Object size: 151.0 x 41.0 cm
This sleeveless, full-length qipao with cape is an Ong Shunmugam custom-made original evening wear by Singapore-based designer Priscilla Shunmugam. The gown has white brocade motifs of flowers tropical foliage. The red chiffon cape that drapes from the mandarin collar to the floor adds dramatic volume to the traditional sheath-like qipao silhouette. The light cape fabric that seemingly floats when walking, is deliberately added to create movement and presence for the wearer during events. Since the early 2010s, Ong Shunmugam has been popular in Singapore for cross-cultural, modern qipaos that creatively explore fabrics beyond traditional silks, prints other than Chinese motifs, and fine structural details that challenge the qipao silhouette archetype. The donor Paige Parker wore this qipao to the premiere of Singaporean filmmaker Boo JunFeng’s The Apprentice at the 69th Cannes Film Festival in 2016. She is one of the executive producers of the film, an author, and a strong patron of Singapore’s art and fashion industry.
