung (张国荣)... but let's first talk about teresa teng...
growing up, the songs of teresa teng were often sang around the house... her music often put everyone in a good mood and was (still is) a point of connection for the entire family... what is most striking about her though is her elegance... she was like the princess diana of the east...
teresa teng, other than her music, was best remembered for her dressing as well... always a lady, the cheongsams she dons never failed to dazzle. bringing emphasis to the right places, the cheongsam is now widely adopted in international fashion as well.of course, if you reside in hong kong, you can re-live all of teresa teng's grace and beauty in madame tussauds.
from a lady to a gentleman, i always had a connection with leslie cheung because we shared the same chinese name. of course, people used to ask if i was as talented as he was... all i would offer in return was a blank look. other than his incredible talent, leslie cheung was the guy that every girl wants to date (but sorry people, he plays on a different team) because he had the boyish sparkle and also the charisma of a man.
if i had to put a word to his style, it would be classic. yes, he's pushed boundaries in his clothes and fashion choices but everything that leslie cheung does, it becomes a hit and remains a classic look.
finally, no post about these two legendary stars will ever be complete without their music... enjoy!
